There are two ways to merge layers from one Map window to another:
- You can use the Drag Map command to drag the layers of an existing Map window onto the another Map window.
To see this method, see Merging Maps using the Drag Map Command.
- You can copy the map layers you want from one map to the other in the Layers window.
To see this method, see Merging Maps from Layers.
When you merge the layers from the source map on top of the destination map, the destination map settings take precedence. This means that the clip regions and coordinate systems, for example, are based on the settings in the destination map. If the destination map does not allow raster reprojection and the source map has a raster layer, the coordinate system of destination map could change.
Consider this example of a vector map and a raster map. Many times you want to add detail to a map by merging it with another open map. You can think of the map you are dragging or copying layers from as the source map.
Figure: Alaska Raster Map (Source Map)