use masking functionalities with labels in ArcGIS Pro

[JulieRASSELET]

Hello everybody ! The masking tools with ArcGIS Pro are wonderful, but when we use labels with a masked layer, they remain displayed on the map. And we have to export them as annotations to get the result we need (and it doesn't facilitate our work).

So it could be useful to integrate the labels into the masking functions. Even if it's possible...

[WendyHarrison]

Reopening this idea to gather interest (kudos).

The request is to have layers weighted differently to different layer labels.  For example - polygon layer A would be a block to point layer C labels, but allow point layer D labels to place on top of it

[TylerJones]

Thanks Wendy!

[KevinN_CSJ]

@WendyHarrison 

I think the easiest way to think of this, instead of varying feature weights would be to link the dynamic label to the visibility of the feature. 

In my case, I have a streets layer that is county wide and I'm working on a printable map that is only showing within city limits so I have a mask over the streets layer hiding all that are outside. But some other labels, such as parks and creeks/rivers, have been requested to be visible outside the city. The masking layer weight fixes the street names issue, but also hides the labels for features that are still visible in the map. If the labels were tied to the visibility of the feature then my streets labels would stay inside the city limit and the "basemap" features which are not masked would still have their labels.

[JonathanLee]

@KevinN_CSJ

Same issue for me. My workaround was to have two streets layer and one only show symbology, and then on the other select only those street segments in the limits and label that layer. This isn't perfect as there are some segments that cross the limits.

[RoseF]

I support this idea! For our use on geologic maps, it would be great if the idea of "masking" could be attributed to each annotation feature or annotation class. Just like with normal polygon masks, it would be necessary for us to indicate which layer(s) we wanted masked and which ones we wanted to be left. For example, we put letters along linear features, not unlike topo lines. It would be nice if (a) we didn't have to have a separate polygon feature for every single annotation feature; and (b) if the masks could be added as simply as, say, a halo is added.

[sblake_everettwa]

I just realized this 'masking-labels-when-masking-feature-layer' problem, working on a map as well.  I agree - the program should mask the labels for those features that are masked by another layer (why would I want the labels showing?).  Setting the feature weight of the mask in label settings isn't workable because I have a dozen other feature classes that I need to show labels for in this same area where the mask is applied.  Hoping ESRI makes this change in upcoming release.

[-ChrisCraig]

Hi Everyone, reading this thread was like picking through the troubleshooting I had to do all over again. I loved it! @WendyHarrison @alex_friant your exchange of ideas to establish a mutual understanding was brilliant, before I read the response, "You're understanding of it is perfect, no example needed..." I was already thinking, yeah "...You got it." 😄  

Thank you, everyone, for your input and efforts.

I found a related thread by user @JuliaSurkis1 and this type of UI might help their case as well.
https://community.esri.com/t5/community-development-questions/mile-marker-symbology-in-arcgis-pro/m-... 

[mhendo]

@WendyHarrison Other than converting to annotation, do you have any tips/suggestions for what would amount to muting a label, i.e., still visible, but UNDER a semi-transparent mask? See the example below:

Ideally, the road shields in the surrounding counties which are masked with a semi-transparent fill, would be just as their geometries are - still visible but placed UNDER the mask, thus muted in appearance. 

[WendyHarrison]

@mhendo 

another workaround would be to split the labels into two label classes with an sql query and then use transparency on the text symbol for the labels that fall under the mask

image below shows label class 1 with feature oid <= 6 and class 2 with feature oid > 6

label class 1 has transparent shields and class 2 has nontransparent shields.

[KevinN_CSJ]

@WendyHarrison 2 years after my last post here in this thread and I cannot remember what I ended up doing to fix this problem, but I just tested this idea of separate label classes and it would have worked in my case. My streets layer has two fields "Municipality on Left" and "Municipality on Right" that I can use for a SQL query to only label if one or both of those fields says the correct city, that would have eliminated the streets labeling issues I had.

That said, tying label visibility to feature visibility (or a checkbox to do so) would still be much simpler.