Creating GeoPDF in ArcGIS Desktop 9.3 or · PDF fileCreating GeoPDF in ArcGIS Desktop 9.3 or higher Article ID : 100017 Software : ArcGIS – ArcView 9.3, ArcGIS – ArcEditor 9.3,

Copyright © 2009 ESRI China (Hong Kong) Limited Tips & Tricks prepared by ESRI China (HK) Technical Support All rights reserved. P. 1 of 8

Creating GeoPDF in ArcGIS Desktop 9.3 or higher

Article ID : 100017

Software : ArcGIS – ArcView 9.3, ArcGIS – ArcEditor 9.3, ArcGIS – ArcInfo 9.3 (or higher versions

Platform : Windows XP, Windows Vista

Date : September 17, 2009

Introduction

ArcGIS 9.2 enhanced the ArcMap export function so that it can include the list of layers from the ArcMap Table

Of Contents in the output PDF. This allows users of the PDF to turn layers on and off via the Layers panel in

Adobe Acrobat Reader.

In ArcMap 9.3, such PDF export function was further enhanced so that it now gives you the option to include

feature attributes in the exported PDF. People using your PDF can access feature attributes using the Object

Data tool in Adobe Acrobat Reader 9.

The following steps show you how to create a “GeoPDF” in ArcMap and how to manipulate layers and query

attributes in Adobe Acrobat Reader 9.

1 Procedures of Creating GeoPDF

1.1 Open ArcMap, add your data and prepare the cartography you need:


1.2 Zoom to the area that you want to present in your GeoPDF:

1.3 Click File and go to Export Map,


1.4 The following dialog will appear:

1.5 Navigate to the location you want to save your GeoPDF and select the file type as PDF (*.pdf)

You will notice that the interface below Options is changed for the creation of PDF.

Type the GeoPDF filename.


1.6 In the General and Format tab, select and adjust the settings you want.

1.7 In the Advanced tab, if you want to create GeoPDF with feature attributes,

select the Export PDF Layers and Feature Attributes option.

1.8 Click Save to start the export process. You may need to wait a moment for ArcMap to export the map

to GeoPDF, the time required depends on the complexity of your map.

2 Working with the GeoPDF in Adobe Acrobat Reader 9

2.1 To enjoy the geo-functions in Adobe Acrobat Reader, version 9 is needed, download and install in

your machine.

2.2 Open the exported GeoPDF with Adobe Acrobat Reader 9 :


2.3 To open the geo-related functions in Adobe Acrobat Reader 9, right click the grey area at the top to

show the context manual and click More Tools… :

2.4 The following dialog box will be shown, check the three tools under Analysis Toolbar:

2.5 You will see the following toolbar opened, you may drag and drop it to other position.

The Analysis Toolbar in Adobe

Acrobat Reader 9


2.6 Click on the Object Data Tool and click on the symbols on the map (in this example), the symbols

will be selected as shown below and the Model Tree will open:

2.7 In the Model Tree, you can expand the tree and click on the records to show the attributes:

Object Data Tool

Model Tree

Expand the Tree

Click on the

records and the

attributes will

be shown

below.


2.8 Besides feature attributes, you can also turn on and off feature layers in the GeoPDF. Click the Layer

icon on the left:

2.9 The Model Tree will be shown as below:


2.10 Click on the “eyes” icon will enable you to turn on and off particular layers in the GeoPDF. In the

following example, the English labels (except street English labels) were turned off:

The End

Documents

Creating GeoPDF in ArcGIS Desktop 9.3 or · PDF fileCreating GeoPDF in ArcGIS Desktop 9.3 or higher Article ID : 100017 Software : ArcGIS – ArcView 9.3, ArcGIS – ArcEditor 9.3,