Create a location map to see where your point, line, and area features are located (or alternatively, where features are not located). A location map renders all of the features in a dataset using a single, uniform symbol. Location maps help answer questions about your data, such as: Where is it located? How is it distributed?
Location maps are most useful for datasets in which you can see most or all of the features on the map with relatively little overlap. If there are too many point features to distinguish on the map, consider creating a binned map or a heat map.
Example
An insurance company is conducting an assessment to determine how many of its policies are within a storm surge area, and the associated risk. A location map can be used to give the analyst an idea of the number of policies that are in the high-risk area.
The above location map shows customer locations as point features and the storm surge area as area features in the bottom layer. The location map shows that there is a relatively high density of points within the storm surge area compared to the number of points inland.
Create a location map
To create a location map, complete the following steps:
- Do one of the following:
- Drag a dataset to the page and drop it on the Map drop zone.
- Expand the dataset, select the location field
, drag the field to the page, and drop it on the Map drop zone.
Note:
You can also create a map by selecting a field and clicking the Map button above the data pane.
- If your dataset has a default symbol other than a single symbol, expand the legend to see the Layer options pane, click the Symbology tab
, and change Symbol type to Location (Single symbol).
Usage notes
To access the Layer options pane, click the arrow next to the layer name. You can do the following in the Layer options pane:
- Use the Legend tab
to view the count of features in the dataset. - Use the Symbology tab to change the field displayed on the map or switch to a different type of map.
- Use the Annotation tab
to disable pop-ups for the layer and enable labels. - Use the Appearance tab
to do the following:- Symbols—Change the symbol style properties such as the symbol shape, fill color, outline thickness, and layer transparency.
- Layer effects—Enable bloom and drop shadow effects.
- Use the Attributes tab
to view details for features that are selected on the map.
Use the Card filter button 
to remove any unwanted data from the card. Filters can be applied to all string, number, rate/ratio, and date/time fields. A card filter does not affect other cards using the same dataset.
Use the Selection tools button 
to select features on the map using the single select, box select, and lasso tools; zoom to the selection; or invert the selection.
Use the Zoom tools button 
to zoom in or out on the map, zoom to a selection, set the default extent of the map, zoom to a layer, or lock navigation on the map.
Use the Visualization type button 
to switch directly between a location map and other visualizations, such as a reference table, bar chart, or bubble chart.
Use the Sync extents button 
to link the extent of all maps on the page so they zoom and pan simultaneously.
Use the Maximize button 
to enlarge the card. Other cards on the page will be reduced to thumbnails. The card can be returned to its previous size using the Restore down button 
.
Use the Enable cross filters button 
to allow filters to be created on the card using selections on other cards. Cross filters can be removed using the Disable cross filters button 
.
Use the Flip card button 
to view the back of the card. The Card info tab 
includes a count of features and a text box for a description of the card.
Use the Card options button 
to access the following options:
- Appearance button —Change the background color, foreground color, border of the card, and map rotation, and add or remove the basemap layers and north arrow.
- Order button
—Move the card forward or move the card backward relative to other cards on the page. - Delete button
—Remove the card from the page. If you did not intend to delete the card, you can retrieve it using the Undo button 
.
Resources
Use the following resources to learn more about maps: