Latest Contributions by JosephCarter

"Add All Values" ... View more

We have used the "overlay" method for years for labeling several small transportation projects, unconnected, nearby on another, and having the same unique project number attribute. Three or even four can be overlaid as needed. If you ever do find a such a custom callout, please share. Our mapping group still remembers fondly how a previous coworker often referred to this method as "just use one of those spidery things!" ... View more

Hi, James. First, open ArcCatalog and reconnect your folder connections to the data you use. It sounds like when you were upgraded, the normal.mxt file from your previous license was not copied and transferred into your new "Templates" folder (copied over for you). You are using a "default". The following is an explanation of how this works and can be done after the install. This may be a "hidden folder" (in Explorer: View/Advanced settings/ Show Hidden Folders). "If there is no Normal.mxt file in your profiles location when you start ArcMap, the application will look in the <Install Location>\Bin\Templates folder. If a Normal.mxt file exists, that file is copied to your user profiles location and is then treated as your personal Normal template. Therefore, you start off with a copy of your organization's customized Normal template, but from that point on, you are able to save your own customizations to it." If you can have your IT folks replace your default normal.mxt with your "old" one. This is file is simply all your preferences and your all Your ArcCatalog connections! Do it. Also make sure you received the same license level you had before the upgrade. Reopen your map and connect your shapefiles. You might need a full restart. Help your co-workers with this and save the steps for the next upgrade! Good luck, Joe ... View more

Hi, Matthew. You have a lot of options to get the labeling results you are looking for. Here is one: Export your state layer to a feature class. In Design View, create a rectangle of your study area. Select the rectangle graphic and use the "Drawing / Convert graphics to features" on the Draw toolbar. Now use the Clip Geoprocessing Tool with the states layer, clipping with the new clip feature. Go to Layout view with the newly clipped states layer zoomed to your study area. In Maplex, give the Interior feature weight 900 and the Boundary weight 200, Check Background Label, uncheck all in Label density and Fitting Strategy. In Label Position, use Horizontal. OK. Good Luck!, Joe ... View more

Hey, Lindsay. Try using "Geoprocessing/Union" instead of intersect. . .See "Union (Analysis) in the help menu to get acquainted. Join all attributes. Good luck! Joe ... View more

You might do well looking into hyperlinking your pictures via an attribute table. . . .good luck! I have used this method in an historic bridge map successfully. Joe https://desktop.arcgis.com/en/arcmap/10.6/map/working-with-layers/using-hyperlinks.htm ... View more

Hi, Georgia. I am not sure how your map is set up. . . .but you should make sure you follow a few rules before editing a shapefile:  1. make sure the shapefile has the same coordinate system as your data frame 2. keep all your shapefiles in the same folder during an edit session 3. if you are in layout view, make sure you are in a focused data frame. 4. you can use the "File/Analyze Map" to see if any warnings are active. 5. try "Add Field" in the attribute table Before you start your edit session. Now try "Edit Features" and populate the cells. .  as needed. Let me know how it goes. Good luck, Joe ... View more

Hey, Zach. First off, our mapping team stays away from "feature linked" anno. There have been many discussion regarding the pros and cons. . .since you have made the decision to stay with it, you might try changing the default settings in the Annotation tab in the Editing Options dialog box. Good luck!, Joe ... View more

Hey, John. Any time your data is in decimal degrees, change the coordinate system to WGS 1984.  When exporting choose Edit and Navigate to Geographic Coordinate Systems, World, WGS 1984. You might try creating the shapefile/feature class from your table in ArcCatalog and then adding that shapefile to your map. Open Catalog, navigate to your table, identify the correct excel tab to map,  right-click, Create Feature Class from XY Table (again set WGS 1984). Good luck!, Joe ... View more

Hi, Stephen. I believe you are on the right track with your "graphics" comment. The ticks are part of the tool and because they designate the change from negative to positive longitude, do not turn off. Your export to a vector file (such and PDF) and simply use the  "Edit PDF" tool in your Adobe software, now select each tick and delete. . .sorry this is not what you wanted. With the ticks removed, you really should modify the -180 to +/-180 on the top and bottom of your grid. . . this same issue would occur in using the grid tool in the vicinity of the equator. Good luck, Joe ... View more

Hi, Tommy. We have often similar map series (115 counties in our state and many legislative boundaries, etc.) and have to use two DDP series (portrait and landscape) for each mapping project. I do not know of a way to customize  and use just one... I will be watching for a solution. Thank for posting this! Good luck, Joe ... View more

This could be tough . . .I have seen .mxd s stored way too deep in a file structure (10 folders deep . .). Examine the mxd by File/Analyze Map and view the messages, then clean it up!  It is probably not the drivers, and this little blurb from long ago may help: "If you go to Control Panel > Add or Remove Programs > Set Program Access and Defaults, usually you will find the configuration is 'Custom', yet under there everything is set to use your default program. If it is, just set it back to 'Microsoft Windows' and click 'OK'. You'll immediately see all windows and icons blink a couple of times, then hey presto - and also, if you found your computer had been inexplicably slow for a long time just to do very basic things, it seems this will fix it." Good luck, Joe ... View more

Hi, Jason. If you can add a point feature of the intersections (transportation departments have this), you can then turn off the symbology of the intersection layer and give it a higher feature weight in the Maplex conflict resolution tab than your centerline layer. Label as before and you should get a better result. If you cannot obtain an intersection layer and your study area is not too big, you can easily make a graphic one using the draw tools and then use the "create feature from graphic" option. Good luck, Joe ... View more

Hi, Katherine. You can simply create a handy (save somewhere common) layer file to symbolize to or try "Creating a layer symbology file". . . Good luck, Joe ... View more

Hi, Andy. I agree with Jim, you need to find  boundaries to use in creating your new territories. . .. I would try a spatial join (Join data from another layer based on spatial location) to zip codes (ArcGIS Online, USA ZIP Code Areas, use a 5-digit), use "intersect". Secondly, try a dissolve of these boundaries (you need to be creative to envision how you want your new territories to look and function) to create each new "territory". Give each a unique ID, export to a geodatabase. You may have already thought other existing boundaries that would work for you to join and build from besides Zip Codes. . . .political boundaries, counties, etc. Good Luck!, Joe ... View more