What's new

The sections below highlight key updates and improvements to ArcGIS Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud with each release. For the latest information about supported software versions and licensing, see Requirements.

Tip:

If you have an idea for a new feature you want to see in Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud, share it on the ArcGIS Ideas site.

Version 3.8 November 2024

• Convert ArcGIS point symbols into Adobe Illustrator symbols—When you open an .aix file from ArcGIS Pro, you now have the option to convert ArcGIS point symbols into Adobe Illustrator symbols. Adobe Illustrator symbols are reusable graphic elements, meaning you can edit all instances of a symbol at the same time.
• Replace raster symbols with vector symbols—You can now use the Symbols process to replace raster point symbols with vector symbols from an Adobe Illustrator symbols library.
• New Adobe Illustrator symbols library—When you install the extension, your download includes the World Navigation.ai symbols library, which contains vector versions of all the highway shields in the World Navigation vector basemap.
• Improved vector tile point layer structure—All the points in a vector tile layer now appear in one sublayer and all the labels appear in another, allowing you to easily select and edit all points or all labels.
• Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud now supports Adobe Illustrator 2025, Adobe Photoshop 2025, ArcGIS Pro 3.4, ArcGIS Enterprise 11.4, and the latest update of ArcGIS Online.
• Legacy mapping profile deprecation—The Legacy mapping profile is now retired.

Version 3.7 June 2024

• Export from Map Viewer—You can use the Print tool in Map Viewer to export an .aix file of a map or layout.
• ArcGIS Pro charts—More chart elements are organized into editable layers in AIX exports. This update adds layer organization for guide geometry, guide labels, legend color swatches, series bars, series groups, and statistical elements.
• Vector tile layer processing—For vector artwork in vector tile layers, transparency is now applied to the entire layer instead of to individual tiles. This means that tile boundary overlaps are no longer visible when you apply transparency.
• Mapboard drawing—When you create a mapboard with the Draw tool, the tool now automatically turns off when you finish drawing an area for the map extent. You can immediately interact with your mapboard without having to turn off the Draw tool first.
• Improved AIX opening experience—If you do not want the extension panels to appear each time you open an .aix file, you can now turn off that behavior on the General tab in the Settings window.
• Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud now supports ArcGIS Pro 3.3, ArcGIS Enterprise 11.3, and the latest update of ArcGIS Online.
• Legacy mapping profile deprecation—The Legacy mapping profile will be retired in October 2024. It is recommended that users switch to the Default mapping profile, which allows you to use vector tile basemaps directly in the extension.

Version 3.6 October 2023

• Add authoritative content—When adding data, you can filter search results to show web maps and layers that are authoritative. You can also hide deprecated content.
• View item details—You can go to a basemap or layer's item details page by pointing to the basemap or layer's options button in the Compilation window and clicking Item Description.
• Support for ArcGIS Pro chart types—AIX exports have improved layer structure for chart elements. If your ArcGIS Pro project includes charts, such as line, histogram, or pie charts, the chart elements are organized into layers to support design workflows in Illustrator.
• Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud now supports Adobe Illustrator 2024 and Adobe Photoshop 2024.
• Installation—You can download and update ArcGIS Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud directly from the Adobe Creative Cloud Marketplace in addition to the Esri website.

Version 3.5 August 2023

• Add content from an improved layer library—The Maps for Creative Cloud data category has updated layers and web maps. When browsing content, choose from a curated set of authoritative layers and OSM basemaps that are well suited for use in the extension.
• Name your file on sync—The first time you sync a map created in the extension, you'll be prompted with a new option to name the result file. Or you can continue to accept the default, which uses the mapboard name. If the name contains these invalid characters: \ / : * ? " < >, the Sync window will display a warning message so you can correct it before saving.
• Duplicate AIX-generated mapboards—You can now duplicate AIX-generated mapboards in the Mapboards window. (When you sync the map for the duplicate mapboard, the downloaded map in the new Illustrator file will have the same rotation as the original, but the map won't appear rotated in the extension.)
• Create georeferenced PDFs with the extension (beta)—When you sync a new map from the Compilation window or when you open an .aix file in Illustrator, you can save the result using the new file type ArcGIS - Georeferenced PDF (Beta) (*.PDF). A georeferenced PDF that's created with Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud includes geospatial coordinates, which supports the measure and geolocation tools in Adobe Acrobat.
• Use the same name as your .aix file—When you open an .aix file with the extension, the default name for the processed file is now based on that of the .aix file instead of being called Untitled.

Version 3.4 March 2023

• You can now use Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) layers (WFS, WMS, and WMTS) to create an extent in the Mapboards window or add them to the map in the Compilation window. When you sync the map, WFS layers are downloaded as vectors, and WMS and WMTS layers are downloaded as images.
• AIX exports have improved layer structure for chart elements. If your ArcGIS Pro project includes bar charts, when you export to AIX using ArcGIS Pro 3.1 (or later), the layers are better organized to support the design workflows in Illustrator.
• Mapping across the international date line is now supported. When you need to visualize data across the 180th meridian, the Mapboards window won't show the basemap wrapping around the date line, but the full map area and data display in the Compilation window and can be downloaded as artwork.
• The Groups data category has been renamed to My Organization's Groups and a new My Groups category has been added, which allows you to see content from all the groups for which you are a member, including groups that are outside of your organization.
• Improved performance when opening AIX files.
• Support has been added for Microsoft Windows 11.
• Authoritative and Deprecated content status icons now appear for designated items when browsing content.
• Plus account types are deprecated and won't be renewed after March 2023. Support for using Plus accounts ended May 1, 2023.
• As of the November 2022 ArcGIS Online update and ArcGIS Enterprise 11.1, ArcGIS Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud is now listed as an included license among other essential apps, such as Map Viewer and ArcGIS StoryMaps. You can see this in your ArcGIS organization when viewing the licenses in your user profile. Administrators can also see it in the licensing page, so they're aware that it's an available app for organization members. ArcGIS Online users with a compatible user type can also discover and access the Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud download page from the app launcher.

Version 3.3 October 2022

• If you have a Plus account, you can now use a select set of vector tile basemaps to create your maps when you choose the newly available Default mapping profile. These vector tile basemaps provide many options for themed vector maps. When you sync the map using the Default mapping profile, the artwork is cropped more closely to the edges of the artboard in Illustrator for better results.
• The Complimentary account sign up option has been replaced in the extension with a free 21-day trial subscription, so you can try the full capabilities instead of limited features.
• If you have an ArcGIS organizational account, you can now see all the maps and layers that you have access to in your organization when adding content from the My Organization category. (This category no longer filters content based on group items tagged with M4CC. If you used this legacy method to create subfolders, the M4CC tagging is no longer honored, but you can still find these items in the Groups category by group name.)
• Support has been added for Adobe Illustrator 2023 and Adobe Photoshop 2023.

Version 3.2 July 2022

• Sign in improvements—You can now save your portal URLs to streamline signing in with an ArcGIS Enterprise account. The Account window has also been updated to provide more information, including your account type, username, and portal URL.
• GeoJSON file support—Use GeoJSON files to create an extent in the Mapboards window and to add layers in the Compilation window.
• AIX files honor blend modes—When you apply a blend mode in ArcGIS Pro that's also available in Adobe Illustrator, it's preserved in the exported AIX.
• Improved artwork cropping—The artwork is now cropped more closely to the edges of the artboard in Illustrator when you open AIX files exported from ArcGIS Pro 3.0 or when you sync the map using the default mapping profile (applicable to accounts for ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise 11.0 and later).
• Support has been added for Illustrator running natively on a Mac computer powered by the Apple silicon M1 chip.

Version 3.1 October 2021

• Usability and stability enhancements have been made, including improved support for accessibility.
• Support has been added for Adobe Illustrator 2022 and Adobe Photoshop 2022.

Version 3.0 July 2021

• ArcGIS Enterprise support—The extension now supports ArcGIS Enterprise 10.9 and later. You can also sign in to the extension with an ArcGIS Enterprise account in a disconnected environment.
• More user types—You can now use the extension by signing in with an ArcGIS organizational account that's assigned a Viewer or Contributor user type (in addition to the Creator, Professional, and Professional Plus user types).
• Vector tile layers—If you have an ArcGIS organizational account, you can use vector tile layers and vector tile basemaps to create your maps when you choose the new Default mapping profile.
• Equal Earth projection—Create world maps by choosing an Equal Earth projection in Current Map Settings.
• Browse group content—Use the Groups data category to find content shared to groups in your ArcGIS organization to which you have access, such as groups you own and groups of which you’re a member. (You no longer need to add the legacy M4CC tag to a group to browse items in your organization.)

Version 2.2 October 2020

• Mapboards are now automatically generated when you open an .aix file, so you can add more content to the corresponding maps using the compilation window.
• Support has been added for Adobe Illustrator 2021 and Adobe Photoshop 2021.

Version 2.1 September 2020

• View and edit mapboard coordinates—You can now specify a more precise map extent in the Mapboard Options window by entering geographic coordinates for any of the mapboard's four corners.
• Installation—The installer has been improved and more supporting documentation has been added, including workflows to support large-scale deployments and more information about the Esri User Experience Improvement (EUEI) program.
• Continued interface improvements—Several settings, buttons, and messages throughout the user interface have been improved for clarity and consistency.

Version 2.0 May 2020

• Integration with the new ArcGIS Pro Adobe Illustrator Exchange (AIX) file format—You can now open exported maps and layouts from ArcGIS Pro in Illustrator for graphic design. If you have an ArcGIS Online account, when you sign in and open the .aix file in Illustrator, the extension converts vector and raster map content into editable, layered artwork that you can save for use in other Adobe Creative Cloud applications.
• Join Lines process—If line features appear as many small segments in the Illustrator file, you can join their endpoints using this new process to improve their appearance in the map.
• Redesigned interface for Processes—The new interface allows you to configure and run processes in the same window. You now set the library path for your custom symbols, brushes, and swatches in the Processes window instead of the Settings window.
• Redesigned interface for finding content—Usability improvements make it easier to browse and search ArcGIS Libraries when importing and adding layers and maps.
• Option to ignore shapefile projection—You now have the option to specify whether to use your data's projection when defining a map extent from a shapefile or ignore it and use the default Web Mercator instead. You can turn this new option on or off in Settings or be prompted to choose each time.
• Flash feature on map—When you use the Attributes tool in the Compilation window, you can use this new button to flash the selected feature on the map to help you confirm your selection.

Version 1.5 October 2019

• Installation—You can now download ArcGIS Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud directly from the Esri website. Update notifications are introduced with this release, so in the future, when the next version becomes available, the extension will let you know so you can choose when to update to the latest.
• Feature attributes and labels—Click a feature on the map to view its attributes and add respective labels as text layers.
• Visualize routes—Run a new analysis tool for displaying routes on the map between origin and destination points based on a selected travel mode, such as driving time and walking distance.
• GPX file support—Use GPX files to create an extent in the Mapboards window and to add layers in the Compilation window.
• Hide non-drawing layers—Choose to hide all non-drawing layers so they don't appear in the layer list.
• Automatic layer sorting—Click a button to sort layers by geometry type so polygon features don't cover line and point features on the map.
• Searchable field lists—Type a search string to filter long field lists when choosing which attribute to use for labeling, styling, and filtering layers.
• Batch symbol updates—Change or delete the symbology of multiple categories within a layer when styling by category. You can also sort the symbol list by label or count (number of features).

Version 1.4 June 2019

This release has introduced geoenrichment tools, a new option when using the extension, the ability to duplicate a mapboard, and the option to sync individual layers.

• Plus account—An in-app purchasing option for commercial-grade access at a low monthly cost to premium maps and layers in ArcGIS Online and advanced features within the extension. Review the Functionality matrix for details.
• Mapboards—Defining map extents inside others is now easier. Mapboards have a tabbed appearance, allowing resizing and positioning similar to those of a web browser tab.
• Duplicate mapboards—An existing mapboard can now be easily duplicated (copying the geographic extent, page size, and layers as part of the map). Duplicate replaces the previous ability to unlock a synced map. If you need to make changes to a mapboard's page size, scale, and so on after it's been downloaded, you now make a duplicate of the existing mapboards, and update the new mapboard with your changes.
• Sync Individual Layers—Ability to turn on and off whether a layer is downloaded as part of a map sync, allowing a finer level of control and performance for improved efficiency during map updates.
• Visualize location analysis—Ability to create buffers, add demographic attributes (geoenrichment) to existing layers, and visualize travel times.
• Show overlapping labels—Ensure all features on a map are labeled regardless of space constraints. This allows you to interactively reposition and remove text elements in Illustrator.
• Legend—Create a graphic table of unique map symbols with the associated names based on the layer structure from the Illustrator document.
• The scale bar, text, and other map surround graphics are now optional processes and are generated outside the artboard.
• Non-drawing layers are no longer removed from the compilation window layer list. The layers are grayed-out with an icon indicating the reason for it not drawing. They can be removed manually or steps can be taken to change the map or layer settings using details provided on the troubleshooting documentation page.

Version 1.3 September 2018

• Mapboards—Defining the extent of your map is now easier. This release introduces the ability to define an extent from a layer, a map, or a file saved on your computer.
• Embed map—Your compiled map can now be embedded when you sync as part of your Illustrator or Photoshop document so you can come back to it later.
• Favorites—Use the Favorites button when adding layers or web maps to organize content that you frequently use. This new functionality allows you to gather content and make it readily accessible.
• Projections—You can now specify custom projection parameters for your compiled map.
• Redo/Undo—Undo or redo actions in the Compilation window.
• Keyboard shortcuts—Simple shortcut keys, similar to common shortcuts used in Adobe apps, are now supported.
• Share to ArcGIS Online—Save your maps created with ArcGIS Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud as items in ArcGIS Online.

Version 1.2 March 2018

This release has been focused on improving your experience when using the Mapboards window and has introduced some new capabilities, including the following:

• Ability to add KML files.
• Imperial units-based scale bar.
• You can change the default download location of your maps.
• Better support for non-English-running Adobe applications.
• Mapboards window—This release includes a better editing experience when using the Mapboards window. You now have faster access to width, height, and scale settings. The ability to lock and unlock the window has been added, sizing now honors map scale or page size settings, and you can choose from a list of Adobe's preset document sizes and get access to ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Living Atlas web maps in the Mapboards window.

Version 1.1 October 2017

This release includes the following new options and capabilities:

• Sign in to your ArcGIS Online account in the extension using your organization-specific login (if configured by your administrator).
• Try ArcGIS Maps for Adobe Creative Cloud using a Complimentary email login by signing in with your email address. You have access to all public content hosted on ArcGIS Online as an anonymous user. (This option has been replaced in version 3.3 with the free 21-day trial subscription, so you can try the full capabilities of the extension instead of a limited set.)
• Create maps with new large-scale detailed vector content for the United States and the world.
• Add and modify existing layer labels; manage labels to improve the overall appearance of your map.
• Add and modify existing filters (definition queries) to refine what data is visible in map layers based on attribute queries.
• Add .csv and .txt file data into the compilation window (geocode).
• Find places and add locations to the compilation window by typing a search based on name, address, or category (geosearch).
• Use the new continuous scale buttons to refine map scale with a greater level of precision.