What is MPS-Atlas?

MPS-Atlas provides the ability to create multiple maps or atlas pages within the same map document. Maps can use both shared dynamic layouts as well as single layouts. MPS-Atlas provides the ability to store multiple layouts within the same map document and provides capabilities for batch printing and exporting maps. It is also possible to save each map out as its own map document. An existing map document can be used as a template from which you can batch generate multiple maps.

The MPS Atlas window allows you to interact with map sheets and map series. A map sheet is a single map layout that can be printed, exported, edited, or otherwise manipulated. A map series is a collection of map sheets that may share a common layout. Within a map series, it is possible to have single map sheets, and modify their layout, providing the ability to have multiple layouts within the same map document. A map sheet is composed of an individual area of interest, a layout, and at least one data frame manager.

Batch functionality with map sheets

MPS-Atlas provides batch functionality for the creation of map sheets, as well as saving, printing and exporting map sheets. Maps are grouped together as a map series in the MPS Atlas window. Within the map series, maps can be saved, printed, or exported individually, or in batch. Within the Print and Export dialog box, there are options to apply the current map sheet, all of the map sheets, or specify a range of map sheets.

Shared versus individual map sheets

Map sheets can be either shared or single. Shared map sheets use a common layout found at the top of the tree view and referred to as the map series' shared map sheet. The properties applied to this map sheet will be applied to all shared map sheets within the map series. Shared maps are denoted with the chain link icon next to them, specifying that they are all linked together. This way, any change made to one map sheet will be made to all the map sheets that share this layout.

Single map sheets can be created within the map series, as well, with the Make Map Sheet Single command. The chain link icon will disappear and a new data frame manager will be created for this single map sheet. A single map sheet can be modified without affecting any of the other map sheets in the series. This way, modifications can be made to the single sheet, and multiple layouts can be maintained all in the same map series and stored in the same map document. If you select a single map sheet and make the map sheet shared again, it will take on all the properties and the layout of the shared map sheets.

Data Driven Pages and MPS-Atlas

Data driven pages share many of the same concepts currently available in MPS-Atlas. These tools provide the ability to use an index layer to drive multiple pages in a single map document. Also provided are the ability to add dynamic text to the layout, and to create overview maps and adjoining sheet diagrams that follow the extents of your index layer. The following are the major differences between the two toolsets:


10/2/2010