Is there a way in ArcGIS Desktop 9.2 (ArcMap) to change the symbology of selected features, over multiple field values?
My example is, I've run an attribute query on the 'landscape categories' field of my shapefile, to find every feature in a category which includes the letters 'forest'. This includes categories which are essentially the same or similar enough that I want to display them as being the same, such as 'forestry', 'areas of forest', 'forest', 'forested hills'…. etc etc, there are loads.
I can select them all using this attribute query quite easily, but I then want to make them all green for example. I thought I'd be able to do this in my Properties > Symbology > Categories > Unique Values tab, by just right-clicking and selecting 'Properties for Selected Symbols', but apparently selecting features through an attribute query doesn't count as selecting symbols in this tab, i.e. nothing is selected,
Does anyone know an easy (code-free) way of doing this?
I know I could export my selection as a new layer, but I want to keep all my info as one shapefile and I'll need to do this for quite a few categories. I'm also not keen on the idea of adding a field in the attribute table for 'colour' etc, I'm trying to keep the original shapefile as clean as possible.
Best Answer
One way you could do this (while avoiding the two other solutions you mentioned - creating a new layer from selected features, or adding a new field for color) is to use a Definition Query.
First, you will want to create a duplicate of your current layer so its in your Table of Contents twice. Then you will need to set a Definition Query for each of these two layers.
For one, use the Query Builder to create the expression that selects everything that mentions "forest". You can use something like:
In the other layer, do the same thing, but exclude the ones that have "forest."
Then you can set your symbology accordingly, without adding any data to your shapefile.