Add a compass rose north arrow

Available with Production Mapping license.

The compass rose north arrow element is a topographic north arrow with a 360-degree dial oriented toward magnetic north. This element is primarily displayed on the Evasion Chart (EVC) map product. The magnetic variation (VAR) value is calculated from the center of the compass rose and rounded to the nearest whole degree.

Topographic north arrow elements consists of declination diagrams that represents three ways of defining north:

• Grid north (GN)—The north established using the vertical grid lines on the map. Grid north is automatically calculated based on the center point of the chosen map frame.

  Note:

  This north is not included on the EVC compass rose element.

• Magnetic north (MN)—The direction to the north magnetic pole, as indicated by the north-seeking needle of a magnetic instrument. It is symbolized by a line ending with half an arrowhead. Magnetic north is automatically calculated based on the center point of the chosen map frame and the selected date.
• True north—A line from any point on the earth's surface to the north pole. All lines of longitude are true north lines. It is represented by a star at the end of a line.

Insert a compass rose north arrow

A compass rose north arrow can be inserted on any map layout.

To insert a compass rose north arrow, complete the following steps:

1. Ensure that a layout with a map frame is open and is the active view in your project.

   Learn more about layouts

2. Click the Insert tab.
3. Click the North Arrow drop-down arrow and choose the EVC Compass Rose north arrow from the Topographic group.
4. Click the layout where you want to insert the compass rose north arrow.

   The compass rose north arrow is added to the layout and remains active.

   Note:

   The default text font is NGA Topo. If you do not have the NGA Topo font installed, the default is Arial.

Modify a compass rose north arrow

To modify the properties and appearance of a compass rose north arrow element, complete the following steps:

1. Ensure that the layout that contains the compass rose north arrow element that you want to modify is open and is the active view in the project.
2. In the Contents pane, click the element.

   The North Arrow contextual tab appears.

3. Double-click the element in the Contents pane to open the Element pane and update more element properties as necessary.

   Tip:

   You can also right-click the element on the layout or in the Contents pane and click Properties to open the Element pane.

4. In the Element pane, click the Options tab to set the element's configuration options.
   1. Provide a name for the element in the Name text box.

      This name appears in the Contents pane and must be unique.

   2. Specify whether the element is visible by checking or unchecking the Visible check box.

      The default is visible.

   3. Specify whether the element is locked so that changes cannot be made by checking or unchecking the Locked check box.

      The default is unlocked.

   4. Click the Map frame drop-down arrow to change the map frame associated with the element.
   5. Specify whether the element appears at a fixed height and width according to the specifications of the map product by checking or unchecking the Draw to specification check box.

      If the Draw to specification check box is checked, the element cannot be resized.

   6. Check or uncheck the Update Dynamically check box to specify whether the element's properties are automatically calculated based on the current extent of the map frame.

      When checked, the Declination and Magnetic North properties are unavailable to editi. This is checked by default.

   7. Specify how many degree marks appear between each division on the 360-degree dial.
   8. Specify how many degree marks appear between each subdivision on the 360-degree dial.
   9. Specify how often a label for the degree count will appear on the 360-degree dial.
   10. Optionally, uncheck the Update Dynamically check box and click the Declination Date drop-down arrow to manually specify a date to use to calculate the declination of magnetic north.

       This option is ignored if the Update Dynamically check box is checked.

   11. Optionally, uncheck the Update Dynamically check box, click the Date Interval drop-down arrow, choose a date interval, and click the Update Dynamically check box again for the date interval you specified to take effect.

       The declination date is determined by the Date Interval value, specified as follows:

       • Daily—The declination date updates to the current date.
       • Monthly—The declination date updates to the first day of the current month.
       • Yearly—The declination date updates to the first day of the current year.
       • 5 - year—The declination date updates to the first day of the first year in the current five-year interval. This is based on the World Magnetic Model, which is released in five-year epochs.
   12. Optionally, uncheck the Update Dynamically check box and click Select Coordinate System or the Coordinate System drop-down arrow to specify the coordinate system that is used to calculate the declination of true north.

       When the map on the map frame uses a projected coordinate system, the element automatically calculates the Universal Transverse Mercator (UTM) zone for the map. If the map covers two UTM zones, use the Primary Coordinate System check box to switch between the two zones.

   13. Optionally, uncheck the Update Dynamically check box and manually adjust the angle between magnetic north and true north under Magnetic North.
       • Direction—Choose whether magnetic north is to the west or east of true north.
       • Degrees—Specify how many degrees magnetic north is from true north. The Mils value is automatically updated with the corresponding value in mils.
       • Minutes—Specify minutes.
       • Mils—Specify how many mils magnetic north is from true north. The values for Degrees and Minutes are automatically updated with the corresponding values.
5. In the Element pane, click the Display tab to configure the element's display settings.
   1. Configure the element's border in the Border section.
   2. Configure the element's background in the Background section.
   3. Configure the element's shadow in the Shadow section.
6. In the Element pane, click the Placement tab to configure the element's placement options.
   1. Specify the element's size.

      Resizing is unavailable if the Draw to specification check box on the Options tab is checked.

   2. Specify the element's size and position.

   These settings can also be set from the element's contextual tab in the Size & Position group.

The element is configured and modifications can continue to be made.