12 replies to this topic

[Andreas Michos]

Hello fellow cartographers. I am trying something tricky here.

I want to label my contours(in 100 meter intervals), and i need to break the contour lines, showing the label on top of the line. I am aware that a good presentation method would be to apply halo to the labels, to get satisfying results. In my case though, the background of my map is changing gradually(as the elevation is rising), therefore the halo method works fine only in the places that the halo color matches the background color. My idea (and desire) is to place the the labels on the contour lines, but leaving behind the labels an empty space.

Overall and ideally, I am looking for a method, that would leave an empty space( behind my labels) on the contours..
Please, can you think of any satisfactory solution?

Thanks for your patience!!

Andreas

[DaveB]

What software are you using?

I know ArcMap has masking options for doing this sort of thing. Possibly other software has similar options.

[Andreas Michos]

What software are you using?

I know ArcMap has masking options for doing this sort of thing. Possibly other software has similar options.

Thanks Dave for your reply.
I am using ArcMap (ArcEditor License with Maplex).
With this software I am looking for a solution.

[mrishi]

You might want to look at the Label-Contour solution with Label-EZ from MapText.
They offer even coordinated contour labeling including the actual masking (breaking) of underlying contour lines.

Rishi

[aug_aug]

Well, we don't have any extensions to do any cool contour effects, so I'm stuck with default ArcMap options.

I've found that coloring the halo the same color as your index contour and keeping the text white is kind of a cheap fix for contour labeling.

 contours.jpg   66.3K   152 downloads

[Clark Geomatics]

Well, we don't have any extensions to do any cool contour effects, so I'm stuck with default ArcMap options.

I've found that coloring the halo the same color as your index contour and keeping the text white is kind of a cheap fix for contour labeling.

 contours.jpg   66.3K   152 downloads

Search the ESRI site for "variable depth masking" - that's what you are looking for. Here's a start: ESRI - Variable Depth Masking Help

[Andreas Michos]

Well, we don't have any extensions to do any cool contour effects, so I'm stuck with default ArcMap options.

I've found that coloring the halo the same color as your index contour and keeping the text white is kind of a cheap fix for contour labeling.

 contours.jpg   66.3K   152 downloads

Thank you Michael
I use the same technique and the results are like your sample map.
There must be a better way

[DaveB]

There must be a better way

The better way is the one suggested by Jeff. Please take a look at the link he provided.
Thanks, Jeff!

[aug_aug]

Well, I'd like to use the better way, but I only have the ArcDesktop license, and thus lack the applicable cartography tools that come with the ArcInfo license, hence the cheap fix.

[Matthew Hampton]

Regarding contour labels and placement (not masking or halo's) - here is a good article.

Once they were in the right spot - I wonder if you could intersect them with the elevation and apply a different color halo based on your elevation tint? Kind-of a hack job, but it's cheap!

[DaveB]

Well, I'd like to use the better way, but I only have the ArcDesktop license, and thus lack the applicable cartography tools that come with the ArcInfo license, hence the cheap fix.

Sorry, I should've asked what license level, too.

So, with an ArcView license you can't uase the tool to automatically generate the masking layer. You can, however, enable masking with any license level as long as you have a layer to use for masking. It would be more work, but you could create a masking layer manually, or maybe you could get someone who does have an ArcInfo license to use the tool to create the layer for you.

[Andreas Michos]

Well, we don't have any extensions to do any cool contour effects, so I'm stuck with default ArcMap options.

I've found that coloring the halo the same color as your index contour and keeping the text white is kind of a cheap fix for contour labeling.

 contours.jpg   66.3K   152 downloads

Search the ESRI site for "variable depth masking" - that's what you are looking for. Here's a start: ESRI - Variable Depth Masking Help

Thanks Dave that was an awesome solution!!!
I also found this link: http://edndoc.esri.c...AnnoPolyCon.htm (Converting Annotation to Polygons).
Do you think is there such a thing like a proper command or geoprocessing tool that could do the same thing?
If there is one then this command is a lifesaver for the ones that cannot afford an Arc Info license or don't have a friend that can do it for them...
Cheers guys. You had all been very helpful

[Covasnianu Adrian]

You can try also in Global Mapper.