Style point layers

You can create custom visualizations in your scenes by applying smart mapping styles to your data. With point styles, you can change the appearance of feature or scene layers with point data. You can choose styles that use attributes to apply continuous colors or individual colors to points, or choose styles that apply a single color to all the points.

2D Marker

Use the 2D Marker style when the location of the features takes priority. Retail store locations across the country or parks in a city are suitable for this style. For example, if you have hospital locations across your city, and you zoom out to a regional view, the markers stay the same size on the screen and the user can readily identify the hospital locations in your city.

  1. Follow the steps in the Change layer style workflow.
  2. For Marker, choose from a gallery of shapes and icons for your marker.
    • Choose either Basic Shapes or Icons from the drop-down menu. For example, markers under Icon can show different points in a scene, such as airports or gas stations.
    • You can also upload a custom marker from your desktop. See Upload a custom marker.
  3. For Color, click the color picker to see the Fill, Outline, and Transparency options.
    1. Click Fill to adjust the fill color and transparency.
    2. Click Outline to adjust the outline color, line width, and transparency.
      Note:

      Markers under Icon do not include outline options.

  4. For Size, change the size of the marker by manually entering the size in pixels.
  5. For Elevation mode, see Change elevation mode.
  6. For Callout, see Insert callouts.
  7. For Labels, see Apply labels.
  8. For Declutter, click the toggle key to remove overlapping features as you navigate the scene.
  9. For Improve perspective, click the toggle key to turn perspective scaling on and off for screen-size point markers.

    When Improve perspective is on, objects such as icons, labels, and callouts integrate better in the 3D scene by having a smaller size the farther away they are from the camera position.

3D Object

Use the 3D Object style when you want to symbolize real-world sized objects in your scene. You can set an attribute to provide the real-world size of those objects. A good example of this is displaying trees in a city park where you can size each tree feature by the height attribute.

  1. Follow the steps in the Change layer style workflow.
  2. For Marker, choose from a gallery of 3D objects.
    Choose from 3D objects grouped into themes. For example, with Vegetation markers, you can display a variety of plants and trees. If your organization configured web styles, you can select custom markers from styles created from ArcGIS Pro.

    Note:

    To get the complete set of 3D symbology in your scenes, such as vegetation, install the web style setup. For additional information, see Scene Viewer requirements.

  3. For Color, choose a color and adjust Transparency.
  4. For Size, change the size of the 3D objects.
    1. Choose an attribute from the drop-down menu to size the 3D objects. Select <Fixed value> to manually enter a uniform size.
    2. Choose the measurement unit from the drop-down menu.
    3. As you zoom in and out, click the Fit to view button Fit symbol to view to adjust the 3D objects to the appropriate size in the current view.
  5. Optionally click the Rotation drop-down menu to rotate your 3D objects based on an attribute.

    Rotate your 3D objects using either the Geographic (Clockwise from 12) or Arithmetic (Counterclockwise from 3) method. If you don't want to rotate your objects, choose <None> from the drop-down menu.

  6. For Elevation mode, see Change elevation mode.
  7. For Labels, see Apply labels.

2D Counts and Amounts

Use the 2D Counts and Amounts style if you have data, such as demographic data, and want to display it with 2D markers. For example, you can display average income levels in communities in with a sequence of colors and objects, such as from light color and small size to dark color and large size. There is a selection of color ramps and solid colors from which to choose to best fit your scene.

  1. Follow the steps in the Change layer style workflow.
  2. Move the upper and lower slider handles to adjust the color and size based on the chosen attribute.
  3. For Marker, choose from a gallery of 2D shapes and icons.

    You can also upload a custom marker from your desktop. See Upload a custom marker.

  4. For Color, choose from a gallery of color ramps under the Fill option.
    1. Click Invert color ramp Invert color ramp to flip the colors.
    2. Click Solid color to change to solid colors. With a solid color, you can adjust the Transparency setting.
    3. Click Outline to adjust the outline color, line width, and transparency.
      Note:

      Markers under Icon do not include outline options.

  5. For Size(Min - Max), choose how you want to size your markers.

    Scene Viewer automatically provides a default range of pixel sizes. The Size(Min - Max) fields show the minimum and maximum size for your range of markers in pixels.

  6. For Elevation mode, see Change elevation mode.
  7. For Callout, see Insert callouts.
  8. For Labels, see Apply labels.
  9. For Improve perspective, click the toggle key to turn perspective scaling on and off for screen-size point markers.

    When Improve perspective is on, objects such as icons, labels, and callouts integrate better in the 3D scene by having a smaller size the farther away they are from the camera position.

3D Counts and Amounts

Use the 3D Counts and Amounts style when you want to symbolize your point data with real-world dimensions. For example, if you have data of city assets such as fire hydrants, you can present the hydrants as tall cylinders based on water capacity. Consequently, the hydrants with a larger capacity will have a darker color and larger size than those with lower capacity.

  1. Follow the steps in the Change layer style workflow.
  2. Move the upper and lower slider handles to adjust the color and size based on the chosen attribute.
  3. For Marker, choose a 3D model with simple geometry such as cones or cylinders.
  4. For Color, choose from a gallery of color ramps.
    1. Click Invert color ramp Invert color ramp to flip the colors.
    2. Click Solid color to change to solid colors. With a solid color, you can adjust the Transparency setting.
  5. For Size(Min - Max), choose how you want to size your 3D objects.
    As you zoom in and out, click the Fit to view button Fit to view to adjust the 3D objects to be appropriately sized in the current view. The Size(Min - Max) fields show the minimum and maximum real-world sizes of your objects.
    • For example, if you have a point layer with traffic counts for intersections displayed as tall cylinders, you may need to change the size of the cylinders as you zoom in and out. To do this, first click the Fit to view button Fit to view to scale the cylinders to your current view. Then fine-tune the cylinders by changing the Size(Min - Max) values.
  6. For Rotation, you can rotate your objects based on an attribute.

    Rotate your 3D objects using either the Geographic (Clockwise from 12) or Arithmetic (Counterclockwise from 3) method. If you don't want to rotate your objects, choose <None> from the drop-down menu.

  7. For Elevation mode, see Change elevation mode.
  8. For Labels, see Apply labels.

2D Types

Use the 2D Types style when you have point data with either text or numeric attributes. You can show attribute values with different markers, colors, and sizes. For example, you can use the 2D Types style to display points of interest in a city with unique symbology.

  1. Follow the steps in the Change layer style workflow.
  2. Modify the Attribute value list.

    The 2D Types style lists individual attribute values for the previously chosen attribute displayed next to Mapped Attribute. You can customize the symbology for each value. Across the top of the list are Attribute value, Counts, and Action headings.

    Attribute value

    Lists the names of the most common attribute values for the Mapped Attribute. The remaining attribute values are automatically grouped into . Ideally, your layer should show fewer than 10 values; more than 10 are difficult for users to distinguish.

    Counts

    Shows the number of features per attribute value. By default, the attribute values are listed in descending order by number of features. You can customize the order in the legend by dragging values up or down the Attribute value list.

    Action

    Allows you to move values out of Other into the main Attribute value list by clicking Move value out Move value out or Move all values out Move all values out.

    Other

    Allows you to drag any values from the main Attribute value list to Other. Click show or hide to either display or hide the Other features in the scene and in the legend.

    Rename an attribute value by selecting it and clicking the name.

  3. Click <select all> at the top of the Attribute value list to modify all values.

    To return to modifying an individual value, click a value or click <select one> at the top of the Attribute value list.

  4. For Marker, choose from a gallery of markers.
    • Choose either Basic Shapes or Icons from the drop-down menu. For example, markers under Icon can show different points in a scene, such as airports or gas stations.
    • You can also upload a custom marker from your desktop. See Upload a custom marker.
  5. For Color, click the color picker to see the Fill, Outline, and Transparency options.
    1. Click Fill to adjust the fill color and transparency.
    2. Click Outline to adjust the outline color, line width, and transparency.
      Note:

      Icon style markers do not include the Outline option.

    3. To apply a color ramp to all the attribute values, click <select all>. The solid color becomes a color ramp.
      • Click Invert color ramp Invert color ramp to flip the colors.
      • Click Solid color to return to selecting a single color.
  6. For Size, change the size of the marker by manually entering the size in pixels.
  7. For Elevation mode, see Change elevation mode.
  8. For Callout, see Insert callouts.
  9. For Labels, see Apply labels.
  10. For Declutter , click the toggle key to remove overlapping features as you navigate the scene.
  11. For Improve perspective, click the toggle key to turn perspective scaling on and off for screen-size point markers.

    When Improve perspective is on, objects such as icons, labels, and callouts integrate better in the 3D scene by having a smaller size the farther away they are from the camera position.

3D Types

Use 3D Types when you have point data with either text or numeric attributes. You can show individual symbology with different 3D objects, colors, and sizes. For example, you can use the 3D Types style to uniquely show 3D objects for different types of street furniture.

  1. Follow the steps in the Change layer style workflow.
  2. Modify the Attribute value list.

    The 3D Types style lists individual attribute values for the previously chosen attribute displayed next to Mapped Attribute. You can customize the symbology for each value. Across the top of the list are Attribute value, Counts, and Action headings.

    Attribute value

    Lists the names of the most common attribute values for the Mapped Attribute. The remaining attribute values are automatically grouped into . Ideally, your layer should show fewer than 10 values; more than 10 are difficult for users to distinguish.

    Counts

    Shows the number of features per attribute value. By default, the attribute values are listed in descending order by number of features. You can customize the order in the legend by dragging values up or down the Attribute value list.

    Action

    Allows you to move values out of Other into the main Attribute value list by clicking Move value out Move value out or Move all values out Move all values out.

    Other

    Allows you to drag any values from the main Attribute value list to Other. Click show or hide to either display or hide the Other features in the scene and in the legend.

    Rename an attribute value by selecting it and clicking the name.

  3. Click <select all> at the top of the Attribute value list to modify all values.

    To return to modifying an individual value, click a value or click <select one> at the top of the Attribute value list.

  4. For Marker, choose from a gallery of 3D objects.
    Choose from an extensive gallery of 3D objects grouped into themes. For example, with Vegetation markers, you can display a variety of plants and trees. If your organization configured web styles, you can select custom markers from styles created from ArcGIS Pro.

    Note:

    To get the complete set of 3D symbology in your scenes, such as vegetation, install the web style setup. For additional information, see Scene Viewer requirements.

  5. For Color, change the colors of the 3D objects.
    1. Choose a color and adjust the Transparency setting.
    2. To apply a color ramp to all the attribute values, click <select all>. The solid color becomes a color ramp.
      • Click Invert color ramp Invert color ramp to flip the colors.
      • Click Solid color to return to selecting a single color.
  6. For Size, change the size of the 3D objects.
    • You can enter the size manually or choose an attribute for which to size the 3D objects. Choose the unit for the size from the drop-down menu. As you zoom in and out, you can click the Fit to view button Fit to view to adjust the 3D objects to the appropriate size in the current view.
    • If an attribute is selected in All markers, the markers are sized automatically based on the chosen attribute, and Size is unavailable.
  7. For All markers, adjust the size and rotation of the markers.
    1. Choose an attribute and unit to define the size for all the attribute values.
    2. Set the Rotation option by attribute.
      • Click the Rotation drop-down menu and choose an attribute on which to base the rotation.
      • Rotate your 3D objects using either the Geographic (Clockwise from 12) or Arithmetic (Counterclockwise from 3) method. If you don't want to rotate your objects, choose <None> from the drop-down menu.
  8. For Elevation mode, see Change elevation mode.
  9. For Labels, see Apply labels.

Change elevation mode

You can change the elevation mode to customize the positioning of your layers. Click the Elevation Mode drop-down arrow Drop-down arrow. Options that determine the vertical positioning of the layer and its data appear.

On the ground

Drapes the layer onto the ground.

Relative to ground

Positions the data aligned to the ground elevation. Z-values are added to the ground elevation when available.

Relative to scene

Positions the data aligned on top of 3D object scene layers and integrated mesh scene layers, depending on which has a higher elevation. If the graphic is not directly above a 3D object or any other feature, it is aligned to the terrain surface elevation.

Note:

If present, the geometry's z-value is added to the elevation.

Absolute height

Positions the data vertically based on the feature’s geometry z-value position. If the geometry doesn’t contain z-values, the default elevation is sea level.

<custom>

Positions the data vertically based on a custom elevation defined in the layer, such as from an attribute expression. The <custom> option is only visible when the layer has custom elevation.

Offset

Applies a positive or negative integer value in meters to vertically offset the elevation based on the chosen Elevation Mode.

  • Relative to ground—The layer is aligned to the ground and is vertically offset from the ground based on a height value entered.
  • Relative to scene—The layer is aligned to the top of the scene layer and is vertically offset from the scene layer based on a height value entered.
  • Absolute height—The layer is aligned to the z-value position assigned or defaults to the sea level position, and is vertically offset based on a height value entered.

Note:

Offset is not available for On the ground elevation mode.

Insert callouts

For 2D point styles, use the Callout option to improve the perception of icon locations in the 3D scene. Vertical callout lines connect point markers to the location of the feature they are describing. For example, you can have a scene with callout lines visibly connecting police station icon markers to the top of the police station buildings that are under the icons.

To use the Callout option, do the following:

  1. Click the Callout toggle key to turn callouts on and off in your layer.
  2. For the callout options, do the following:
    • For Size, choose the length of the callout lines and the height the icons are lifted from their original position. You can choose large or small callout lines. Also set an appropriate scale for your data: city, regional, or world scale. Scales affect how long you can see the callout lines when zooming out.
    • For Color, you can make your callout lines either light or dark.

Apply labels

If labels are available in your layer, you will see a Labels toggle button. By showing labels in your scene, you can immediately convey information about the scene based on an attribute in the layer.

  1. Click the Labels toggle key to turn labels on and off in your layer.
  2. You can configure the labels by doing any of the following:
    • For Text, click the drop-down menu to choose the attribute for labeling. You can select <custom> when custom label expressions are saved from another app, such as Map Viewer Classic. Select the positioning of the labels around the markers.
    • Choose small, medium, or large for the label size under Size.
    • For Color, you can make your text either light or dark.
    • For 3D point styles, click the Improve perspective toggle key to display labels more intuitively, with labels farther away having a smaller size.

Upload a custom marker

For 2D point styles, you can upload a custom marker from your desktop. Save the scene first to allow you to upload the icons.

  1. Click Marker.
  2. Click Custom.
  3. Click + Upload image to add a custom icon.
  4. Locate the image you want to upload.
  5. Click + Upload image to add additional icons.
  6. Click the icon in the custom gallery you want in your scene.
  7. Click Done.

    Image requirements:

    • Up to 256 by 256 pixels
    • Up to 1 MB
    • Image format: PNG or JPEG

    Note:

    The icons you upload are available only in your scene. You can share your scene with the custom icons, but a copy of the scene can't be saved.