topic Re: Changing a legend from vertical to horizontal in Mapping Questions

Changing a legend from vertical to horizontal

KenLucas — Wed, 16 Jan 2013 15:58:06 GMT

I have a simple legend that I'd like to display horizontally, across the bottom of an mxd. I could convert each element to graphical elements and individually place them, but that would take way longer than if I could just use the legend properties to lay the legend elements out horizontally, instead of one column vertically. I tried many combinations of the legend properties "Place in new column" with no useful results.
Ken

Re: Changing a legend from vertical to horizontal

JuanLuera — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 12:05:41 GMT

Hola Ken,
In working with a few options from within the Legends properties, this almost sounds like you would want to have multiple columns. I am including a few items on this which may give you what you are looking for.

Gracias, Ken!

HowTo: Arrange the items of a legend into columns
http://support.esri.com/en/knowledgebase/techarticles/detail/17406
Working with legends
http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.1/index.html#//00s900000023000000
Working with legends
http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#//00s900000023000000.htm

Re: Changing a legend from vertical to horizontal

KenLucas — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 18:13:31 GMT

Juan,
Thanks so much for providing the links and screen capture. I read the gis help on the links and now understand that the legend property columns just breaks up an specific legend item intom multiple columns; it does not lay all of the legend items out horizonatlly, like I need to. However, your help gave me an idea: I could make insert a bunch of legends into my mxd, each with just 2-3 items, I could arrange these legends together, stacked, on top of a white graphic background, and delete the word legend from all but one. Thus, I can quickly create a "horizontal" legend. Check out the attached screen capture.
I appreciate you inspiring me to come up with a work around,
Ken

Re: Changing a legend from vertical to horizontal

JoelCalhoun — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 21:08:21 GMT

I'm not sure why setting new columns did not work for you. I have included an example of a horizontal legend that I created from the initial vertical legend. Then I changed the order to group similar items and then checked the "Place item(s) in new column" checkbox on the layers that would be the start of each new column, in this case it would be Meander Line, Centerline, Major Water, and Subdiv.

Anyway, I'm glad you got something to work, though it sounds a bit cumbersome.

Re: Changing a legend from vertical to horizontal

JuanLuera — Tue, 12 Feb 2013 12:27:25 GMT

Perfecto Ken,

I am so glad the suggestions for multiple columns, gave you the options you were looking for with your legend. Gracias, Ken!