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Ability to add prefix to annotation feature class and choose custom name

455
3
05-10-2024 12:03 AM
Status: Open
Labels (1)
RTPL_AU
Frequent Contributor

When converting labels to annotations in Pro you cannot change the name of the annotation feature class (AFC) nor can you add a prefix to the default name.
Please add the ability to create a custom feature class name as well as the ability to set a prefix to the default name.

RTPL_AU_0-1715324135681.png

 

We prefix all our AFCs with 'anno_'  so that they are grouped together in the GDB. 
If there are many AFCs created from the same layer name (same layer added multiple times) then you have to use a custom suffix for each one and then go back to the GDB and rename them to something sensible.

A workflow now has to be discarded because Pro cannot do what ArcMap does.

Further to this - remove the requirement to add a new contents group layer for every annotation layer that is created. Is there a good reason that Pro cannot use an AFC that is not in a group layer in Contents?

 

3 Comments
RTPL_AU

@KoryKramer  Please tell me what the rationale and process you had in mind was for the following:

  • Not allowing us to rename annotation layers in the "Convert Labels to Annotation" 
  • Placing resulting annotations in a group layer

These are steps I now have to go through every single time to get the required data names / map structure (rename in gdb and remove from group). 
It is a non-trivial change from ArcMap so I assume there has to be some clear reason why; and if you can tell me it may help me do things better.

My process:  Prefix all annotation with 'anno_' so that they are all together at the top of a gdb in catalog view. Then they may also be named to set the doc version, reason, style used, etc. We may have the same dataset labelled/anno'd multiple times for different documents or document versions.
I may place all final annotations in a group layer (e.g. to turn them off easily to see what labels remain) but usually they are each just a single map layer on their own.

RichardHowe

Agree with this. This is effectively an ArcMap equivalency issue and as such should be addressed.

BrookeAumann

I've been looking for this! Agree with everything AND would be nice if we could append directly as well via the same dialog like we could in ArcMap. I don't want a million temp FCs just to turn it into one.