Annotation Management

[JacobConshick]

For work I created an Annotation Layer with groups such as:

• Building Names
• Natural Features
• Sports Fields
• Parking Lots

Now different departments are looking to change some of the annotations to suit their own purpose. The issue is that the new annotation is on the same location as the old one. For example my buildings group has 50 building names associated with it. The new department wants to add an annotation that spatially cover the annotation from one of the 50 buildings already labeled. If I turn off the building group to expose the new annotation group all the buildings are unlabeled, but if their on you can read it.

The solution that I have found so far is to create a new layer and delete the information out that I don't need. This mean though I have to manage two layers which can get tricky if more and more departments request additions to the layers.

Has anyone ran into this issue? Or have an elegant solution on how to solve this annotation management issue?

[ChrisDonohue__GISP]

Some questions to clarify your process and question:

• Is the Annotation Group stored in a mxd or is it stored in an annotation layer in a geodatabase?  If it is in a geodatabase, what format is it (Enterprise/SDE, File, Personal)?
• Is it feature-linked annotation?
• Which version of ArcGIS are you using?

Chris Donohue, GISP

[JacobConshick]

To answer your questions

• The annotation layer is located in a File geodatabase
• I do not think I created linked features. It was awhile go awhile ago when I made the annotation and I know that hand typed everything in from scratch
• I am currently using 10.3 but the annotation was created in 10.2

Thank you for your assistance

[m_neer · Accepted solution]

One easy solution might be add a new field lets say call it "OnOff" and then populate the table records accordingly with "Y" or "N".    Now that each record has a Y or N you can in the Definition Query Tab query IN our OUT the Y or N attributes:

OnOff  IN ('Y')   or if you prefer to turn them off use  NOT OnOff IN ('Y')

[ChrisDonohue__GISP]

I'd go with the concept proposed by m. neer .  This way the data will continue to exist for those situations where you need it, so you won't need to maintain two layers.  Plus if other departments want to also have a hand in annotation, you can make a field for each of them with the same Definition Query process in mind.

Note that this process will required educating the other departments on how the Definition Query works if they are planning to pull in the data themselves.

Chris Donohue, GISP

[JacobConshick]

The solution is perfect. Thank you for your assistance