Book Image

Mapping with ArcGIS Pro

By : Amy Rock, Ryan Malhoski
Book Image

Mapping with ArcGIS Pro

By: Amy Rock, Ryan Malhoski

Overview of this book

ArcGIS Pro is a geographic information system for working with maps and geographic information. This book will help you create visually stunning maps that increase the legibility of the stories being mapped and introduce visual and design concepts into a traditionally scientific, data-driven process. The book begins by outlining the steps of gathering data from authoritative sources and lays out the workflow of creating a great map. Once the plan is in place you will learn how to organize the Contents Pane in ArcGIS Pro and identify the steps involved in streamlining the production process. Then you will learn Cartographic Design techniques using ArcGIS Pro's feature set to organize the page structure and create a custom set of color swatches. You will be then exposed to the techniques required to ensure your data is clear and legible no matter the size or scale of your map. The later chapters will help you understand the various projection systems, trade-offs between them, and the proper applications of them to make sure your maps are accurate and visually appealing. Finally, you will be introduced to the ArcGIS Online ecosystem and how ArcGIS Pro can utilize it within the application. You will learn Smart Mapping, a new feature of ArcGIS Online that will help you to make maps that are visually stunning and useful. By the end of this book, you will feel more confident in making appropriate cartographic decisions.
Table of Contents (12 chapters)
Index

Creating a map output


Now that we've fixed the overlap problem, it's time to add the remaining map elements and finish our map. Regardless of whether you are designing for print or screen, a good map contains a title, north arrow, scale bar, and credits, which include the author name, date, source, and projection information. We'll also add a neatline to give a finished look to our map.

First, let's add a neatline to the layout. Neatlines are also sometimes referred to as borders, and are used to frame objects in a map layout for style or clarity. Too many neatlines can result in clutter, so for now, we'll just create a neatline around the entire map layout:

  1. Click Insert|Rectangle.
  2. Click and drag a box around the map near the margins. If you added guides beyond, you will see it snap to those if you stay close to them. The guides are always on top, so they may obscure some of your neatlines. To verify what's underneath, right-click outside the virtual page and uncheck guides. Repeat and check...