How Feature Outline Masks and Intersecting Layers Masks work

Masking is a process that creates polygons of a specified shape and size around symbolized features and text. Masking polygons can then be used to remove portions of underlying features to improve map clarity. A common use for masking is to mask features around annotation to ensure the text remains readable. The Feature Outline Masks and Intersecting Layers Masks tools have a variety of mask kinds to choose from.

Kinds of masks

The exact shape of the masked polygons is dictated by the Mask Kind parameter (method parameter in Python).

Mask Kind parameter valueExample

Box—A polygon representing the extent of the symbolized feature.

Blue text surrounded by a rectangular gray mask

Convex hull—The convex hull of the symbolized geometry of the feature. This is the default.

Blue text with a gray polygon mask that roughly surrounds the full shape of the text

Exact simplified—A generalized polygon representing the exact shape of the symbolized feature. Polygons created with this method have a significantly smaller number of vertices compared to polygons created with the Exact method.

Blue text with gray masks that carefully outline each letter

Exact—A polygon representing the exact shape of the symbolized feature.

Blue text with gray masks that carefully outline each letter

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  1. Kinds of masks