Rotating representation symbols in a chart

The symbology that results from an automated process is a starting point for chart creation. Cartographers usually need to edit the resulting symbols and annotation to remove overprinting and improve the clarity and legibility of the chart. Edits made to representations do not affect the underlying geometry when using the Nautical symbology configured for paper chart products that are provided with ArcGIS for Maritime: Charting.

The most common example of rotating representations for Nautical chart production is to rotate light flares. The following steps outline how to rotate light flares and other representation symbology.

1. Start ArcMap.
2. Open the product map document.
3. On the main menu, click Customize > Toolbars > Production Editing.
4. Click the Production Start Editing button on the Production Editing toolbar.

   Note:

   The Manage Features and Create Attributes, Update Attributes, or Metadata Attributes windows automatically appear when you start an edit session using the Production Start Editing tool.

   Tip:

   If the Create Attributes, Update Attributes, or Metadata Attributes window does not appear when you start an edit session, click the Show/Hide Attributes button on the Manage Features window.

5. If necessary, add the Nautical Editing Cartography toolbar from the main menu by clicking Customize > Production > Toolbar Settings > Nautical Chart Production.
6. Make the AidsToNavigationP layer selectable:
   1. Click the List By Selection button on the Table Of Contents window.

      The List By Selection view displays one or more lists in the Table Of Contents window.

   2. Locate the AidsToNavigationP layer.
   • If you find AidsToNavigationP in the Not Selectable list, click the grayed-out Click to toggle selectable button.
   • If you don't find AidsToNavigationP in the Not Selectable list, or there is no Not Selectable list, it is already selectable.
7. Click the Select tool on the Nautical Editing Cartography toolbar.
8. In the data frame, select the symbol you want to rotate.

   Note:

   Lights are often associated with other features in the AidsToNavigationP feature layer. To remove other features from the selected set, click the List By Selection button on the Table Of Contents window, right-click the feature layer containing the selected features to clear, then click Clear Selected Features.

9. Click the Rotate tool on the Nautical Editing Cartography toolbar.
10. Click and drag the mouse around to visually rotate the lights.

    Tip:

    There may be multiple lights in one geographic location, with one on top of the other. It is recommended that you select all the lights in those situations so that all the light flares rotate together simultaneously. Regardless of how many features you have selected, you will have a greater degree of control if you click the mouse further away from the features before you drag them to rotate the symbols.

    Tip:

    A specific value can also be entered by right-clicking the selected feature with the active Rotate tool and clicking Angle from the context menu. This value is the amount the symbol will rotate, and not the absolute value for the angle of rotation. You can also type a value in the Angle text box on the Drawing tab of the Representation Properties dialog box. This value will be the absolute value of rotation, and not the amount the symbol will rotate.

11. Repeat steps 7 through 10 for all features you want to rotate.
12. Click the Stop Editing button on the Production Editing toolbar.

    The geodatabase becomes uneditable. If you have made edits, you will be prompted to save the changes if you want.

Free representations

In cases where extra flexibility for particular symbols is required, a free representation can be created. Free representations allow individual properties of the representation rule to be overridden.

Overprinting embankment on features with acute curves

In some situations, the symbol that represents an embankment will overprint itself when depicting a particularly detailed coastline. When this happens, you'll need to remove the offending markers so the symbols are clearly visible with no overlaps.

1. Right-click the layer and click Layer Properties.

   Depending on which specification is being used, a geometric effect needs to be added to the representation's marker layer (not a Global Effect).

2. Click the Symbology tab.
3. Select the marker layer for the embankment rule.
4. Click the plus (+) button at the top to add a geometric effect.
5. Click Simplify and click OK.
6. Change the default tolerance level from 10 to 0.
7. Click OK to apply these changes to the feature class and close the Layer Properties dialog box.
8. On the main menu, click Customize > Toolbars > Production Editing.
9. Click the Production Start Editing button on the Production Editing toolbar.

   Note:

   The Manage Features and Create Attributes, Update Attributes, or Metadata Attributes windows automatically appear when you start an edit session using the Production Start Editing tool.

   Tip:

   If the Create Attributes, Update Attributes, or Metadata Attributes window does not appear when you start an edit session, click the Show/Hide Attributes button on the Manage Features window.

10. Click the Select tool on the Nautical Editing Cartography toolbar.
11. Select a feature.
12. Click the Representation Properties button on the Nautical Editing Cartography toolbar.
13. Adjust the Simplify Tolerance property of the feature selected.

    You can continue with the following steps if further editing is required for editing Embankment lines; otherwise, you can click the Save Edits button and Stop Editing button on the Production Editing toolbar.

14. Click the Select tool on the Nautical Editing Cartography toolbar.
15. Select a representation feature.
16. From the Nautical Editing Cartography toolbar, click Free Representation > Convert to Free Representation.
17. Click Free Representation > Edit Free Representation.
18. The Free Representation Editor dialog box appears.
19. Click the Select tool on the Nautical Editing Cartography toolbar.
20. Select the free representation, right-click, then click Convert Effect to Geometry.
21. Select the marker symbol outline layer of the polygon, right-click, then click Explode Multi-part Geometry.
22. Select individual markers.
23. Rotate, resize, move, hide, or delete markers as necessary.
24. Click the Save Edits button .
25. Click the Stop Editing button on the Production Editing toolbar.

    The geodatabase becomes uneditable. If you have made edits, you will be prompted to save the changes if you want.