Apply symbology

Optimize the data visualization experience by applying symbology to layers on the fly.

With ArcGIS Earth, you can symbolize feature layers with the following symbol types:

• Location (Single Symbol)—Apply the same symbol to all features in a layer.
• Type (Unique Symbol)—Apply a different symbol to every feature based on its unique attribute value in the field.
• Counts and Amounts (Colors)—Apply graduated colors to show quantitative differences in features within a layer.
• Dictionary Symbology—Apply symbols to data using a dictionary of symbols configured with multiple attributes.

To apply symbology to a feature layer, complete the following steps:

1. Right-click the layer in the table of contents.
2. Select Symbology from the context menu.
3. Select a symbology method on the tab from the panel that appears.

Symbol Type

The Symbol Type tab is used to change the field and type of symbols being used to style the data on the globe.

In the Style by drop-down menu, choose a field of interest to symbolize.

In the Symbol type drop-down menu, choose an appropriate symbol type to map the data. Three symbol types are included in this drop-down menu:

• Location (Single Symbol)
• Type (Unique Symbol)
• Counts and Amounts (Colors)

Tip:

Counts and Amounts (Colors) only applies to numeric attributes, while Location (Single Symbol) and Type (Unique Symbol) apply to both text attributes and numeric attributes.

You can also switch to Dictionary symbology at the bottom to symbolize layers using a dictionary of symbols configured with multiple attributes.

Dictionary

The Dictionary symbology method applies symbols to features through a dictionary of symbols configured with multiple associated attributes, which connect to a dictionary of rules for displaying the symbol. Dictionary symbology allows complex symbol specifications, such as those used in military symbology, to be configured and drawn on a map. ArcGIS Earth supports the following symbol specifications as dictionaries:

• NATO Joint Military Symbology APP-6(B)
• NATO Joint Military Symbology APP-6(D)
• Joint Military Symbology MIL-STD-2525B
• Joint Military Symbology MIL-STD-2525C
• Joint Military Symbology MIL-STD-2525D

By default, these dictionaries are not installed in the application. You can go to Dictionary Symbology Styles to download the style files and add them to ArcGIS Earth manually.

To apply Dictionary symbology, follow the steps below:

1. Download supported dictionary style files from Dictionary Symbol Styles.
   • As an organization administrator, you can configure the hyperlink status, URL address, and text display on the user interface with the directoryStyleLink parameter in the administrator configuration file.
2. Select a dictionary from the drop-down list, and symbol configurations are populated accordingly.

   By default, ArcGIS Earth automatically discovers layer fields and matches them with the expected dictionary fields for symbols and text. However, you can manually adjust the options by clicking Match field, or reset and revert them to the automated matched results.

3. Update symbol configurations populated in the table. The configuration options may differ depending on the dictionary selected.
4. Extrude features to 3D by feature attributes on the third tab, Symbol Extrusion.
5. For a feature service, you can click Reset to revert the current symbology to the original renderer configured on the server.

Note:

Data with applied dictionary symbology cannot be shared or saved.

Symbol Style

The Symbol Style tab is used to adjust the symbol style properties, such as color, pattern, and transparency, once attribute field and symbol type are determined. The contents on the Symbol Style tab vary based on the Symbol Type tab.

Location (Single Symbol)

The Location (Single Symbol) symbol type applies uniform symbols to all features in a layer. This symbology is used for styling features by location to focus on the distribution of features. ArcGIS 2D and KML Icons are provided as ready-to-use symbols by default. Additionally, ArcGIS Earth supports reading symbols from the mobile style file (.stylx).

To style Location (Single Symbol), follow the steps below:

1. Click a symbol icon and open the symbol configuration panel.
2. Select a symbol in the gallery or click Add styles to import a style file to ArcGIS Earth.
3. Update symbol properties, including color, transparency, stroke, and so on.
4. Move the Layer Transparency slider to change the transparency for the overall layer.
5. For a feature service, you can click Reset to revert the current symbology to the original renderer configured on the server.

Tip:

You can create a custom mobile style or share symbols as a mobile style file in ArcGIS Pro.

Type (Unique Symbol)

The Type (Unique Symbol) symbol type applies unique symbols to every feature based on its attribute value. This symbology is used to show different types of data (categorical data).

To style Type (Unique Symbol), follow the steps below:

1. Select a color from Color Ramp drop-down menu to style the data.
2. Click the Change all symbols button to open the symbol configuration panel.
3. Select a symbol in the gallery or click Add styles to import a style file to ArcGIS Earth.
4. Update symbol properties, including color, transparency, stroke, and so on.
5. To customize any of the categories individually, click the colored symbol next to each category in the table list and update the label as needed.
6. Move the Layer Transparency slider to change the transparency for the overall layer.
7. For a feature service, you can click Reset to revert the current symbology to the original renderer configured on the server.

Tip:

A best practice of using Types (Unique Symbols) is to map categorical data with relatively few unique field values.

Counts and Amounts (Colors)

Counts and Amounts (Colors) symbology applies graduated colors to features to show a quantitative difference. Choose the numeric field for the data to be mapped. Data is classified into ranges that are each assigned a different color from a color ramp to represent the range.

To style Counts and Amounts (Colors), follow the steps below:

1. Select a color from the Color Ramp drop-down menu to style the data.
2. Define the number of classes to show the range.
3. Click the Configure Classification button to switch between class view and table view. Edit the class information accordingly.
4. Click the colored symbol next to each class in the table list to customize classes individually.
5. Click the Change all symbols button to open the symbol configuration panel and update symbol properties.
6. Move the Layer Transparency slider to change the transparency for the overall layer.
7. For a feature service, you can click Reset to revert the current symbology to the original renderer configured on the server.

Symbol Extrusion

The Symbol Extrusion tab is used to extrude features to 3D by the attribute value with one of the following extrusion options:

• None —Features are not extruded.
• Absolute Height —Each feature is extruded to a specified value as a flat top.
• Base Height —Feature is extruded from its vertex as a nonflat top.
• Maximum —Feature is extruded from its maximum value as a flat top.
• Minimum —Feature is extruded from its minimum value as a flat top.

Use scale and offset parameters to adjust the extrusion view on the globe. The recommended maximum offset is 8,000,000 meters.

Note:

• Symbology is available for feature layers including shapefile, CSV or TXT, WFS, and feature service.
• If the feature layer is from a portal item or inside a group, symbology outputs are cleared when you exit ArcGIS Earth.
• 3D symbols are not currently supported.
• Dictionary symbology is not configurable on the Symbol Style tab.