Adding military features to a map

The following procedure describes how to use Esri military feature templates to add military features to a map. It is recommended you use (or at least start with) feature templates that Esri creates and posts to ArcGIS.com for the defense community. For descriptions of the feature templates available to you, which are provided through layer pacakges, see Opening military feature layer packages.

Esri does not provide feature templates for all possible military features. For information on creating your own military feature templates, see Define new types of UEI features.

Steps:

1. Start ArcMap and Open a map or start ArcGlobe and open a globe.
2. If you opened ArcMap, turn on the Labeling toolbar (right-click any toolbar button and click Labeling, then on the Labeling toolbar, click Use Maplex Label Engine. For instructions on setting Maplex as the default labeling engine see step 2 of The Military Overlay layer package.
The map (or globe) you open can be a new map, a blank map, a basemap, or an existing map that you have created (or that someone has created and shared with you).
3. If you opened an existing map and it contains military layers, skip to step 7.
4. If you opened an existing map that doesn't contain military layers, skip to step 6.
5. If you opened a blank map, add basemap data. For details on using CADRG/ECRG and CIB formats as basemaps, see Data management for military data.
6. Open a layer from a geodatabase, a layer file (.lyr file), or a layer package that contains military features most appropriate for your map (if they are not perfectly appropriate, use the one—or ones—that most closely suits your needs; you can adjust it later).
Layer packages are provided for you on ArcGIS.com. For descriptions and links to layer packages and instructions on how to access, see Opening military feature layer packages.
7. Evaluate the feature templates that came with the layer, layer file, or layer package. Remove any feature templates you don't need. Feature templates are stored in your map or globe (your .mxd file or .3dd file), so you will not be deleting others' templates if your layer is connected to an enterprise geodatabase.
   Tip:

   A map's (or globe's) templates appear in the Create Features window, which you may need to open by starting an edit session. By default, this window appears as a pane in the right side of the ArcMap window. For details on the Create Features window, see A quick tour of editing. To delete a template, right-click it in this window, then click Delete.

   If you opened the main (default) military layer package for ArcGIS, you see templates such as Airfield Zone, Assault Position, Attack Position, and Assembly Area in the Create Features window. You may have to scroll to see them.

8. Determine which military features you need that are not feature templates in the map or globe—specific force units, for example, such as the 82nd Airborne Infantry Division. Enter all or part of the feature name in the Search text box to see if it appears in the Create Features window. Next, create any features you need but aren't in the map's feature templates. For details on creating new military features, see Define new types of military features.

   Although feature templates are stored in the map (.mxd or .3dd file), they "belong" to their layer. You cannot copy feature templates from one layer to another.

9. Add features to your map or globe by clicking the feature template in the Create Features window. Then, in the Construction Tools area of the Create Features window, click the tool you want to use to draw the feature on the map. Click the map to add the feature to the map. If your feature is a line or area, you'll need to click the map more than once to create the shape of your feature.

   Tip:

   If you keep your Attributes window open as you add features, you can easily set unique attributes (labels) for each feature as you add it. For example, if you are adding the 82nd Airborne Infantry Division feature, you can type 82nd into the Unique Designation field.

   Tip:

   Press the F2 key to finish drawing on the map.

   Tip:

   If you are not seeing a label or labels you expect to, make sure label visibility is on. Right-click the layer in the table of contents, then click Label Features. If you're still not seeing the labels, click the Label Manager button on the Labeling toolbar and make sure the label classes that correspond to the labels you want to see are checked in the Label Classes area of the Label Manager.

10. If you are using ArcGIS for Desktop Standard or Advanced, you can edit the appearance of your point, line, and area military features using cartographic representations. For example, you may want to make one of your main attack arrows thinner. In this case, you would select it in the map display, click the Resize Tool on the Representation toolbar, click and hold on the selection line, then drag the cursor toward the X on the selection line.
11. Save your edits (on the Editor toolbar, click Editor > Save Edits).
12. Change any symbol and label properties you want to. For details, see Changing symbol or layer properties for military features.
13. Save your edits and save the map (File > Save As).

You are now ready to share your work using one of the many ways ArcGIS lets you publish and share your maps or individual layers. For example, you can now publish the map as a feature service. Or you can create (save) a layer package and send it to others or make it available on your organization's network or on ArcGIS.com. ArcGIS.com lets you create user groups and control who sees which maps you post there.