A quick tour of representations

Creating representations

A representation can be created on a feature class by converting a symbolized layer in ArcMap from the shortcut menu of a layer in the Table of Contents window. Automatically created representation rules will be assigned to features when you create a representation by converting a layer.

Tip:

The Convert Symbology to Representation command may be disabled for one of the following reasons:

• You are in an edit session.
• You are unable to obtain a schema lock. Ensure that the layer is not currently being accessed by ArcCatalog or by another ArcMap session.
• The layer is currently symbolized with a feature class representation.
• The layer's data source is not a point, line, or polygon feature class in a geodatabase. Shapefiles, coverages, annotation feature classes, and dimension feature classes cannot support feature class representations.
• The layer is currently symbolized with the proportional symbol, the quantity by category, or one of the chart symbol categories.
• The layer's data source resides in a geodatabase that has not yet been upgraded to the current release.
• You are using ArcGIS for Desktop Basic. An ArcGIS for Desktop Standard or Advanced license is required to create representations.

Alternatively, a representation can also be created on a feature class from the Feature Class Properties dialog box in ArcCatalog. You will need to create representation rules and assign them to the appropriate features if you use this method.

Tip:

You can also create a representation on a feature class using the Add Representation geoprocessing tool. You will need to create representation rules and assign them to features after you create the representation.

Once the new representation has been created, create representation rules as necessary and apply them to selected features in an edit session with the Representation Properties window in ArcMap.

Tip:

You can also assign representation rules to features using the Calculate Representation Rule geoprocessing tool.

Symbolizing layers with representations

To draw a layer with a representation, ensure that the source feature class contains at least one representation. The Symbology tab on the Layer Properties dialog box will show a Representations heading in the left column if at least one representation is present. Choose a representation from this column to use to draw the features. Modify the properties of the rules if desired.

Note:

When you add a feature class to ArcMap, it will be drawn with its representation by default, if one exists. If more than one representation is present on the feature class, the first one will be used. Use the Layer Properties dialog box to draw the layer a different way if desired.

Working with representation rules

Representation rules are typically modified from the Symbology tab on the Layer Properties dialog box, but this can also be done from the Representations tab on the Feature Class Properties dialog box in ArcCatalog. Typical modifications include adjusting symbol layer properties, adding geometric effects, and modifying marker placement styles.

Note:

The tabs shown in the right pane of the representation rule represent the components of the symbol layer. The order of the tabs indicates the draw order of the symbol layers within the representation rules. The lowest tab in the list is the one that draws first.

• Global geometric effects are displayed in the Global Effects tab . A representation rule may contain global geometric effects which operate on all symbol layers in a representation rule.
• Marker symbol layers define how points, locations along lines, or locations within polygons will be drawn.
• Stroke symbol layers symbolize line geometry and polygon outlines.
• Fill symbol layers draw polygons with solid, hatch, or gradient patterns.
• Click to add a geometric effect.
• Click to change or remove a geometric effect.

When working with marker symbol layers, click the marker itself to open the Marker Editor dialog box to modify representation markers.

The Representation Marker Selector dialog box will open with the marker showing in the Preview window. Click Properties to open the Marker Editor.

Overriding representation rules

Overrides are exceptions made to a representation rule on individual features. They are a way of customizing the appearance of a few key features without breaking the representation rule structure or creating many unique rules to handle outlier situations. Both the properties of a representation rule and the drawing geometry can be overridden for individual features when they are drawn with representations.

Working with the Representation toolbar

Overrides are created and modified from the Representation toolbar during an edit session.

The commands on the Representation menu on the Representation toolbar are operations that can be performed on selected feature representations.

• Make Invisible turns off the visibility property for selected features.
• Make Visible turns on the visibility property for selected features.
• Clear Shape Overrides removes shape overrides for selected features.
• Clear Property Overrides removes property overrides for selected features.
• Free Representation lists the available operations for free representation features.
• Options opens the Representation Options dialog box where you can specify the size of the feature representation vertices and the view mode.

Tip:

All Representation tools have a shortcut key to activate them, and some of these tools share a common shortcut key because their behavior is similar. Clicking the shortcut key the first time will always activate the primary tool. Clicking the shortcut key a second time will switch between the available tools. Additionally, clicking the shortcut key a second time will open an input dialog box for some tools.

Representation toolbar buttons and their functions

Buttons	Name	Function	Shortcut key
	Select	Selects one or more whole feature representations for editing.	Press G to activate the Select tool. Press again to switch to the Direct Select tool.
	Direct Select	Selects segments and vertices of one or more feature representations for geometry editing.	Press G twice to activate the Direct Select tool. Press again to switch to the Select tool.
	Lasso Select	Selects one or more whole feature representations for editing by drawing a free-form outline.	Press L to activate the Lasso Select tool. Press again to switch to the Lasso Direct Select tool.
	Lasso Direct Select	Selects segments and vertices of one or more feature representations for geometry editing by drawing a free-form outline.	Press L twice to activate the Lasso Direct Select tool. Press again to switch to the Lasso Select tool.
	Insert Vertex	Adds a new vertex to a selected feature representation.	Press I to activate the Insert Vertex tool. Press again to switch to the Delete Vertex tool.
	Delete Vertex	Removes a vertex from a selected feature representation.	Press I twice to activate the Delete Vertex tool. Press again to switch to the Insert Vertex tool.
	Insert Bezier	Adds a new Bézier vertex to a selected feature representation.	Press U to activate the Insert Bezier tool. Press again to switch to the Delete Bezier tool.
	Delete Bezier	Removes a Bézier vertex from a selected feature representation. A standard representation vertex will remain in its place.	Press U to activate the Delete Bezier tool. Press again to switch to the Insert Bezier tool.
	Insert Control Point	Adds a new control point vertex to a selected feature representation.	Press Y to activate the Insert Control Point tool. Press again to switch to the Delete Control Point tool.
	Delete Control Point	Removes a control point vertex from a selected feature representation. A standard representation vertex will remain in its place.	Press Y to activate the Delete Control Point tool. Press again to switch to the Insert Control Point tool.
	Warp	Smoothly reshapes feature representations by moving selected segments proportionally to the direction you drag with the mouse.	Press W to activate the Warp tool.
	Move Parallel	Reshapes feature representations by moving selected segments parallel to their original locations.	Press P to activate the Move Parallel tool.
	Erase	Erases portions of feature representations.	Press E to activate the Erase tool.
	Mask	Interactively creates masks on selected feature representations.	Press K to activate the Mask tool.
	Rotate	Rotates feature representation geometry and/or representation properties.	Press R to activate the Rotate tool. Press again to open the Angle dialog box.
	Orient	Orients feature representation rule properties to a common angle.	Press O to activate the Orient tool. Press again to open the Angle dialog box.
	Resize	Resizes feature representation geometry and/or representation properties.	Press S to activate the Resize tool. Press again to open the Ratio dialog box.
	Move	Moves feature representation geometry and/or representation properties.	Press M to activate the Move tool. Press again to open the Offsets dialog box.
	Offset	Offsets feature representation rule properties to a common distance.	Press F to activate the Offset tool. Press again to open the Offsets dialog box.
	Representation Properties	Opens the Representation Properties dialog box.	Press D to activate the Drawing tab of the Representation Properties window. Press T to activate the Tools tab of the Representation Properties window.

Representation toolbar buttons and their functions

Working with representation properties

The Drawing tab of the Representation Properties dialog box shows the properties of representation rules as applied to the selected feature(s). Any changes that are made to these properties from this window will be stored as feature-specific overrides and will appear anywhere the feature class is drawn with the current representation.

The Tools tab of the Representation Properties window is used in conjunction with the five manual editing tools, Rotate , Orient , Resize , Move , and Offset , to interactively override feature shape and certain rule properties.

Working with free representations

Free representations are features that have their own independent rule. You can think of them as having been completely overridden. While the free representation is a useful way to get a very specific appearance for a few significant features, it should be used sparingly. Free representations will impact drawing performance if used excessively and must be updated and modified manually.

Free representation operations

Operation	Description	Result
Convert to Free Representation	Converts a feature representation to a free representation.	An independent copy of the representation rule is copied into the Override field. Feature geometry is copied from the Shape field into the Override field. There is no visible change to the feature.
Convert Effect to Geometry	Converts the dynamic result of geometric effects and marker placement styles in the free representation to actual geometry. Geometric effects and marker placement styles are converted one at a time in the order that they are processed in the drawing order of the representation rule. Global geometric effects are converted first. This command is disabled if one of the following are true: There are no geometric effects or marker placement styles present in the representation rule, or There are no global geometric effects and there is more than one symbol layer. (Use the Separate Symbol Layers command to interact with each symbol layer.)	Converted geometry is stored in the Override field. Multipart geometry may be created depending on the type of geometric effects and marker placement styles converted. There is no visible change to the feature unless it is selected as vertices, and the bounding box may be updated to reflect new geometry.
Separate Symbol Layers	Makes the geometry of each symbol layer an independent entity for editing. This command is unavailable if there is only one symbol layer in the representation rule.	You can interact with each symbol layer separately. You could move the fill of a polygon feature independently of its outline, for example.
Ungroup Elements	Ungroups multipart geometry produced by the Convert Effect to Geometry command into individual elements.	Individual geometry elements are available for editing.
Delete Elements	Deletes geometry elements.	Elements are removed from the free representation geometry stored in the Override field.
Edit Free Representation	Opens the free representation for editing inside the Free Representation Editor.	The Free Representation Editor opens.

Operations that can be performed on free representations

The Free Representation Editor dialog box is used to modify all aspects of a free representation.