Cannot Pan Map in Layout View with a Map Series

[SamanthaGriffore]

I am working in ArcGIS Pro v2.3 and noticed that if I activate a Map Series in my Layout, I can no longer pan the Map by Activating nor use any of my bookmarks. This is extremely inconvenient as I use the Layout view to determine the extent of my Index in order to create the Map Series.

Is this a bug and is anyone else experiencing this? If so, please correct in upcoming releases, thank you.

[KoryKramer]

I think that what you're describing is discussed as part of this Idea: https://community.esri.com/ideas/14953 

[TomBole]

Hi Samantha, 

The inability to pan/zoom an activated map frame belonging to a layout with an enabled map series, like you can in ArcMap with Data Driven Pages is a bug. Hopefully, this is something we can address with the next release. 

However, if I understand the workflow outlined above correctly, you want to adjust map extent for the current map series index by panning the map. You could not do this with Data Driven Pages and, likewise, you cannot do this with a Map Series. Any panning done with an activated map frame would not be applied to the extent for the page. As soon as you left the page the extent would go back to what it was originally.

The only exception to this is if your index feature are points. In ArcMap you could adjust the scale of the data frame and this new scale would be applied to the all the Data Driven Pages.  ArcGIS Pro currently does not allow for this. I believe this is also a bug.

There are options available in the Map Series tab (in the Layout Properties dialog) that provide a way to adjust the map extent based on a margin around each index feature, fix the map scale, or to apply a value for the map scale from a field in the index layer. These might be able to help you in the meantime.

Hope this helps and thanks for the feedback! 

Tom

[SamanthaGriffore]

Thanks Tom,

You are correct, but I'm not looking for an override, but simply the ability to pan around the map in Layout to create the index layer in the first place. At times it's hard to get the right frame around my area of interest when in Map View since I have side panels, etc in my layout that make my view smaller than the actual page size (eg 11x17). I get to my area of interest in the layout view then create the extent using a rectangle polygon tool to mimic the extent of the frame then set my scale, etc.

Perhaps there is a better workflow that someone could suggest to me, but I find this works very well for non repetitive features that have no one feature that I can use as the index (ie polygon, point) but rather needs to have context in the map view for the viewer to understand the message/story of the map (ie rivers, landmarks, roads, etc).

[TomBole]

Samantha, 

Why not disable the map series while creating your index features?  Is there a specific reason you need to have the map series enabled while you are editing your index layer?

In a future release we hope to provide a Map Series option using bookmarks. This should make the "non-repetitive" workflow easier to manage.

Tom

[SamanthaGriffore]

Yes, I've had to turn off the Map Series while I'm creating my Index, but that presents another issue which is that I cannot test my index as I create. I have to turn on, set parameters, turn off, create new index, turn on, set parameters, refresh index to see if it works in the layout, oops need to shift a few inches north to capture such and such at this scale, turn off, go to map view, edit, turn on, set parameters, etc etc etc.....

This was extremely simple in ArcMap. Activate frame, edit, create shape, turn on index and set parameters, refresh, shift, refresh, perfect, done.

[TomBole]

Thanks for the feedback.  I'll pass this along.

[TomBole]

Hi Samantha, 

We have addressed this issue and you should be able to freely navigate a map frame that is driving a Map Series in ArcGIS Pro like you can with Data Driven Pages in ArcMap.

This will be available with version 2.5.

Again, thanks for your feedback!

Tom

[SamanthaGriffore]

Wonderful news, thanks Tom!

[EmilyAiken]

Hi Tom,

I am working with a spatial map series for parcels and have the map extent set to best fit. Although this extent setting works well for most parcels, I would like to customize the extent for several others. When I activate the map frame, I can reset the extent, exit out of map frame, and it looks good. But when I print to PDF, it reverts back to the automatic map extent settings... Is there a way I can customize an extent of a parcel within a spatial map series and have it maintain that custom extent when exporting? 

My current work-around is having a mapbook series set up as well, where I can change the bookmark extent, but also have to change other relative text attributes...

Thanks!