Multiple Pages in a Single Layout

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01-13-2021 10:47 AM
Status: Open
Labels (1)
jcarlson
MVP Esteemed Contributor

Before I came to work at an ESRI workplace, I was an avid QGIS user. Still am, really, but as ArcGIS Pro has developed, I find myself needing to use Q less and less to hack together an as-yet-unimplemented feature in Pro.

(Major props on the eyedropper!)

There is, alas, still one feature that I desperately want: multiple-page layouts.

In the course of my work, there are a number of times when it is helpful to have spatial and non-spatial components on separate pages, and the sheer amount of information in my layout cannot realistically be squeezed into a single page. Or at least, not that the average person could print out. I'm all for digital maps, but I know we have other folks in our county who want it on paper, and I'd like to conveniently oblige them.

The biggest of these items are our Change Records we generate when changes are made to the cadastre.

Here's one for reference.

Combining multi-page layouts with a Map Series would absolutely make my day.

What are my alternatives?

  1. Make each page a separate layout
  2. Use some sort of mail merge procedure to generate the non-spatial pages
  3. Make my layouts potentially tabloid-sized
  4. Use Python
  5. Use QGIS

Options 1 and 2 create separate files, which then have to be merged together, adding more steps and intermediate file storage to what is currently a batch process.

Option 3 we tried, but the increased loading time and unprintable nature of the page was not desirable for our users.

Option 4 is a maybe, but there's no way the spatial component will look half as nice as Pro, especially when it comes to labelling.

Option 5 is what I'm currently doing, but it comes with a host of its own limitations, and means that I have to work in two programs during my "weekly update" process, which is sub-optimal.

Final note: I've tried making a reeeeeeally tall layout in Pro and hoping that in the "Print to PDF" process it would cut them, but no. It just generates a really tall PDF.

22 Comments
HubertusKolster

It would be very nice to have more then on page for one Layout.

For example:

First Page: map

Second Page: Legend

Third Page: Text (desription/Metadata/Datatable)

This should be aviable for ArcGIS Server too.

KoryKramer

Thank you for submitting your idea, kolster

Could you provide more context about the use case for this functionality?  

HubertusKolster

Hello,

in ArcMap it is only possible to have one Page per layout (I didn't "mean data driven" Layout).

It would be very nice to have more than one Pange per Layout. So you can split the content. First page the map, second page the legend, third page some tables or text etc.

This should work for ArcGIS server to. We have often large legends, and there is no place for the map and the legend on a DIN A4 sheet.

In the properties from the layout you have the possibilitie to configure the number of pages.

I know here is the idea for more than one Layout in ArcMap, but I mean more than one pager per Layout.

KoryKramer

Thank you for submitting your idea.  It has been reviewed and is open to voting.  In the meantime, you might try moving some of your work to an ArcGIS Pro project where you can have multiple layouts in the same project.

Maps—ArcGIS Pro | ArcGIS Desktop 

While it isn't exactly what you're requesting, it might make your work easier by being able to create the three pages each as a layout and quickly export them.  I understand that it would still be a workaround, but it might be a lot easier than having to manage entirely different map documents.

JeffBarrette
Status changed to: Open

Hello JCarlson,

Thank you for your feedback and idea.  I'm with Esri and work on both the Layout and Python Map Automation (arcpy.mp)  teams.  I'd like some more information about how the non-spatial page is being generated.  Can you successfully create the page(s) in ArcGIS Pro on a layout?

Also, your comment about Python in option #4 - "no way the spatial component will look half as nice as Pro".  Python can be used to automate the creation of multi-page output but the content is authored in Pro.  So that means you can get the output quality the Pro but arcpy.mp can be used to automate the creation of multiple pages stitched together into one resulting PDF.

ArcGIS Pro also supports Reports. I'm not sure if you tried using Reports for your non-spatial pages.  If you were able to get the formatting you want, then you could use layouts for your spatial part and reports for your non-spatial pages AND python to combine everything into one product.

There is much more I can add but I don't want to complicate anything until I better understand how you generate the non-spatial page.  Feel free to respond here or contact me via jbarrette@esri.com.  

ThomasHamill

I realize this is an ArcMap solution and not an ArcGIS Pro one, but you could do the really tall data frame layout with the various data-driven spatial and non-spatial map elements and have it tile the three 8.5x11-inch pages, stacked landscape:

ThomasHamill_0-1610566518996.png

 

JeffBarrette

Thomas,

Concerning ArcMap equivalency, did you know you could also tile to PDF in Pro?  Did you try the following?Capture.PNGCapture.PNG

I'm still interested in your non-spatial data.  Again, feel free to email me.

Jeff

jcarlson

@JeffBarretteIt's been a while since I tried the Print dialog. Was that added in the past few point releases? The last time I tried to do the multi-page PDF in Pro was using the Export dialog, so I probably missed the tiling option.

The non-spatial data consists of a couple of attribute tables with an ID field that match the feature the Map Series is based on. With respect to tiling, even if I opted to go that route, one of the key features in Q that I like is the option to have a layout page simply not generate if there are no matching features in the given table. In this way, my map series can accommodate one file exporting with half a dozen non-spatial pages, and others with only one.

Reports, unfortunately, don't fit the bill, as I need a separate output file per feature as opposed to a report for a full layer. Or I should say, they haven't fit the bill, but I was dealing with the GUI.

I very much like your suggestion of bringing layouts and reports together in python, and I'll definitely be digging into arcpy.mp to see what I can do. I've admittedly not spent much time in the mapping module of arcpy.

JeffBarrette

@jcarlson please keep me in the loop.  We have future plans to create a Map Book tool (vs map series).  map books could include the contents of a map series PLUS all the other components that go into making a final map book project, like title pages, TOCs, index pages, etc.  Currently arcpy.mp is the only solution for what I'm calling a map book.  Some advanced solutions are possible.  Working with your scenario can help us drive requirements.

Jeff

jcarlson

@JeffBarretteWill do! The Map Book sounds really great, too. If I can generate a satisfactory result, I'll email you the nitty gritty.