Getting Started

Open tutorial document

1. In the Adobe Illustrator main menu, choose File> Open and open the template file MAPLabelPro_Tutorial.ait located in \Tutorial Data\MAP LabelPro Tutorial Data.

An artboard containing a map of San Francisco opens. All the data information to be used for labeling is present, except for the text labels. See the table in the Introduction section for a description of each layer.

2. Because the file was opened from a template, a new untitled document was created. Choose from the Adobe Illustrator main menu File > Save As to save the file as San Francisco.ai.

 Customize the Adobe Illustrator workspace to make it easier to access panels. It may look different than the image above. Read Customizing the workspace in the Adobe Illustrator help guide for more information. See MAPublisher Preferences.

Examine MAP Attributes available for labeling

MAP LabelPro extracts label data from the attribute table for each MAP Layer to be labeled. Therefore, it is good practice and often required to examine or edit attribute information using the MAP Attributes panel. Edits can include: creating a new column to enter attribute values, joining tables to import additional attribute information from an external file, correcting spelling, changing the case of text and more.

For this exercise, all attributes are ready to use for labeling. Follow the steps here to examine them and familiarize yourself with the data.

 See more information on the MAP Attributes panel. For more exercises, please see the MAPublisher Tutorials.

1. In the Adobe Illustrator Layers panel, click the target button next to the Public_Schools_point layer to select all artwork on the layer.

2. Click the MAP Attributes button on the MAPublisher toolbar.

The Public_Schools_point layer contains four visible attribute columns: OBJECTID, FACILITY_I, DEPTNAME and SCHOOL_NAME. The SCHOOL_NAME attribute column will be used for labeling the school points.

3. Select all artwork on the Interstates_Line layer and view the attributes in the MAP Attributes panel.

The INTERSTATE_NUMBER attribute column will be used for labeling these roads.

 Notice that the INTERSTATE_NUMBER attribute is of type integer. All types of attributes may be used for labeling with MAP LabelPro.

4. Select all on the Highways_line layer and view the attributes in the MAP Attributes panel. HIGHWAY_NUMBER will be used for labeling. View the attributes of the remaining layers: Streets_line, Parks_area, and Land_area.

Refer to the San Francisco description table in section 1.2.1 to see the attributes that will be used for labeling.

5. Close the MAP Attributes panel after reviewing it.

Setup MAP LabelPro Style and Rules folder

In this section, you'll set up MAP LabelPro Styles and Rules specifically for this tutorial.

1. Go to Edit > MAPublisher Preferences. Click MAP LabelPro in the list to see its preferences.

2. For the Base rule folder, click the Browse button and select the \MAPLabelPro_Settings\Rules folder.

3. For the Base style folder, click the Browse button and select the \MAPLabelPro_Settings\Styles folder.

4. Click OK.

Knowing this information and setting up the styles and rules, you're ready to use MAP LabelPro to generate map labels for the San Francisco downtown map.

5. Continue to Setup Layers and Obstacles.