Standardized Symbology

[WesKing]

In an Oracle Spatial/SDE enterprise geodatabase is it possible to set default symbology for certain feature classes?  For instance, if I wanted to require that whenever a GIS user brings in monitoring wells from our enterprise geodatabase the symbology would be set to a predetermined symbology, how would this be done...if possible?

Thank you in advance,
Wes

[DerekLaw]

Hi Wesley,

Yes, the functionality you are asking about is possible with layer files (.lyr). In ArcMap, define and set the symbology you want for your feature classes, then save each layer as its own layer file. Note that layer files are stored outside the geodatabase. Then have your users add the layer file to their ArcMap instance, instead of adding the feature classes from the geodatabase directly.

Setting layer properties

Saving layers and layer packages

Hope this helps,

[WesKing]

Thanks Derek,
We had thought about the use of layer files, but weren't sure if there was another way to do this that was "controlled" by SDE.  We may choose to do this in the future.

Wes

[DerekLaw]

Hi Wesley,

Another option to investigate is Cartographic Representations - which are stored as a property of the feature class, within the geodatabase.

What are representations?

Hope this helps,