Set map properties (Map Viewer)

Adjust settings that apply to your entire web map in the Map properties pane. You can enable a background color, preserve the map scale, and configure the time slider for maps with time-enabled data.

Enable a background color

You can use background color on its own or in combination with layer blending. In some cases, especially when using custom basemaps, you may need to set a background color for areas the basemap doesn't cover. The basemap color can be part of the overall thematic focus of the map, or it can be a color that corresponds with organizational themes.

To enable background color, do the following:

  1. Confirm that you are signed in and, if you want to save your changes, that you have privileges to create content.
  2. In Map Viewer (formerly a separate beta installation but now included with the portal automatically), on the Contents (dark) toolbar, click Map properties Map properties.
  3. In the Background section of the Map properties pane, turn on the Enable background color toggle button.

    A text box appears with a hexadecimal value (the default is #FFFFFF).

  4. Click the text box and click a preset color from the color picker, or type a hexadecimal value.

    The background color changes in real time as you make your color selection. View the background color by zooming out to the map's full extent.

  5. Save the map.

Preserve the map scale

You may want a map to open at a specific scale regardless of the device or screen size. For example, if the map has multiple layers with predefined visible ranges, you can set the scale at which the map opens to highlight certain layers and features.

To preserve map scale, do the following:

  1. If necessary, adjust the extent of the map to the scale you want.
  2. On the Contents (dark) toolbar, click Map properties Map properties.
  3. In the Map view section of the Map properties pane, turn on the Preserve map scale toggle button.
  4. Save the map.
  5. To adjust the scale at which the map is saved after the scale has been set, turn off the Preserve map scale toggle button and repeat steps 1–4.