Template: Topographic Map Template Small Scales

Version: 1
Date: May 22, 2009
The topographic map template can be used to create topographic maps at multiple scales from global
to local extents (see Appendices A and B for more on these types of maps). The maps in this template
were designed to be viewed through an ArcGIS Server application in a web map service, specifically
Google Maps or Microsoft Virtual Earth.
A map template is a set of ArcGIS resources that can be used to help you create maps or Web map
applications with your GIS data. Together, these resources can be used as a pattern for you to create
similar maps at one or many scales.
This template contains:
ArcMap documents for maps at different scales using different labeling methods,
geodatabases with sample data organized by map scale,
ArcGIS styles organized by map scale, and
a map scale list that can be loaded to set the map scales in the ArcMap document.

IMPORTANT: In order to properly use this template, you must have the Cambria font installed on your
computer. The Cambria font is included with Microsoft Office 2007 products, Windows Server 2008,
and Windows Vista.
The TopoMap_Template_SmallScales.zip file contains:
Template
Directory
Maps and
GDBs

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Item

Description

SmallScales.mxd

The map document used to compile the

maps at smaller scales (roughly 1:4,500,000
1:1,100,000); these maps were labeled
using Maplex

SmallScales_Anno.mxd

The map document used to compile the

maps at smaller scales (roughly 1:4,600,000
1:1,100,000); these maps contain
annotation created from Maplex labels

SmallScales_1M_4M.gdb

A database with sample data for the country

of Italy to create the maps at smaller scales
(roughly 1:4,600,000 1:1,100,000)

Applications
Documentation CacheScales.txt

Styles

The map scale list that, when loaded, sets

the map scales in the ArcMap document

ArcMapLayerModel_Labels.html

A HTML document that describes the

contents of the SmallScales.mxd

ArcMapLayerModel_Anno.html

A HTML document that describes the

contents of the SmallScales_Anno.mxd

Topo_XX.style (where XX indicates the

map scale rounded to the thousands)

ArcGIS styles used to create maps at each of

the map scales

Map Document Structure

The ArcMap table of contents (TOC) organizes group layers based on the scale ranges defined in
the Microsoft Virtual Earth/Google Maps tiling scheme for ArcGIS Server.
Map design decisions are based on the actual scales employed by the Microsoft Virtual
Earth/Google Maps tiling scheme.
Structuring the TOC by scaled group layers allows you to save layer files that contain all data
sources, symbology, and label classes required for each scale level. This can be useful for
isolating caching jobs for individual scales.
Labeling
The map documents differ by the range of scales that are shown and whether labels or annotation were
used on the map. The ESRI Maplex label engine was used to create the labels, and these labels were
then used to create the annotation for select map documents.
On the SmallScales.mxd, we used labels. The label classes in this map provide examples of
ArcGIS Online labeling. The construction of a users individual label classes will vary depending
on the schema of the input data used for labeling and their map units.
The SmallScales_Anno.mxd has feature-linked annotation. For this map document, we turned
off all labeling, and we removed feature classes used solely for labeling purposes.

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Map Symbols
Some of the map symbols have either transparency settings or definition queries applied to
them. Check under Layer Properties Display tab (for transparency settings) or the Layer
Properties Definition Query tab (for definition queries).
Style Files
This template contains style files arranged by scale level for all of the symbology used to draw
features in the sample map document. To access these files go to the Tools menu and select
Styles to open the Style Manager. Click on the Styles button on the right side of the dialogue
and add the files by browsing to their location.
After the style file is added to the map document, the vector and text symbols will appear in
their respective Symbol Selector windows. The colors used in the map will also appear in the
ArcMap color selection palette with descriptive names that correspond to the features they are
applied to.
Software Requirements
The following software must be installed:
ArcGIS Desktop 9.3 ArcInfo or ArcEditor with the Maplex extension

ArcGIS Server for the Microsoft .Net Framework 9.3

Getting Started

1. Unzip the Topographic Mapping Template.

2. Open the map document that relates to the map at the scales you are interested in.
3. Load the CacheScales.txt file into map scale list of your ArcMap document (click the down
arrow next to the map scale on the top bar menu, choose Customize This List, click Load
and browse to the CacheScales.txt file).
IMPORTANT: this list of map scales must be used in order to ensure that the map scales
used to create the ArcMap documents are the same as those displayed in the Map Services
Properties dialog when the MicroSoft Virtual Earth/Google Maps tiling scheme is selected.
See Appendix C for discussion of how the layers relate to these map scales.
4. Right click the data frame and select Properties. Click the Coordinate System tab and note
that the projection is WGS_1984_Web_Mercator.
IMPORTANT: the Microsoft Virtual Earth/ Google Maps tiling scheme requires use of the
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WGS 1984 Web Mercator coordinate system. (You will find this in the Projected Coordinate
Systems, World folder.) If this projection is not used, you will not have the option to choose
the Microsoft Virtual Earth/Google Maps tiling scheme when setting the Map Service
Properties.
5. Use the ArcMap document to understand how the map was made and how you can use
your own data to make a similar map.
Serving your finished map with ArcGIS Server
Map Service Properties
The ArcMap Service Properties should be set as shown below in order to display the maps as Google
Maps or MicroSoft Virtual Earth web map services:

In the option to Draw this map service, Using tiles from cache that you will define below is selected.
In the option to Load tiling scheme from, the Microsoft Virtual Earth/Google Maps tiling scheme is
selected:
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Other properties to be set include:

Tile format = JPEG
Compression = 90
Smooth line and label edges (anti-aliasing) = checked on

Appendices
A. Topographic Maps
A topographic map shows the terrain and locations of places on the Earths surface. Typically
topographic maps show the terrain using contours (lines of equal elevation) and/or shaded relief
(patterns of light and shadow that mimic the appearance of illumination on the surface).
Traditionally, these types of maps have been used as a base map for resource planning and
development; to measure elevation, slope and other terrain characteristics; in hydrologic analysis; for
recreational purposes, such as hiking and biking; and for route planning and navigation. In a modern
context, these maps can now be accessed online which offers some new opportunities for map use. For
example, it can now serve as the base map on which users can mash-up their own local and more
accurate data to better serve their specific needs. In addition, the map can serve as a portal to more
detailed or exhaustive geographic descriptions of the environment or related data, other web sites, data
access points, analysis tools, and more.
B. Online Multi-scale Topographic Maps
To provide map users with an example of maps that provide the advantages described above, we
created a set of topographic maps at multiple scales that can be viewed online. These maps can be
viewed in web map services, such as Google Maps or MicroSoft Virtual Earth. They can also be viewed in
any of the ArcGIS applications for map use, such as ArcMap, ArcGlobe, ArcScene or ArcGIS Online.
The maps were compiled at multiple map scales so that while users zoom in and out, the amount of
detail on the maps appears to change seamlessly. Map scales range from approximately 1:147,000,000
to 1:18,000 and relate to the Microsoft Virtual Earth\Google Maps tiling scheme for ArcGIS Server. The
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zoom levels in the web browser relate to the map scales in this tiling scheme (for a detailed discussion
on the relationship between map scale and zoom level, see the How can you tell what map scales are
shown for online maps? blog entry on Mapping Center.)
To create these maps at multiple scales, a number of data sets were used. Global coverage is shown for
map scales from approximately 1:147,000,000 to 1:1,000,000 while coverage for the United States
(excluding Alaska) continues down to a larger map scale of approximately 1:18,000. To compile these
maps, we used the best available data we could find from commercial or government data providers, or
we created the data ourselves.
C. Group Layers
Group layers were used to organize the data by map scales. (For a detailed discussion on organizing
group layers in ArcMap by scale, see the Working with layers and scale ranges: Tips for organizing the
Table of Contents blog entry on Mapping Center). The name of each layer corresponds to the map
scale, rounded to thousands, for which it was designed. The scale range of each layer corresponds to
approximately these same map scales rounded to thousands.
The scale ranges at which the data are shown and details about the data are documented in each layer
(see the General tab of the Layer Properties). These details can also be found in the Documentation
folder for this map template.

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