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saving details of a grid to apply to other files

HelgaGomes

My apologies if this is a super easy question or has been asked before but I cant seem to find it because my ArcMap expertise is severely limited.When we produce maps as figures for publication we set a grid using View->Data Frame Properties->New Grid and chose out of the 3 options - usually "Graticule divides map by Meridians and Parallels as it suits our oceanographic setup. Then we go through all the details like font, line style etc all of which can get tedious if you have many figures and have to repeat this again and again. How can we save a template like file of our setup and apply it to all our other figures in the future? That would save us a ton of time! Thanks a lot!

Helga

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Accepted answers

JayantaPoddar

It would have been more helpful if you could have attached screenshots of your MXDs/ Table of Content.

Every MXD will have at-least 1 Data Frame. By default, the name of the Data Frame is "Layers". I had just renamed my Data Frame to "Template Data Frame".

Using data frames—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop

All comments

JayantaPoddar

Hi Helga,

After you make the necessary changes to create a custom Map Document, save the map in

C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Roaming\ESRI\Desktop10.x\ArcMap\Templates

This template will show up every time you open a new document in ArcMap, alongside the Blank Map.

Also keep a backup of this map document, as the template could get deleted if the C: Drive is formatted or if the ArcGIS Profile is reset.

HelgaGomes

Thanks a lot Jayanta. before anything else I tried to locate this Templates folder in my ArcMap but i couldnt find it.

Can i/Should I make one?

HelgaGomes

Sorry Jayanta I did find the folder.

So now do I just do File-> Save as->MyTemplate

and then when I want to use it for another file how do I get MyTemplate back?

Thanks a lot.

Helga

HelgaGomes

To clarify I already have made my maps for a dataset X and now I would like to reproduce the exact grid with all the details that my colleague produced from her files to mine so we have the same identical grids as the region is the same.

JayantaPoddar

Navigate to C:\Users\<CurrentUserName>\AppData\Roaming.

If the AppData Folder is hidden, check Show Hidden Files and Folders

The complete path is C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Roaming\ESRI\Desktop10.x\ArcMap\Templates

JayantaPoddar

When you use the template for another file and click SAVE button, it will prompt you to save the file as a different name (SAVE AS option). So the template file which you have just created cannot be overwritten.

Save the other finished MXDs to your project folder.

HelgaGomes

Hi Jayanta,

Thanks a million. Yes after using the "Show Hidden Files" i was able to navigate to C:\Users\helga\AppData\Roaming\ESRI\Desktop10.4\ArcMap

1)Then I took my colleague's file which has the correct grid and Save as into the above location and named it XXYY

2) Now i am still confused as to how to apply this XXYY template to my own files.Sorry!

JayantaPoddar

There is nothing to be sorry about.

Do you have any MXD which has the desired template? If yes, then open the MXD file > Remove all the layers from the Table of Contents. You should still see the Grids and Graticules in it since it is a property of the Data Frame. Save this MXD to the C:\Users\<UserName>\AppData\Roaming\ESRI\Desktop10.x\ArcMap\Templates.

Optional

If you also want to preserve the symbology of the layers, then you need to save the layers in Table of Contents as Layer Files (.lyr). Then you can import the symbology of the saved layer files to your layers.

I feel that I didn't understand your requirement properly.

Could you explain your requirement further with appropriate screenshots?

HelgaGomes

Hi Jayant,

Thanks ever so much. I think i understood it partially. 1) So in order to make my Template I take the MXD file that has all the settings that I want, then I remove all the layers 2) I Save As -> MyTemplate in C:\Users\helga\AppData\Roaming\ESRI\Desktop10.4\ArcMap\Templates 3) I then use this MyTemplate file to "Add" my project data and make a new MXD file. This will now have the grid from my template.

BUT NOW MY QUESTION IS:

What if I already have a MXD file which has no grid but I want to import the grid from MyTemplate into it. Can this not be done?

Do I have to start with MYTemplate and then add layers to it?

JayantaPoddar

You can Drag-and-Drop the Data Frame from the saved template MXD to your current MXD. If there are existing layers in your current MXD, you can copy-paste the layers from one data frame to other. Then delete the older data-frame from your current MXD.

HelgaGomes

I hate to be bothering you Jayanta but although i understood what you are doing i cant seem to reproduce it with my data.

I took the MXD file with the grid that I want and as removed all the layers. Then I saved it as MyTemplate in the Templates folder. The grid still remained but unlike what you have shown in the image above I cant see a DataFrame Layer like you have shown in the image. Is it a name you gave? In other words can i see the Data Frame Layer in my MXD file because right now I cannot see any such layer. Thanks a million!

JayantaPoddar

It would have been more helpful if you could have attached screenshots of your MXDs/ Table of Content.

Every MXD will have at-least 1 Data Frame. By default, the name of the Data Frame is "Layers". I had just renamed my Data Frame to "Template Data Frame".

Using data frames—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop

HelgaGomes

Hi Jayanta,

Thanks a lot for all your help! I actually worked very well!

Helga

JayantaPoddar

Glad I could help!!!

HelgaGomes

Hi Jayanta,

I went to back to this problem which i thought I had solved but the template that I made which I made does not have any geolocation. Its just a frame that sits on my new mxd figures no matter where the actual latitude or longitude is. Is there any way that I can save the geolocation? Thanks a lot.

Helga

JayantaPoddar

Ensure that your Data-frame has a coordinate system (Data-frame Properties > Coordinate System). Then save the template as suggested above.

If you are referring to the grids and graticules that you are not able to see, then click on layout view to see the grids. Grids will be visible only in layout view.

Displaying maps in data view and layout view—Help | ArcGIS for Desktop

HelgaGomes

Hi Jayanta,

Thank you very much for your response. My template now has a geo reference but it still doesnt fall into place when i overlay it on other mxd files. I made a grid on my mxd file and then dragged and dropped the template on it like you suggested. Attached is a figure of how it

is mismatched. I wonder where i am going wrong.

JayantaPoddar

Each data-frame (DF) is independent of other data-frames. Do not overlay one DF over another DF. If you want to sync multiple DFs, then use Extent Indicators (DF Properties > Extent Indicators).

See this blog for a few more methods Creating multiple dataframes in map view to do equally attached extent rectangles in layout view. | ArcGIS Blog

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