Abstract: A very powerful feature of ArcMap is the ability to maintain cartographic standards through the development of custom symbology. The advent of ArcGIS 8.x brings new capabilities to map production by introducing features that every user needs to become familiar with: Group Layers and Style Files. This paper discusses how group layer files are utilized to create custom map symbology so that maps of any scale are automatically rendered with the appropriate feature symbology. This paper also addresses how style files are created and implemented. AAA’s new TourBook ® map production methodology will be described to illustrate how these techniques have been successfully implemented.

Introduction

AAA (the American Automobile Association) has offered high-quality travel-related services, road safety education, financial services, and a variety of products to the traveling public for more than one hundred years. Today AAA serves its more than forty-five million members in 1,123 offices throughout the US and Canada. At the core of AAA’s travel-related services are a variety of map publications ranging in scale from highly detailed city maps to regional maps used for travel planning. In addition, AAA produces 24 TourBook ® guides that contain more than 600 maps providing detailed information on attractions, lodgings and restaurants throughout North America. For the 2001 edition, AAA published more than 28 million TourBook ® guides.

The focus of this paper describes the migration of our TourBook ® maps into the GIS. It also addresses, more specifically, how AAA has developed efficient cartographic production methods and implemented map series symbology using ArcGIS 8.x.

AAA’s GIS database and the transition to ArcGIS

AAA’s GIS was initially developed on the Unix ArcInfo 7.x platform using SDE for Informix. The goal was to build an intelligent, enterprise-wide GIS system using a seamless nationwide master database. This database would support both paper-based map production and electronic travel related products.

Currently, AAA manages its GIS master database with Esri’s ArcSDE 8.x for Oracle. In addition to the master database, individual cartographic "product layers" are also stored in ArcSDE. With ArcSDE, we can either cascade real world changes from the master database directly to any product layer, or make product only cartographic changes to fit specific customer requests. Although the UNIX ArcInfo 7.x platform has allowed us to migrate our City, Vicinity and State map product lines successfully to a GIS environment, AAA is continually looking at how it uses GIS to improve efficiency in both database development and map production.

When Esri first developed ArcGIS technology AAA welcomed the opportunity to be a beta site for Esri. The goal was to investigate the new applications and to find out how they could enhance AAA’s map production process. Some of our early efforts were not very successful as the software was in the early stages of development. The 8.1 release of ArcGIS allowed AAA to move forward with testing the migration of the TourBook ® map production system to that platform. The advantages of this approach were:

One major issue we had to address was generalization, or the need to extract different map features from the master database for TourBook ® maps at various scales. We decided to modify the AML extraction code that was already in place for sheet map products. While we recognized ArcMap's ability to constrain feature visibility through the use of SQL expressions, the business decision was made to use a proven and established method for the initial data extraction. For more information on AAA’s generalization techniques, please refer to the reference section of this paper.

As an overview, here are the steps that were required to develop the TourBook ® map production system on ArcGIS 8.x:

Figure 1.1: Boston - Freedom Trail Walking Tour This large-scale map contains AAA approved points of interest based on a specific route described in the TourBook ® guide text.

Figure 1.2: Salem Attraction Map This attraction map features AAA approved points of interest in relation to roads, parks, airports and other landmarks.

Figure 1.3: Gettysburg National Military Park Map This map shows points of interest and natural or historic features in and around the national park. This map also contains a suggested driving tour indicated by a yellow highlight.

Figure 1.4: Downtown Pittsburgh Spotting Map This Spotting map shows AAA approved lodgings and restaurants in relation to roads and other landmark features.

Figure 1.5: New Jersey Orientation Map This Orientation map features towns that have AAA approved points of interest. Recreation areas are also included and referenced in a detailed chart that describes available activities at each site.

Figure 1.6: Maine-New Hampshire and Vermont Driving Distance Map This Driving Distance map contains trip-distance and driving-time information for travel planning.

These diagrams demonstrate the variety of features that need to be considered for each map type. Large-scale maps such as the Boston-Freedom Trail Walking Tour map in Figure 1.1 and the Downtown Pittsburgh Spotting map in figure 1.4 feature detailed building footprints and cased roads. Small-scale maps such as the New Jersey Orientation map in Figure 1.5 feature a highly generalized road network. For the Driving Distance Map in figure 1.6, the straight lines between towns clearly indicate that the purpose of the map focuses on trip planning.

Scale Ranges

The process of evaluating scale ranges is not only a key factor in how specifications are built, but also provides a solid foundation for creating extraction logic. Figure 2 demonstrates the relationship of the TourBook ® map types described in figures 1.1-1.6 to the 14 different scale ranges that we developed for the AAA GIS. The scales are indicated by numbers ranging from the largest scale (1) to the smallest scale (14). For example, scale level 1 represents any map with a scale greater than 1:15,000; scale level 4 is any map between 1: 50,000 and 1:125,000, and scale level 14 is any map with a scale smaller than 1:7,600,000.

Figure 2: TourBook ® maps and scale ranges



Understanding the relationship between map type and scale is the most important factor in building map specifications and eventually determining how the Group Layers in ArcMap are organized. While TourBook ® maps vary greatly in content, we determined that the best approach was to evaluate our specifications according to scale. Road classification is an excellent example of this concept.

In the AAA GIS, roads are classified based on the attribute "FEAT_CODE". The FEAT_CODE is both a physical and functional characteristic of a road feature. Figure 3 below contains FEAT_CODES 33-39, which are classified as paved undivided roads. FEAT_CODES 33-35 generally have primary arterial functionality and represent roads that connect cities, or roads that allow for a high volume of traffic. FEAT_CODES 36-39 generally have secondary arterial functionality and most likely would be roads that connect between neighborhoods, allowing for moderate volumes of traffic.

As you can see in Figure 3, as the map scale gets smaller, the criteria for a road to reach secondary or primary level becomes more stringent. Figure 3: Road Classification system cross-section - FEAT_CODES 33-39

Scale Level 1,2 For the largest scale maps, all roads including undivided roads are represented as double lined or cased road features.	Scale Level 3,4 For large-scale maps undivided roads are represented with single line symbology. There is no drop in functionality as these roads are very important at these scales.	Scale Level 5,6 At the medium scale level there is less primary functionality as these roads have less importance. Some of the roads will get filtered during automated extraction at these scales.	Scale Level 7-13 At the smallest scales these roads have significantly less importance. Many, if not all of the roads will get filtered at these scales.

TourBook ® Style Files
Markers The symbols in this marker style are not master database features and are only applied graphically as needed to the map document or annotation layer.	Lines Leader lines are added to the map document for use with text or symbols as needed. A spec sheet provides instructions for the proper application.	Highway Shields By using this custom style the user selects the appropriate shield and populates the number. There is also a smaller shield available as an alternative.

Step 1 UNIX ArcInfo 7.x marker symbol is captured in a screen copy	Step 2 The screen copy is brought into Fontographer as a background image.	Step 3 The shape is digitized using the precise set of tools available in Fontographer.

Comparison of Esri symbology to custom symbology created using Fontographer

Esri Symbology The heavy black line is inconsistent with how Federal Interstate shields are symbolized. This generic shield is used for one, two and three digit shields.	AAA Custom Symbology This symbol matches the Federal standard for Interstate shields in both shape and color. The symbol is enlarged to accommodate three digits.	Esri Symbology This generic U.S. Highway shield is the same width for one, two and three digit shields.	AAA Custom Symbology By customizing the size, the two-digit U.S. Highway shield is more aesthetically pleasing and takes up less space in crowded map areas.

Step 1: The symbol property edit box is opened. The type of feature is already set as a Cartographic Line Symbol. ArcMap assigns the line a default color and width. By changing these settings the draw symbology can be customized.	Step 2: The color is easily changed to the desired specifications.
	Step 3: In this example the width is set to inches. The Line Caps and Line Joins are set as shown above. We found this to be the optimal setting for all line symbols.

Step 4: A line is added and elevated so that it draws on top of the red symbol already created. The color and width are based on default settings.	< Step 5: The color is changed so that it prints with a white fill.
	Step 6: The width is set smaller than the red line symbol, creating a thin red lined casing with a specific width on either side.

Step 7: The symbology is complete. Once this process is finished for all of the different types of road features, the initial group layer is ready to be created.

Step 8: In the ArcMap table of contents, right click on Layers, and select "New Group Layer". Drag the road layer into the new group layer. Right click on the New Group Layer and save the group layer file.

group layer would contain all the individual layers necessary to create a complete map. The advantage in using this method is that up-to-date feature symbology can easily be applied to a map in the form of a single, new group layer.

Based on some of the principles that were established in the Group Layers and TourBook ® Map Specifications section, the group layers were created for the TourBook ® production system based on scale. Here are the five unique group layers that we developed to symbolize the TourBook ® data:

Final_1-2.lyr - Group Layer for maps with a scale larger than 1:25,000

Group layer for maps with a scale between 1:25,000 and 1:125,000

Final_5-6.lyr - Group layer for maps with a scale between 1:125,000 and 1:300,000

Final_7+.lyr - Group layer for maps with a scale above 1:300,000

To apply a group layer in ArcMap, the layer file is added using the same procedure as any other data set. In this example we are going to symbolize TourBook ® data for the Philadelphia downtown map. Since the map scale is greater than 1:25,000, we chose to bring in the Final_1-2 layer:

Figure 9.1: Adding the group layer to the blank map document in ArcMap

Step 1: Starting with a blank map document, hit the add data button and find the directory where the group layer is stored (see step 8 in Figure #8).The links to the data will be broken, and a spatial reference message will appear. This is expected because in the next step we will be associating this group layer to a specific data set. Click OK and continue.

Figure 9.2: Linking the Group layer to specific map layers

Step 2: Select any of the layers in the table of contents and click on the red exclamation point to set the data source path to the location of the map data. In this case we found the 2180 directory where the Philadelphia downtown map data is stored. The next step is to select the corresponding data layer, in this example tnavl.shp. Once the Add button is selected all of the layers in the group will be automatically linked, provided that the name of the data layers match those in the group layer. If the names are different, they will have to be resolved individually to create a link between the individual layers and the data.

Figure 9.3: Drawing the map data according to standards set by group layer properties

Step 3: Right click on any of the layers and select Zoom to Layer. The data will draw according to the specifications contained in the group layer (in this example we zoomed in further in order to clearly display the symbology). At this point the .mxd can be saved (generally in the directory where the data is stored), and the editing process can begin.

This simple explanation of how to apply group layers in ArcMap is only one example of how powerful the group layer concept is. Not only can a group layer provide the draw symbology, it can also store the appropriate draw order and all of the labeling properties for each layer. In addition, layers also have the ability to display a subset of features in a layer using a definition query. These properties can be stored in the group layer file as well. All of these very powerful tools are described in Figures 10.1-10.6:

Figure 10.1 : How ArcMap utilizes the table of contents to determine draw order		Figure 10.2 : A Subset of features requiring a draw order that is on top of the road network
ArcMap draws each layer based on the order in the table of contents, drawing the bottom layer first. The two layers that are highlighted each point to the same data source. They both contain different sets of features that require two different draw orders.		The features contained in this layer will be drawn after the two road layers (TAAAL, TNAVL), as these symbols need to print on top of road features.

Figure 10.3 A different set of features requiring a draw order that is below the road network		Figure 10.4 Creating a definition query that defines which features belong in the subset
The features contained in this layer will be drawn before the two road layers (TAAAL, TNAVL) as these line shades need to print beneath the road features. As you can also see, features within a layer are also drawn to our pre-defined order, from bottom to top.		By opening up the layer properties dialog box, a definition query can be stored using a SQL statement to create a layer that is a subset of the source data. In this example, Driving Tours will be selected for this layer as defined by the FEAT_TYPES contained in the definition query.

Figure 10.5 How label properties can be defined and stored in a group layer		Figure 10.6 Creating a query that defines the label properties for a subset of features
Another property the group layer can store is the label definitions. In this example, primary (red) road features are set to create red text labels. The same method can be used for secondary (black) road features, as they will be set to create black text labels.		In this example, an SQL query is created to generate red text for red road features. By applying this to the group layer, the appropriate label color, style and placement options are defined without input from the user.

Conclusion

This paper described how AAA’s TourBook ® maps have been successfully produced using ArcGIS technology. More specifically it addressed how group layers files are utilized to automatically render the map features with their corresponding symbology. The paper also described how to create and utilize a style file to serve as a repository for annotation and symbol styles.

The test involving the migration of TourBook ® maps into the ArcGIS platform has proven very successful. Although AAA invested a great deal of time in setting up the group layers and style files, the effort is paying off as we have gained great efficiencies in map production. TourBook ® production continues to move forward with ArcGIS 8.2 as almost half of the existing 600 TourBook ® maps will be migrated into the ArcGIS environment this year.

There are still, however, many obstacles to overcome. For example, there are some processes that still rely on the Unix ArcInfo 7.x system (i.e., pre-selection of features). Furthermore, some of ArcMap’s native functionality is highly interactive. There are efforts currently underway at AAA to further enhance the TourBook ® production system. The first of these efforts is to automate interactive procedures through ArcObjects and Visual Basic. The second effort is to migrate to an enterprise geodatabase data model. This will allow for the deployment of a customized suite of tools that will ensure the TourBook ® production process is handled inside the ArcGIS environment, from the initial data extraction to the final output.

Through the knowledge gained by the development of an ArcGIS-based TourBook ® production system, the enormous potential of the software has been realized. AAA hopes to continue to work closely with Esri to help improve ArcGIS’ cartographic application. The long-term goal is to eventually migrate the production of all AAA map products to the ArcGIS platform.

References

For more information on how AAA approaches generalization, refer to the white paper that was presented during the 2001 Esri conference by Miguel Garriga titled "Generalization of Multiple Scale Maps from a Single Master Database".

For information concerning the conversion of ArcInfo 7.x symbolsets into ArcGIS using the ArcInfo 7.x Symbol converter, here is the link to the ArcObjects Online page:
http://arconline.Esri.com/arcobjectsonline/samples/arcmap/symbology/symbols/ai 7x symbol conversion/symbolconverter.htm

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank AAA associates Paulo Duarte and Miguel Garriga for the fundamental support they provided in helping us with this paper.

Authors’ Information

Geoffrey Baldwin
Cartographer IV
AAA GIS/Cartography Department
1000 AAA Drive, Heathrow, FL 32746
gbaldwin@national.aaa.com

Mark Dodich
Cartographer IV
AAA GIS/Cartography Department
1000 AAA Drive, Heathrow, FL 32746
mdodich@national.aaa.com