Create annotation features—ArcGIS Pro

In the Create Features pane, feature templates for annotation layers include construction tools for creating horizontal, straight, and curved annotation features and text that follows along the boundary of a feature.

You can type the text string in the pane or use the context menu to replace the string with a label expression or field value from a layer in the map. Before you create a feature, you can change the style format and override symbol properties.

If a tool does not appear on the tool palette, you can add it to the template. For steps to configure the tool palette, see Configure a feature template.

For steps to change the curvature of an existing annotation feature, see Change annotation curvature.

Horizontal annotation

Horizontal annotation is created with a single click. You can set the angle before you create the feature or edit the vertices of the text and drag one of its coincident baseline vertices.

If the current map does not contain an annotation feature layer, add it.
1. On the View tab, click Catalog Pane , and expand Databases .
2. Expand the default database or the database containing your data.
  To create a multipatch feature class, right-click the database, click New and click Feature Class.
3. Drag the feature class onto the map.
  A feature template with default settings is autogenerated for the new layer.
On the Edit tab, set your snapping preferences and show the Create Features pane.
1. In the Snapping group, enable your snapping preferences.
  Tip:
  You can press and hold Spacebar to temporarily turn snapping off as you sketch a feature.
2. In the Features group, click Create .
In the Create Features pane, choose an annotation feature template and set your attributes values.
1. Click a point feature template.
2. Click the active template button and type the attributes values you want to apply to the feature.
Specify the text string and format.
1. Click the text box and specify the text string.
  Note:
  To replace the text string with a label expression or field value from a layer in the map, right-click, click Find Text , and select a feature.
  The topmost visible feature in the selection is calculated. If a text string can’t be calculated, the string is set to the word Text.
  Press the N key to cycle through the possible text strings.
2. To change the justification or insertion property, click the appropriate button.
3. To change the font, style, or other format property, click the formatting drop-down arrows.
  The format displays dynamically on the pointer.
Click the construction tool and create the annotation feature.
1. Click Horizontal Annotation .
2. Click the map to create the text or right-click and click Absolute X,Y,Z .

Straight annotation

Straight annotation is created with two clicks. The first point places the text and the second point sets the angle. The baseline becomes invisible when you finish the feature.

If the current map does not contain an annotation feature layer, add it.
1. On the View tab, click Catalog Pane , and expand Databases .
2. Expand the default database or the database containing your data.
  To create a multipatch feature class, right-click the database, click New and click Feature Class.
3. Drag the feature class onto the map.
  A feature template with default settings is autogenerated for the new layer.
On the Edit tab, set your snapping preferences and show the Create Features pane.
1. In the Snapping group, enable your snapping preferences.
  Tip:
  You can press and hold Spacebar to temporarily turn snapping off as you sketch a feature.
2. In the Features group, click Create .
In the Create Features pane, choose an annotation feature template and set your attributes values.
1. Click a point feature template.
2. Click the active template button and type the attributes values you want to apply to the feature.
Specify the text string and format.
1. Click the text box and specify the text string.
  Note:
  To replace the text string with a label expression or field value from a layer in the map, right-click, click Find Text , and select a feature.
  The topmost visible feature in the selection is calculated. If a text string can’t be calculated, the string is set to the word Text.
  Press the N key to cycle through the possible text strings.
2. To change the justification or insertion property, click the appropriate button.
3. To change the font, style, or other format property, click the formatting drop-down arrows.
  The format displays dynamically on the pointer.
Click the construction tool and create the annotation feature.
1. Click Straight .
2. Click the map to create the start point or right-click and click Absolute X,Y,Z .
3. Move the pointer or press A to specify the angle, or right-click, and use the context menu.
4. Click the map.
Drag the pointer or use the context menu to specify the angle and click the map.

Curved annotation

Curved annotation is created with three or more clicks. The first point places the text and the second point sets the angle. The third point creates a Bezier curve along which the text conforms. The baseline becomes invisible when you finish the feature.

If the current map does not contain an annotation feature layer, add it.
1. On the View tab, click Catalog Pane , and expand Databases .
2. Expand the default database or the database containing your data.
  To create a multipatch feature class, right-click the database, click New and click Feature Class.
3. Drag the feature class onto the map.
  A feature template with default settings is autogenerated for the new layer.
On the Edit tab, set your snapping preferences and show the Create Features pane.
1. In the Snapping group, enable your snapping preferences.
  Tip:
  You can press and hold Spacebar to temporarily turn snapping off as you sketch a feature.
2. In the Features group, click Create .
In the Create Features pane, choose an annotation feature template and set your attributes values.
1. Click a point feature template.
2. Click the active template button and type the attributes values you want to apply to the feature.
Specify the text string and format.
1. Click the text box and specify the text string.
  Note:
  To replace the text string with a label expression or field value from a layer in the map, right-click, click Find Text , and select a feature.
  The topmost visible feature in the selection is calculated. If a text string can’t be calculated, the string is set to the word Text.
  Press the N key to cycle through the possible text strings.
2. To change the justification or insertion property, click the appropriate button.
3. To change the font, style, or other format property, click the formatting drop-down arrows.
  The format displays dynamically on the pointer.
Click the construction tool and create the annotation feature.
1. Click Curved Annotation .
2. Click the map to create the start point or right-click and click Absolute X,Y,Z .
3. Drag the pointer to shape the curve and click the map to create the endpoint.
4. Drag the pointer to shape the curve and click the map.
5. On the editing toolbar, click Finish or press the F2 key.

Follow a feature

Creating text that follows a feature wraps text along a line or polygon boundary. You can create text that follows a feature using either standard annotation or feature-linked annotation.

If the current map does not contain an annotation feature layer, add it.
1. On the View tab, click Catalog Pane , and expand Databases .
2. Expand the default database or the database containing your data.
  To create a multipatch feature class, right-click the database, click New and click Feature Class.
3. Drag the feature class onto the map.
  A feature template with default settings is autogenerated for the new layer.
On the Edit tab, set your snapping preferences and show the Create Features pane.
1. In the Snapping group, enable your snapping preferences.
  Tip:
  You can press and hold Spacebar to temporarily turn snapping off as you sketch a feature.
2. In the Features group, click Create .
In the Create Features pane, choose an annotation feature template and set your attributes values.
1. Click a point feature template.
2. Click the active template button and type the attributes values you want to apply to the feature.
Specify the text string and format.
1. Click the text box and specify the text string.
  Note:
  To replace the text string with a label expression or field value from a layer in the map, right-click, click Find Text , and select a feature.
  The topmost visible feature in the selection is calculated. If a text string can’t be calculated, the string is set to the word Text.
  Press the N key to cycle through the possible text strings.
2. To change the justification or insertion property, click the appropriate button.
3. To change the font, style, or other format property, click the formatting drop-down arrows.
  The format displays dynamically on the pointer.
Click the construction tool and wrap the text along a line or polygon feature.
1. Click Follow Feature .
2. Click the line or polygon feature on which you want to wrap the text.
3. Move the pointer along the boundary as you hover.
4. To change the distance between the text and the boundary feature, press Crtl as you move the pointer.
To change the orientation or alignment of the text, use the commands on the annotation toolbar.
- Flip Annotation —Flips unfinished text 180 degrees to either side of the followed edge.
- Parallel/Perpendicular —Constrains unfinished straight text parallel or perpendicular to the feature.
- Toggle Side —Constrains annotation to the left or right side of the feature based on the direction of the segment.
- To change the text type, for example from straight to curved, or to change other default settings, right-click and click Follow Feature Options , or press O.
For steps to change the default settings, see Configure follow feature settings.
Click again to place the text.
On the annotation toolbar, click Finish or press the F2 key.

Leader line annotation

Leader line annotation is created with two clicks. The first point creates the leader start point and the second point draws the leader and places the text on the map.

If the current map does not contain an annotation feature layer, add it.
1. On the View tab, click Catalog Pane , and expand Databases .
2. Expand the default database or the database containing your data.
  To create a multipatch feature class, right-click the database, click New and click Feature Class.
3. Drag the feature class onto the map.
  A feature template with default settings is autogenerated for the new layer.
On the Edit tab, set your snapping preferences and show the Create Features pane.
1. In the Snapping group, enable your snapping preferences.
  Tip:
  You can press and hold Spacebar to temporarily turn snapping off as you sketch a feature.
2. In the Features group, click Create .
In the Create Features pane, choose an annotation feature template and set your attributes values.
1. Click a point feature template.
2. Click the active template button and type the attributes values you want to apply to the feature.
Specify the text string and format.
1. Click the text box and specify the text string.
  Note:
  To replace the text string with a label expression or field value from a layer in the map, right-click, click Find Text , and select a feature.
  The topmost visible feature in the selection is calculated. If a text string can’t be calculated, the string is set to the word Text.
  Press the N key to cycle through the possible text strings.
2. To change the justification or insertion property, click the appropriate button.
3. To change the font, style, or other format property, click the formatting drop-down arrows.
  The format displays dynamically on the pointer.
Click the construction tool and create the text.
1. Click Leader Line Annotation .
2. Click the map to create the leader start point or right-click and click Absolute X,Y,Z .
3. Move the pointer and click the map to draw the leader and place the text on the map.

Keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts for annotation construction tools
Keyboard shortcut	Action	Comment
Ctrl+W	Find text .	Replace the text string in the text box with the label expression or field value from the topmost selected feature layer. When you select feature-linked annotation, the text is calculated from the origin feature class. If it can't be calculated, the word Text is used.
N	Find the next text.	Step through the selected annotation features when using Find Text .
F6	Specify absolute X,Y,Z .	Open the Absolute X,Y,Z dialog box.
Tab	Switch sides and Flip annotation .	Flip unfinished text 180 degrees and to the left or right side of the followed edge. This shortcut is available when you create text with Follow feature .
O	Use the Follow Feature options.	Open the Editor Settings dialog box. This shortcut is available when you create text with Follow feature .
Ctrl+drag	Change the Follow Feature distance.	In Follow Feature mode, change the distance between the annotation feature and the boundary feature.

Note:

Annotation feature classes contain the text string that appears on the map, descriptive attributes, and display properties. When you create new annotation features, consider the following:

Annotation features are textual elements placed on a map to name or describe geographic features. Generally, they are placed alongside labels in a planned visual hierarchy to communicate the importance of a particular feature. You can style them for a particular cartographic aesthetic. Examples include text that emphasizes the name of a country versus the name of a city or the name of a river.
You can link an annotation feature class to a geographic feature class and automate specific update behaviors. For example, text strings for feature-linked annotation are linked to the value of a field or fields from the geographic feature to which it is linked. You can also configure linked annotation to automatically add, delete, or move with the linked feature.

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Horizontal annotation

Tip:

Note:

Straight annotation

Tip:

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Curved annotation

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Follow a feature

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Leader line annotation

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Keyboard shortcuts

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