Military feature templates

A military feature template is an ArcGIS feature template with built-in military characteristics. The military characteristics are based on the military symbology specifications supported by ArcGIS.

Many military feature templates, such as those for infantry platoons and main attack arrows, were created for you and are provided in layer packages available on ArcGIS.com. The default layer package is the Military Overlay layer package. For a list of the feature templates that come with the package, see The Military Overlay layer package.

Feature templates let you quickly add multiple similar features to a map, one after another. For example, if you want to add five infantry platoons to your map, instead of creating each feature from scratch, you can click the infantry platoon feature template in the Military Overlay layer package, click on the map in the five areas you want to add the platoons, then edit attributes for the individual platoons to reflect their specific characteristics. For example, you'll likely want to edit the Unique Designation field value for each platoon to give each platoon a unique name.

You can also create your own military feature templates.

Notes about feature templates:

• The one-to-one relationship between feature templates and ArcGIS layers is handled for you. Feature templates let you focus on adding features instead of concerning yourself with which layer is selected or which layer a feature must go in due to ArcGIS layer-type requirements.
• Feature templates are stored in map documents or layer packages. Many are provided for you in the Military Overlay layer package.

Feature template scenario

One military feature template provided in the Military Overlay layer package is the Infantry Platoon template. If you want to add several infantry platoon symbols that have some of the same attribute values—such as the same higher formation of Bravo company—you would first type Bravo company into the Higher Formation attribute field of the Infantry Platoon template (right-click the feature template and click Properties, or click the Attributes button on the Editor toolbar to dock the Attributes window in your ArcMap window). Next, you would add several infantry platoons to your map, one at a time, by clicking the Infantry Platoon feature template in the feature template area, then clicking locations in your map, one for each platoon you want to add. If you supplied a value in one of the attribute fields, such as Bravo company in the Higher Formation field, each platoon you add will have Bravo company as its higher formation. You can edit each infantry platoon's attributes after you add it to the map to reflect its individual characteristics. A handy way to do this is to have Attributes window open so that you can change attribute values while the feature is still selected. For example, just after you add an infantry platoon to the map, in the Attributes window, you can type 1st Platoon in its name field to show on the map that this particular unit is the 1st platoon.

What military feature templates are in the Military Overlay layer package?

• All C2 military operations features in the supported specifications, such as main attack arrows.
• Some units, equipment, and installations (UEI) features, such as a generic infantry platoon unit. You can create any military feature that isn't provided as a feature template in the layer packages available to you. For details, see Define new types of military features.
• Features from other categories in the supported specifications, such as meteorological and oceanographic (METOC), emergency management, signals intelligence, and stability operations features.