If the map contains auto-labels for two or more layers, you may find that some features on the map do not have labels when overlaps are turned off. This is because the labels from the different layers are competing for limited space within the map, so a city might not be labeled because a road label is in the way for example. You can specify that a layer have a high priority when displaying its labels, by moving the layer name to the top of this list.
To change label priority for layers:
- In the Explorer window, right-click on the name of a map and choose Priority.
- In the Adjust Labeling Priorities dialog box, select and drag a layer name to a new position in the list, or use the up and down arrows to reorganize one or more layers.
To select multiple layers, press the Shift or Ctrl key while selecting layers
Layer names in grey do not have Automatic Labels turned on in the Explorer window. You can order their priority, but their labels do not display on the map until these layers have Automatic Labels turned on.
- Click OK.
The map refreshes using the label priority you have set.
If you do not use the Adjust Labeling Priorities dialog box, then the layer order controls the label priorities; a layer lower in the Explorer window has a higher labeling priority. However, customizing label priority overrides the layer order in the Explorer window. After customizing layer priority, changing the order of layers in the Explorer window has no effect on label priority until you restore the default label priority.
Labels display following the order of records in the table. To change the order of priority for displaying labels, save a copy of the table, sorted in order of priority with the most important record first and use that table for labeling instead of the original. In a table sorted alphabetically by street (like the StreetPro Display layer) this often means that streets with names beginning with A, B, or C are almost the only labeled streets on your map. Labeling effectively gives a small side street like "Aberdeen Street" priority over "State Highway 177" or other major roads that might actually be useful in navigating or orienting a map. This will be true for any dense, StreetPro Display layer.