Use linked views

View linking is a navigation experience that can synchronize 2D and 3D maps. When you enable view linking, all views automatically link (according to the specified link option) to the currently highlighted, or active, view. The linked state is denoted by the chain symbol on each view tab.

It is important to be aware of the following link behavior:

• Layer visibility is synchronized when viewing the same map across views.
• Selected features are shown as selected for all views of the same map regardless of the link state. If you have different maps that contain the same data, the selection is only displayed in the view in which the selection was made, even if the views are linked.

Link options

The spatial linking options are described in the subsections below.

Center

Consider the following when using the Center spatial linking option:

• Each view is centered on the same location. In 3D, this means the same height is maintained in the views.
• This works best when you open the same map at different scales or open the same scene with different view directions, for example, north facing and west facing views of a 3D building.
• This is the default mode for spatial view linking.

Center and Scale

Consider the following when using the Center and Scale spatial linking option:

• Each open view is centered on the same location, with the same rotation angle and the same scale.
• This works best with maps or scenes that contain different content, for example, an electrical map and a water pipeline map.

Enable linking and save the link state

To enable view linking from the Home tab, click the bottom of the Link button, and select a link option from the drop-down menu. When enabled, the button is highlighted and reflects the selected linking mode—Center or Center and Scale.

The view linking's state is saved with the project, so when you reopen the project, it will continue working as set.

Arrange views

To improve the link experience, you can arrange the view displays so that you can see them all. Although not required to use linking, you can optimize the visual experience by moving the views and docking them side by side vertically, stacked horizontally, or a combination of these if you have more than two views linked. For example, you can use one view as a reference map and another view for exploring and editing. To arrange the views, use the docking target that appears when you drag a view tab to set it in a new position.

Choose a primary view

The primary, or active, view is the view that controls and coordinates all the other views linked with it. When you select a view and turn on linking, all other views link to that view by updating their extents to match. This also depends on the link mode you selected. The primary view is the one you are using for navigation. If you click another view while linking is turned on, it becomes the active view, causing the other views to link with it.

Link multiple views

To link multiple views, complete the following steps:

1. Activate the view to use as the primary view for all others to link with.
2. On the Home tab, in the Navigate group, click the bottom of the Link button, and from the drop-down menu, select a mode.

   The button has dual functionality. The bottom drop-down menu allows you to select the mode. The upper part controls turning the link on and off.

   • Center —Select this when it is not important to maintain the scale or rotation orientation, for example, when viewing the same location or feature from different perspectives.
   • Center and Scale —Select this when showing different layers of the same data.
   When linking multiple 2D views and using the Center and Scale option, the geographical extents of the views may not match. This occurs when the aspect ratios of the view windows are not the same. The map's center, scale, and rotation will still match for all 2D views when this option is used.

   The Link button updates to reflect the selected link mode and the button is highlighted.

3. Click the Link button to turn the link off.

Verify that linking is enabled

To verify that view linking is enabled, confirm that the chain symbol appears on each view tab.

The link state of a view is persisted when saving a project. If you save a project with linking enabled, it is enabled when you reopen that project. In new projects, linking is off by default.