Representing multiple values for the same point

[SamuelRoss]

Hey guys. I am looking for a way to represent multiple values for the same point. For example on a single point it is recorded that it experienced flooding and drought. In the my there are 5 values that can be selected and any combination can be selected. I am looking for a way to map the values. I currently have an idea to map it using progressively smaller circles (see screenshot). The problem with this is it over represents the impact of larger circles but under represents the smaller ones. Does any one have any ideas of how to map all these values on the same map?Thanks a lot

[RobertBorchert]

I had a similar situation where I needed to display up to 6 options for a single point.  The points in my case are poles in an electric distribution system.

Doing it with symbols just was not going to work.  As each pole could be a regular pole or a riser pole and then have 5 different attachments I need to display.

So instead I used symbol's as labels and labels.
In the image below the brown circle with the black dot in the center is the pole itself.  the black dot tells me it is a riser.

The Red Triangle is transformer is the other actual symbol.  So I symbolized off 2 unique values.  Riser yes or no, Transformer yes or no. This resulted in 4 symbols I needed to make.

The other 5 objects are all labels.

F is fuse

L is Light

M is Meter

O is OCR

R is Regulator

Now there is no where in my system have all five labels on the same pole. I simply added them to a single pole for the purpose of this response.

[SamuelRoss]

I like this but I don't think it works for me. Let me pose a question. How do you symbolize if a point is both a Fuse and a Light? For me they could pick just drought, or drought and flooding, or drought, below avg temperatures and severe weather, or flooding and severe weather, ect. How do a show a point that has any combination of those 5 catagories

[RobertBorchert · Accepted solution]

You are limited to using up to 3 attributes to symbolize on.

A different option for making symbols and not using the labels I used is to create a symbol attribute.

Then if you have up to five possible attributes to symbolize off do a query to calculate which combination a single point is.  Granted that is up to 120 queries.

Another option. create a symbol attribute that is a text field.

Now lets say your 5 attributes are att1, att2, att3, att4, and att5

Do a field calculation on the Symbol Field

[att1] & ":" & [att2] etc all the way to [att5]

You will now  have a single field that will represent the five values.  You may end up with dozens of symbol combinations but it is easier than doing 120 queries. 

[SamuelRoss]

Ya okay, that's sort of the conclusion that we had come to here in my office. Just needed confirmation that there wasn't a better way to do it. Thanks to all of you and especially you Robert Borchert

[SteveCole]

I don't have a symbolset to share but here's a link to an older example of how to tackle multiple criteria with point symbols. This technique would seem to address your concern about over/under-representing the importance of any one criteria. This was a downloadable symbolset for Arcmap at one point so you would need to do some searching to find a copy of it.

Steve