idea Link between Map and Layout Windows to Simultaneously Pan in ArcGIS Pro in ArcGIS Pro Ideas

Link between Map and Layout Windows to Simultaneously Pan in ArcGIS Pro

Anonymous User — Fri, 15 May 2015 17:38:21 GMT

It would be very convienient to be able to simultaneously move in both the map and the layout windows in ArcGIS Pro just like you can between two maps (such as your 2D/3D maps). That way, I do not have to make a new layout map from my map window every time I move to a different area in my map window.

Re: Link between Map and Layout Windows to Simultaneously Pan in ArcGIS Pro

JeffBarrette — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 16:15:22 GMT

Have you tried activating the map frame in the layout? Right-click a map frame, choose "Activate". Now as you pan the map, you are also updarting your layout at the same time.

Re: Link between Map and Layout Windows to Simultaneously Pan in ArcGIS Pro

KevinCross2 — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 14:02:03 GMT

I would like to see this happen as well.

Re: Link between Map and Layout Windows to Simultaneously Pan in ArcGIS Pro

JeffBarrette — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 16:33:12 GMT

Hello, we appreciate your feedback. The Layout team is very interested in learning more about your requirements. Please provide more detail on your exact workflow so we can better understand why you want to link map views with map frames in a layout view.

Here is why it works the way it does:

1) Map views are simply a "viewer" (window) for the layers in a map. A map view has its own camera information (i.e., center position, scale, etc). You can create multiple map views for the same map (or different maps). These were designed to be independent of map frames in a layout (which also preserve their own, independent camera information). In ArcMap, users often expressed concern that if they changed the extent, scale, etc of their map (in data view), the layout (view) would get affected. Therefore we separated the two types of "views".

2) Layouts support map frames which are also a type of "viewer" to layers in a map. You also can have multiple map frames in a layout and those map frames can be "linked" so if the camera information is changed in one map frame, other map frames will update. The way you do this is to set the map frame constraints via the map frame pane --> Display Options tab. There are many options (e.g., Fixed Extent, Linked Map Frame Extent, etc).

In summary, the problem with linking map views and map frames: You can have multiple map views (of the same map) and multiple layouts, each with multiple map frames (possibly pointing to the same map) in a single project. The scenario can get quickly out of hand.

Again, please provide a detailed workflow so we can evaluate your scenario.

Jeff

Re: Link between Map and Layout Windows to Simultaneously Pan in ArcGIS Pro

KevinCross2 — Thu, 14 Sep 2017 19:49:04 GMT

Jeff,

Thanks for the reply. I understand how things could get out of hand QUICK! What I am suggesting is something along the lines of what is currently in place, only it links the "Data View" to the "Layout View". A feature that currently available that links "data view" to "data view". Maybe a setting that the user can turn off/on, and allows for a maximum of 5 "links" between the data view/layout view?

My department deals with the public on a daily basis and many people request a "printable" map, on either a 8.5"x11" or 11"x17" sheet of paper. Many times they stand/sit watching and waiting. Right now I pull up ArcMap and can navigate to the location in either "Data View" or "Layout View" and can toggle between both with no issues. I can pan in "Data View" and switch over to "Layout View" and, produce a map relatively quickly! However, it looks like, in ArcPro if I navigate to something in "Data View" and switch to "Layout View" I would have to re-navigate to it in that view? It's more hassle and work, at that point. Especially when you are doing this over and over, each day.

Again, this is my opinion, and might not work for everyone. Just like not having a link between "data view" and "layout view", doesn't work for me. Just a thought.

I appreciate your response to this issue!

Re: Link between Map and Layout Windows to Simultaneously Pan in ArcGIS Pro

HelenBradley — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 14:46:32 GMT

I have to agree with Kevin. I'm in a similar position, in that I need to be able to zoom into an area quickly in the "Data View" and then print the "layout View". Having to zoom in twice, once on the data view and once on the layout view is frustrating. Surely there could be an option to switch on/off Data and layout view linking. Currently I'm just switching back to ArcMap to do these types of task (it's much quicker).

Re: Link between Map and Layout Windows to Simultaneously Pan in ArcGIS Pro

KoryKramer — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 15:49:00 GMT

Kevin,

Given your description, it seems like if somebody comes in and says they need an 11X17 printout, couldn't you just go to your 11X17 layout, Activate the map frame and do all of your panning, zooming, basically do all the work in the map that you need. Then export/print the layout.

+mliebert‌ and raps‌ Please chime in here as well after reading about Activated Map Frame Mode.

Work with a map on a layout—Layouts | ArcGIS Desktop

Activated Map Frame Mode

In this mode, you may now work with the map within the context of the page. The rest of the layout will become disabled until you exit activated map mode. The core tabs of the ribbon will contain the same map commands as they would in a map view. Once you are in activated map frame mode, you will have two sets of navigation tools available...

I guess the question is, what about the above functionality does not work in your workflow? Thank you!

Re: Link between Map and Layout Windows to Simultaneously Pan in ArcGIS Pro

KevinCross2 — Tue, 30 Jan 2018 16:23:45 GMT

Kory,

This could work, yes for some people. However, most of the people I deal with don't know what they want until the end. When they come in its usually "Can I just see where my water meter is? or Can I see the zoning for my house?" then its "Oh by the way can I get a print out of that? " Then going back and forth with them on the different sizes of paper, and seeing if things fit best in either landscape or portrait. I can't tell you how many times I've had someone tell me "11x17 will work" then when its printed out, "Oh this is too big can I get an 8.5x11" or even "can I get one in 11x17 and 8.5x11". I have this happen at least 1 time a week and becomes a hassle! I typically have anywhere from 2-4 different map documents open at any given time due to not knowing what the next person will want their map to be printed on. That's why I'd like to see the "View" and "Layout" be linked, so no matter what request comes through, it can be navigated to quickly and effectively. If a person says they want an 8.5x11 map and I pull that map up and then they want it in 11x17 as well I'd have to do the same thing again. But by "linking" the layout to the view I wouldn't have to worry about that.

Re: Link between Map and Layout Windows to Simultaneously Pan in ArcGIS Pro

MatthiasDufour2 — Fri, 23 Feb 2018 09:49:36 GMT

This function existed in ArcMap "Automatic Mode" (default).

For some uses, it would be convenient to have this function.

Re: Link between Map and Layout Windows to Simultaneously Pan in ArcGIS Pro

KoryKramer — Fri, 23 Feb 2018 14:22:14 GMT

Matthias, can you describe the use cases where it would be convenient for you to have this? Are you able to activate the map frame from the layout and work like that? Because ArcMap had one map (potentially many data frames) and one layout, and an ArcGIS Pro project can contain many maps and many layouts, we can't draw a strict comparison. But it would be good to understand in detail your work and how this functionality would look for you.

Thank you.

Re: Link between Map and Layout Windows to Simultaneously Pan in ArcGIS Pro

MarkMurphy3 — Thu, 01 Mar 2018 17:20:08 GMT

Hi Kory, I don't know that I have much substance to add to this topic, but do know that many of the folks in my community would like that functionality as well. The reasons why things are currently the way they are make sense and the workflows that you envision for working within Pro also make technical sense. But consider that the way software 'feels' to a user may be as important as what it can technically do.

I would argue one point, which is that the real estate in the map is greater than the real estate of the map frame within the layout, and some folks may be more comfortable working that way where they can see details just a bit better. Also, many folks will often only have one map frame within a layout and it's just a bit annoying to have to scale the map twice. I agree with other users above, and can speak for many people in our organization, that having some kind of obvious function where you can link the map frame with the map would be helpful. How you implement that functionality seems less important -- it could be a simple right-click --> "link map frame to map."

Just my two cents....

Re: Link between Map and Layout Windows to Simultaneously Pan in ArcGIS Pro

EdPoole — Wed, 21 Mar 2018 15:26:30 GMT

I will add my support for bringing back this functionality as well. If I am looking at the map tab, I would like to be able to mirror my current environment in a layout. It seems counter intuitive based on previous ESRI software workflows to now disconnect the "Map" tab from the "Layout" view.

Re: Link between Map and Layout Windows to Simultaneously Pan in ArcGIS Pro

ThomasColson — Sun, 29 Apr 2018 16:36:02 GMT

"couldn't you just go to your 11X17 layout, Activate the map frame and do all of your panning, zooming, basically do all the work in the map that you need. Then export/print the layout." Or, as I could in Arc, just do my panning, zooming, basically do all the work in the map that I need in data view, then pop over to layout view, where I generally use fixed engineering scales to fine-tune the layout (e.g 1 inch = 100 feet), and finish things up. While we're on the topic, in Arc, I can just right-click in layout and select "Fit to Margins". Can I do that in Pro Layout? The workflow is significantly faster in Arc than in Pro, as, in Pro, I now have to fumble around with this new "Activate" button. Perhaps a project options thingy: Limit project to one map which would automatically tie the map to the layout. I can see where "Dude Where's My Water Meter" guy would appreciate that....

Re: Link between Map and Layout Windows to Simultaneously Pan in ArcGIS Pro

Anonymous User — Wed, 14 Nov 2018 23:58:20 GMT

I use Bookmarks (from the Layout on the Layout Tab in ArcPro) to save a certain view. Bookmarks allow you to save multiple views for any one Layout. They are also available in Desktop versions.

If you have multiple Views within one layout, when you Activate that view (as mentioned in an earlier post) the Bookmarks for just that view are available on the Maps Tab.

Sorry for my goofy illustrations, but hopefully this will be helpful.

Re: Link between Map and Layout Windows to Simultaneously Pan in ArcGIS Pro

Anonymous User — Thu, 03 Jan 2019 21:04:51 GMT

Kory,

Exactly what Kevin Cross said. This topic came up during a recent GIS Steering Committee meeting and there was significant frustration that this functionality did not cross over to Pro. I do not see any harm in including it into Pro, but significant workflow disruption from its omission.

Re: Link between Map and Layout Windows to Simultaneously Pan in ArcGIS Pro

MatthewDriscoll — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 11:54:21 GMT

Our entire set of users were very unhappy about this. I was able to create an add-in where it will zoom to the maps extent in the layout with a click of a button. But being able to tie a map to a layout is crucial.

Here is the script to get the extents of the Map view to the Layout view. Note that there is a bug (https://my.esri.com/#/support/bugs/BUG-000127000) and you have to save the project while in the Map view before running the script.

arcpy.env.overwriteOutput = True

aprx = arcpy.mp.ArcGISProject("CURRENT")

m = aprx.listMaps("Layers")[0]

layout = aprx.listLayouts("Template_8_5x11_Layout")[0]
frame = layout.listElements("MAPFRAME_ELEMENT")[0]
ext = m.defaultCamera.getExtent()
frame.camera.setExtent(ext)‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍‍

Re: Link between Map and Layout Windows to Simultaneously Pan in ArcGIS Pro

JerodSperry — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 13:41:01 GMT

The requested functionality is most beneficial in a collaborative and quick print environment. We shouldn't have to work in the layout view for navigating and discussing elements in the data frame. In this scenario you're losing a percentage of your viewable space on the application as you're limited to the size of the layout frame as opposed to the entire canvas in the map frame mode. I agree the activated map frame could be used to navigate the space, but in a room of 20 people reviewing data on the map, it would be more productive to navigate in the map frame and produce updated map graphics on the fly with a linked extent.

Re: Link between Map and Layout Windows to Simultaneously Pan in ArcGIS Pro

MatthewDriscoll — Wed, 06 Nov 2019 14:32:13 GMT

It should also be mentioned, because of a bug, you cannot currently correctly quick print from the map. The print of the map is not the same extents on what you see on the screen. Being able to tie the extents of a map view to a map frame in the layout would be very helpful. Yet another arcmap equivalent missed in the Pro development.

Re: Link between Map and Layout Windows to Simultaneously Pan in ArcGIS Pro

AlexandraSchmidt — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 16:25:06 GMT

To put my two cents in here, I work in natural resources on the county level and often my work will span multiple farms. When I am assembling my maps for site visits, it becomes extremely annoying to not have a way for my layout to automatically match my map extent like in ArcMap because I am switching between so many farms. Activating my layout map frame is not convenient either because these sites are often tens of miles apart.

I'm also new to working with ArcGIS Pro, so I could be missing something?

Re: Link between Map and Layout Windows to Simultaneously Pan in ArcGIS Pro

KellyPerry — Tue, 28 Jul 2020 20:20:42 GMT

Wow, I see that this has been an issue for quite some time, with ESRI comments relating mostly to "here's a workaround for you." I have delayed diving in to Pro because it was so different than desktop and finally decided it was time. After going through several tutorials I really began to like it. I love the advanced labeling. However, this issue is pretty darned close to being a deal breaker. I realize that you can have multiple map frames in a layout, I've been doing this long enough to be extremely aware of that. I don't understand the logic behind taking the link between data view and layout view away. My guess is that it's somewhere closer to being programmatically difficult rather than the "we thought this would work better for you" type answers in this post. If that's the case, then say it. Don't try to sell us on a work around. I'm glad you don't design cars, because I'd hate for you to redesign things and put the brakes in a button by the radio, because our feet can get to be pretty busy operating the gas pedal and all.