You can enhance your spatial map series by adding dynamic elements to the layout. Dynamic elements update in response to changes in the data or map extent. A spatial map series has a different map extent for each page, so using dynamic elements provides information specific to that page.
North arrows, scale bars, and grids are dynamic elements that behave the same for layouts with and without map series. Dynamic text, legends, table frames, chart frames, pictures, and extent indicators have additional properties that can be useful in a spatial map series.
Dynamic text
Dynamic text is text that changes based on the current properties of the project, map frame, and so on. It works through the use of tags, like HTML. There are many dynamic text tags for layouts, displaying information such as the map frame name, the average value of a field, and map metadata. For more information about using dynamic text tags, see Add and modify dynamic text and Dynamic text tags.
For a spatial map series, there are additional tags unique to map series properties. For example, you can display the map series page number using dynamic text.
The following tags are only available for a spatial map series:
| Name | Description | Example syntax | Example output |
|---|---|---|---|
Page Name | The page name, as defined by the map series name field. | <dyn type="page" property="name"/> | Italy |
Page Number | The page number, as defined by the map series page number option. | Page <dyn type="page" property="number"/> | Page 1 |
Page With Count | The page index of the current page and the total number of pages. The page index tag ignores the starting page number setting. If you have 10 map series pages and the starting page number is set to 3, the first page is listed as Page 1 of 10. This is actually two dynamic text tags, one for the page index and one for the map series page count. | Page <dyn type="page" property="index"/> of <dyn type="page" property="count"/> | Page 1 of 10 |
Page Index | The page index, which is the sequential order of the page in the map series. It ignores any page number or group settings. | <dyn type="page" property="index"/> | 3 |
Attribute | The value of a selected attribute in the index layer. This includes fields joined to the index layer. The default behavior is to use coded value descriptions if they're available. If you don't want to use coded value descriptions, change the tag to domainlookup="false"/>. You can also use the table attribute dynamic text to display attributes, which provides additional settings. | <dyn type="page" property="attribute" field="<Field Name>" domainlookup="true"/> | Park |
One way to use dynamic text in a map series is to create neighbor labels. These are labels on a page that show the page name of pages to the left, right, above, or below the current page. Neighbor labels are often used when creating a grid index map series or strip map series. To add these labels, you need fields in your map series index feature containing the information on neighboring pages. Use the Calculate Adjacent Fields geoprocessing tool to create and populate fields to label neighboring pages. If you're creating a strip map and use the Strip Map Index Features geoprocessing tool to create the index layer, the layer has precalculated fields for left-right and top-bottom labels.
Once these fields have been added, complete the following steps to add neighbor labels to your map series:
- On the Insert tab, in the Graphics and Text group, click the Dynamic Text button
to access the gallery. - Choose Attribute from the dynamic text gallery.
- In the Insert Dynamic Text window that appears, choose the field name containing the neighbor label, for example, "PageName_N" as the field containing the north page label.
- Draw the dynamic text element on the layout where you want it.
- Repeat these steps for additional neighbor labels.
Legends, table frames, and chart frames
Legends, table frames, and chart frames have an option to only show the data visible in the current map extent. In a spatial map series, this option is expanded. You can show all the data visible in the map frame or only the data within the map series index feature. Limiting the displayed data to within the map series feature helps focus the page on the index feature.
Legend
For legends, the option to limit data visibility is set for legend items, not the entire legend. Your legend can contain items that are always visible, items that are only visible if they are within the map frame extent, or items that are only visible if they are within the map series index feature extent. If the legend item is for a feature with multiple classes, such as a layer symbolized by unique values, this option applies to the classes within the item. To set this option, complete the following steps:
- In the Contents pane, expand the legend to see the legend items.
- Right-click a legend item and choose Properties to open the Element pane.
- Check Only show features visible in the map extent.
- From the drop-down list, choose an option:
Within map frame shape Only include the item if it is within the map frame extent.
Within map series shape Only include the item if it is within the index layer extent.
Table frame
For table frames, the number of records displayed in the table can be filtered by the map frame extent or map series index feature. This is done by setting the table frame Query option. To set the query, complete the following steps:
- In the Contents pane, right-click a table frame and choose Properties to open the Element pane.
- In the Element pane, choose a query type from the Query drop-down menu.
All rows Show all the records in the table.
Visible rows Show only the records for features visible in the map extent.
Map series rows Show only the records for features in the map series index feature.
Chart frame
For chart frames, the number of points included in the chart can be filtered by the map frame extent or map series index feature. To set this, complete the following steps:
- Right-click a chart frame in the Contents pane and choose Properties to open the Element pane.
- Check Only show features visible in the map extent.
- From the drop-down list, choose an option:
Within map frame shape Only include the item if it is within the map frame extent.
Within map series shape Only include the item if it is within the index layer extent.
Pictures
Once you've added a picture, you can set it to update dynamically for each map series page. To do this, double-click the picture to open the Element pane. By default, the Simple Path option is set, meaning that the picture is from a single file location and does not update as the map series pages change. Choose the Dynamic option to update the picture element for each page.
Note:
Dynamic pictures are only available for spatial map series and reports. Otherwise, this option is not available.
The Dynamic option allows you to reference pictures in the index layer included as attachments, raster fields, or text fields containing URLs or file paths. To set a dynamic picture, choose the field from the drop-down menu.
If the full picture name is not in the field, or if pictures are available in multiple fields, you can set an Arcade expression to specify the correct picture. Click the Expression button 
to open the expression builder and write the Arcade expression.
The following is an example Arcade expression that creates a picture URL by concatenating two fields and using static text to provide the correct URL format:
"https://" + $feature.DomainName + TextFormatting.BackwardSlash + $feature.URLFileName + ".jpg"Note:
If the value in the field is empty for a particular index feature, no picture is displayed.
Note:
If there are multiple attachments, the first added attachment is displayed. You can choose a different attachment by setting the Filter value to the name of another attachment.
Picture paths
When using a text field containing file paths to pictures, you have the option of using full or relative paths. A full, or absolute, path begins with a drive letter or UNC (Universal Naming Convention) for accessing shared network folders on a local area network. Here are examples of full paths:
| Example path | Description |
|---|---|
| D:\Pictures\Landuse.png | A full path using a drive letter |
| \\Projects\Pictures\Landuse.png | A full path using UNC |
| Example path | Description |
|---|---|
| Landuse.png | A relative path for pictures that are in the same directory as the ArcGIS AllSource project |
| Pictures\Landuse.png | A relative path for pictures that are in a folder in the same directory as the ArcGIS AllSource project |
| ..\Pictures\Landuse.png | A relative path for pictures that are in a folder above the ArcGIS AllSource project |
Extent indicators
Extent indicators show the extent of one map frame within another map frame. If your spatial map series contains multiple map frames, for example, the map frame being updated and a locator map frame, you can use an extent indicator. By default, extent indicators are the same shape as the map frame of which they are showing the extent, but you can change the shape of the indicator. In a spatial map series, the extent indicator can be drawn to match the map series index feature.
To change the extent indicator's draw shape, right-click the extent indicator in the Contents pane and choose Properties to open the Element pane. Select a drawing option from the Shape drop-down list:
- Frame—Draw the extent indicator the same shape as the map frame of which it shows the extent.
- Rectangle—Draw the extent indicator as a rectangle, regardless of map frame shape.
- Current map series shape—Draw the extent indicator the same shape as the map series index feature.