Dynamic text inside symbols

[NicolePillipow]

Hey guys, I'm relatively new to gis and esri software. If you could help me out I'd appreciate it.

Ive been trying to figure out the best way to create symbols that have text inside them that change based upon an attribute. For example ??? ??? ??? ???. Is there a built in symbology setting or group of symbols available where I could achieve this effect? If so is there a limit to how many digits they can house?

Thanks  for reading.

[T__WayneWhitley · Accepted solution]

Sure no problem - I think what you want is this:

Creating text symbols
Desktop » Mapping » Symbols and styles
http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.2/index.html#/Creating_text_symbols/00s60000000z000000/

...more to the point, scroll down to "Text inside highway shields or other markers".

Should get you on the right path...

Enjoy,
Wayne

[NicolePillipow]

Thanks so much.
It turns out that I was looking in the wrong place. It was label properties that allows you to do what I asked not symbols.
Your link helped me figure that out.

[BrianDavis]

Thanks, but all the on-line ESRI help refers to ArcMap 10.2.  I only have access to 10.0, and my Editor interface looks completely different than the help examples.

I have layers which do not have temporal attributes, but I have one for each year.  I can easily animate them as a group.  However, I am unable to figure out how to accomplish the simple task of animating a text object displaying the year.

I used to do this all the time in ArcScene 9.X, but ArcMap 10.X seems to want to only deal with animating time attributes of layers.  My layers have no such attributes.

Any assistance would be appreciated.

Sure no problem - I think what you want is this:

Creating text symbols
Desktop » Mapping » Symbols and styles
http://resources.arcgis.com/en/help/main/10.2/index.html#/Creating_text_symbols/00s60000000z000000/

...more to the point, scroll down to "Text inside highway shields or other markers".

Should get you on the right path...

Enjoy,
Wayne

[TrishRice]

Thanks, but all the on-line ESRI help refers to ArcMap 10.2.  I only have access to 10.0, and my Editor interface looks completely different than the help examples.

I have layers which do not have temporal attributes, but I have one for each year.  I can easily animate them as a group.  However, I am unable to figure out how to accomplish the simple task of animating a text object displaying the year.

I used to do this all the time in ArcScene 9.X, but ArcMap 10.X seems to want to only deal with animating time attributes of layers.  My layers have no such attributes.

Any assistance would be appreciated.

For one, that link isn't for dynamic labels but for text elements added through the Insert menu or the Draw toolbar.  It's not the label properties and that's why it looks different. (The instructions for 10.0 look the same.) You might like to bookmark a link to the 10.0 Help library. 🙂

To make labels that are inside a marker symbol you go into the layer properties to the labels tab.  If any of the predefined shields or callout boxes will work for you then just click on Label Styles and choose one.  If you need to create your own then instead click on Symbol, then Edit Symbol, go to the Advanced Text tab, click on Text Background and properties, and choose the marker symbol you want.

[BrianDavis]

For one, that link isn't for dynamic labels but for text elements added through the Insert menu or the Draw toolbar.  It's not the label properties and that's why it looks different. (The instructions for 10.0 look the same.) You might like to bookmark a link to the 10.0 Help library. 🙂

To make labels that are inside a marker symbol you go into the layer properties to the labels tab.  If any of the predefined shields or callout boxes will work for you then just click on Label Styles and choose one.  If you need to create your own then instead click on Symbol, then Edit Symbol, go to the Advanced Text tab, click on Text Background and properties, and choose the marker symbol you want.

Thanks for the response, pmcatnip.  However, upon following your instructions, When I "go into the layer properties", there is no "labels tab".  Only "General", "Source", "Extent", "Display", and "Symbology" tabs.  When I attempt your alternate suggestion I have no button or menu "Symbol" to click on.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]29540[/ATTACH]

[TrishRice]

Thanks for the response, pmcatnip.  However, upon following your instructions, When I "go into the layer properties", there is no "labels tab".  Only "General", "Source", "Extent", "Display", and "Symbology" tabs.  When I attempt your alternate suggestion I have no button or menu "Symbol" to click on.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]29540[/ATTACH]

Sorry I didn't realize you were working with a raster layer.  :confused:  Maybe some scripting could populate a text box with the layer name (year) from the TOC as the animation cycles through the layers?