Need different graphic labels on individual map series pages

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12-21-2022 09:15 AM
by Anonymous User
Not applicable

I often have to create a spatial map series where the pages rotate to follow a route (screenshots below). I also need to label point features along it, and convert those labels to graphics (dynamic labeling will not work because my projects get VERY complex and cluttered).

The problem is that graphic labels are stuck with a certain angle that won't update for the individual map pages (dynamic labels will update the angle per page, but again, not an option for me). I know that graphic labels that update dynamically doesn't make a ton of sense. But it would be fantastic if you could convert labels to graphics, AND place them in the layout, so you could edit their properties for individual pages. But unfortunately the label graphics are only editable in the map view, which means the will look the same for every page in the layout.

In the example below, I could create different label classes for the points in an individual page, and adjust their angle to match the page before converting to graphics... HOWEVER, there will always be features in the overlapping area between pages, meaning the angle for those labels will always be wrong on one of the pages.

This totally destroys 3 Python scripts I just wrote, and means I wasted a ton of time. It also means our team might have to continue labeling a hundred features by hand in a PDF editor for every project. I know this seems like a complex mapping technique, but from a graphic design point of view.... very obvious and very necessary.

 

Any suggestions for work arounds, would be much appreciated!

 

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1. Points along a route with page outlines for the spatial map series.

1.png

2. Labels in map view (notice one point is in two page outlines)

2.png

3. Same graphic labels, but in Layout view.
The circled graphic is in two different pages, so the angle will always be wrong, even if I change the angle to match one of the pages.

3.png

1 Solution

Accepted Solutions
AubriKinghorn
Esri Regular Contributor

Hi,

You can't filter map graphics per page, but I believe you can filter annotation because it's a feature class. If you convert your labels to annotation instead of map graphics I think you can achieve what you want.

AubriKinghorn_0-1671658529844.png

 

Cheers,
Aubri

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7 Replies
by Anonymous User
Not applicable

If I could display different features in different map series pages, that could be a work-around. But I don't know if that's possible.

0 Kudos
by Anonymous User
Not applicable

Nevermind. I can filter the features for different map series pages, but I can't filter which label graphics display in which pages.

0 Kudos
AubriKinghorn
Esri Regular Contributor

Hi,

You can't filter map graphics per page, but I believe you can filter annotation because it's a feature class. If you convert your labels to annotation instead of map graphics I think you can achieve what you want.

AubriKinghorn_0-1671658529844.png

 

Cheers,
Aubri
RichardLittlefield
Occasional Contributor II

What if the map series is at different scales? My map series I have road shields as labels and need a per page solution. I tried converting one page to annotation, then on the next page converted those to annotation in a temporary feature class. I've added the page query field to the annotation attributes, but my plan was to copy the annotation from the temporary feature class into the main anno feature class. Then delete the temp one. Then do this workflow for all of the map series pages. However once I do the copy it makes the copied road shields gigantic, because the two pages are at different scales. Any thoughts?

I'm guessing dynamic labeling is the solution, but then I have undesired placement sometimes, which is why I wanted to convert to either graphics/anno to improve the labels and remove/edit undesired ones. Or the solution would be to have a annotation feature class for each page, which I think gets out of hand. I have 100+ pages.

AubriKinghorn
Esri Regular Contributor

In cases with drastically different scales I would look at using scale based display limits. Then you can have annotation class that serves your pages with larger scales and one that works on tables with smaller scales. Scale based limits are independent of page queries, so annotation layers can be turned on and off regardless of the page query. Learn more here https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/help/mapping/layer-properties/display-layers-at-certain-sca...

Cheers,
Aubri
RichardLittlefield
Occasional Contributor II

Thanks Aubri. I ended up creating annotations feature classes for each scale and then setting up page queries. Worked really nicely. I looked at the various scales and realized I probably had about 30 different scales, so it wasn't too bad setting up. Just time consuming going through each page and setting up.

by Anonymous User
Not applicable

Thanks so much Aubri! I think this is gonna work. I just need to create some extra copies of the features that are in overlapping pages, add an attribute representing the individual pages to filter for each, rotate the individual labels/label classes as appropriate depending on the relevant  page angle (from the map-index-layer angle attribute), convert to annotation, and set the page query (filter) . A little bit of work, but sounds like a fun script 🙂