tut Pro: Leader Lines

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Annotation Leader Lines (Callouts) in ArcGIS Pro

See:

• Add or Remove Leader Lines (ESRI)
• Text Symbols / Callouts (with or without Leader Lines) (ESRI)

Labels in ArcGIS Pro are automatically generated and placed. Annotation can be manually created, modified and deleted.

Leader Lines (in ArcGIS Pro) are a type of "Callout" text symbol (like a balloon or background symbol added to a text label). Labels, with leader lines (or other types of callout), can be converted to annotation.

Add Labels

• To add labels to a layer, right-click on the layer in Map Contents to choose Labels

• From the Labeling ribbon, adjust properties as desired (Field to use for the labels, text font, size, color etc.)

Adding Leader Lines to Labels

• Recommended: Be sure that you are working at the map scale of your final map to see how the labels (and/or leader lines or callouts) will appear in your map

• Right-click on the layer in the Map Contents to choose Labeling Properties

• In the Label Class pane, choose the Symbol section and then the General sub-section

• Expand the Callout section

• From the Callout drop-down menu, choose Simple Line (or Balloon, etc.)

• Adjust the Callout properties (color, line width, etc.) as desired

• Click Apply

Note that Leader Lines are added to all of the labels, regardless of whether or not they are shown (some aren't being used/shown, but will still be there if the labels are converted to annotation).

See also notes on Converting Labels to Annotation

Annotation Leader Lines

Having added Leader Lines to your labels (see above), if you then convert those labels to annotation, the annotation will likewise have leader lines. Once the text is annotation (instead of an automatically placed label) you can edit the position of the text strings and the leader lines.

• Add leader lines (or other style of label "Callout") to your LABELS (see above) and set the properties as desired (leader line size, color, style, etc.)

• Convert your Labels to Annotation

To Reposition Annotation and the Leader Line

(Probably not quite what you want, but try this first to see the difference)

• Choose the Select tool from the Edit ribbon

• Select an annotation text string

• Choose the Move tool from the Edit ribbon (the yellow anchor point should be shown and a context toolbar added)

• Click (on the yellow anchor point) and Drag the text string to relocate it

  • Release the yellow anchor point when you have the text where you want it

  • You will note that as you do so the leader line will temporarily stretch as needed (maintaining its original end point)

• Click the Finish button (on the context toolbar) to complete the Move

  • When you Finish you will note that the leader line readjusts to exactly the same size / angle as it was before you moved he text string

  • This might be what you want / need, but it probably isn't (more typically we want to leave the end point for the leader line where it was and move just the text...)

  • If you wanted the end of the leader line to stay put, click the Undo button from the very top menu (above the ribbon), returning the text string and the leader line to their original positions

To Reposition Annotation and Maintain the Endpoint for a Leader Line (or other style of callout)

• Choose the Select tool from the Edit ribbon

• Select an annotation text string that has a leader line / callout

• Choose the Modify button from the Edit ribbon (the Modify Features pane should be opened)

  • From the Modify Features pane, choose Annotation (under the Alignment section)

  • When you choose Annotation, the selected text string should be highlighted with a selection box and corner anchors

  • Click and Drag on the box surrounding the text string (not the text string itself)

    • Reposition the text as desired

    • You will note that as you do so the leader line will stretch as needed (maintaining its original end point)

    • Release the box when the text string is located where you want it

  • Click the Finish button (on the context toolbar) to complete the process

    • Using this method, when you complete the move, the leader line should maintain its original end point

To Remove a Leader Line Entirely

• Note: there is probably a better way, but I haven't found it yet... So this will work - let me know if you find a better way

• Choose the Select tool from the Edit ribbon

• Select an annotation text string (that has a leader line / callout)

• Choose the Attributes button from the Edit ribbon (the Attributes pane should open)

• In the Attributes pane, choose the Annotation section

• Click the Symbol button

  • In the Choose Text Symbol dialog box, choose a text style (that does not have a leader line or callout)

  • Click OK and Apply

Note that this process will probably change the font, size, style, color, location, etc. of your text string, so you will probably have to reset these properties to match the rest of the annotation

To Add a Leader Line to Annotation That Does Not Have a Leader Line Already

• Select the annotation text string to add a leader line to

• From the Edit ribbon, choose the Annotation tool (in the Tools group)

  • The selected annotation should now be shown with a box around it

• Right-click on the selected annotation and choose Add Leader

• Move the text string to relocate the annotation text (the leader line should remain anchored)

• Adjust the leader line and annotation text as needed