Grids and graticules are added to map frames in a layout view. The grid or graticule draws on top of the map frame, with the labels usually drawn outside the map frame boundary.
For some cartographic scenarios, drawing the grid on top of the map frame is not desirable. Instead, the grid components need to be drawn within the map itself. In those scenarios, you can convert the grid to features. This changes the components of the grid to feature classes that get added to the map as feature layers. The symbology applied to the generated layers matches those used in the original grid components. Converting a grid to features is useful in advanced editing or placement scenarios, such as drawing gridlines underneath other features in the map to avoid obscuring data.
Note:
Reference grids and custom grids cannot be converted to features.
When a grid is converted to features, the feature classes listed below are created to store the converted grid components. If a component is not included in the grid, that class is not created.
| Feature class | Feature class type | Information |
|---|---|---|
GridAnno | Annotation | Stores all the labels in the grid as annotation, including interior labels, corner labels, and grid zone designation labels. |
GridInteriorTicks | Line | Stores the grid interior ticks. |
GridIntersectionPoints | Point | Stores the grid intersection points. |
GridLines | Line | Stores the grid lines. |
GridMask | Polygon | Creates a polygon from the edge of the grid out past the grid labels. This mask feature can block the basemap or other features on the map, allowing the grid labels to be read clearly. This class is always created, regardless of the grid components. |
GridNeatlines | Polygon | Stores the neatline for the grid. |
GridTicks | Line | Stores the grid ticks. |
Grid components can be written to feature classes in a geodatabase only. Multiple grids can be written to the same feature classes in one geodatabase as long as the Grid Name value is unique. If the specified grid name already exists in the geodatabase, those features are overridden. The first grid that is converted determines the coordinate system the features are given. If the grid features are written to a feature dataset in the geodatabase, the grid features are written in that coordinate system.
Convert a grid to features
To convert a grid to features, complete the following steps:
- Right-click the grid in the Contents pane. On the context menu,
click Convert To Features
. - On the Convert Grid to Features dialog box, specify the geodatabase for the output grid features.
- Optionally, update the Grid Name value. The Grid Name is added as an attribute to the newly created features, and a definition query is applied to the layer based on this attribute.
- Click OK to generate the grid features and turn off the original grid.
The grid lines and interior components are visible, but ticks and labels do not appear because they are now in the map, beyond the extent of the map view.
- Optionally, right-click the map frame in the Contents pane and click Activate
to activate the map frame. Zoom out to see the labels and ticks as features on the map.