Formating Legend Labels for Symbology by Quantities
January 22, 2009 by Timothy
Filed under ArcGIS, Cartography, GIS Tips
ArcMap legend labels always seem to come out in an undesired format and always need adjustments. For layers that are symbolized based upon quantity there is an easy way to change the number format. (If you are not sure how to symbolize by quantity, read ArcMap Symbology by Quantity.) When symbolizing quantities that need format adjustments, you can edit each label individually or use the built in format option. To use this option:
1. Open Layer Properties for desired layer.
2. Symbolize layer based upon quantity.
3. Left Click the Label Heading.
Notice the number of decimal places.
4. Choose Format Labels…
5. Make desired changes.
*Note: You can change number type such as currency, direction, percentage, rate, fraction, angle, etc. There is also the ability to round and set alignment. Also notice the additional options available.
6. Click Ok.
Results are shown and updated in the legend. Notice that only one decimal place is now shown. Remember that this is also updated in the legend.
ArcMap Symbology by Quantity
November 25, 2008 by Timothy
Filed under Cartography, GIS Tips
Symbolizing features is an important part to cartography and map making. Most GIS users symbolize based up one symbology type or unique values. Although this may be appropriate in most cases, you also have the capability to symbolize based upon numeric values within the attribute table of a feature class.
Begin by reviewing your attribute table. Find the numeric attribute you would like to symbolize by. Now notice in the first image, the parcels layer is symbolized with a single symbol.
Double click the layer or right click the layer and choose properties to open up the layer properties. With this dialog open you will see many tabs. Choose the Symbology tab. This will bring up many options to symbolize by. On the left, you have the options of Features, Categories, Quantities, Charts, and Multiple Attributes. Take time to study these areas as they will open a multitude of symbology option.
However, for this demonstration click on Quantities. Select Graduated Colors. Notice The Fields area. Select the attribute that you would like to symbolize by. Normalization is an important feature to keep in mind. You can normalize by percent of total or another field. You can select the number of classes as well. Then select the color range that you desire.
The output will reflect the options that you select. The table of contents will show this symbolization as will the legend.
I hope this tip helps further your use of ArcGIS. Enjoy!
If you have a question, feel free to ask!
Related Sites
Related Book
Making Maps: A Visual Guide to Map Design for GIS
How to Lie with Maps (2nd Edition)
Designing Better Maps: A Guide for GIS Users
