Offset leader anchor point to point symbol perimeter?

AprilVan_Wyke · ‎11-11-2012

(using ArcMap 10.0)

I want to offset leader line anchor points to the point symbol perimeter (rather than the point itself). Is it possible to do this without converting to annotation? I have to use point symbols that have letters in the interior and the leader lines interfere with their legibility. Setting an offset in the leader line's symbol properties will move the leader along only one axis, which seems to be tied to the label text rather than the point/symbol itself, so it's not useful.

I have over 50 individual maps to produce & would much rather do this in dynamic labelling than converting each map's labels to annotation and adjusting each leader line's anchor point!

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

AMiller · ‎06-06-2014

HI, It is 2014 now, and I have basically the same question April had a couple years ago. I am using 10.2.2, (though the Map Book I am labeling I set up in 10.1 last week before I started working at new workstation with 10.2.2).
I too was hoping I could find a way to move the leader origin a bit away from the point center so it isn't obscuring my point symbols. Is it still impossible to do so? I definitely can not find an option that looks like what I seek. Is it possible to set leaders to display below point feature symbols?
I am just learning to use Maplex, and it isn't exactly easy to master all at once the various layers of options as I seek a solution that will work in my Mapbook. I hope I get much better at this, the Maplex label engine is a pretty amazing timesaver...if i could just figure out a couple more things. I have watched the video I found on ESRI support page, it is GREAT, but doesn't answer all my questions.
I am also trying to understand how to control label angles in my Map Book (I am using a Strip Map Index), and using data driven pages is all new to me. So, I am trying to learn a lot of things all at once, and of course wishing I could finish my final template product and move on to processing other data sets.
Please send tips, tutorials, anything that might help.