topic Re: Attempting to make dynamic labeling based on map series in ArcGIS Pro Questions

Attempting to make dynamic labeling based on map series

ConnorCopeland — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 15:29:52 GMT

Hello, I am attempting to make match lines between map series pages such as what is present in CAD but I am unable to make the labeling do quite what I want it to. I want the labels to be able to automatically update based on the page number that is currently shown to a label such as 4-5 and 5-6. I used the strip map series tool to make the index with page numbers and display those on a label, but I am unsure of how to make the label change depending on whether it is the previous page or next page. https://i.postimg.cc/QxPkswDx/Label-Problems.png I can't use dynamic text because not all of the match lines will be in the same locations on the layout and the match lines should be in the map itself. If anyone has any ideas, I am open to them as I can't seem to find a way to dynamically update this the way I wish to.

Re: Attempting to make dynamic labeling based on map series

MarcelSt-Germain — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 16:29:37 GMT

Hi, With map series, you need to have and index. The drawback is that is not a map series it's a layout series. So, you tell 4-5 did you mean two maps in one layout ? If so, you can only have one using the series. That's what's I ask since data driven pages. A map series not a page or layout series.

So if you have one map in the layout, it's easy. Just make a polygon of each map extend. You make a field with the name of the map ie 4, 5 etc. Then, in the layout, you make the parameters you.like pointing to your index. After that, for each map, your maplex configuration will apply like the size, distance and position of the label etc.

If you need annotations to be able to adjust the maplex results, you need to use tiled label to annotations geo processing. You give the field of the name of your map the the result will add a TileID field with that name.

Hope this will help you.

Re: Attempting to make dynamic labeling based on map series

ConnorCopeland — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 17:04:54 GMT

Sorry I wasn't very clear as it was hard to explain and I am not allowed to share the actual layout we are using but I have a map series index created and each layout has 1 map frame on it. I want the edges of the index polygons to contain a label that can update based on whether or not it was the previous page or the next page in the layout. So if I am on page 4 I want the extent for page 3 to be labeled with "3-4" showing that the polygon on that edge is page 3 and then page 5 to be labeled with "4-5". Then if I am on page 6, page 5 should be labeled with "5-6" instead of "4-5". The reason why I was avoiding putting anything on the layout itself is that the view extent polygon can be on any side of the current page so putting elements onto the layout will made it always located in the same spot as far as I am aware.
I will look into what you said but wanted to provide some more context.

Re: Attempting to make dynamic labeling based on map series

ConnorCopeland — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 17:16:06 GMT

Re: Attempting to make dynamic labeling based on map series

ConnorCopeland — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 17:19:31 GMT

Another method that I can do is having the edge of each polygon display the current stationing mark that it overlaps with but I would still need it to determine which edge of the polygon is being displayed in order to determine which stationing mark would need to be labeled from the two that the edges would cover on either side of it.

Re: Attempting to make dynamic labeling based on map series

JesseWickizer — Fri, 30 Jan 2026 22:34:32 GMT

Do your index layer polygons overlap? If so, you could do some additional processing of the index layer to generate new polygons to label.

Start with a strip map series such as this:

Use the Intersect geoprocessing tool to keep only the portions of the index layer that overlap.

Use the Dissolve tool to combine the overlapping polygons and keep the overlapping page numbers.

Specify the Shape_Length and Shape_Area fields as the dissolve fields.
For Statistics Fields, select the PageNumber field with the Concatenate statistic type.
Specify a dash for the Concatenation separator.

In the map series, label only the dissolved layer with the CONCATENATE_PageNumber field.

A sample map series page may look like this:

If you prefer the labels are placed on the line feature, then Intersect this layer with the line and label only that line intersection feature. Further refine the label placement settings to Prefer label near map border.