topic Re: How to set a background color for a Map in Layout? in ArcGIS Pro Questions

How to set a background color for a Map in Layout?

wayfaringrob — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 17:36:27 GMT

I'm having a hard time getting the map frame to keep its background color once added to a layout. I've got a nice gray color in the Map tab:

On the layout tab, however, it's plain white, even if I change the background color of the data frame separately:

Is this the intended functionality of these settings? There are no polygons or anything on my map covering the "background" - and as shown above, it's looking fine on the map tab. I'm wondering if there's just another setting somewhere that I'm not thinking of.

Re: How to set a background color for a Map in Layout?

DanPatterson — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 01:46:24 GMT

Is this what you are referring to?

Add and modify map frames—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation

As with other layout elements, a map frame can have a border, background, and a shadow. Backgrounds can be important because the background color of a map is not displayed in the map frame. Instead, the background of the map frame is used.

Re: How to set a background color for a Map in Layout?

AubriOtis — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 03:30:55 GMT

Map backgrounds and map frame backgrounds (map frames are maps on a layout) are currently separate in Pro, that way one doesn't override the other. To change the map frame background: select the map frame in the Layout view, right-click and choose Properties to open the Element pane, then switch to the Display tab where you can change the background.

Re: How to set a background color for a Map in Layout?

wayfaringrob — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 13:42:37 GMT

@AubriOtis @DanPatterson - this is what I'm showing in my second photo. I'm not able to change the background whether I set it on the map or in the data frame properties.

Re: How to set a background color for a Map in Layout?

RobertBorchert — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 13:56:30 GMT

Curious.

to do it you need to be in the Layout View. If you want to change the background for the entire thing and not just your frame that contains the map. you can draw a neatline that takes up the entire page. Make the line no color but the background the color you want.

Re: How to set a background color for a Map in Layout?

AubriOtis — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 14:21:53 GMT

That's curious. In the layout view it looks like the white is part of the basemap (the background draws behind every feature in the map), but it lets you update in map view so that doesn't seem correct. Can you tell me what basemap you are using? I'd like to test this out.

Cheers,

Aubri

Re: How to set a background color for a Map in Layout?

RobertBorchert — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 14:37:25 GMT

When using base maps we do not set the background color because one would be covering up the other.

the basemap by default would be about the back ground of the frame because it is a layer inside the frame.

Re: How to set a background color for a Map in Layout?

AubriOtis — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 14:58:50 GMT

That makes sense, unfortunately I can't reproduce the behavior you are seeing. The background updates for me every time. It looks like you found a bug. I would report this to technical support https://support.esri.com/en/contact-tech-support. They can get a bug logged and sent to the proper development team to be fixed.

Re: How to set a background color for a Map in Layout?

wayfaringrob — Thu, 23 Sep 2021 15:28:02 GMT

Yes, I'm in layout view. I just want the map background to be the same color as in the Map tab. My solution for now was to add a graphics rectangle to the map of the desired color, but I feel like there should be an easier way.

Re: How to set a background color for a Map in Layout?

wayfaringrob — Fri, 24 Sep 2021 17:37:10 GMT

Yes, I'm not using an Esri basemap on mine either - which is why I need to set a color. My solution for now was to add a graphic rectangle of the color I wanted that covers the layout extent.

Re: How to set a background color for a Map in Layout?

wayfaringrob — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 21:29:53 GMT

Forgot to share - if anyone is impacted, you can track this bug: BUG-000143484 https://support.esri.com/en/bugs/nimbus/QlVHLTAwMDE0MzQ4NA==. The improper functionality is the result of using blend modes in your layers. It has not been fixed in 3.0 as I hoped, but hopefully soon. When using a graphic rectangle as a workaround, be sure to set its labeling weight to none to avoid labeling problems. I label it with the bug number so I don't come back years later and wonder why the heck I did it this way.

Re: How to set a background color for a Map in Layout?

DanPatterson — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 21:27:20 GMT

didn't find it in the pdf

Release notes for ArcGIS Pro 3.0—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation

Re: How to set a background color for a Map in Layout?

wayfaringrob — Fri, 24 Jun 2022 22:43:24 GMT

Yes -- it's not fixed in 3.0.