Data Layers: What's in a Name?
Immediately provide a layer name that uses descriptive, friendly terms. You may have noticed that I typically don't recommend using spaces and other nonalphanumeric characters in file names. However, customized data names in the TOC is an instance in which I bend this rule (even for Layer files).
However, avoid unusual ASCII punctuation characters. Forward and backward slashes, algebraic operators, the "at" (@) symbol, the ampersand (&), and many other characters do not behave well in legend fonts, Layer file names, and other uses. Even though space and character string length is often important, don't hesitate to spell out or use standard alphanumeric abbreviations. Following proper TOC naming protocols gives users a head start understanding the information the map is conveying.
Once you've added data to the TOC and defined the primary areas of interest in the map, consider creating scaled bookmarks to allow quick and consistent access to important map locations.
Once I have established a specific layout, I define scale-dependent bookmarks that quickly return to important areas. These bookmarks are in Layout View and include the proportional scale in the bookmark's name. Bookmarks are another area where I bend the naming rules by using spaces, upper- and lowercase text, and even a few odd characters such as colons (e.g., Station 74 Detail 1:10,000).
I'm often surprised by people who organize data in the TOC without considering the effect of data stacking on display. Data layers in the TOC draw from bottom to top, so there is potential to hide point and polylines under polygons and rasters. Watch data organization in the TOC carefully. Keep rasters and imagery near the bottom of the TOC, below all vector data. When arranging vector data, try to keep point layers at the top, above all polyline layers. Position polygon layers at or near the bottom, below points and polylines but above rasters.
The first option is to create a second data frame with its own TOC for specific tasks such as editing, image georeferencing, or geoprocessing. It's much easier to navigate menus and pick lists when the TOC is not overburdened. This is especially important when editing. Include only the data necessary to perform editing tasks. This reduces the possibility of damaging, compromising, or even accidentally selecting data that should not be modified.
Be careful when repositioning data in the TOC. It's quite easy to accidentally drop a data layer into the incorrect Group Layer and then lose track of its location. When repositioning a single layer immediately below an expanded Group Layer, collapse the Group Layer before moving the data. After defining a Group Layer, consider saving the entire Group Layer as a single Layer file so it can be quickly loaded into another map or data frame.
To show all incidents with fire responses on top, use symbol levels to reorganize the display order in a thematic legend so important points plot on top regardless of their position in the point list. Before symbol levels were available, records were sorted in an x,y table to emphasize primary points, then the points were posted in the sorted order. Symbol levels have simplified this process considerably. For more information on symbol levels, read and work the tutorial "Displaying points: Using symbol levels to optimize point display" in the Summer 2012 issue of ArcUser.
Often, clients ask me to prepare a map with a 4 x 3 aspect ratio without margins for use in a report or PowerPoint presentation. Save your project with a new name that includes "4 x 3." Use Page Setup to resize the data frame to 12 x 9 inches and shrink the map to fit the full frame. Create new guidelines and adjust the font size and position of all text and cartographic objects. Modify the Reference Scale to avoid resizing point symbols and attribute-based labels. Use scale-defined bookmarks to pinpoint areas of interest on the map for multiple exports.