contour label

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8
07-07-2011 04:20 AM
StamatinaNikolopoulou
New Contributor
I would like to label contours in a way where the number of elevation will be on the line but without seeing the line behind the label.I mean I want line-number-continued of line.Do I have to do it by edditing the line,cutting at some points and placing the label there?
I used halo but it makes sth like a buffer around the number so if the background for example is white (in general one colour) that is ok because it covers the line at that point and no prob but if the background is colorful then there is problem because you see also the buffer.
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8 Replies
JimW1
by
Occasional Contributor II
I would like to label contours in a way where the number of elevation will be on the line but without seeing the line behind the label.I mean I want line-number-continued of line.Do I have to do it by edditing the line,cutting at some points and placing the label there?
I used halo but it makes sth like a buffer around the number so if the background for example is white (in general one colour) that is ok because it covers the line at that point and no prob but if the background is colorful then there is problem because you see also the buffer.



I'm sensing you work with engineers... I've never found a satisfactory way to do this in ArcMap without a bunch of manual work.

Some methods I've used:
1. Convert the contour labels to annontation feature classes and then use the XY of each annotation point to make a buffer and erase the underlying polyline
2. Make a polyline perpendicular to the general slope of the contours and then intersect the contours with the polyline. Then convert each vertex to a point label and erase using a buffer of the line (Engineer friendly)
3. Slowly die of tedium using representations to manually erase the line behind each annotation/label (see attached)
4. Convince your audience that labels above the contour line is the new fad in cartography and broken lines is so 1987 (Planner friendly)

Representations are the best looking but are really for one or two small study areas and once seen usually spirals out of control where you spend hours upon hours making contours look pretty.

For a non-ESRI solution the Surfer 10 makes contours with breaks for labels and they can be easily converted to shapefile or such but is not as robust as SA in ESRI.

I'm hoping someone posts a better way to accomplish label breaks.
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michaelcollins1
Occasional Contributor III
...plus after hours of manual labeling there's always someone who comes up with "I don't like the font, can you make it bigger?" and you have to do it all over again.
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JimW1
by
Occasional Contributor II
...plus after hours of manual labeling there's always someone who comes up with "I don't like the font, can you make it bigger?" and you have to do it all over again.


lol so true
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Robert_LeClair
Esri Notable Contributor
I would recommend using the Feature Outline Masks (Cartography) tool (ArcInfo license) with the input layer being your annotation feature class, define the output and optional parameters.  Set the Layer Properties for the mask layer to no color, no outline.  Go to Advanced Drawing Options in Data Frame Properties and set the properties for Layer Masking.  Voila - "cuts" in the contour lines for your anno.

Doesn't get away from the issue "I don't like the font" though...

Robert LeClair
Esri-Denver
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AdamInglis
Occasional Contributor II
What about placing a 0.7 white halo around the contour label?  It seems to do a decent job of obscuring the line behind the labels with no manually labour.
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JimW1
by
Occasional Contributor II
I just tried the method using Feature Outline Masks (and also Intersecting Layers Masks) and this is a decent solution. I am impressed more by the Intersecting Layers Masks tool. I'm sure too with come creative buffering something could be made to do similar masking. Thanks Robert.


Right-click the Data Frame name (e.g. Layers) in the TOC to find the 'Advanced Drawing Options' for those hunting for it.
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JohnNiles
New Contributor III
This has got to be one of the lamest limitations of ArcMap... a program used for cartography can't be used for cartography... absolute insanity.

None of the methods described deal with transparencies in conjunction with such layers as hillshade..

Very frustrating.
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JamalNUMAN
Legendary Contributor
This has got to be one of the lamest limitations of ArcMap... a program used for cartography can't be used for cartography... absolute insanity.

None of the methods described deal with transparencies in conjunction with such layers as hillshade..

Very frustrating.


I'm encountered in the same issue!

I'm wondering why ArcGIS is very weak in some very basic issues!!!!!!

the contour labeling is very well, nevertheless, still it needs some work around in ArcMAP!!!!!

what is the shortest way to achieve perfect contour labeling (attached)?

thank you in advance,

regards

Jamal
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Jamal Numan
Geomolg Geoportal for Spatial Information
Ramallah, West Bank, Palestine
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