ArcGIS Pro – Creating custom icons

This brief text aims to explain to you how to use custom icons in ArcGIS Pro. The “custom icons” here mean the symbology patterns, which cannot be obtained from ArcGIS Pro in any way. First, we must know how to create advanced icons in ArcGIS Pro. You can find a lot of information on this on the web. I wrapped it up within one image below (Pic. 1).

ArcGIS Pro advanced icon styling
Pic. 1 How the user can customize advanced icons in ArcGIS Pro.

The user generally has double icons, which can be optimized by shape, coloration, and size. Everything is good when you can specify the icon from the list of shapes available in the panel above (Pic. 1). However, sometimes, the situation requires another pattern, which can’t be built directly in ArcGIS Pro. For this case, we need to use the external icons. The ArcGIS Pro accepts formats like .png or .svg. The differences between these two are crucial, as the .png icon isn’t customizable with coloration. If, for example, you load the red .png icon, it won’t be possible to change it. The .svg format is compatible with this option in ArcGIS Pro and other GIS applications. Concluding, the Scalable Vector Graphic format can be adjusted later in any way.

Triangle icon Inkscape
Pic. 2 The .svg icon produced in the Inkscape software.

Next, the object can be saved and picked up in ArcGIS Pro. When entering the Symbology -> Properties -> Appearance -> Insert shape from -> File (Pic. 3).

Adding png file to ArcGIS Pro
Pic. 3 Adding a new .svg file to ArcGIS Pro.

The custom icon is being loaded straight away. However, its default size might be too small. Having the icon loaded, we can build the final signature desired for our ArcGIS map (Pic. 4).

ArcGIS Pro default icon loading
Pic. 4 Loading default icon to ArcGIS Pro.

After essential alterations, the icon can be used in our ArcGIS map (Pic. 5).

ArcGIS Pro custom icon
Pic. 5 Custom icons on the ArcGIS Pro map.

What is best here is that even the signature produced in a custom way in ArcGIS Pro can be successfully displayed on the ArcGIS Online map.

Mariusz Krukar

 

Links:

  1. https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/3.3/help/data/indoors/create-or-modify-symbol-images.htm
  2. https://learn.arcgis.com/en/paths/customize-symbols-in-arcgis-pro/

 

Forums:

  1. https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-pro-questions/custom-symbols-in-arcgis-pro/td-p/691372
  2. https://www.reddit.com/r/gis/comments/zr5pux/how_to_create_custom_symbology_for_arcgis_pro_or/

Youtube: