tut Pro: Annotation Halos

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Adding Halos to Labels or Annotation

In ArcGIS Pro, Labels are automatically generated (from attributes stored in an attribute table) and placed. Label properties (size, color, font) can be specified from the Labeling ribbon. Annotation are text features that are stored in a geodatabase and can be manually created, edited, positioned, etc. Labels are much easier, as the software generates and places them for you. Annotation gives you much more control over the appearance and placement of the text.

Adding halos to Labels is fairly simple in ArcGIS Pro. And if you have Labels with halos and convert those to Annotation, the halos are converted with the text. However, adding halos to existing annotation is less intuitive... but possible.

See also Basic Notes on Labels and Annotation (without halos) for a simpler discussion (sans halo).

 

DISPLAYING LABELS FOR A DATA LAYER 

  • Right-click on a layer (in the Map Contents) to choose Labels (to turn Labels on for that layer)

 

MODIFYING DISPLAY PROPERTIES FOR LABELS  

  • With labels turned on for a specific layer, select that layer in the Map Contents
  • Choose the Labeling ribbon:
    • Specify the Field to be used for the labels for that layer
    • Set other labeling properties (scale, font, size, color...) as desired
    • Optionally create additional Label Classes (the default is to have a single Class for all of the labels and for this class to be called "Class 1")

 

ADDING HALOS TO LABELS

  • With labels turned On (see above)
  • Right-click on the layer (in the Map Contents) to choose Label Properties...
  • In the Label Class pane:
    • Choose the Label Class you wish to modify from the Class drop-down menu
    • Click the Symbol tab
    • Click the General sub-tab 
    • Expand the Halo section
      • Choose a Halo symbol (the common halos are white, black, 50% transparent white or 50% transparent black)
      • Optionally adjust the halo Color
      • Optionally select a halo Outline Color and Outline Width (or leave Outline Width at 0 pt for no outline)
      • Optionally adjust the Halo size
    • Adjust other settings for the labels as desired...
    • Click Apply

 

CONVERTING LABELS TO ANNOTATION (with or without halos)

 

EDITING / MODIFYING ANNOTATION (edits other than adding halos...)

 

ADDING HALOS TO EXISTING ANNOTATION (that doesn't already have halos)

  •  If you have annotation that does not have a halo (either created as a new annotation feature class or converted from labels that did not have halos) you can still add halos...
  • Despite all of the other text properties that can be set in the annotation attributes, adding (or modifying) a halo is not one of the fields or properties available...
  •  
  • To add a halo using a predefined halo text symbol for your annotation:
    • From the Edit ribbon choose the Select tool
    • Select one or more strings of annotation text (in the Map)
    • With the annotation text selected, click the Attributes button on the Edit ribbon
    • In the Attributes pane:
      • If you have multiple strings of text selected, select them all in the Attributes pane as well
      • Choose the Annotation sub-tab (as opposed to the Attributes sub-tab)
      • Click the Symbol button
      • Choose the Properties sub-tab
      • Expand the Halo section
      • Choose one of the pre-defined Halo options:
        • White Fill
        • Black Fill
        • White Fill 50% Transparent
        • Black Fill 50% Transparent
      • Optionally adjust the color, size, outline properties for the halo
      • Click Apply

 

CREATING AN ANNOTATION CLASS

  • A second method for adding halos to existing annotation text is to define a new annotation class that uses a halo (for the annotation feature class) and then assign this new annotation class to the text strings that you wish to use a halo:
    • An annotation class contains properties that define how annotation will be displayed
    • Each annotation class can have it's own symbology style (i.e., halos, size, color, font, etc.)
    • An annotation feature class can have more than one annotation class
    • One of the attribute fields for annotation text is the annotation class, used to specify which annotation class to use
    • If you wish to use different styles for different text you can create multiple annotation classes and then assign individual text strings to one or the other annotation class as desired...
  • If you wish to use halos for some of your annotation text you need to create a new annotation class (with a halo) and then assign that class to the desired text strings
    • First, create a new annotation class (that uses halos):
      • In the Catalog pane locate the annotation feature class you wish to add a halo class to
      • Right-click on the annotation feature class and choose Annotation Feature Class Properties
      • In the Annotation Feature Class Properties pane choose the Annotation tab (as opposed to the Annotation Classes tab)
        • Expand the Symbology Collection section
        • Click the + button in the Symbology Collection section
          • In the Annotation Feature Class Properties pane choose the Properties tab
          • Click the General sub-tab
          • Expand the Halo section
          • Specify the Halo properties as desired (see notes above)
          • Optionally modify other properties as desired
            • Font, color, size, style properties are in the Appearance section
          • Click Apply
          • In the Annotation Symbol Name dialog box, specify a Name for the new class (like "halo" or "red halo")
          • Click OK
        • In the Symbol Collection section your new annotation class should be listed by name
          • To the left of the name of the new annotation class should be a number in parenthesis - probably the number (1)
          • Make note of this number (the number associated with the new halo annotation class)
    • Now that the annotation feature class has a new annotation class (with halos) you can assign that annotation class to individual text strings as desired:
      • Select an annotation text string (using the Select tool from the Edit ribbon)
      • Open the Attributes pane (using the Attributes button on the Edit ribbon)
      • Click the Attributes tab
      • For the SymbolID field, enter the number of your new annotation class
      • The new annotation class formatting (in his case, with a halo) should be applied to the selected text string
      • As with other annotation attributes, you can also assign the SymbolID value by opening the attribute table
  • SAVE your Edits
    • From the Edit ribbon choose Save