Carto Questions / Answers

      To make a backup archive of an ArcGIS Pro project folder (including geodatabase(s), .aprx file, etc.):

• Close ArcGIS Pro

• Open Windows Explorer (or My Computer) (not Internet Explorer)

• Browse to the location of your project folder (the one with the geodatabase(s), .aprx file, etc. in it)

• Right-click on the project folder and choose Send To / Compressed (zipped) Folder

• This should create a .zip file (a 'zipped' file) that contains a compressed (zipped) version of your entire project folder (with the geodatabase(s), .aprx file, etc.)

• Recommended: Rename this file so that the name of the zip file has the date in in (i.e., instead of smith_caribbean.zip it is 2020_04_30_smith_caribbean.zip)

THEN, you can open and continue working with your original .aprx file in your original project folder. So the answer to your second question is you do not (can not) use the backup zip file with ArcGIS Pro - you have to keep using the .aprx file in your original project folder. The backup is only for if something goes wrong with your original project folder.

IF you need to restore / return to / use a backup version you would need to Unzip it (uncompress it), which would create a new copy of the your project folder, with geodatabase(s), .aprx file, etc. that you could open and use.

INFO:

One of the 'clever' things about Labels (which are automatically placed) is that if there are too many labels (i.e., the map area is too crowded) then Pro will only display some of the Labels. One downside of this is that if you convert your Labels to Annotation it will likewise (by default) only convert those labels that are being displayed - and you end up not having annotation for the features that weren't being labeled... But you don't have to accept this default behavior (of course).

So if you find that your Annotation feature class is missing text for some of the features you can either:

• Simply add the missing annotation manually

• Re-do the Convert Labels to Annotation process and change the default settings

For the detailed write-up on this, see: https://huxley.wwu.edu/sal/tut-pro-labels-anno (specifically the section on ALL of the Labels to Annotation).

Here's the quick version:

To convert ALL of the labels to annotation (even if they weren't being displayed on the map):

• In the Convert Labels to Annotation pane CHECK the box for Convert unplaced labels to unplaced annotation

• These 'unplaced' annotation features still won't be visible (by default) but at least they will be in the database...

To 'Place' annotation that is 'Unplaced' (i.e., make it visible on the map):

• Open the Attribute table for the Annotation feature class

• Select an annotation text string and change the value of the Status field from Unplaced to Placed

To 'Place' ALL of the 'Unplaced' annotation at once:

• Open the Attribute table for the Annotation feature class

• Right-click on the Status field to choose Calculate Field

• In the Calculate Field pane, enter 0 for the value to be calculated (for the Status field)

  • i.e.,               Status =           0

INFO:

When labels are converted to Annotation the software places the annotation in the middle of each polygon (i.e., in the middle of India) – not where the label was. 

Label placement uses an algorithm to place the label in the 'best' location; Annotation puts the text feature in the middle of the polygon so that you can place it where you want it. Automatically generated and placed labels are easy, but annotation gives you far more power in terms of control. However, with great power come great responsibility (neither Peter Parker nor Voltaire)

SOLUTION:

Zoom out and/or Pan the map to where you can see the middle of India. Using the Edit tools, Select the India annotation text and Move it to where it will be visible in the layout.

INFO:

A feature class can contain graphic features (points, lines or polygons) or annotation features. To create / add features you need to use the Edit tools to create new features. The process is essentially the same for annotation as for creating new lines or polygons.

SOLUTION:

First create the empty Feature Class: Catalog / Databases / <yourGeodatabase>.gdb / <right-click> / New / Feature Class Name... Feature  Class Type = Annotation Coordinate System... Reference Scale = Set this to approximately the finished scale that you will be using for your final map / layout- this is important Do NOT just use the default setting as it is unlikely that it will be what you want

Once you have your new annotation feature class you can add text string features: Zoom your map to the region where you wish the text string to be Scale your map view to approximately the MAP SCALE of your FINAL MAP (the map view in the layout) Edit ribbon Create (which should open the Create Feature pane) Select the feature class that you want to add features to (from the Create Features pane) Enter the text you wish to use for the annotation into the text box Click on the map at the location you wish to place the text string

You can then use the other Edit tools (move, rotate, etc.) to relocate the text string as desired.

INFO:

A Legend itself does not have a Gap setting – but there are Gap settings for the Border, the Background and the Shadow. (note that before you can see these changes on the Layout you will have to make sure that the Border, Background and/or Shadow have a symbol color (i.e., aren’t transparent).

SOLUTION:

Format Legend (pane, not Ribbon) / Legend (drop-down menu) / Display (tab): X and Y Gap settings for Border, Background and Shadow

Note: The black box (w/white corner handles) that is shown when you have a Legend item selected does not reflect any of this. It is simply the (un-gapped) Legend item.

Refer to the instructions in the lab write-up for the different dates and sources of the various data layers.

One method is to open the Fields table for the layer. In the Fields table you can modify the Alias for the field. Click Save and close the Fields table when you are done. This should change the field heading in the layer's attribute table as well as how it appears in the Symbology pane and the Contents pane. If you have already applied the symbology using the original field name (before you set an alias) you may need to refresh your symbology (change to some other field temporarily and then choose your newly aliased field again to refresh the display). 

You can also modify the text directly in in the Contents pane: first click on the field name in the Contents to select it. Then click it again to shift it to edit mode. You can then type whatever you want to use as a label for that field.

Both methods should be reflected in the Legend.

Make sure that the ESRI basemap AND the ESRI basemap Hillshade are turned OFF (or removed entirely). Not only are these basemaps forbidden for our static maps in this class, but they fill the entire map view and block any potential symbology changes you make to the Background.

You could also use an Ocean layer (i.e., one of the Feature Classes in the geodatabases) for the oceans (instead of trying to symboloize the background of the map). Feature classes can be symboloized as you like (with more options than the Background) and can be turned ON/OFF as you like (which can improve draw times). They can also be arranged where you want in the Contents draw order (i.e., on top of the basemap, which should be turned off anyway).

NO. You should not need to re-project any of the data for Labs 1, 2, 3 or 4. Instead, you will be setting the Coordinate System / Projection properties for the Map view. This controls how the data is displayed.

You can set whatever coordinate system / projection you want for the display of the map view and ArcGIS Pro will do a virtual re-projection of the data on-the-fly from whatever system the data is in to whatever system you are choosing for the display of the map.

What we want to show is the NATIONAL capital for each and every country. So if we have 13 countries we should have exactly 13 capitals. In the database these are referred to as National capitals (as opposed to State or Provincial capitals).

Some cities serve as BOTH the capital for the country AND for the capital of the local province. Since these are National capitals they need to be included (as one of our ‘capital cities’). These are listed as National and Provincial Capitals, and YES they need to be included on your map (since they are the capital of the nation).

Each country (polygon) should have one and only one capital city.

In your Caribbean geodatabase.

The project package should include 3 geodatabases: Central American data, World data and "Caribbean." You should also have 2 raster data folders. The Caribbean geodatabase should be set as the Default geodatabase for your project (however you named it) and is intended for creating new feature classes (i.e., your custom annotation).

A few students ran into this last quarter  as well, with no real satisfactory answer as to why (or how to fix, once it happens). As best I can figure, it has something to do with the order of events (i.e., Inserting the Chart Frame before or after the Map Series or something like that)... We were never able to figure out exactly why some students ran into this but most did not... So, if this happens to you:

TWO OPTIONS: 

1) Just ignore it and post a comment when you submit your maps saying "Chart Property for  'Within Map Series' Not Working" (and we'll know that you tried and we'll not worry about it)

2) Try again, with a different chart and/or different layout. Here are some options:

Quick Trial # 1 (and if this works you can proceed to rebuild the map series as required):

Insert a new Chart Frame (into the Layout with the Map Series already created)

Set the Chart Frame properties (if needed - I think the default for a Chart Frame in a Map Series is to show only Within the Map Series Shape - which is what you want)

This should only take a few seconds - and if it works then you can re-set the other Chart Frame properties in terms of size, etc.

Quick Trial # 2 (if #1 doesn't work)

Insert new layout

+ Map Frame

+ Map Series

+ Chart

This took me less than a minute - and if it works, then you can copy / paste other Layout elements from your original layout to your new layout)

Not so Quick # 3... 

Return to the Map View and create a new chart - and insert this into your Layout. If this works, continue with the layout...

And for the record, here is what worked for me in terms of the specific order of events:

In the Map View

Def Query for 13 Countries

Create the Chart and get all of the properties set properly

Add Layout

Insert Map Frame

Create Map Series (using 13 Countries)

Insert Chart

Specify 'Within map series shape' for Chart Frame properties 

I don't think it matters nearly as much for Cartography, as long as the information is there. As with most things in cartography there aren't any real rules, just guidelines. And yes, cartography is much more about communication with the general public and less constraints by a particular science or journalistic style.

R is more typically used to produce charts that will go in a publication, thus the tendency towards having the chart captioned below like a figure. I think ArcGIS Pro tends to favor the title within or above the chart partly because it's easier to program the chart item as a block (with title, etc.). Depending on how much, and what else, you have on the page, I think it also helps unite the various chart elements (title, axis, etc.) with each other. If there are a lot of other elements (as there often are on a map and less so in an article) then keeping the title within a chart border helps keep everything clear. 

If the map were going into an article it might have the chart separate (with both the map and the chart having their individual captions) or it might be a map with a chart, and a single caption at the bottom for both... 

Select your scale bar

Right-click to choose Properties  to open the Format Scale Bar pane (not the ribbon)

In the Format Scale Bar pane:

Scale Bar (drop down menu)

Display tab

Border: X gap and Y gap settings

Background: X gap and Y gap settings

The Heatmap layer should be ON when the map is zoomed OUT. 

As you zoom in it should eventually turn OFF (and remain off for the more local scales of the map). 

As with Lab 1 I’m less interested in the exact point that the layer turns on/off as with the concept of using the Visible Scale ranges to support the map’s communication. Be sure your map has layers that turn on / off as the scale changes.

WHY we'd want this:

As one zooms in the heatmap style of symbology is less effective and less useful. Once you can no longer see the larger pattern of the ‘heatmap’ you only see a few colors. Not only is this harder to interpret without the rest of the pattern, but these colors are actually somewhat misleading in that they aren’t drawn from a particular data layer (they look like polygons but are simply drawn between and around points). For these reasons, one might choose (as I have) to NOT show the heatmap when zoomed in.

The desired result is a map that shows the cool heatmap pattern when zoomed out. And shows the more precise point data when zoomed in.

Point data, on the other hand, is hard to interpret when zoomed out and there are lots of overlapping/conflicting points. Thus the use of Cluster technique is appropriate for when the map is zoomed out or at a mid-range scale and the the raw points data is the most appropriate for largest scales (zoomed IN) display…

INFO

Labeling lat-long lines is important, especially for large-scale maps (for small-scale maps it may be less important if the purpose is just to show the curved shape of the planet). On a large-scale map the lat-long lines are meaningless (just lines on the page) unless they are labeled.

OPTIONS:

A. One method of showing lat-long lines is to Insert a Grid for a map frame in a layout. These grids are created as a property of the map frame and are drawn on top of the rest of the map (so they are shown on top of any feature symbology or text in the map itself). You can set the units and the spacing increment for a Grid as well as how the lines and the labels are shown. Because these labels are a property of the map frame they are shown at the edges of the map (just outside the frame) which removes clutter from the map itself. One of the downsides of this method is that the because the Grid lines are drawn on top of the map you can't create a figure-ground effect by placing the lat-long lines behind/below the land...

B. A second method is to use a lat-long line feature class to show the lat-long lines. Many of these exist, and often the have attributes to enable the use of all lines or just the lines in certain increments (every 5 degrees vs. every 20 degrees, etc.). You can adjust the symbology of the lines as desired, and as a feature class these lines can be drawn above or below the land (for figure-ground, etc.). Like any other line feature class, lat-long lines can be labeled. Because they are features in the map the labels and/or annotation are likewise in / on the map itself (i.e., they can't be placed outside the map frame on the layout).

C. A third option is a hybrid of A & B above. In this method one uses a lat-long feature class to show lines on the map (symboloized and arranged above/below land as desired) without labels. Then, to add labels, you can Insert a Grid (in the layout) for the map frame and show only the labels (i.e., do not show the Grid lines themselves). This method allows you to customize the symbology of the lines as you like (in the map) but still have labels that are outside of the map frame (at the edges). This requires first getting the Grid increments to match those used for the Lat-Long lines, and then turning off the Gridlines so that only the labels are shown. To create a Grid with labels only:

• Insert Grid / Black Horizontal Grid (or other template as desired)

• Open the Format Map Grid properties pane (right-click on the Grid in the Layout Contents)

• Under Map Grid / Options UNCHECK the box for Automatically Adjust

• Under Map Grid / Components select the Interval for Longitude and Latitude (to match your lat-long line feature class)

• Under Map Grid / Components select and the Remove (using the x) any Ticks or Gridlines Components (leaving ONLY the Labels)

• Under Map Grid / Components format the Appearance of the Labels as desired....

• Choose Labels from the Format Map Grid drop-down menu to set other display properties... (font, offset, color, halo, etc.)

You can use whatever font you like. Just make sure it supports the overall goal of communication.

Comic Sans requires slightly more room than something like Arial or Verdana, so you make your job more difficult, but it's up to  you.

It's true. Some of the features you want (or are required) to label on a map may not be included in the data you have... ( not unlike the Panama Canal or the Mountains).

How you solve this is up to you, but I wouldn't just skip it because it's not in the data you happen to have... If you boss asks you to label something for a map would you just not bother if the data didn't include that feature??

I assume by 'changes' you mean edits to Annotation.

A Map View, or a Map Frame in a Layout use data layers. Data can be features (points, lines, etc.) or annotation. These data layers are, by design, separate from the layout or the map view. They are data and are stored in the geodatabase. If you EDIT the data (the points, lines, annotation) in a data layer it is changed in the geodatabase. And then ANY other Map View / Layout that uses the data layer will likewise reflect the change.

For example, imagine that I have a feature class of city points for Washington. I can add that data layer to as many maps as I like. But if I edit the data and move the point for Seattle out into the water than ANY and ALL of the maps that use that data layer will now show Seattle as being out in the water. Because I edited the DATA. Likewise if I change the name of Bellingham to Stefanham it will be changed on all of the maps (and any labels that are being created from that point layer). Or if I edit an annotation string, it will be changed in every map that uses that annotation.

The advantage of using feature classes (points, lines OR ANNOTATION) is that it can be reused. So you don't have to recreate text for each map you make. But this becomes a disadvantage if you want to customize / tweak the features  for one map without effecting other maps (and again, this comes up most often for annotation). You may want to just tweak the data for one map, but you CAN'T. If you tweak the annotation is will be changed in all or your maps... (just like if you had moved Seattle out into the bay).

HOW TO AVOID THIS...

If you need to tweak / customize annotation (or anything else) for a particular map you need to have a feature class that ISN'T being used for your other maps. So you could either Copy / Paste your annotation feature class (in the CATALOG PANE, not the Map Contents) OR you can simply create a new annotation feature class. And then you tweak the new annotation layer, leaving the one you had alone so that the old map isn't altered.

There are, of course, more sophisticated ways of creating multiple versions of certain features within a single annotation feature class, some of which could be used for one map and others for other maps... but for now, simply creating multiple annotation feature classes is probably the way to go. So you might have Cities_Anno_Map2a and Cities_Anno_Map_3, etc. 

PS - locking a map frame (in a layout) prevents it from being panned / zoomed / moved / etc. - but does not lock the data (because, again, the data is separate from the map so that it can be used in other maps...

INFO

One of the 'clever' things about Labels (which are automatically placed) is that if there are too many labels (i.e., the map area is too crowded) then Pro will only display some of the Labels. One downside of this is that if you convert your Labels to Annotation it will likewise (by default) only convert those labels that are being displayed - and you end up not having annotation for the features that weren't being labeled... But you don't have to accept this default behavior (of course).

So if you find that your Annotation feature class is missing text for some of the features you can either:

• Simply add the missing annotation manually

• Re-do the Convert Labels to Annotation process and change the default settings

    For the detailed write-up on this, see: https://huxley.wwu.edu/sal/tut-pro-labels-anno (specifically the section on ALL of the Labels to Annotation).

Here's the quick version:

To convert ALL of the labels to annotation (even if they weren't being displayed on the map):

• In the Convert Labels to Annotation pane CHECK the box for Convert unplaced labels to unplaced annotation

• These 'unplaced' annotation features still won't be visible (by default) but at least they will be in the database...

To 'Place' annotation that is 'Unplaced' (i.e., make it visible on the map):

• Open the Attribute table for the Annotation feature class

• Select an annotation text string and change the value of the Status field from Unplaced to Placed

To 'Place' ALL of the 'Unplaced' annotation at once:

• • Open the Attribute table for the Annotation feature class

  • Right-click on the Status field to choose Calculate Field

  • In the Calculate Field pane, enter 0 for the value to be calculated (for the Status field)

i.e.,               Status =           0

Having  set the properties for the Leader Lines (for the Labels) and then converted the labels to annotation, try editing / moving one piece of annotation to see if the leader line appears.

Leader line are kind of weird in ArcGIS Pro. See: https://huxley.wwu.edu/sal/tut-pro-leader-line

You can either choose a label style that is curved to begin with (in which case all of the annotation that is created will have a curve 'potential' built into the text string. Or you can add the ability to curve an existing (straight) annotation text string by changing the underlying line segment (that the annotation text follows) from a straight line to a Bezier Curve:

• From the Edit ribbon, select a piece of annotation

• Click the Edit Vertices option in the ribbon (this should show the line upon which the anno is drawn)

• Right-click on the anno's line and choose Change Segment / To a Bezier Curve

• You can now tweak the curves using the lines 'handles'

• Add (or remove) vertices as needed...

• See also: https://huxley.wwu.edu/sal/tut-pro-curved-anno 

Lab 4 questions to be posted soon...