Creating a Map with ArcMap - Tufts University

• Fill in the dialog box as you see below – note that in the Label column, you can type a label for the
code and then press OK:
• If you go back to the Symbology properties, you can move the classes around (e.g., to make
Residential come first, etc.) by highlighting the class and using the arrow keys to the right to move
it up or down.
Saving layer files
As you can see, it takes a lot of time to set up the data layers to be colored and labeled appropriately. If
you save your map file again at this point (File-Save), you will be able to get back to your map session
again very quickly, including all your colors and labels.
It is also useful, however, to save layer files for individual layers, not just map files. That way, even if you
are working on a completely different map session (which is likely - I start new map sessions nearly every
time I use ArcMap), you can add the parcels data set and have all your preferred colors and labels appear
without re-doing them all. A layer file, once saved, retains all the colors and labels you have set for a
layer. Next time you want to add that layer to a map, you can simply add the layer file instead of the
original data file, and it should have everything done the way you set it up originally.
• To save a layer file, right-click on Parcels2004 in the table of contents, and choose Save as Layer
File...
• Navigate to where you want the layer file to reside and give it a meaningful name (e.g.,
parcel_landuse)
• To use a layer file in a future map session, choose add data, but instead of adding the original
data set (e.g., .shp file), add the layer (.lyr) file.
• If when you add that layer file to a future map, and it doesn't draw on the map, that usually means
it has lost its connection to the original data source (e.g., landuse2000.shp). To remedy this, you
need to reconnect it. Right-click on the problematic layer name in the Table of contents, and
choose Data – Repair Data Source...You can then navigate to the location of the original data
source and reconnect.
Loading a layer file
There are good examples of layer files created by the folks at MassGIS for major roads and railroads. To
load these layer files:
9