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Creating annotation feature classes

Creating annotation feature classes
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About creating annotation feature classes

Note: This topic was updated for 9.3.1.

NOTE: You can create feature-linked annotation only in ArcInfo and ArcEditor.

You can create an empty annotation feature class and create the annotation for it later, or you can create an annotation feature class with annotation by converting a display of dynamic labels in ArcMap to a new annotation feature class.

When you create an empty annotation feature class in ArcCatalog, you specify the annotation classes for it.

Learn more about annotation classes.

How to create annotation feature classes

Creating a standard annotation feature class in a feature dataset

  1. In the ArcCatalog tree view, right-click the feature dataset in which you want to create the new annotation feature class.

  2. Point to New and click Feature Class.

  3. Type the name. To create an alias for this annotation feature class, type the alias.

  4. Click the drop-down arrow and click ESRI Annotation Feature for the type of features to be stored in this feature class.

  5. Click Next.

  6. Enter a reference scale. The scale should be equal to the scale at which the annotation will normally display.

    7. Map units are automatically set for you because the annotation feature class is inside a feature dataset. The units match the units of the feature dataset's coordinate system. If the feature dataset coordinate system is unknown, the units default to meters.

  7. To set the Require symbol to be selected from the symbol table option, see Annotation feature class editing properties.

  8. Click Next.

  9. For Text Symbol, set the default text symbol properties for the first annotation class.

  10. Specify the visible scale range for annotation in this class.

  11. If you want to add an additional annotation class, click New and specify the name of the annotation class. Repeat steps 9 and 10 to set its properties.

  12. Repeat step 11 until you have specified all the annotation classes and their properties.

  13. Click Next.

  14. If you are creating the new annotation feature class in a file or ArcSDE geodatabase, and you want to use a custom storage keyword, click Use configuration keyword, then choose from the drop-down list the keyword you want to use. If you don't want to use a custom storage keyword, leave the default.

  15. Click Next.

  16. You don't have to change any of the field properties. The feature class resides in a feature dataset, so the spatial reference will automatically be that of the feature dataset.

    17. By default, there are several fields that are added to an annotation feature class. Some of these are required, whereas others are optional. If you don't require the optional fields, you can delete them now, or delete them with the Feature Class Properties dialog box after you've created the feature class. To see a list of the required fields, see Managing annotation feature class properties.

    If you want to bring in fields from another feature class (geodatabase, coverage, and so on), click Import. You can also manually add fields to your annotation feature class.

  17. Click Finish.

Creating a standard annotation feature class at the root level of a geodatabase

  1. In the ArcCatalog tree view, right-click the geodatabase in which you want to create the new annotation class.

  2. Follow steps 2 through 5 of "Creating a standard annotation feature class in a feature dataset."

  3. Specify a spatial reference for your annotation feature class. A spatial reference consists of a coordinate system, spatial domain, and precision.

  4. Either navigate to and click on a coordinate system in the coordinate system window or click Import or New to specify a coordinate system.

    5. Import lets you import a coordinate system from an existing feature class or feature dataset.

    New allows you to create a new coordinate system.

    Once you have chosen a coordinate system, you can click Modify to alter it.

  5. Click Next.

  6. The x/y domain is calculated based on the coordinate system you specified in step 3. You can type a different x/y domain if you want, but the default should be sufficient.

  7. Click Next.

  8. Enter a reference scale.

    9. The scale should be equal to the scale at which the annotation will normally display.

  9. Click the Map Units drop-down arrow and choose the units in which your annotation will be stored. The units should match the units you specified for your coordinate system in step 3.

  10. To set the Require symbol to be selected from the symbol table option, see Annotation feature class editing properties.

  11. Click Next.

  12. For the Text Symbol, set the default text symbol properties for the first annotation class.

  13. Specify the visible scale range for annotation in this class.

  14. If you want to add an additional annotation class, click New and specify the name of the annotation class. Repeat steps 12 and 13 to set its properties.

  15. Repeat step 14 until you have specified all the annotation classes and their properties.

  16. Click Next.

  17. If you are creating the new annotation feature class in a file or ArcSDE geodatabase, and you want to use a custom storage keyword, click Use configuration keyword, then choose the keyword you want to use from the drop-down list. If you don't want to use a custom storage keyword, leave the Default.

  18. Click Next.

  19. By default, there are several fields that are added to an annotation feature class. Some of these are required, whereas others are optional. If you don't require the optional fields, you can delete them now, or delete them with the Feature Class Properties dialog box after you've created the feature class. To see a list of the required fields, see Managing annotation feature class properties.

    20. If you want to bring in fields from another feature class (geodatabase, coverage, and so on), click Import. You can also manually add fields to your annotation feature class.

  20. Click Finish.

Creating a feature-linked annotation feature class in a feature dataset

  1. In the ArcCatalog tree view, right-click the feature dataset in which you want to create the new annotation feature class.

  2. Point to New and click Feature Class.

  3. Type the name. To create an alias for this annotation feature class, type the alias.

  4. Click the drop-down arrow and choose ESRI Annotation Feature for the type of feature class.

  5. Check the check box to link the annotation to a feature class.

  6. Click the drop-down arrow and click the feature class to which you want to link the new annotation feature class. The feature class must be in the same feature dataset as the annotation feature class you're creating. You can't change this property later.

  7. Click Next.

  8. Enter a reference scale. The scale should be equal to the scale at which the annotation will normally display.

    9. Map units are automatically set for you because the annotation feature class is inside a feature dataset. The units match the units of the feature dataset's coordinate system. If the feature dataset coordinate system is unknown, the units default to meters.

  9. For information on how to set the next three options (Require symbol to be selected from the symbol table, Create annotation when new features are added, and Update annotation when feature's shape is modified), see Annotation feature class editing properties.

  10. If Maplex is installed, choose a labeling engine. Click Properties to specify labeling properties.

  11. Click Next.

  12. Specify the linked feature class fields that contain text for the first annotation class. You can choose a Label Field, or click Expression to specify more than one field.

  13. Set the default text symbol and placement properties for the annotation class.

    14. You can either set these properties one at a time or click the Label Styles button to load an existing label style.

  14. Click Scale Range to specify the scale range annotation that this class displays.

  15. Click SQL Query to specify that only certain features in the linked feature class will be annotated by the annotation class.

  16. If you want to add an additional annotation class, click New and specify the name of the annotation class. Repeat steps 12 through 15 to set its properties.

  17. Repeat step 16 until you have specified all the annotation classes and their properties.

  18. Click Next.

  19. If you are creating the new annotation feature class in a file or ArcSDE geodatabase and you want to use a custom storage keyword, click Use configuration keyword, then choose the keyword you want to use from the drop-down menu.

  20. Click Next.

  21. You don't have to change any of the field properties. The feature class resides in a feature dataset, so the spatial reference will automatically be that of the feature dataset.

    22. By default, there are several fields that are added to an annotation feature class. Some of these are required, whereas others are optional. If you don't require the optional fields, you can delete them now, or delete them with the Feature Class Properties dialog box after you've created the feature class. To see a list of the required fields, see Managing annotation feature class properties.

    If you want to bring in fields from another feature class (geodatabase, coverage, and so on), click Import. You can also manually add fields to your annotation feature class.

  22. Click Finish.

Tips

  • A relationship class is automatically created to link the annotation feature class to the feature class it is annotating. To see which relationship class is associated with an annotation feature class, double-click the annotation feature class and click the Relationships tab.

  • Specifying a visible scale range for each annotation class improves performance when working with annotation in ArcMap. You can also specify a visible scale range in ArcMap.

Creating a feature-linked annotation feature class at the root level of a geodatabase

  1. In the ArcCatalog tree view, right-click the geodatabase in which you want to create the new annotation feature class.

  2. Follow steps 2 through 7 of "Creating a feature-linked annotation feature class in a feature dataset" (above).

  3. Specify a spatial reference for your annotation feature class. A spatial reference consists of a coordinate system, spatial domain, and precision.

  4. Either navigate to and click a coordinate system in the coordinate system window or click Import or New to specify a coordinate system.

    5. Import lets you import a coordinate system from an existing feature class or feature dataset.

    New allows you to create a new coordinate system.

    Once you have chosen a coordinate system, you can click Modify to alter it.

  5. Click Next.

  6. The x/y domain is calculated based on the coordinate system you specified in step 3. You can type a different x/y domain if you want, but the default should be sufficient.

  7. Click Next.

  8. Enter a reference scale.

    9. The scale should be equal to the scale at which the annotation will normally display.

  9. Click the Map Units drop-down arrow and choose the units in which your annotation will be stored. The units should match the units you specified for your coordinate system in step 3.

  10. Follow steps 9 through 20 of "Creating a feature-linked annotation feature class in a feature dataset."

  11. On the last panel, you don't have to change any of the field properties. For the Shape field, the feature class is given the same spatial reference as the feature class to which it's linked.

    12. If you want to bring in fields from another feature class (geodatabase, coverage, and so on), click Import. You can also manually add fields to your annotation feature class.

  12. Click Finish.

Tips

  • A relationship class is automatically created to link the annotation class to the feature class it is annotating. To see which relationship class is associated with a feature-linked annotation feature class, double-click the annotation class and click the Relationships tab.

  • Specifying a visible scale range for each annotation class improves performance when working with annotation in ArcMap. You can also specify a visible scale range in ArcMap.

Creating an annotation class from dynamic labels

  1. See Converting labels to annotation features.

See Also

  • Annotation in the geodatabase
  • Overview of creating annotation