[GIS] Copy and Paste Map Annotation between Data Frames in ArcMap

annotation;arcgis-10.3arcgis-desktoparcmaplabeling

I frequently make ArcMap documents with two data frames, representing a Before and After condition of a site. Each of the two data frames shows the property owner names, parcel numbers and road names. I usually end up typing all of this information in TWICE – once in each data frame.

So far my workflow is to create labels from my parcel shapefile but the data usually has to be modified, so I convert it to map annotation and edit it. I end up doing this in both data frames.

I have tried to select the map annotation that I want and use CTL+C and CTL+V to copy and paste it but this has not produced any copies (at least that I can see within my data frame). Both data frames are in the same projection and are viewing the same extent.

I am looking for a way to copy and paste the map annotation from one data frame to another so that it stays in place, or looking for ideas for a quicker workaround. I would like to occasionally be able to do the same thing with drawing objects inside my data frame (such as lines) so an ideal solution would work for both, but the map annotation would be the most helpful.

Best Answer

I have done this in the past, though it is exactly the reason I began to store annotation as feature classes as @Chris W suggests. I strongly recommend that you try that out, because before you know it, you're going to have 3 data frames to deal with... and then the client will want to change the scale...

However, I was able to get this to work just now (all in data view):

  1. set data frame 2 extent to equal data frame 1 (go to data frame properties, use 0 margin)
  2. activate data frame 1, select all annotation, right-click on an element, Copy
  3. activate data frame 2, right-click anywhere in the map, Paste
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