[GIS] Preventing label text from overlapping in ArcGIS for Desktop

arcgis-10.1arcgis-desktoparcmaplabelingmaplex

Using ArcGIS 10.1 Desktop of Home Use (ArcInfo license I believe), I'm getting results like this using the included Maplex labelling engine:

enter image description here

Placement is curved. [Try horizontal position first box is unchecked.]

Strategy order for fitting is:

  • Stack Label – default settings
  • Reduce label in size – Font is 12 pt Arial, lower limit set to 1 pts, step interval is 1.1 pts. Font Width compression is at default (90% lower limit & 5% step interval).
  • Abbreviate Label – not enabled
  • Overrun feature – not enabled
  • Compress label in width – not sure if this enabled or not.

The region "Steamboat – Hilltop 16" is properly labeled. As long as the entirety of that text is within the polygon in question I don't care how it might be stacked.

The region "Steamboat – Mountain 17" (directly below Hilltop 16 and to the left) is incorrectly labeled. It has written the "- 17" underneath the Mountain and is unreadable.

This didn't happen using Maplex in ArcGIS 10. Is there anyway to stop this behavior?

Best Answer

Try adjusting/editing the text properties. Try increasing the leading values. It's always set to zero as default. Set it to 1 or 2 and see what happens. I have not used Maplex engine for some time however; when labelling normally I often use "Leading" in the text properties because it nicely separates stacked text. (Layer Properties/Symbol/Formatted Text)

In the maplex label engine, there might be something you can change for the Stack Label. You have it set to default... try playing with switching the settings.

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