ArcMap

Creating data frame rules for multiple data frames

Available with Production Mapping license.

Data frame rules define a data frame's extent, size, scale, rotation, and coordinate system. In map documents with multiple data frames, you can specify that a data frame inherits another's settings. For example, one data frame could use the same scale and size as a source data frame. This allows you to enforce standardized settings from a basemap to make overview or inset maps.

The following steps outline how to apply data frame rules in such an environment.

  1. Start ArcMap.
  2. Switch to layout view.
  3. Click the Add Data button Add Data on the Standard toolbar.

    The Add Data dialog box appears.

  4. Navigate to <ArcGIS install folder>\ArcGIS\Desktop10.6.1\TemplateData\Template.gdb.
  5. Add the States feature class from the USA feature dataset to ArcMap.
  6. Resize the data frame to half the page size.
  7. Zoom to California until it covers the entire data frame.
  8. On the main menu, click Insert > Data Frame.

    A new data frame appears on the page layout.

  9. Drag the new data frame below the Layers data frame.
  10. Click the Add Data button Add Data on the Standard toolbar.

    The Add Data dialog box appears.

  11. Navigate to <ArcGIS install folder>\ArcGIS\Desktop10.2.1\TemplateData\Template.gdb.
  12. Add the Counties feature class from the USA feature dataset to ArcMap.
  13. On the main menu, click Customize > Toolbars > Production Cartography.

    The Production Cartography toolbar appears.

  14. Click the Layout window button Layout window on the Production Cartography toolbar.

    The Layout window appears.

  15. Click New Data Frame in the Layout window.
  16. Click the Apply Data Frame Rules button Apply Data Frame Rules on the Layout window.

    The Apply Data Frame Rules dialog box appears.

  17. Click the Source Data Frame drop–down arrow and click Layers.

  18. Click the Properties button Properties.

    The Data Frame Rules dialog box appears.

  19. Click the General tab.
  20. Click the Allow drop-down arrow and click Scale.
  21. In the Extent area, check the Same as source data frame check box.
  22. In the Extent area, check the Clip to shape based on extent check box.
  23. Click the Rotation tab.
  24. Click the Rotate to True North option.
  25. Click the Coordinate Systems tab.
  26. Click the Type drop-down arrow and click Calculate UTM Zone.
  27. Click OK.

    The Apply Data Frame Rules dialog box appears.

  28. Click Apply on the Apply Data Frame Rules dialog box.

    The data frame rules you defined are applied to the active data frame. The Status - Data Frame Rules dialog box displays the operation status.

  29. Click OK to close the Status - Data Frame Rules dialog box.

Related topics