mask out contour lines behind contour label

[AdamForknall]

When labelling a contour layer (or any line layer using the contour placement method) with labels ON the line, the line is visible behind the numbering (for example through the hole in a zero). When this is applied on a plain background, a halo matching the background colour can be used to block the line out, however this isn't suitable when an image or other non-plain background is used. To overcome this, there should be an option when using the contour placement for labels, which removes the contour line from behind and immediately around the labels. This also shouldn't require the use of annotation for the labels...

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No Masking 😞

Plain halo 😞

Line feature erased from behind numbers 😄

[MErikReedAugusta]

I would love this.  I can make a halo that matches a background color to do this when I have a flat map background, sure.

But I'm frequently working with Aerial imagery as a basemap, and that approach doesn't work.

And even in the flat-background maps, many of them have colored polygons to indicate some special area of interest.  Right now, I have to try to figure out some sort of query to split my layers into multiple groups and set the properties for each group to match their respective backgrounds.

Personally, I see two possible approaches:

1. A list of all (visible?) layers in the map, with checkboxes next to each for whether that layer should be masked by the label halo
2. A single field for the layer that should be the "base" that the halo cuts to.  All intervening layers are masked, and only those above the label's target layer and below the "base" layer are unmasked.

Option 1 would be more useful & dynamic, but Option 2 would be slightly more performant for complicated maps.  And I imagine complicated maps would be ones where it's a little more justifiable to force users to take that extra step of one of the more laborious approaches like Annotations, Feature Outline Masks, or just plain exporting to Illustrator, et al., and labeling there.

[JesseWickizer]

There is an existing idea for dynamic masking here that you can add your Kudos to.

https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-ideas/mask-out-contour-lines-behind-contour-label/idi-p/935...

[Crinoid]

Blows my mind that there STILL isn't capability for this. My data changes regularly enough that it's impractical to repeatedly convert labels to annotations for the sake of masking, so I'm stuck with distracting halos on half my maps.