Specifying default schematic layer properties using the Import Default Symbology command

A schematic diagram in ArcMap displays in a schematic layer. Whether this schematic layer already displays with default layer properties or not, you can redefine all the feature layers properties, change the feature layers order, and set reference scale at any time for this schematic layer. Then, if you want the newly specified layer properties to be set as default for the schematic diagram template, you can export the schematic layer as a layer file before importing it at the diagram template level using the Schematic Dataset Editor. The following steps explain how to set default schematic layer properties for a schematic diagram template when starting from a schematic diagram displayed in ArcMap:

Steps:

1. Start ArcMap.
2. Use the Open Schematic Diagrams command to open any schematic diagram based on the schematic diagram template for which you want to specify the default schematic layer properties.
3. Start setting the feature layers order by right-clicking the schematic layer in the table of contents (TOC) and clicking Properties.
   1. Click the Layers tab in the Layer Properties dialog box that opens.
   2. Select the layer entry for which you want to change the drawing order in the Layers list and click the up or down arrow buttons that display at the right to move it up or down. You can also drag and drop the entry to the desired location.
   3. Click Apply and click OK.
4. Then, if you want to modify properties set on any feature layer that composes the schematic layer, right-click this feature layer entry in the TOC, then click Properties.
   1. Click the appropriated tab in the Layers Properties dialog box that opens and operate the changes you want to get the expected symbology, labels, selection style, and so on.
   2. Click Apply and click OK.
5. Repeat step 4 for any feature layer you want.
6. Then, to set the current scale of the data in the schematic layer as the reference scale to which all symbol and text sizes used in the schematic diagram will be made relative,
   1. Right-click the schematic layer and click Reference Scale > Set Diagram Reference Scale.
   2. Click the Zoom In or Zoom Out tool to verify that the current reference scale corresponds to your needs.
   Caution:

   Diagram reference scale cannot be specified on a schematic layer when the Coordinate System specified for the schematic diagram is unknown.

   Learn about specifying spatial reference on a schematic diagram template

7. When all properties currently specified for this schematic layer correspond to those you want to be set as default layer properties, right-click the schematic layer entry in the TOC and click the Save As Layers File menu.
8. Save the resulting layer file somewhere on your disk.
9. Close ArcMap.
10. Open ArcCatalog.
11. Browse and select the schematic dataset that contains the schematic diagram template for which you want to import these schematic layer properties as default layer properties.
12. Right-click this schematic dataset entry in the Catalog tree and click Edit. The Schematic Dataset Editor opens.
13. Right-click the schematic diagram template entry in the Dataset Editor tree and click Import Default Symbology.
14. Browse to and select the layer file you created at step 8.
15. Save your schematic dataset.

Any schematic diagram based on this diagram template will now display with these new imported schematic layer properties by default.

Note:

• The diagram template specified in step 13 that is going to be impacted by the Import Default Symbology command and the diagram template that implements the schematic diagram layer from which the layer file is created in step 8 can be different, but the feature layers related to the diagrams they both implement must at least partially match.
• If a reference scale exists for the imported layer file, the Absolute units check box is automatically unchecked by default for all the schematic layout algorithms related to the diagram template that can work with either absolute or relative distances.
• On the Layer Properties dialog box, please note that even if parameters on the Source and Definition Query tabs can be customized for a particular schematic layer displayed in ArcMap, these parameters are not considered as expected schematic layer default properties.