Drawing a Map

Description

The Map command allows you to insert a frame filled with a map in the layout. You can click the image to directly implement the corresponding action, or the text to select a specific command from list.

Basic Steps

  1. Click the Map drop-down button > Rectangle. You can also choose another shape to insert a map frame of the shape.
  2. Click and drag in the layout to draw a rectangle.
  3. Click again to finish the rectangle. The Select Fill Map shows up.
  4. Click the Fill Map drop-down arrow to select a fill map from the drop-down list.
  5. Click OK to fill the map in the rectangle map frame.
  6. If the shape you specified in step 1 is not rectangle, the map inserted in the layout window will be in the shape you specified. Maps in different-shape frames are shown as follow:
    Figure: A map in rectangleFigure: A map in round rectangleFigure: A map in ellipse
  7. Modify map properties. Double click the map frame or right click it and click Properties to display the Properties dialog box for the map.
    • Map: The map associated with the map frame. All maps in the current workspace are provided in the Map drop-down list. You can click the Map drop-down arrow and click a map to change the map associated with the map frame.
    • Scale: The display scale of the map. You can change the scale by directly typing in the second text box to the right.
    • Rotation: The rotation angle of the map. You can choose an angle from the Rotation drop-down list or directly typing in the text box and press enter to apply the rotation angle.
    • Map center: The X,Y coordinates are provided in the X, Y text boxes, you can copy them or paste a new group of coordinates.
    • Grid Settings: The feature can add evenly spaced horizontal and vertical lines (grid) and set grid's styles and labels. For more details, please refer to Map Grid Settings.
    • Borders: Determine whether and how to show map borders. Please refer to Border Settings.

Note

  1. The map elements such as the legend, north arrow, legend, etc. added based on a map filled in a map frame will not change if you change the map associated with the map frame.
  2. Drawing a map frame of a specific shape in the layout window is the same with drawing the corresponding region object in the map window.
  3. To replace the drawn map with another map, you can change the associated map in the Properties dialog box.

Related Topics

How to draw a map frame in a specific shape?