Frequently Asked Questions

This FAQ covers most of the questions that come up with the installation and use of ArcPress for ArcView. If you cannot find the answer you are looking for here, visit the online discussion forum.

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General Questions

How do I use Maplex?

Maplex has a straightforward graphical user interface. The wide range of options for controlling both text placement and map symbolization is easily accessible via the mouse. The effects of particular options can be monitored by generating maps interactively.

How do I control name placement?

With Maplex, you have complete control over the specification of preferred text style and configuration for each class of named feature. Each class of named feature on the map is given a relative priority that determines the extent to which it must be avoided by text. Once rules have been specified for a particular type of map, they can be saved in a rule base.

How does Maplex handle point-referenced names?

The positions generated for point-referenced names normally occupy horizontal locations surrounding the point symbol. You can split names into four or more elements and stack labels up to 50 lines high. Depending on your needs, justification can be left, right, or centered, and several radial distances from the symbol can be selected.

How does Maplex handle line-referenced names?

With Maplex, you can control whether positions for each class of name should be horizontal (crossing the line or adjacent to it), straight and parallel to the line, or curved and parallel to the line. In a network of linear features, you can also control how often an extensive individual feature is named. You can ensure full and unambiguous labeling of a network with Maplex by triggering repetition of names where junctions between lines of the same class might otherwise introduce ambiguity. Maplex also has the ability to align text with a graticule.

How does Maplex handle area-referenced names?

Maplex normally plots area names horizontally at locations dependent on the shape of the feature to be named. Maplex also gives you the option of naming polygons with curved labels.

Do I have control over the graphic attributes of text?

Yes, with Maplex you can treat each character individually by defining height, width, and intercharacter spacing of each letter of each class of name; enclose straight text with boxes having user-specified style and line thickness; and specify, for each class of name, whether to mask out underlying map features. The font used to display text depends on the facilities of the graphics system in use as well as the printing systems that you make available to Maplex.

What does fully automatic name placement mean?

Given a database of point, line, and area map features and their associated names, Maplex places all names in optimal positions to the feature to be named and with regard to all adjacent names and map features.

How does Maplex resolve conflicts between name placements?

Maplex gives you several placement strategies. You make the choice which to use depending on the relative importance of cartographic quality and speed of execution. If no solution is available that avoids name overlaps, Maplex will always provide you with a partial solution. You can also request selective automatic name deletion or partial overlap with masking. Maplex even lets you specify the relative priority of names, so you can delete those that are less significant.

Will Maplex work with my existing cartographic systems?

Cartographic and text data are input to Maplex in a variety of formats. In addition to complete graphic output, you can output text positions separately for subsequent input to other cartographic/graphics systems.