Working with GeoPDF Files in ArcMap

GeoPDF Publisher for ArcGIS is an extension to ArcMap that allows you to view the map frames of any geospatially-aware PDF as layers with cartographic representations.

You define default settings that control how the PDF file map frames display in ArcMap on the View tab in the TerraGo Preferences window. Should the unique characteristics of the map frames require that you modify those defaults, you can do so on the GeoPDF tab in the Layer Properties window. You can choose the layers to display in the map frames, modify the default clip to method, and set the zoom level based on map scale or PDF zoom percentage.

You can specify the scale range for the layers in an open GeoPDF file on the General tab in the Layer Properties window.

In this article:

Viewing GeoPDF files in ArcMap

To view one or more GeoPDF file's map frames in ArcMap select View GeoPDF from the Publisher for ArcGIS toolbar.

From the Look in list box, navigate to the folder where the GeoPDF is located, select a file to open, and then click Open.

The left pane of the <GeoPDF file name> View Options dialog box displays the map frames according to the default preference specified on the View tab in the TerraGo Preferences window.

In the right pane, select the pages/map frames to view. Click Select All to view all pages/map frames. Click Clear All to clear all pages/map frames. The selections you make in the right pane dynamically affect the display in the left pane

Click View.

Inspecting annotations on a GeoPDF file

GeoPDF Publisher for ArcGIS allows you to access the information associated with GeoMarks and annotations when you view a GeoPDF file's map/map frames in ArcMap.

To access annotation information, open a GeoPDF file that contains annotations and choose Annotation Inspector from the Publisher for ArcGIS toolbar.

Your cursor changes to .

Move your cursor around the map/map frame. Your cursor changes to a when you move over an annotation.

Double-click the annotation to open the read-only Annotation Data box, which contains the following information:

• Author: the value that is defined in the Author text box on the General tab in the <annotation> Properties window in Adobe Acrobat.
• Date: the date, time, and UTC when the annotation was created. The UTC is not adjusted for daylight savings time.
• Type: the type of annotation such as stamp.
• Content: any comments about the annotation.

Click OK to close the box. Click the Select Elements tool on the ArcMap Tools toolbar to turn off the Annotation Inspector.

Setting the scale range for a GeoPDF file

At any time you can specify the scale range for the layers in an open GeoPDF file on the General tab in the Layer Properties window. You can choose to show a layer at all scales or not show a layer when it is zoomed in or out beyond a specific scale.

To modify the scale range for an open GeoPDF file, open a GeoPDF file and right-click the map/map frame that you want to modify in the table of contents, then click Properties from the shortcut menu.

In the Scale Range box, choose one of the following options:

• Show layer at all scales: the layer is always drawn regardless of the scale at which the display is drawn.
• Don't show layer when zoomed: the layer is not drawn when the scale of the map falls outside the thresholds specified in the Out beyond and In beyond list boxes. You can specify one or the other of the scale thresholds, or both.

In the Out beyond list box, choose the smallest scale to which this map can be zoomed out if this layer is to be displayed. If the scale is any smaller, the layer is not shown.

In the In beyond list box, chose the largest scale to which this map can be zoomed in if this layer is to be displayed. If the scale is any larger, the layer is not shown.

Note: Set the threshold value to <None> if you do not want to use it.

Modifying default view settings for a GeoPDF file

At any time you can modify the view settings of an open GeoPDF file on the GeoPDF tab in the Layer Properties window. You can choose the layers to display in the map frames, modify the default clip to method, set the zoom level based on map scale or PDF zoom percentage, and specify whether to display annotations on the GeoPDF file. GeoPDF Publisher for ArcGIS displays the modified view underneath the original view. You can access the modified view from the table of contents pane.

To modify the default view settings for an open GeoPDF file, open a GeoPDF file and right-click the map/map frame that you want to modify in the table of contents, then click Properties from the shortcut menu. Click the GeoPDF tab.

Ib the Check Layers to Display box, choose the layers that you want to view in the map / map frame.

To view the pop up annotations, select Display Annotations.

Note: GeoPDF Publisher for ArcGIS supports only pop up annotations on the GeoPDF map / map frame. To view only the annotations and not the map/map frames, select Display Annotations check box and de-select all the layers in Check Layers to Display.

In the Clip to box, select how the layer should appear:

• Map Frame (default): the layer displays the map frames.
• Entire Page: the layer displays the map frames in the context of the original GeoPDF file page.

In the Set Zoom Level group box, modify one of the default zoom levels to honor any view state set in Adobe Acrobat for layers in the GeoPDF file:

• Map Scale 1: enter the scale to which the map frames should be zoomed to honor any layer view state.
• PDF Zoom %: enter the percentage to which the GeoPDF file should be magnified to honor any layer view state.

Note: When you type a value in one of the Set Zoom Level text boxes, GeoPDF Publisher for ArcGIS automatically provides the equivalent value in the other text box to ensure that the map / map frames properly display.

Importing GeoMarks into ArcMap

GeoPDF Publisher for ArcGIS allows you to import GeoMarks into an ArcMap session. GeoMarks model traditional GIS features as well as events. GeoMarks are collected by TerraGo collaboration software such as GeoPDF Toolbar.

GeoMarks are shared between the collaboration suite of applications in a TerraGo collaboration package. The TerraGo collaboration package contains the GeoMark information and associated resources. Typically, these packages have a .twz or .zip extension but there is no difference in the contents. GeoMarks can also be imported from an unzipped package by selecting a file ending in a .twx extension.

It is important to note that due to the use of shape files for GeoMark Import, attribute field names are limited to ten alphanumeric characters and the underscore ('_'). The import process preserves the first seven characters of the field name, converting any space to an underscore and omitting any invalid character. Field names that exceed ten characters are manipulated to avoid naming conflicts. For example, the field name Line No. Fifteen would be imported as Line_No_1.

Requirements for importing GeoMarks

• Set up a GeoMark repository to hold the GeoMark information and associated resources such as photos and videos. We recommend creating a dedicated folder to hold imported GeoMark data.
• If your map document file contains multiple map frames, you must place focus on the map frame into which you want to import GeoMark data prior to starting the import process.

Importing GeoMarks into an ArcMap session

From the Publisher for ArcGIS toolbar, click Import GeoMarks .

From GeoMark Import > Select GeoMark Import File, click Browse to open the Import GeoMark dialog box.

Navigate to the TerraGo collaboration package to be imported (.twz or .zip). If the collaboration package has already been unzipped, select the .twx file.

Select the file and then click Open. The path and the file name display in the text box.

From the Create GeoMark Database text box, click Browse to open the Create GeoMark Database dialog box. Navigate to the dedicated folder you created for imported GeoMark data.

In the Name text box, type a unique file name (.dbf or gdb) for this import. The .dbf extension represents a dBASE Table; the .gdb extension represents a File Geodatabase. The default is dBASE Table.

Click Save. The path and the database file name display in the text box. Click OK.

Notes:

• You must create a unique name for each TerraGo collaboration package that you import to ensure that the import process does not overwrite an existing dBASE Table/File Geodatabase in your dedicated folder.
• If you choose to use a File Geodatabase, we recommend that you save the map document file to reload your data, which automatically relates the tables. If you do not save your map document file, you must manually relate the tables when you reload the data.
• The GeoMark Import process creates a layer for each feature type included in the TerraGo collaboration package and places these layers beneath a group label by the same name as the name you gave the database file. For example, if you name the database file 'GeoMarks,' the GeoMark Import process displays a 'GeoMarks' layer at the top of the Layers pane in ArcMap.
• The GeoMark Import process creates a table for each GeoForm attached to a feature type and creates relations that link the feature layer with the form data. You can open the form table and view the data through the List By Source pane.
• The Import GeoMarks attribute table contains several fields. Depending upon how the TerraGo collaboration package was configured, many of these fields may be blank.

Exporting GeoMarks from ArcMap

GeoPDF Publisher for ArcGIS allows you to export as GeoMarks, all or specific features that reside in selected layers on a map frame. Your exported GeoMarks can then be shared between the collaboration suite of applications in a TerraGo collaboration package. The TerraGo collaboration package contains the GeoMark information and associated resources and is packaged in a .twz file.

To export features as GeoMarks, select Export GeoMarks from the Publisher for ArcGIS toolbar.

In the Export box, choose which features should be exported as GeoMarks and then accept or clear the check mark in the Current Extent check box:

• All Features – All of the features that reside in the specified data frame's selected layers are exported as GeoMarks.
• Selected Features – Only those features that you select via the Selection > Select By ... menu options from the ArcMap main menu are exported as GeoMarks.

Notes:

• All Features is selected by default unless you have selected specific features in specific layers using the Selection > Select By ... menu options from the ArcMap main menu. If you have selected specific features on a layer, the Selected Features radio button is selected, the check boxes adjacent to the layers that contain the selected features are automatically checked and the data frame that contains the selected layers displays in the Data Frame list box.
• For instructions on using the Select By... functionality in your map document file, refer to the ArcMap online Help.

Limiting the map extent

To export all features in the map, de-select Limit to Current Extent, which is checked by default. If Limit to Current Extent is selected, the only features exported as GeoMarks are those that are in the area of the map you are currently viewing.

Selecting layers

From the Data Frame box, select the data frame from which you want to select feature layers for export. If the map has only one data frame, the list box displays that data frame name.

In the Select Layers box, choose the layers whose features you want to be exported as GeoMarks.

Form name

In the Form Name Prefix group box, enter a prefix to prepend to the name. A prefix can be up to 30 alpha-numeric characters. The user interface ignores the Pound character (#).

The form is automatically named after the feature input layer. Prefixing the form name with unique characters makes it easier for your users to manage it when it is imported into the TerraGo Collaboration Manager.

The form name is limited to 255 characters.

Including a GeoPDF in the export

In the Optional group box, select Include GeoPDF in Export to include a GeoPDF file in the TerraGo Collaboration package.

Click Browse to navigate to the location where the GeoPDF file is located or type the path in the field provided.

Exporting and saving

Click Export. From the Save in box, navigate to the location where the exported .twz data file is to be saved. The list box defaults to the location where you last saved a .twz data file.

In the File name text box, type the name of the .twz data file.

From the Files of type list box, accept TerraGo GeoMark Export (*.twz).

Click Save.

Verify that the export process saved the .twz data file in the specified location.