Exporting a Map Document File to a GeoPDF File

GeoPDF Publisher for ArcGIS allows you to export map document files (.mxd) from ArcMap's Layout View to georegistered GeoPDF files. If you export from the GeoPDF Publisher for ArcGIS toolbar, the export process uses the settings you defined in the TerraGo Preferences window and / or the GeoPDF Export Configuration window. Group layers in your map document files are exported as PDF groups, providing visibility control of all layers in the group as well as individual layers. The exported GeoPDF file supports transparency, grid, image (raster), and map surround settings as well as automatic labeling.

GeoPDF Publisher for ArcGIS also allows you to export a GeoPDF file using the Bing Map Service provided through ESRI as a base layer.

The export process examines image layers and selects the image compression algorithm most appropriate to the image type. Images with more than 256 colors are JPEG-compressed. Images with fewer colors are converted to palette-color images and Flate-compressed. Images with no more than two colors are converted to monochrome images and Flate-compressed.

If you export your map document file to a GeoPDF file from ArcMap's Data View, the export process does not export marginalia such as legends, scales, grids, and arrows as these belong to Layout View and are not part of the map. Additionally, the export process does not have control over the page size in the output GeoPDF file when you export your map document file from ArcMap's Data View.

Before you export your map document file to a GeoPDF file, ensure that you have chosen the appropriate Unicode font for your label text so that your GeoPDF file can be properly viewed in languages other than your own.

GeoPDF Publisher for ArcGIS writes product information such as product name and version including build number into the PDF Metadata.

In this section:

Exporting to a GeoPDF file from the toolbar

Selecting file name and export location

Open the map document file that you want to export to a GeoPDF file.

From View on the main ArcMap menu, click Layout View.

From the Publisher for ArcGIS toolbar, click Export GeoPDF .

In the Export Map to GeoPDF File dialog box, choose the location where the GeoPDF should be saved from the Save in list box.

Enter the name of the GeoPDF file in the File name box.

Select TerraGo GeoPDF File (*.pdf) from the Files of type list.

Exporting with Data Drive Pages

If you defined the properties for Data Driven Pages, expand the dialog box to display the Data Driven Pages and Time Data group box and choose the Page or Pages that you want to export to GeoPDF files:

• All (default): the exported GeoPDF files include all of the enabled Data Driven Pages.
• Current: the exported GeoPDF file includes a specific enabled Data Driven Page.
• Selected: if you are exporting a specific area on an enabled Data Driven Page, the exported GeoPDF file includes just the specified area.
• Page Range: the exported GeoPDF files include all of the enabled Data Driven Pages specified in the range. Enter the range of enabled Data Driven Pages to be included in the exported GeoPDF files.

Note: Show Selection Symbology is enabled by default when Selected is enabled. If you do not want the exported GeoPDF file to display the symbology in the specified area, de-select this option.

Time-enabled data

If the Map Document contains Time-enabled data, expand the dialog box to display the Data Driven Pages and Time Data group box, then select Export Time Animation.

Time-enabled maps can be exported to a specialized GeoPDF if the TerraGo automatic layering feature is enabled and the ArcMap data driven pages feature is disabled. The option to enable this mode is presented at the bottom of the Export Map to GeoPDF File dialog. Publisher will generate an independent PDF layer tree for each time stamp in each time-enabled map. This can be a time-consuming process. Publisher will also generate a PDF bookmark for configuring and viewing animation of the time stamps.

Notes:

• For instructions on creating hyperlinks or defining Data Driven Pages in your map document file, refer to the ArcMap online Help.
• Users running GeoPDF Publisher for ArcGIS version 5.x cannot open a map document file enabled for Data Driven Pages. Disable Data Driven Pages to allow these users to open the .MXD.

Exporting without Data Driven Pages

If you have not defined the properties for Data Driven Pages, when you expand the Export Map to GeoPDF File dialog box you will be notified that only a single page will exported.

Specifying the export process

From the Export Pages As list box, choose how the export process should export the pages:

• Multiple PDF Files (page index) (default): the export process exports the GeoPDF files based on the index layer that contains the data frames.
• Multiple PDF Files (page names): the export process exports the GeoPDF files based on the field names on the index layer.
• Single PDF File: the export process exports one GeoPDF file.

Click Save. The output GeoPDF layers are arranged and named the same as the root layers on the Display tab in the Layers pane in ArcMap.

Exporting a GeoPDF file from the File menu

Open the map document file that you want to export to a GeoPDF file.

From View on the main ArcMap menu, click Layout View.

From File on the main menu, click Export Map.

Choose the location where the GeoPDF should be saved from the Save in list.

Enter the name of the GeoPDF file in the File name box.

Select TerraGo GeoPDF File (*.pdf) from the Files of type list.

Click Save. The output GeoPDF layers are arranged and named the same as the root layers on the Display tab in the Layers pane in ArcMap.

Notes:

• GeoPDF Publisher for ArcGIS does not support the Output Image Quality (Resample Ratio) slider on the General tab on the Export Map dialog box.
• If there is an unsupported condition in your map document file, Publisher for ArcGIS processes the export without displaying an error message but the output .PDF file is not georegistered.