Adding Labels to Features

Add labels to features on feature source layers. The label is placed near the line, point symbol, or polygon. For point layers, if precise placement is important, display the label at a point location. For more information, see Displaying Fixed Labels at Point Locations. If a feature label obscures another label, it is not displayed. Feature labels are drawn on top of point symbols, lines, and polygons. By default, feature labels will not obscure point symbols. You can allow feature labels to obscure point symbols. For more information, see Allowing Label Overposting.

Specify the label text, font, size, format, color, background style and color, alignment, and rotation of the label. Your style options vary, depending on whether you are using enhanced styles or standard styles. See Using Enhanced and Standard Styles.

Note:

Set default size context and units in Options. For more information, see Setting Layer Editor Options.

Using Enhanced Styles

You can use enhanced labels for new labels you create. Labels you import from AutoCAD Map 3D use the styling option that was assigned to them in AutoCAD Map 3D.

To add and style labels using enhanced styles

1. Open the layer to edit by doing one of the following:
   • Create a new layer.
   • Double-click an existing layer.
   • Click the layer’s tab if the layer is already open.

   For information about creating a new layer, see Creating New Resources. For information about associating a data resource with a new layer, see Specifying the Data Resource for a Layer.

2. In the Style pane of the Layer Editor, under Scale Ranges, select the scale range to style.

   For more information about scale ranges, see Understanding Scale Ranges.

3. In the style area for the selected scale range, for Feature Label, click […].
4. In the Style Label dialog box, for Size Context, specify the type of units and then select the appropriate Units. These settings apply to all label elements, not just selected ones.
   • Select Device Space to specify symbol widths and heights in screen units. Available units are Points, Inches, Millimeters, Centimeters, or Meters.
   • Select Map Space to specify symbol widths and heights in Mapping Coordinate System (MCS) units. Available units are Inches, Feet, Yards, Miles, Millimeters, Centimeters, Meters, and Kilometers.
5. Use the Add Text and Add Symbol buttons to add elements to the label.

   Symbol elements can include both text and graphics. You can include multiple text and symbol elements in a single label.

   The graphical area just below the Add Text and Add Symbol buttons shows the elements and the order in which they will appear. Elements at the bottom of this area are at the bottom of the draw order. Select an element in the graphical area to change its position, appearance, and content. Use the arrow keys to change the position of the selected item. To delete an item, select it and click X. Once you add multiple items, a minus sign appears in the graphical display. To collapse the graphical display, click the minus sign; to expand it again, click the plus sign.

6. Select a Text element to change its appearance and content.

   Use the style options below the graphical area to specify the font, size, style, alignment, and spacing for the selected element in the label. You can also specify whether the text is stored as MText or plain text. Indicate any desired color for ghosting (halo effect), fill, or frame for the label, and a rotation angle.

   To use an expression for a style option, scroll to the bottom of its drop-down list. Once you have used an expression, a function symbol will be superimposed on the icon for that setting.

7. Select a Symbol element to change its appearance and content.

   Use the style options below the graphical area to specify the graphical symbol to use and its fill, outline style, line color, size, and rotation. If the symbol graphic includes text, text styling options are also available.

8. For Text Content, select a property as the source of the label text, or select Expression to define an expression. For more information, see Creating Expressions for Geospatial Features. To specify static text instead of a property, select Static from the Text Content dropdown and enter the text in the field provided.
9. For linear features, do any of the following:
   • Select Fixed to show labels at fixed locations relative to the feature. Select Repeat to repeat the label at intervals along the feature.
   • Expand the Advanced settings and specify that labels be offset from the start, middle, or end of the line. Middle is available only if you selected Fixed as the Positioning setting.
   • If you selected Repeat as the Positioning setting, you can specify the interval at which labels will repeat. The value uses the units you specified above.
   • Also in the Advanced settings, you can use Curve Along a Path to specify a single-line label that follows a path and shrinks to fit.
10. For point features, expand the Advanced settings and do any of the following:
    • For Label Positioning, specify whether to place labels alongside their referencing point (Next To Feature) or to superimpose labels on the referencing point (On Top Of Feature).
    • If you selected Next To Feature for Label Positioning, you can select Allow Shifting At Collision to have labels move automatically when they encounter another label, to avoid one label overlapping another.
    • If you selected On Top Of Feature for Label Positioning, you can specify vertical and horizontal offsets to control the anchor point for the label relative to its referencing point.
11. Click OK in the Style Label dialog box and close the Style Editor to see the results.

Using Standard Styles

All existing labels that were styled with standard styles originally will continue to use standard styles.

To add and style labels using standard styles

1. Open the layer to edit by doing one of the following:
   • Create a new layer.
   • Double-click an existing layer.
   • Click the layer’s tab if the layer is already open.

   For information about creating a new layer, see Creating New Resources. For information about associating a data resource with a new layer, see Specifying the Data Resource for a Layer.

2. In the Style pane of the Layer Editor, under Scale Ranges, select the scale range to style.

   For more information about scale ranges, see Understanding Scale Ranges.

3. In the style area for the selected scale range, for Feature Label, click […].
4. In the Style Label dialog box, select the Create A Label checkbox.
5. For Property To Display, do one of the following:
   • Select a property.
   • Select Expression to use Text Expression dialog box to specify label text.

   For more information, see Building Text Expressions.

6. For Font, select a font from the list.
7. For Size Context, specify the type of units:
   • Select Device Space to specify symbol widths and heights in screen units. Available units are Points, Inches, Millimeters, or Centimeters.
   • Select Map Space to specify symbol widths and heights in Mapping Coordinate System (MCS) units. Available units are Inches, Feet, Yards, Miles, Millimeters, Centimeters, Meters, and Kilometers.
8. For Units, select the type of units to use.
9. For Size, enter the text size or specify the size using a number expression.

   For more information, see Building Number Expressions.

10. To apply bold, italic, or underlining, click one or more of the Format options.
11. For Text Color, click a color.
12. To specify a background style, from the Background Style list click one of the following:
    • Ghosted: Draws an opaque border around each character. Use Background Color to specify a color for the outline.
    • Opaque: Draws a background behind the labels. They are displayed as rectangles with text inside. Use Background Color to specify a color for the rectangles.
    • Transparent: No background is applied to the labels, which are displayed only as text on the map.
13. For Ghosted and Opaque background styles, click a color in the Background Color list.
14. If you are adding labels to a polyline layer, use Vertical Alignment to specify the label position.

    You can select one of the available positions or select a layer property that contains alignment information for each feature.

    Note:

    Horizontal and vertical alignment settings are not available for area layers. Only the vertical alignment setting is available for line layers. Horizontal and vertical alignment settings are available for point layers that display fixed labels instead of symbols. For more information, see Displaying Fixed Labels at Point Locations.

15. For Rotation, do one of the following:
    • Enter the amount to rotate the text.
    • Click Any Angle. Specify the angle using the slider or enter an angle in the box. Click OK.
    • Click Expression. Specify the rotation using a number expression.

      For more information about creating a number expression, see Building Number Expressions.

16. Click OK.
17. Click File menu Save.