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GIS by ESRI ArcGIS ® 9 Using Military Overlay Editor 9.1 for ArcGIS ®

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Page 1: Using Military Overlay Editor for ArcGIS - downloads.esri.comdownloads.esri.com/support/whitepapers/other_/Military_Overlay_Editor... · • The Military Overlay Editor toolbar •

GIS by ESRI ™

ArcGIS®

9Using Military Overlay Editor 9.1 for ArcGIS®

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Copyright © 2001–2005 ESRIAll rights reserved.Printed in the United States of America.

The information contained in this document is the exclusive property of ESRI. This work is protected under United States copyright law and otherinternational copyright treaties and conventions. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic ormechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, except as expressly permitted in writing by ESRI.All requests should be sent to Attention: Contracts and Legal Services Manager, ESRI, 380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92373-8100, USA.

The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Matthew Chaffin, Clark Swinehart, Kyle Krattiger, Tom Hasselbeck, and Mara Dolan

U.S. GOVERNMENT RESTRICTED/LIMITED RIGHTS

Any software, documentation, and/or data delivered hereunder is subject to the terms of the License Agreement. In no event shall the U.S. Governmentacquire greater than RESTRICTED/LIMITED RIGHTS. At a minimum, use, duplication, or disclosure by the U.S. Government is subject to restrictionsas set forth in FAR §52.227-14 Alternates I, II, and III (JUN 1987); FAR §52.227-19 (JUN 1987) and/or FAR §12.211/12.212 (Commercial TechnicalData/Computer Software); and DFARS §252.227-7015 (NOV 1995) (Technical Data) and/or DFARS §227.7202 (Computer Software), as applicable.Contractor/Manufacturer is ESRI, 380 New York Street, Redlands, CA 92373-8100, USA.

ESRI, ArcGlobe, ArcIMS, ArcView, ArcSDE, ArcInfo, ArcCatalog, ArcMap, ArcEditor, ArcGIS, ArcReader, MOLE, 3D Analyst, ArcScene, ArcToolbox,SDE, Spatial Database Engine, the ESRI globe logo, the ArcGIS logo, GIS by ESRI, and www.esri.com are trademarks, registered trademarks, or servicemarks of ESRI in the United States, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions.

Other companies and products mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective trademark owners.

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iii

Introducing MOLE 1What you get with the MOLE software application 2Getting started with MOLE 5Symbol ID code 11The MOLE Symbol Editor 13The Military Overlay Editor toolbar 16The Layer Properties dialog box 18

Quick-start tutorial 19Exercise 1: Displaying MOLE symbols in ArcMap 20Exercise 2: Editing MOLE layer properties in ArcMap 28Exercise 3: Creating MOLE layers 41Exercise 4: Displaying and working with MOLE data in ArcGlobe 52

Creating a MOLE geodatabase 59MOLE feature types 60Creating a geodatabase 61Creating MOLE feature classes 63Attribute data field descriptions 65Creating MOLE geodatabases (ArcView users) 69Updating MOLE datasets 70

Adding MOLE symbols in ArcMap 73Adding MOLE graphics in ArcMap 74Using the Add MOLE Graphics dialog box 80Symbology rendering in MOLE 82

Controlling the MOLE display 85The force element Layer Properties dialog box 86The tactical graphic Layer Properties dialog box 101The Layer Properties dialog box versus the toolbar 105

Contents 1

2

3

4

5

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iv USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

12Identifying graphics 106Selecting graphics 107Resizing graphics 108Moving leaders 108Working with labels 109Modifying force element graphics with the toolbar 111

Using MOLE with other ESRI products 117Adding MOLE symbols with the Coordinate tool 118Using MOLE layers in Tracking Analyst 120Using MOLE with ArcSDE and ArcIMS 125Versioning 128Using MOLE with ArcGlobe 131

MOLE geoprocessing tools 139The Add MOLE Fields tool 140Accessing and using the MOLE toolbox 141

6

Glossary

Index

143

149

7

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IN THIS CHAPTER

1

• What you get with the MOLEsoftware application

• Getting started with MOLE

• Symbol ID code

• The MOLE Symbol Editor

• The Military Overlay Editor toolbar

• The Layer Properties dialog box

1Introducing MOLE

Military Overlay Editor (MOLETM) 9.1, developed by ESRI for ArcGIS®,allows you to easily create, display, and edit military symbology in yourmaps. It enhances the effectiveness of your command and control (C2)and mission planning applications by combining the spatial analysiscapabilities of ArcGIS with common war fighting symbology of theDepartment of Defense (DoD) MIL-STD-2525B specification.

MOLE is part of the Military Analyst suite, a set of applications designedto meet the specialized needs of defense and intelligence communities.

This chapter introduces you to MOLE and the primary user interfaceitems you work with in MOLE, such as the Military Overlay Editor toolbarand the MOLE Symbol Editor. It also provides a description of this bookand the MOLE documentation set and lists additional ways to get help.

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2 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

MOLE is a software application you can install with or without anArcGIS application. As an end user, you can use the MOLEapplication with ArcGIS applications to create, work with, anddistribute operation planning maps that adhere toMIL-STD-2525B.

As a developer, you can use the MOLE application as a baseapplication to customize or as a way to see examples of much ofthe functionality available through the MOLE applicationprogramming interface (API). In these cases, you’d want to installMOLE with an ArcGIS application. However, you can also installMOLE independently of ArcGIS, for example, if you want to buildMOLE applications from the ground up.

The MOLE application comes with a file converter geoprocessingtool, a documentation set, a tutorial that highlights the mostcommon functionality, sample data, and a software developer kit(SDK). These items are described in the following sections.

The Add MOLE Fields geoprocessing tool

The Add MOLE Fields geoprocessing tool allows you to convertone file format to another. For example, you can convert ashapefile to a MOLE personal geodatabase.

The MOLE documentation set

The MOLE documentation set is automatically installed whenyou install MOLE. It’s also accessible directly from the CD so youcan access it without installing MOLE.

This section describes the MOLE documentation components.Because most high-level conceptual information about MOLE isin the end user documentation, a great place to start if you’re newto MOLE is the end user documentation, which focuses on theMOLE out-of-the-box functionality and user interface.

To learn the basics, start with Chapter 2 of this guide. Chapter 2 isa tutorial that walks you through the most common MOLE tasksand provides tips along the way to help reinforce MOLEconcepts. MOLE comes with the data used in this tutorial, so youcan follow along step-by-step at your computer.

If you’re new to geographic information system (GIS) software,take some time to familiarize yourself with ArcMapTM andArcCatalogTM. The guides Using ArcMap and Using ArcCatalogcontain tutorials to show you how to make maps and manage GISdata.

For end users

• This guide, Using Military Overlay Editor for ArcGIS, isinstalled to Military_Overlay_Editor_9_User_Guide.pdf in the<MOLE Installation Directory>\Documentation directory. Itdescribes how to use MOLE to display and edit symbology.Although you can read this book from start to finish, you’lllikely use it more as a reference. When you want to know howto do a particular task, such as creating MOLE feature classes,look it up in the table of contents or the index. Some chaptersalso include detailed information that you can read if youwant to learn more about the concepts behind the tasks.

• MOLE help system—Provides essentially the sameinformation that’s in this guide with two main exceptions: (1)the help system has fewer illustrations and does not includethe tutorial and (2) the help system provides popup links toglossary definitions. Like this guide, the help system allowsyou to perform full-text searches on the content. It is anHTML-based help system (a .chm file).

• Help for the Add MOLE Fields geoprocessing tool—Toaccess this help, after you add this tool, click Show Help inthe tool. For information on getting started with the tool, seeChapter 7, ‘MOLE geoprocessing tools’.

What you get with the MOLE software application

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INTRODUCING MOLE 3

• The readme file (readme.htm)—Gives getting startedinformation, such as system requirements, installation steps,and release notes. Access it from the top level of the MOLEdirectory on the Military Analyst Suite CD.

Help search tips

• Access the MOLE help through the ArcGIS Desktop Help ifyou want to see ArcGIS topics in the index and searches youperform (Help > ArcGIS Desktop Help). If you want yoursearches and index viewing to be focused on MOLE helptopics only, open the MOLE help by double-clicking themoleUser.chm shortcut in the <MOLE InstallationDirectory>\Documentation directory.

If you open the MOLE help from inside ArcGIS Desktop Help,you can view only MOLE topics in the search results byclicking the column heading Location, then scrolling down toMOLE under that heading.

Help index tips

• For an additional level of indexed MOLE terms, open <MOLEInstallation Directory>\Documentation\moleUser.chm, thenclick the Index tab.

• To view MOLE indexed terms incorporated with ArcGIS terms,open MOLE help from within ArcGIS Desktop Help. MostMOLE keywords are under the MOLE index entry, but youdon’t get both levels of keywords when you open the indexthis way.

For developers

Descriptions of the developer documents that come with MOLEfollow. A list of items included in the SDK is provided in the rightcolumn under ‘The MOLE SDK’.

• Programmer’s Reference for MOLE—Documents all theclasses, interfaces, and members in the MOLE API. It includesoverviews of the classes/libraries, descriptions, remarks, andsample code. It is also known as component help or classhelp.

The contents of this reference can be accessed several ways,depending on your development environment. To view andsearch through the entire contents, regardless ofenvironment, use esriMOLE.chm and esriMOLEUI.com. Youcan open them after you’ve installed MOLE by navigating tothem in the <MOLE Installation Directory>\DeveloperKitdirectory.

• Object Model Diagram for MOLE—Provides a visual overviewof the MOLE API. It illustrates all the public classes,interfaces, enumerations, and main relationships between theclasses. You can open it after you’ve installed MOLE bynavigating to MOLE_ObjectModel.pdf in the <MOLEInstallation Directory>\DeveloperKit directory.

Sample data

Sample data is installed to the <MOLE InstallationDirectory>\Tutorial directory. This directory includes sampledatabases, sample shapefiles, sample .mxd files, sample data touse with ArcGIS Tracking Analyst functionality, and a blankMOLE database template.

The MOLE SDK

The MOLE SDK includes a programmer’s reference (APIdocumentation), an object model diagram, sample code, sampleapplications, and tutorial-like scenarios.

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4 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

You also have access to online information on MOLE, such asdiscussion groups and Web versions of MOLE user help anddeveloper documentation.

Sample applications for developers are installed to the <MOLEInstallation Directory>\DeveloperKit directory. The directory includes samples in Visual Basic®, C++®, .NET®, and JavaTM.

For details on developer documentation, see ‘For developers’ inthe left column of the previous page.

Contacting ESRI

If you need to contact ESRI for technical support, refer to‘Contacting Technical Support’ in the ‘Getting more help’ sectionof the ArcGIS Desktop Help system. You can also visit ESRI onthe Web at www.esri.com and support.esri.com for moreinformation on MOLE and ArcGIS.

ESRI education solutions

ESRI provides an instructor-led MOLE developer training coursein addition to educational opportunities related to geographicinformation science, GIS applications, and GIS technology. Youcan choose from among instructor-led courses, Web-basedcourses, and self-study workbooks. To find educational solutionsthat fit your learning style, visit www.esri.com/education.

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INTRODUCING MOLE 5

MOLE is strict in its adherence to the MIL-STD-2525Bspecification. It provides symbols—MOLE graphics—for:

• Appendix AForce elements (symbols for military units—for example, asymbol for Company A, 1st Battalion of the 135th Infantry—equipment and installations)

• Appendix BTactical graphics (operational graphics such as plannedroutes and obstacles)

• Appendix CMeteorology and oceanographic symbols (METOC)

• Appendix DSignals and intelligence (SIGINT)

• Appendix EMilitary operations other than war (MOOTW)

You can store your MOLE symbology layers as feature classes ingeodatabases or shapefiles. MOLE is compatible with otherESRI® GIS products as well, including ArcGlobeTM, ArcIMS®,ArcGIS Military Analyst, and ArcGIS Tracking Analyst.

Developers can customize MOLE or extend its out-of-the boxfunctionality using its SDK.

Overview of MOLE features

With MOLE out of the box you can:

• Polish your maps; simplify your tasks—MOLE allows you touse a set of predefined rules to group symbols into stacks orleader lines. You can use these rules to deconflict symbolsand improve the readability of your map as well as to simplifyyour tasks by working with groups (for example, groupings byechelon or groups you create) instead of individual symbols.The MOLE symbol editor centralizes your tasks and helps

you quickly construct your symbols or your 15-charactersymbol identifiers. You can also use copy and paste to copysymbols to your operating system’s clipboard and reuse themin other applications such as Microsoft PowerPoint andMicrosoft Word.

• Use existing databases—You can import and display existingorder of battle databases in accordance with theMIL-STD-2525B specification; you can create and editcorresponding symbols and attributes.

• MOLE allows you to symbolize data from tracking informationusing the ArcGIS Tracking Analyst extension and ArcGISTracking Server.

• Leverage ArcGIS functionality—You can use MOLE maps andfunctionality in most ArcGIS software applications. Forexample, you can use MOLE with ArcSDE® and ArcGlobe. Youcan serve maps to users over the Internet using ArcIMS.

Getting started with MOLE

The map display area in ArcGlobe showing billboarded anddraped force elements and extruded tactical graphics

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6 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

• Increase efficiency—The MOLE feature-rich symbol editor,which includes a dynamic preview pane, doubles as a trainingtool to help you quickly become familiar with the details ofMIL-STD-2525B. The preview pane allows you to instantlysee how different values in the 15-character code affect theappearance of the symbol.

• Provide lifelike views of battlefield scenarios using MOLE inArcGlobe—A clear and accelerating trend is for missionapplications to have three-dimensional displays. MOLE hasextended the capability to view MIL-STD-2525B symbols toArcGlobe.

MIL-STD-2525B

The DoD Military Standard 2525B, or MIL-STD-2525B, is aspecification document that describes how military symbolsshould behave and display on maps.

MIL-STD-2525B provides a way for military staff to interpretsituation maps quickly for effective decision making. For example,by looking at a force element symbol on a MOLE map, you canquickly tell how big the unit is, if it has mobility, if it is friendly orhostile, and so on.

MOLE was designed to provide a map-based softwareapplication that implements this specification. Central toMIL-STD-2525B—and, therefore, MOLE—is the Symbol ID code.This code provides the information necessary to display ortransmit a military symbol between MIL-STD-2525B-compliantsystems. The characters and numbers that make up the codeprovide critical information about the war fighting element thecode represents: how big the unit is, if it has mobility, if it ishostile, and so on. MOLE takes the information provided in thecode and any additional information you provide in attributesand renders the war fighting element as a symbol in ArcGIS.

MOLE features and layers

MOLE features and layers are very similar to ArcGIS layers. Themain differences are:

• MOLE features and layers must contain a Symbol_ID field tobe recognized by MOLE. All other fields MOLE requires foryou to take full advantage of all of its functionality can bemapped to your dataset’s existing field names.

• MOLE stores its data in group layers. Each group layercontains two layers: a symbol layer, also known as a graphicslayer, and its associated feature layer. In this way, MOLE issaid to overlay graphics on features.

MOLE graphics can be contained in shapefiles, coverages, andpersonal or multiuser geodatabases. Tables containing aSymbol_ID field with valid codes can be converted to a featureclass, and MOLE will display the appropriate military symbols.When MOLE data is added to ArcMap or ArcGlobe, a group layer

Required fieldname

ArcGIS feature class

MOLE symbology layer, orgraphics layer

MOLE group layer

The ArcMap table of contents

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INTRODUCING MOLE 7

is created containing a feature layer and a graphics layer. Thefeature layer contains the feature MOLE is symbolizing. Thegraphics layer contains the symbol that is constructed for thatfeature, which is based on the Symbol_ID field.

MOLE graphics

MOLE uses four graphic types—or symbol types: force elements,tactical graphics, stacks, and leaders. Nearly every MOLEfunction centers around the rendering of force elements, tacticalgraphics, or groups of force elements. Force elements are alwayspoint features; tactical graphics can be points, lines, or areas.

MOLE uses the term graphic in place of symbol to reinforce threemain distinctions between ArcGIS symbols and MOLE graphics:

• ArcGIS stores symbols and features as one layer, whileMOLE stores them as separate layers in a group layer—agraphic layer and a feature layer in a MOLE group layer.

• MOLE symbology includes leaders and stacks—symbol-like elements that differ slightly from typical ArcGISsymbols. Leaders and stacks represent groups of forceelements. Force element graphics can be displaced fromthe actual feature using leaders and stacks.

• MOLE attribute data1 (labels) is part of the graphic.

Force elements are point features that represent military units,installations, and equipment. Tactical graphics can be points,lines, or areas, and they represent command/control andmission planning features.

MIL-STD-2525B defines force elements as “point objects thatpresent information that can be pinpointed in one location ata particular point in time. A [force element] is composed of anicon, frame, and fill and may include additional [attributes].The components provide information about the symbol’saffiliation, battle dimension, status, and mission. The size andshape of a symbol are fixed and remain constant, regardless ofthe scale of the background projection, unless changed bythe operator.”

MIL-STD-2525B defines tactical graphics as “point, line, andarea objects that are necessary for battlefield planning andmanagement, but cannot be presented as [force elements]alone. Tactical graphics can delineate responsibilities andmissions, provide guidance, establish control measures, andidentify items of interest. A tactical graphic is composed of anicon and may include additional attributes. The size andshape of the point graphics remain fixed, while the size andshape of the line and area graphics are determined by drawing

Except the Symbol_ID attribute1

The figures to the leftillustrate the twocomponents of a MOLEgroup layer. The topfigure shows how theunderlying MOLEfeatures appear withoutthe MOLE symbology.These are the skeletonsof the MOLE graphics.The bottom figure showsthe MOLE symbologyoverlayed on thefeatures. You can movethe graphics independentof the features; a graphicdoes not always have tobe on top of its feature.

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8 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

parameters provided by the operator and the scale of thebackground on which the graphic is placed.”

The figure below to the left illustrates force elements; the figureto the right shows tactical graphics.

Use your existing attribute data (labels) in MOLE

Attribute table data for a MOLE graphic appears as text (labels)around the graphic in the map display. Because nearly all otherdata MOLE uses is derived from the Symbol ID code, once youhave a Symbol ID code in your data, the only other task left is toget your existing MIL-STD-2525B attribute data, or labels, intoMOLE.

However, because MOLE cannot read datasets that don’t have afield named Symbol_ID, your first task is to add a Symbol_IDfield to your data if it’s not already there. The field must be namedSymbol_ID, it must be 15 characters long, and it must have a typeof Character.

Once your dataset has the Symbol_ID field, you can open it inMOLE and use MOLE to map your other attribute field names toMOLE field names. For MOLE to recognize point features as forceelements, the point features must have a Parent field. For a list ofother field requirements, see Chapter 3, ‘Creating a MOLEgeodatabase’.

To map your attribute field names to MOLE field names:

1. If you haven’t already, add the Symbol_ID field to your dataas explained above, then open it in ArcMap. In the ArcMaptable of contents (TOC), right-click the MOLE graphics layer,then click Properties.

2. On the Layer Properties dialog box, click the Fields tab.

3. Check Use Alternative Fields.

If you’re using some MOLE field names already, those willpopulate in the text boxes. All other field names used in yourdata will be selectable in the text boxes.

4. Click the dropdown arrow for the first field you would like tomap, then choose the new field name for it. Repeat this stepfor all field names you want to map.

5. Click OK.

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INTRODUCING MOLE 9

MOLE is ready to use your existing field names. The mappingof field names you performed in this procedure persists (issaved in the .lyr or .mxd file).

For MOLE attribute data field descriptions, see Chapter 3,‘Creating a MOLE geodatabase’.

Starting with a shapefile

You can use MOLE with shapefiles, but it is recommended youuse MOLE with geodatabases (personal or multiuser) wheneverpossible. Using MOLE with geodatabases not only lets you takeadvantage of the functionality offered by the ArcGISgeodatabase data model, but it can also automate MOLE featureclass creation tasks for you.

You can use an existing shapefile with MOLE if you first makeedits to its attribute table. The bare minimum edits are:

• For force elements—the geometry type must be point, and thefollowing fields must be present:

Field: Symbol_IDType: CharacterLength: 15

Field: ParentType: CharacterLength: 15

• For tactical graphics—the geometry type can be point, line, orpolygon and the following fields must be present:Field: Symbol_IDType: CharacterLength: 15

Adding the 15-character field named Symbol_ID to the attributetable allows MOLE to recognize the data source.

If you want to work with force elements as well, you must alsoadd a field named Parent for those. The Parent field tells MOLEthat a point feature that has a Symbol_ID is a force element andnot a point tactical graphic.

Once you’ve performed the edits, you can bring your shapefileinto an ArcGIS application, such as ArcMap, by using the AddMOLE Data button.

For MIL-STD-2525B attribute data (text labels), MOLE requiresyou to use certain field names or map your existing field names.For more information, see the previous section, ‘Use your existingattribute data (labels) in MOLE.’

Creating new shapefiles for use with MOLE onnon-Windows platforms

You may want to create a new shapefile for use with MOLE onnon-Windows platforms such as Linux or Solaris. You can useany MOLE personal geodatabase or you can use theMOLE_BLANK sample database included with the tutorial datainstalled with MOLE.

1. Open MOLE_BLANK.mdb in ArcCatalog by navigating to<MOLE Installation Directory>\Tutorial\MOLE_Databases.

2. In the left pane of ArcCatalog, double-clickMOLE_BLANK.mdb, then click the feature class you want tocopy.

3. Right-click the feature class and click Export to Shapefile(single).

4 . On the Export to Shapefile dialog box, browse to yourdestination directory and give your shapefile a name.

5. Keep all the Field Info and Output options as the defaults.

6. Click OK to create a new, empty shapefile that is ready forMOLE.

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10 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

Once the new shapefile is created, you can use it on anysupported platform as you would any MOLE database.

How MOLE identifies features it can use

When working with shapefiles in MOLE, it’s helpful tounderstand how MOLE identifies that features are MOLElayers—that is, that they can have MOLE functions performed onthem.

When MOLE reads data to determine if it’s a MOLE layer (forexample, when you use the Add MOLE Data button on the MOLEtoolbar) it first reads the feature’s geometry type, then looks for aSymbol_ID field. If the geometry type is a point and theSymbol_ID field is present, MOLE looks for a Parent field. If aParent field is present, MOLE identifies the feature as a forceelement. However, if it doesn’t find a Parent field, it identifies thefeature as a point tactical graphic.

If MOLE reads the geometry type and finds a line or an area, itchecks for the Symbol_ID field. If the Symbol_ID field is present,MOLE identifies the feature as a line or area tactical graphic.

Once MOLE has identified the feature as a force element or point,line, or area tactical graphic, it applies the appropriate rendererto it.

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INTRODUCING MOLE 11

Central to MIL-STD-2525B—and, therefore, MOLE—is theSymbol ID code, a 15-character identifier. The characters andnumbers that make up the code provide critical informationabout the war fighting element the code represents: how bigthe unit is, if it has mobility, if it is hostile, and so on. MOLEtakes the information provided in the code and any additionalinformation you provide in attributes and renders the warfighting element as a symbol in ArcGIS.

The presence of this code in a field named Symbol_ID in adataset allows you to open and use the dataset in MOLE.

How MOLE renders the symbol based on theSymbol ID code

Each character or group of characters in the Symbol ID codegives information about,an attribute of, the war fightingelement. For example, the second character in the code tellswhether the war fighting element is friendly or hostile.

Each of these attributes has a corresponding visualcomponent that can be drawn or rendered on a map. Forexample, if the second character is F, the war fighting elementis friendly, and MIL-STD-2525B says friendly should berepresented by a blue fill. When several of these componentsare rendered by MOLE for one war fighting element, theymake a complete symbol.

Symbol ID code

To illustrate, the following image provides a complete symbol with itsvisual, or graphic components, described.

.

If you saw the above symbol on a map, you’d know that it representsa present, friendly, subsurface force element.

The valid values for these attributes (for example, F is a valid value forthe affiliation attribute) are given in MIL-STD-2525B but are alsoexcerpted from MIL-STD-2525B in the following tables.

An open top signifies a subsurface unit.

A blue fill indicates a friendly affiliation.

A solid frame indicates the unit is present.

Attribute values for force element symbols

S - war fightingG - tactical graphicW - METOCI - intelligenceM - mapping (for

future use)O - military

operations otherthan war

Describes theechelon, mobility,equipment, orinstallationcharacteristics of asymbol. See MIL-STD-2525B forspecific values.

Coding scheme Affiliation

P - pendingU - unknownA - assumed friendF - friendN - neutralS - suspectH - hostileJ - jokerK - fakerO - none specified

Battle dimension Status

P - spaceA - airG - groundS - sea surfaceU - sea

subsurfaceF - SOFX - other (no

frame)

A - anticipated/planned

P - present

Function ID

Describes the specificfunction of a symbol.See MIL-STD-2525Bfor values.

Symbol modifier Country code Order of battle

See FIPS Pubseries 10.

A - airE - electronicC - civilianG - groundN - maritimeS - strategic

forcerelated

Battledimension/category

Orderofbattle

Affiliation Symbolmodifier

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Codingscheme

Status

FunctionID

Countrycode

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12 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

Attribute values for tactical graphic symbols

S - C2 symbology; units,equipment, andinstallations

G - C2 symbology;military operations

W - METOCI - intelligenceM - mapping (for future

use)O - military operations

other than war

Coding scheme

P - pendingU - unknownA - assumed

friendF - friendN - neutralS - suspectH - hostileJ - jokerK - fakerO - none

specified

Affiliation Category

T - tasksG - C2 and

generalmaneuver

M - mobility/survivability

F - fire supportS - combat

servicesupport

O - other

StatusA - anticipated/

plannedP - present

Function ID Echelon/size Country code Order of battle

See MIL-STD-2525Bfor values.

See MIL-STD-2525Bfor values.

See FIPS Pubseries 10.

X - controlmarkings

Special considerations for attribute values

• MOLE handles the Function ID attribute differently for forceelement graphics than it does for tactical graphics. For moreinformation, see the MOLE developer documentation.

• MIL-STD-2525B often uses one or more asterisks (*) insample Symbol ID codes to signify that any validMIL-STD-2525B character can be used in that location. It isimportant to keep in mind that these are sample codes only;neither MIL-STD-2525B nor MOLE supports use of asterisksin Symbol ID codes. MOLE does not recognize an asterisk asa valid character. If you want to indicate that a character inthe Symbol ID is unknown, use a hyphen (-) instead. Forexample, if you know the coding scheme is S, affiliation is F,battle dimension is G, and no other properties, you’d use

hyphens for the other characters so your Symbol ID codewould be:

S F G - - - - - - - - - - - -

and not S F G * * * * * * * * * * * *

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INTRODUCING MOLE 13

The MOLE Symbol Editor

The MOLE Symbol Editor allows you to edit and preview a MOLE graphic (symbol), preview graphic components, search for MOLEforce elements and tactical graphics, and add and edit MIL-STD-2525B labels. One of its most helpful features is that it allows you toadd graphics—that is, allows you to fill in information about a graphic after you add it. It simplifies your graphic adding tasks byproviding a library of all MOLE graphics and an easy way to build MIL-STD-2525B-compliant graphics from scratch. It prevents youfrom generating incorrect Symbol ID codes and from exceeding the default character limit for labels.

The MOLE Symbol Editor displays information for a single graphic, or, if no information is available yet for that graphic, it displaysempty fields for you to populate.

Open the editor in ArcMap by clicking on the Military Overlay Editor toolbar.

It is helpful when learning to use MOLE to have a basic understanding of where MOLE gets its information to render graphics—orwhere it stores its information if you are using MOLE to build your graphics from scratch. The main areas of the MOLE Symbol Editorreflect these sources, or storage areas, as described in the following illustration.

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○○

○○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○ ○

Area 2Outlined in

This area is derived from/stored in the attributetable. Text boxes in thisarea correspond to labelsaround the graphic. Theirpositions here reflect theirpositions around thesymbol in the map display.

Area 3Outlined in

This area is the Symbol IDcode. Changes you makein Area 1 are reflectedhere. Check Allow ManualEditing to change SymbolID code characters(values) in your databasedirectly from the MOLESymbol Editor.

Area 1Outlined in

This area is derivedfrom/stored in theSymbol ID code(MOLE’s Symbol_IDfield). Changes youmake in Area 3 arereflected here.

○ ○ ○

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14 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

When you create a MOLE geodatabase in ArcCatalog and populate it according to instructions in Chapter 3, ‘Creating a MOLEgeodatabase’, the MOLE Symbol Editor is available in ArcMap. If your MOLE features are stored in shapefiles or simple featureclasses in a geodatabase, you must use the standard ArcMap Attributes dialog box to edit MOLE attribute data (and the Symbol IDcode, which is also an attribute in the table).

The editor differs slightly for force elements and tactical graphics, but its controls are the same and serve the same functions for both.The main difference is that the tactical graphic version groups the graphic components according to the type of military operation,whereas the force element version groups according to battle dimension. Also, the tactical graphic version has symbol displaycharacteristics and fewer modifiers. Tactical graphic categories include tasks, command/control and general maneuver, mobility/survivability, fire support, combat service support, and others. Force element battle dimensions include air, ground, sea subsurface,sea surface, space, and special operations forces.

Contains allMOLE symbols.

Preview window—updates to showthe symbol as you make changesto it in the editor. This symbolrepresents a friendly infantry unit(force element).

With eachcharacter you typein this search box,MOLE updates theSymbol Librarywindow above it todisplay all itemsthat match theletters you’vetyped.

The threat presented by element.Values include friend, hostile,neutral, and unknown.

Values (force element only)include: headquarters, dummy,task force, and installation.

The command level and mobility.

Supplementary information aboutthe role of a symbol in battle.

Indicates whetherthe element islocated at itsidentified positionor is anticipated tobe there in thefuture.

Applies your changes to the mapdisplay. If Allow Manual Editing ischecked, the changes are alsoapplied to the database.

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INTRODUCING MOLE 15

Labels and MOLE attribute data

MOLE derives labels for your graphics from MOLE attribute data.Aside from the Symbol_ID attribute and a few attributes requiredby ArcGIS, such as Shape, all MOLE attribute data is used forlabels.

You can add and edit this attribute data in the MOLE SymbolEditor or in the attribute table. As explained earlier in this chapter,you can also use existing attribute data for labels. When you addan attribute (a label), MOLE positions it around the graphic inaccordance with MIL-STD-2525B position descriptions. Forexample, if it is a date/time group label for a force element, MOLEplaces it up and to the left of the graphic.

In the MOLE Symbol Editor, you modify attributes of anindividual symbol; however, the visibility of an attribute is aproperty of the layer, not the individual symbol. You can controlthe visibility using the Layer Properties dialog box.

The MOLE Symbol Editor uses a visual cue—black and gray texton the text box labels—to alert you to which attributes have theirvisibility turned on or off in the layer. If the label’s text is black,the visibility is turned on. If gray, it is turned off.

For more information on MOLE attribute data, see ‘Attribute datafield descriptions’ in Chapter 3.

Force element labels

For force element labels, the label position around the graphic inthe map display is reflected in the position of the text boxes in theMOLE Symbol Editor.

MIL-STD-2525B uses an image similar to the following one toindicate where around the MOLE graphic the attributes should bepositioned. In the following image, the graphic is represented bythe dotted border. The letters and blocks represent labelplacement in the map display around the MOLE graphic. The blue

G Comments (staffcomments)HAdditional information

M Parent

J Evaluation rating

K Combat effectiveness

L Signature equipment

N Hostile

P IFF/SIF identificationmodes and codes

W Date/Time group (DTG)

X Altitude/Depth

Y Location

V Type

T Name

Z Speed

C Quantity

AA Special C2 headquarters

E Frame shape

F Strength (reinforced or reduced)

blocks with white letters represent fields in the MOLE SymbolEditor that can be displayed around a MOLE symbol.

The attribute names under the image are taken directly fromMIL-STD-2525B. Notice how their positions around the graphicexactly match their positions around the preview image in theMOLE Symbol Editor.

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16 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

The Military Overlay Editor toolbar

When you want to perform MOLE functions within ArcGIS, turnon the Military Overlay Editor toolbar by right-clicking an ArcGIStoolbar. For example, in ArcMap, right-click a toolbar, then clickMilitary Overlay Editor.

View a brief description of each toolbar button in MOLE byresting the mouse pointer for a second or two over each button.

1. MOLE—Allows you to set echelon scales, add MOLEgraphics, and set MOLE options. See the following page fordetails.

2. Add MOLE Data—Allows you to add data compatible withMOLE to the map as MOLE layers.

3. MOLE Symbol Editor—Allows you to edit the MOLE graphicyou have selected. For more information on editing graphics,see Chapter 4, ‘Adding MOLE symbols in ArcMap’.

4. Identify Graphics—Allows you to point to force elements ortactical graphics in the map display to view information aboutthem. The information comes from the feature’s attribute table.

5. Select Graphics—Allows you to select one or more MOLEgraphics. For more information, see the selecting graphicssection in Chapter 5.

6. Toggle Leadering—Turns leadering on or off for the forceelement layer or layers selected in the TOC. Turning leaderingon moves force element graphics to a leader line, whichtypically makes the map easier to read.

7. Move Leaders—Allows you to reposition leadered forceelements to a new location, typically to clean up your mapwhen you have many leader lines displayed. Click this tool,then click a leader and drag it to a new location.

8. Toggle Stacking—Turns stacking on or off for the forceelement layers selected in the TOC.

9. Graphic Height—Allows you to resize graphics in the forceelement layer or layers selected in the TOC. You can also usethis button to resize all force element graphics in the dataframe at once by selecting the data frame in the TOC. Onceyou select the layer or layers you want, click this button, thenclick and drag in the map display to draw a rectangle. MOLEuses the height of the rectangle you draw as the new heightfor the graphics, then resizes the graphics accordingly. Alsoknown as Set Graphic Height and Set Size.

10. Size tools dropdown menu—Displays additional MilitaryOverlay Editor toolbar buttons. See the following page fordetails.

11. Refresh Graphics—Refreshes all MOLE force element andtactical graphic layers. This button also rebuilds and recachesall graphics in the MOLE graphic layers.

1 2 345 678 9QW

The Military Overlay Editor toolbar in ArcMap.

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INTRODUCING MOLE 17

1. MOLE—Allows you to set echelon scales, add MOLE graphics, and set MOLE options.

2. Add MOLE Graphic—Allows you to click the map display area to add tactical graphic symbols.

3. Echelon Scales—Opens the Echelon Scale Band Equalizer dialog box, which allows you to set up a scale-dependentdisplay for all MOLE layers in the map document based on their echelon property.

4. Options—Not available at MOLE 9.1.

5. Graphic Height—Allows you to resize graphics in the force element layer or layers selected in the TOC. You can alsouse this button to resize all force element graphics in the data frame at once by selecting the data frame in the TOC.Once you select the layer or layers you want, click this button, then click and drag in the map display to draw arectangle. MOLE uses the height of the rectangle you draw as the new height for the graphics, then resizes thegraphics accordingly. Also known as Set Graphic Height and Set Size.

6. Leader Distance—Allows you to set the minimum distance in map units that force element graphics need to be fromeach other to be grouped together on a leader. The changes are applied to the force element layer or layers selected inthe TOC. Also known as leader tolerance.

7. Text Height—Allows you to resize all labels of all MOLE tactical graphic layers in the map display. To do this, click thisbutton, then click and drag to draw a rectangle. MOLE uses the height of the rectangle you draw as the new height forthe labels.

8. Stack Distance—Allows you to set the minimum distance in map units that symbols need to be from each other to bestacked together. The changes are applied to all force element symbols in the data frame. Also known as stacktolerance.

Select one of the properties to modify from the list, click the Graphic Height button, then click and drag a box orcircle—depending on the selected parameter—to define the magnitude of the selected property. The changes areapplied to all force element symbols in the data frame. The text height attribute is applied to labels of all MOLE tacticalgraphic layers in the data frame.

1

2

356 8

7

size tools

The menus accessed from the Military Overlay Editor toolbar.For the size tools, click the tool, then click and drag a box orcircle—depending on the selected parameter—to define themagnitude of the selected property. Both menus are displayedfor illustration purposes; you cannot have both displayed atonce.4

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18 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

The Layer Properties dialog box

Tab descriptions for the force element LayerProperties dialog box

1. The General tab controls basic layer functions, such as scaledependency, layer name, and visibility.

2. The Cache tab allows you to set a database refresh rate. Thisis only needed if you are working in a multiuser databaseenvironment and others are updating the same situationdisplay that you are. You can also change the symbol thatdisplays the current selection.

3. The Symbols tab allows you to control the appearance of thesymbols in the layer. For example, you can set symbol size,set color other than MIL-STD-2525B colors, frame fills, andother specialty functions, such as hull polygons for theleaders.

4. The Fields tab allows you to substitute the database fieldMOLE uses to display text attributes, such as displaying acustom attribute in place of the standard Staff Comment fieldor Parent attribute locations. Changes made through this tabare persisted as part of the MOLE graphics layer.

5. The Labels tab allows you to specify which of the attributelabels gets displayed with the symbol. This does not controlaccess to the attributes, only whether they are displayed onthe map.

6. The Leadering tab controls the way units appear on leaderlines, the leader line style, and the line symbol used for theleader itself. You can also set the leader tolerance here.

7. The Stacking tab controls the rules used to make unit stacks.The stacking distance can also be set here.

8. The Scaling tab allows you to set echelon-dependent displayscales for the layer.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

The Layer Properties dialog box provides many options forcontrolling the display characteristics of a layer, including size,color, fill properties, labels, leadering, stacking, andscale-dependent display.

Many of the functions in the Layer Properties dialog box are alsoon the Military Overlay Editor toolbar. The main differencebetween these common functions is that the ones on the toolbarallow you to apply changes to all layers or selected layers for thegraphic type (force element or tactical graphic) at one time, whilethe Layer Properties dialog box allows you to apply changes toonly one layer at a time.

The Layer Properties dialog box for force elements

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IN THIS CHAPTER

19

Quick-start tutorial 2• Exercise 1: Displaying MOLE

symbols in ArcMap

• Exercise 2: Editing MOLE layerproperties in ArcMap

• Exercise 3: Creating MOLE layers

• Exercise 4: Displaying andworking with MOLE data inArcGlobe

Using MOLE, you can display and edit MIL-STD-2525B symbology onyour ArcGIS maps. MOLE reads the 15-character MIL-STD-2525BSymbol ID code from a feature class’s attribute table and renders the propermilitary unit or tactical graphic at that feature’s geographic location.

This tutorial guides you through setting up a situation map using friendlyforces, enemy forces, and an assortment of tactical graphics in centralTexas. The first exercise introduces you to MOLE and shows you how todisplay and modify the properties of existing MOLE feature classes. In thesecond exercise, you learn to modify the layer properties of a MOLE featureclass in detail. In the third exercise, you create new custom MOLE featureclasses in a geodatabase and add military symbols to them.

The data and maps required for these exercises are installed at <MOLEInstallation Directory>\Tutorial. You can also access them on theMilitary Analyst Suite installation CD under the Tutorial subdirectory. Forthis tutorial, it is assumed that you have a basic understanding of theMIL-STD-2525B military specification and a fundamental knowledge ofArcGIS.

Quick-start tutorial

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20 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

Exercise 1: Displaying MOLE symbols in ArcMap

First, it is important to understand that most operations thatare common in using MOLE are standard ArcMapprocedures and commands. MOLE acts as a specialrenderer that allows ArcMap to conform toMIL-STD-2525B specifications.

Starting MOLE

1. If you haven’t already, install ArcGIS and MOLE. ForMOLE installation instructions, see the MOLE readmefile at the top level of the MOLE directory on theMilitary Analyst Suite CD.

2. Click Start, All Programs, ArcGIS, ArcMap.

3. Double-click Browse for maps and navigate to <MOLEInstallation Directory>\Tutorial\MOLE_OPLAN\OPLAN_Tutorial_Ex1.mxd.

4. In the TOC (left pane), check Roads, Rivers, OpenWater, and Administrative Boundaries. You may have tospecify a data source by navigating to the MapDatasubdirectory of the directory in whichOPLAN_Tutorial_Ex1.mxd is stored.

The map should appear similar to the following image.

Now you’re ready to start MOLE by turning on theMilitary Overlay Editor toolbar.

5. In ArcMap, right-click a toolbar, then click MilitaryOverlay Editor.

The Military Overlay Editor toolbar appears. Mostbuttons on this toolbar won’t activate until you addMOLE data.

Like ArcMap toolbars, you can choose to dock or floatthe toolbar by clicking and dragging it.

3

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QUICK-START TUTORIAL 21

Opening MOLE force element layers

After you’ve opened the tutorial map, you should see somebasic roads, rivers, and other geographic features. Now addsome military unit symbols, or force elements, to your map.

1. Click the Add MOLE Data button on the MilitaryOverlay Editor toolbar.

2. In the Add MOLE Layers dialog box, navigate to<MOLE Installation Directory>\Tutorial\MOLE_OPLAN. Open the FriendlyForces feature classfrom the OPLAN.mdb geodatabase.

Note that if this .mdb file had been saved last inMOLE 2, you would have had to update it beforeopening it in ArcMap to use it. See Chapter 3, ‘Creatinga MOLE Geodatabase’ for more information onupdating the following to MOLE 9.0 or greater: MOLEdatabases, map documents, and .lyr files (or datasources linked to them).

ArcMap displays the data on the map. Note that MOLEtoolbar commands work in reference to which layers areselected in the ArcMap TOC. If Layers (the top level ofthe TOC) is highlighted, the toolbar commands functionat a global level (the command affects all layers in theTOC for the MOLE graphic type). For example, if theGraphic Height tool is used to resize symbols andLayers is selected in the TOC, all force element graphiclayers in the TOC are resized in the map display.However, if one particular layer (such asFriendlyForces) is selected, only that layer will beresized. The Text Height command is enabled onlywhen Layers, a tactical graphic layer, or no layer isselected in the TOC.

3. Repeat steps 1–2 to add the EnemyForces feature classto the map.

Your ArcMap display should now look similar to theimage below.

1

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22 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

Notice that when you add MOLE data, it is presented inthe TOC as a group layer with a features component anda corresponding graphics component.

MOLE force element layer properties

MOLE symbology consists of two different types ofgraphics: force element and tactical graphic. Forceelements are point features that represent military units,equipment, or installations. Tactical graphics are point,line, or polygon features that represent boundaries,obstacles, and directions of movement. In this section, youexplore the MOLE force element Layer Properties dialogbox.

1. In the TOC, right-click FriendlyForces Graphics, thenclick Properties.

The force element Layer Properties dialog box appears.The parameters within the tabs on the dialog box controlthe display and behavior properties for this layer.

2. Click the Symbols tab.

3. In the Size area in the Friendly Frame Height text box,type “0.02”. Be sure the Map button is selected.

4. Click OK.

Notice that the friendly forces graphics changed size.

Open the Layer Properties dialog box again and explorethe options found on each of the tabs. The LayerProperties dialog box is covered in more detail in thenext exercise; for now, simply familiarize yourself withthe available options.

Modifying MOLE layer properties from the MilitaryOverlay Editor toolbar

When you change the display properties of a MOLE layerfrom its Layer Properties dialog box, the changes are onlyapplied to that particular layer. When you modify thedisplay from the Military Overlay Editor toolbar, thechanges are applied to all applicable layers. In the next partof the tutorial, you explore how to control layer propertiesthrough the tools on the toolbar.

3

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QUICK-START TUTORIAL 23

1. Make sure Layers in the TOC is selected, then on theMilitary Overlay Editor toolbar, click the GraphicHeight button.

2. Click and drag in the map to draw a bounding rectangle.

The unit symbols on the map change size relative to theheight of the box you specified. Experiment by changingthe symbol heights. When you are ready to continue,return the symbols to approximately their original size.

3. On the Military Overlay Editor toolbar, click the ToggleLeadering button to turn on Leadering.

4. Click the Leader Distance button.

5. Click and drag in the map to draw a quarter-sized circle.

The symbols should now be grouped together in severaldifferent leaders and should appear similar to thefollowing image.

You can move the leaders around to place them in betterpositions.

6. On the Military Overlay Editor toolbar, click the MoveLeader button, then click a leader in the map and drag itto a new location in the map.

Since the force elements are leadered together, they havebeen moved from their original positions in the map.MOLE allows you to identify force elements and their truegeographic location as follows.

The leader tolerance refers to the maximum distance that forceelement features can be from each other to be grouped together ontoa leader. The greater the tolerance—or the larger the circle you draw—the greater the number of force elements that will be grouped together.

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24 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

9

8

7. In the ArcMap TOC, check the check box next toFriendlyForces Features.

The actual locations of the force elements will bedisplayed as points.

8. Click the Select Graphics button on the MilitaryOverlay Editor toolbar.

9. Click a force element symbol (either on a leader or aunit by itself).

The symbol will be outlined in red, and the pointrepresenting its ground location will be highlighted.

Opening MOLE tactical graphic layers

Now, your situation map consists of a few geographicfeatures with symbols representing the ground locations offriendly and enemy forces. To make the map an effectiveplanning tool, you need to add tactical graphics, which willaid in regulating movement of troops, including laneboundaries and obstacles. Now add some tactical graphicsto your map.

1. Click the Add MOLE Data button on the MilitaryOverlay Editor toolbar.

2. In the browse window, navigate to <MOLE InstallationDirectory>\Tutorial. Open the TacticalLines featureclass from the OPLAN.mdb geodatabase.

3. Repeat steps 1–2 to add the TacticalPoints andTacticalAreas feature classes. Your ArcMap map displayshould now be similar to the following image.

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QUICK-START TUTORIAL 25

Resizing tactical graphic text

You can resize the text associated with the tactical graphicsby using the Text Resize tool. If you select the data framefirst, you can globally resize all the tactical graphic text.You can also individually select MOLE tactical graphiclayers and resize the text on a layer-by-layer basis.

In this next exercise, you globally resize tactical graphicsby first selecting the data frame.

1. In the ArcMap TOC, select the data frame.

Selecting the data frame applies the resizing of the textto all layers in the data frame.

2. Click the Text Resize tool on the Military OverlayEditor toolbar.

3. Click and drag a rectangle on the map.

3

1

2

The height of this rectangle will set the height of all thetactical graphic text.

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26 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

Enabling tactical graphic renderers

MOLE uses different symbology renderers to displaydifferent types of tactical graphics, such as obstacles.Sometimes it is necessary to display features differentlyfrom what is suggested in the MIL-STD-2525Bspecification. The underlying design of MOLE givesapplication developers the freedom to substitute the defaultrenderers and replace them with their own. Developers canbuild their own custom renderers so that tactical graphicscan be displayed according to their criteria.

The next steps will show you how to remove the MOLEdefault renderer for displaying obstacles and replace it withanother renderer.

1. Right-click TacticalLines Graphics and click Properties.

2. Click the Renderers tab.

3. Click the Linear Obstacles (2525B Green) renderer.

4. Move it to the Available Compatible Renderers side.

5. Click Apply.

Notice that the obstacles are now magenta in color.Because the Linear Obstacles renderer was removed,MOLE does not know how to symbolize the underlyingfeatures and shows them as magenta lines. MOLEdisplays all unknown linear tactical graphics as magentalines.

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QUICK-START TUTORIAL 27

6. Click the Linear Obstacles (2525B) renderer.

7. Move it to the Associated Renderers side.

8. Click OK.

Notice that the obstacles are now drawn in black. There aretwo renderers for linear obstacles: Linear Obstacles (2525BGreen) and Linear Obstacles (2525B). One rendererdisplays the features as green symbols, while the otherdisplays them as black symbols. If both renderers wereadded to the Associated Renderers side, the renderer listedfirst would have priority. The priority of the renderers canbe changed by using the Up and Down arrows on theRenderers tab.

In this exercise, you were introduced to some basic MOLEfunctions, learned how to open MOLE data, and learneddifferent methods for modifying symbol display propertiesin ArcMap. The next exercise teaches you how to modifythe layer properties of MOLE force element layers.

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28 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

One of the most important aspects of a map is the way itpresents the information it contains. MOLE provides manyoptions for displaying force element symbols andcontrolling the appearance of your situation map.

You were introduced to the MOLE force element LayerProperties dialog box in the last exercise. In this exercise,you explore the Layer Properties dialog box in depth andpractice modifying the display properties of your MOLEforce element layers.

Opening the MOLE Layer Properties dialog box

1. If you’re continuing from Exercise 1, close the mapwithout saving changes, or save the map with a newname.

2. In ArcMap, click File and click Open to open anexisting map.

3. Navigate to <MOLE InstallationDirectory>\Tutorial\MOLE_OPLAN\OPLAN_Tutorial_Ex2.mxd and click Open.

The map document OPLAN_Tutorial_Ex2.mxd displaysin the map display area.

Exercise 2: Editing MOLE layer properties in ArcMap

The map document OPLAN_Tutorial_Ex2.mxd consists of a sampleMOLE scenario so you can practice modifying the layer properties.

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QUICK-START TUTORIAL 29

4. Right-click the FriendlyForces Graphics layer in theArcMap TOC.

5. Click Properties in the Layer menu.

The MOLE force element Layer Properties dialog boxappears.

You can also double-click the layer to open the LayerProperties dialog box.

MOLE Layer Properties Symbols tab

From the Symbols tab on the MOLE Layer Propertiesdialog box, you can modify the size and color of the forceelement symbols of a single MOLE layer. You can also addgraphics to assist in visualizing stacked and leadered forceelements; this will be covered later in this exercise.

1. Click the Symbols tab on the MOLE Layer Propertiesdialog box.

2. In the Special Combinations area, click Draw FrameBoundary Only. Observe the changes in the previewwindow.

3. Click Apply and observe the changes to the layer.

4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for the other options in the SpecialCombinations area.

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30 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

5. Click the Draw Frame Boundary and Fill button toreturn the symbols to the default symbology and clickApply.

6. Click New Style on the Layer Properties dialog box.

Only the outlines of the force element symbols are displayedwhen the Draw Frame Boundary Only option is selected.

5

7. Click the Item dropdown arrow.

8. Click Friendly Present Frame Fill from the dropdownlist.

The Symbol Properties Editor dialog box appears.

9. Click the Color dropdown arrow.

10. Click Ultra Blue.

11. Click OK.

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12. Observe the changes in the Layer Properties Symbolspreview window.

13. Click Apply and observe the changes to the layer in themap display area.

14. Click the Styles dropdown arrow, then click 2525BDefault.

15. Click Apply to revert the layer to its originalsymbology.

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There are two ways to change symbol size on the LayerProperties dialog box. One is to set the symbols to the scaleof the data frame by specifying a symbol height in mapunits, which changes symbol size when you zoom in andout of the map. The second way is to set the symbol heightto a fixed percentage of the data frame height so thesymbols remain the same size regardless of the scale.

16. Click the Map button in the Size area of the LayerProperties dialog box.

17. Double-click the value in the Friendly Frame Heighttext box to select it. Type “0.005” and click Apply.

With the Map button selected, the symbols will bedisplayed in the specified number of map units, which aredecimal degrees in this case.

18. Click the Screen button.

19. Double-click the value in the Friendly Frame Heighttext box to select it. Type “0.1” and click Apply.

The height of the symbols in the layer will be displayedat 10 percent of the data frame height and will remain atthis constant size as you zoom in and out.

20. Click the Map button.

21. Double-click the value in the Friendly Frame Heighttext box, type “0.01”, and click Apply.

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Many of the properties you change on the Layer Propertiesdialog box, such as symbol size and leadering, can also bechanged using tools on the Military Overlay Editor toolbar.The difference is that when you change properties from thetoolbar, the changes are applied to all force element layerswithin the ArcMap TOC. When you change properties fromthe Layer Properties dialog box, the changes are appliedonly to the particular layer with which you are currentlyworking. For more information, see ‘Exercise 1:Displaying MOLE symbols in ArcMap’ in this chapter.

MOLE Layer Properties Leadering tab

Leadering is a way to organize and group the force elementsymbols being displayed based on rules that you specifyfrom the Layer Properties dialog box. It is useful if youhave many overlapping symbols and want to clean up thedisplay or if you want to group related units together ordefine perimeters or areas of interest for formations.

Before you apply the leadering settings, turn on the labelsaround the symbols so the parent unit label is displayed.

1. Click the Labels tab on the Layer Properties dialog box.

2. Click the All On button and examine the choices in theAttribute Label Visibility list and the Examples previewwindow.

3. Click All Off.

4. Check the Parent Formation check box and click Apply.

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Familiarize yourself with the Leadering tab.

5. Click the Leadering tab on the Layer Properties dialog box.

6. Check the Enable Leadering check box.

7. Click each of the Leadering Rules so they are selected,and note the description of each one below the list ofrules.

You can use one or more of the following rules to specifythe leadering you want MOLE to use:

• Matching affiliation—Groups all force elements withina layer that have the same affiliation property. Thismeans all friendly symbols are placed together in aleader, all enemy graphics are placed in a differentleader, and so on.

• Matching attribute value—Groups all force elementsymbols together that have the same value for a field inthe attribute table. You specify which field you wantMOLE to use for the grouping by typing the field namein the first row of the Values column in the RuleProperties area.

• Matching higher formation—Groups all force elementsthat belong to a common higher formation, or parent unit.

• Proximity—Groups force elements that are within aspecified distance of each other. The distance can eitherbe an explicit distance in map units or a multiple of thesymbol height.

The next exercise uses the matching higher formation rule.

8. Click each of the Available Leader Styles and note theappearance of each in the preview window. EnsureBracket Leader Style (Echelon Sorted) is selected beforemoving on.

9. Check the Matching Higher Formation Rule check boxand ensure the check boxes of the other rules arecleared, then click OK.

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Now that the symbols are leadered, they have moved fromtheir original positions. To see the ground locations of thesymbols, display the FriendlyForces Features layer.

10. In the ArcMap TOC, check the FriendlyForces Featurescheck box.

11. Double-click FriendlyForces Graphics in the table ofcontents. The Layer Properties dialog box appears.

12. Click the Symbols tab on the Layer Properties dialogbox.

13. Check the check box to Draw Callout Lines onLeadered and Stacked Graphics.

14. Click Apply.

The callout lines connect the leadered MOLE symbolsto their feature points, which represent their groundlocations. If you select a feature point, itscorresponding MOLE symbol will be outlined in red.

You can also outline the groups of feature points (forceconcentrations) that compose each leader to defineattributes such as areas of responsibility or boundaries.

15. Check the Draw Convex Hulls for Leaders check box inthe Force Concentrations area and click Apply.

16. Type “0.015” in the Buffer (map units) text box andclick Apply.

Red lines will be drawn around the points contained byeach leader, and the lines will be buffered by 0.015decimal degrees.

You can change the style of the outlines on the SpecifyStack and Leader Convex Hull Symbol dialog box byclicking the Specify Fill Symbol button.

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20. Click the Leadering tab on the Layer Properties dialogbox.

21. Clear the Enable Leadering check box.

22. Click Apply.

17. Clear the Draw Callout Lines on Leadered and StackedGraphics check box.

18. Clear the Draw Convex Hulls for Leaders check box.

19. Click Apply.

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MOLE Layer Properties Stacking tab

Stacking is another way to group force element symbolstogether according to rules you specify on the LayerProperties dialog box. Symbols that meet the criteria youset are stacked on top of each other, rather than beingplaced in brackets as they are with leadering.

1. Click the Stacking tab on the Layer Properties dialogbox.

2. Check the Enable Stacking check box.

3. Click each of the Stacking Rules and note thedescription of each below the list of rules.

You can use one or more of the following rules to specifythe stacking you want MOLE to use:

• Higher formation rule—Groups all symbols that belongto a common higher formation, or parent unit.

• Matching attribute value rule—Groups all force elementsymbols together that have the same value for a field inthe attribute table. Specify which field you want MOLEto use for the grouping by typing the field name in thefirst row of the Values column in the Rule Properties area.

• Message string rule—Groups all force symbols withmatching Symbol_ID value.

• Proximity rule—Groups symbols that are within aspecified distance of each other, as it does for leadering.

4. Clear the Higher Formation Rule, Matching AttributeValue Rule, and Message String Rule check boxes.

5. Click the Proximity Rule to activate the Rule Propertiestext box.

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There are two ways to set the stacking distance. Specifyinga Tolerance value in the Rule Properties text box sets aminimum distance in map units, which MOLE uses todetermine which symbols should be stacked. Symbolswithin this distance of each other will be stacked together.The tolerance is applied to the center point of the symbols.If a Multiple value is specified, it will be multiplied by theFriendly Frame Height value—on the Symbols tab of theLayer Properties dialog box—to define the stackingdistance. In both cases, increasing the value will increasethe number of symbols being stacked.

6. Left-click and hold in the Values field in the RuleProperties text box and type “0.04”.

7. Click Apply.

The symbols within 0.04 decimal degrees of each otherwill be stacked.

8. Clear the Enable Stacking check box, then click Apply.

These are the scaling rules to create.

MOLE Layer Properties Scaling tab

MOLE allows you to set scale-dependent display of forceelement symbols from the Layer Properties dialog box. Thescale dependency is based on the layer’s echelon (unit size)property. You can set as many rules for scale dependency asyou like. This differentiates it from the Echelon ScalingEqualizer available on the Military Overlay Editor toolbar,which allows a maximum of three rules.

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1. Click the Scaling tab on the Layer Properties dialogbox.

2. Check the Filtering Enabled check box.

3. Click New Filter.

This will be the first scaling rule you set. You will set atotal of three.

4. Select Echelon Filter in the Filter Name text box andtype “Companies”.

5. Double-click in the Minimum Scale text box and type“150000”.

6. Click the Minimum Value dropdown arrow, then clickTeam/Crew(A).

7. Click the Maximum Value dropdown arrow, then clickCompany/Battery/Troop(E).

8. Double-click in the Symbol Size text box and type“0.08”.

9. Click the Screen button.

This causes force element symbols representingcompany-sized echelons and smaller to only bedisplayed when you are zoomed in to the map displayfrom the scales 1:0 to 1:150,000.

10. Click New Filter.

11. Select Echelon Filter in the Filter Name text box andtype “Battalions”.

12. Double-click in the Minimum Scale text box and type“250000”.

13. Click the Minimum Value dropdown arrow, then clickBattalion/Squadron(F).

14. Double-click in the Maximum Scale text box and type“100000”.

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15. Click the Maximum Value dropdown arrow, then clickRegiment/Group(G).

16. Double-click in the Symbol Size text box and type“0.1”.

17. Click the Screen button.

In addition to the first rule, this causes force elementsymbols representing battalion and regiment-sizedechelons to be displayed from the scales 1:100,000 to1:250,000. Note that the rules overlap and will both beapplied from 1:100,000 to 1:150,000.

18. Click New Filter.

19. Select Echelon Filter in the Filter Name text box andtype “Brigades”.

20. Double-click in the Minimum Scale text box and type“2000000”.

21. Click the Minimum Value dropdown arrow, then clickBrigade (H).

22. Double-click in the Maximum Scale text box and type“250000”.

23. Click the Maximum Value dropdown arrow, then clickDivision (I).

24. Double-click in the Symbol Size text box and type“0.12”.

25. Click the Screen button.

26. Click Apply.

In addition to the first two rules, this causes forceelement symbols representing brigade and division-sized echelons to be displayed from the scales1:250,000 to 1:2,000,000.

Now that you have set up your scaling rules, zoom in andout of the map display and notice that different symbols aredisplayed at different zoom scales. You can also manuallytype in a map scale on the ArcMap Standard toolbar toexperiment with specific scales.

Exit ArcMap without saving changes when you arefinished, or save the map with a different name.

In this exercise, you learned in detail how to modify andcontrol the layer properties of an existing MOLE forceelement layer and saw how MOLE allows you to optimizethe appearance of your map. In the next exercise, you areintroduced to the process of creating new MOLE featureclasses and populating them with symbols.

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Exercise 3: Creating MOLE layers

In this exercise, you create a personal geodatabase withtwo custom MOLE feature classes—a force element layer(point) and a tactical graphic layer (line in this case)—andadd features to it. It is recommended that you use customMOLE feature classes in a geodatabase rather thanshapefiles. In a geodatabase, you can use the MOLESymbol Editor to add and edit force elements and tacticalgraphics. If your MOLE features are stored in shapefiles, toedit or add new features, you must manually enter theMIL-STD-2525B Symbol ID codes associated with thefeatures into the shapefile’s attribute table. For moreinformation on geodatabases, see Building a Geodatabasein the ArcGIS documentation set. For more information onshapefiles and MOLE, see Chapter 1, ‘Introducing MOLE’.For more information on using ArcCatalog, see UsingArcCatalog in the ArcGIS documenation set.

Note: If you are using an ArcView® license, you will not beable to create a MOLE custom object feature class. Youcan, however, copy and modify existing custom objectfeature classes. Included on the MOLE installation CD is asingle-user geodatabase named MOLE_BLANK.mdb. Itcontains an empty MOLE custom feature class for eachpossible type of MOLE feature. Copy the geodatabase to afolder on your computer, then complete the followingsteps. If you are an ArcEditor™ or ArcInfo® user, skip to‘Creating a personal geodatabase’ in this exercise.

MOLE_BLANK.mdb for ArcView users

If you are using ArcEditor or ArcInfo, skip to ‘Creating apersonal geodatabase’ and continue with the exercise.

1. Start ArcCatalog by double-clicking a shortcut installedon your desktop or using the Programs list on your Startmenu.

2. In the Catalog tree in the ArcCatalog window, navigateto the <MOLE InstallationDirectory>\Tutorial\MOLE_databases folder.Right-click MOLE_BLANK.mdb and click Rename.

3. Type “Sitmap” and press Enter.

4. Expand Sitmap.mdb in the Catalog tree by clicking theplus sign (+) next to it. Right-click ForceElement andclick Copy.

5. Right-click Sitmap.mdb in the Catalog tree and clickPaste. Click OK in the Data Transfer window.

There will now be a feature class named ForceElementand one named ForceElement_1 in Sitmap.mdb.

6. Right-click ForceElement in the Catalog tree and clickRename. Type “Allies” and press Enter.

7. Right-click ForceElement_1 and click Rename. Type“Axis” and press Enter.

8. Right-click the TacticalGraphicLine feature class inSitmap.mdb and click Rename. Type “Graphics” andpress Enter.

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9. Skip to ‘Adding MOLE force element layers to theArcMap display’ and continue with the exercise.

Creating a personal geodatabase

1. Start ArcCatalog by double-clicking a shortcut installedon your desktop or using the Programs list on your Startmenu.

2. Navigate to the folder where you saved your MOLEtutorial data in the Catalog tree of the ArcCatalogwindow. Right-click the Tutorial folder, click New, thenclick Personal Geodatabase.

An empty geodatabase, New PersonalGeodatabase.mdb, appears in the Catalog tree.

3. Right-click the file New Personal Geodatabase.mdb,then click Rename.

4. Type “Sitmap” and press Enter.

Creating custom MOLE force element featureclasses

1. Right-click Sitmap.mdb in the Catalog tree, click New,then click Feature Class.

2. Type “Allies” in the Name text box on the New FeatureClass dialog box.

3. Click the button to store custom objects.

4. Click the custom objects dropdown arrow.

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5. Click MOLE Force Element from the dropdown list.

6. Click Next in the New Feature Class dialog box, thenclick Yes in the message box asking if you want supportfor z-values.

7. Click Next again, keeping the Default button selected.

8. Click Shape in the Field Name list. In the FieldProperties list, ensure that Spatial Reference is set toGCS_WGS_1984. If it is, click Finish and skip tostep 13.

9. If the Spatial Reference is not set to GCS_WGS_1984,click the browse button next to the Spatial Referencefield.

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10. Click Select on the Spatial Reference Properties dialogbox.

11. In the browse window, click Geographic CoordinateSystems, click World, then click WGS 1984.prj. Thenclick Add.

12. Click OK on the Spatial Reference Properties dialogbox, then click Finish.

13. Repeat the preceding steps to create another MOLEforce element feature class, “Axis”, in the Sitmapgeodatabase.

Next you will create a MOLE tactical graphic customfeature class.

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Before opening the MOLE layers, you should display abase layer to use as a geographic reference for addingMOLE symbols in your area of interest. For this exercise,use the tutorial data for the background.

4. Click the Add Data button on the ArcMap Standardtoolbar.

5. Navigate to the tutorial folder, open theMOLE_OPLAN\Ex1Data folder, and openTexas_Sub.lyr.

6. Click the Add MOLE Data button on the MilitaryOverlay Editor toolbar.

7. Navigate to Sitmap.mdb and open Graphics.

8. Click the Add MOLE Data button on the MilitaryOverlay Editor toolbar.

9. Navigate to Sitmap.mdb and open the Allies and Axisfeature classes.

The feature classes are now displayed in the ArcMap TOC.Note that each MOLE layer is actually a group layercomposed of a simple point or line feature layer and aMOLE symbol layer.

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Creating custom MOLE tactical graphic featureclasses

1. Repeat steps 1–4 from the last procedure, creating thefeature class “Graphics”.

2. Click MOLE Tactical Graphic Line from the customobjects dropdown list.

3. Repeat steps 6–12 from the last procedure.

Adding MOLE force element layers to the ArcMapdisplay

The feature classes you created in the previous set of stepsare initially empty. The next step is to populate them withMOLE symbols. Because you created custom featureclasses in a geodatabase, you will be able to take advantageof the MOLE Symbol Editor, which makes it easy to editthe feature classes and add symbols to them. First, youneed to open the feature classes in ArcMap.

1. Start ArcMap by double-clicking a shortcut installed onyour desktop or using the Programs list on your Startmenu.

2. Click OK on the ArcMap startup dialog box to open anempty map.

3. If not already open, open the Military Overlay Editortoolbar, following the steps in Exercise 1.

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10. Check the check boxes next to Axis Features, AlliesFeatures, and Graphics Features in the TOC to turnthem on.

To add symbols to the MOLE layers, you must edit thefeature layers.

Adding symbols to MOLE force element layers(Allies layer)

1. Click the Editor toolbar button on the ArcMap standardtoolbar.

2. Click the Editor dropdown arrow on the Editor toolbarand click Start Editing.

The Start Editing dialog box opens.

3. Click Personal Geodatabase.

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Add features to the Allies force element layer first.

5. Ensure Allies Features: Allies is selected on the Editortoolbar as the target and Create New Feature is selectedas the task.

6. Click the Create New Feature button on the Editortoolbar.

7. Click in the map display area to place a point near thelake to the north.

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The MOLE unknown force element feature symbolappears and is selected.

8. Click the MOLE Symbol Editor button on the MilitaryOverlay Editor toolbar.

The MOLE Symbol Editor dialog box opens. The textboxes around the symbol represent the fields in the MOLEfeature attribute table. Values entered in these text boxeswill appear as text labels around the symbols in the display.See Exercise 2 in this chapter for more information onlabels.

The Force Element Symbol Editor provides an interfacethat allows you to quickly change the properties of anexisting force element in the map display. You canmanually enter the Symbol ID (15-character code) of thedesired element or choose from the list. Changes made tothe element are applied to the Symbol ID and saved in thelayer’s feature attribute table.

9. Expand the Ground Track branch of the tree.

Scroll down the list and note the units that are available.

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10. Type “Infantry” in the Search for box and press Enter.

Notice that only infantry units display in the list.

11. Click the Airborne entry from the Catalog tree.

Note that the symbol in the MOLE Symbol Editor isupdated. The Symbol_ID field at the bottom of thedialog box is also updated.

12. Click the Affiliation dropdown arrow and click Friend.

13. Click the Echelon/Mobility dropdown arrow and clickDivision.

14. Click the Country dropdown arrow and click UnitedStates (US).

15. Click the Order of Battle dropdown arrow and clickGround.

The MOLE Symbol Editor should look like the one inthe following illustration.

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16. Click OK.

Adding symbols to MOLE force element layers(Axis layer)

Now repeat the previous steps to add a chemical weaponsraw materials production facility symbol to the Axis layer.

1. Click the Target dropdown arrow on the Editor toolbarand click Axis Features : Axis.

2. Ensure the edit task is set to Create New Feature, thenclick the Create New Feature button on the Editortoolbar.

3. Click in the map display area to place a point above thelake to the south as shown on the next page.

MOLE draws a yellow, clover-shaped symbol toindicate the required properties have not been set yet.

4. With the new symbol selected, click the MOLE SymbolEditor button on the Military Overlay Editor toolbar.

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This time, the symbol you add will be a groundinstallation type element.

5. Expand the Ground Track > Installation branch of thetree.

6. In the Search box, type “NBC” for nuclear, biological,and chemical, then press Enter.

7. Click Chemical in the list of elements matching thesearch to select it.

8. Set the Affiliation to Hostile and keep the default valuesfor the remaining fields.

9. Click OK.

10. Save your edits.

Note how the friendly and hostile graphic types aredifferent, as specified in MIL-STD-2525B. You canexperiment with adding other types of force elements andchanging the affiliation and echelon/mobility properties tosee the different graphic types that are available.

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Adding MOLE tactical graphics

Adding MOLE tactical graphics to a map is similar toadding force elements. In this part of the exercise, youcreate an axis of advance tactical graphic that is amultipoint arrow.

Most tactical graphic renderers are not turned on bydefault, so the first step in adding a tactical graphic is oftento enable its renderer.

For this part of the exercise, it is assumed you’vecompleted the first part, your Military Overlay Editortoolbar and layers are displayed, and you have startedediting.

1. Double-click the Graphics Symbols layer in the TOC toopen the Layer Properties dialog box.

2. Click the Renderers tab on the Layer Properties dialogbox.

3. Click Multipoint Arrows in the Available CompatibleRenderers list.

4. Click the arrow to place the renderer in the AssociatedRenderers list.

5. Follow steps 3 and 4 for FLOT (2525B) and LinearObstacles (2525B), then click OK.

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6. Click the Target dropdown arrow on the Editor toolbarand click Graphics Features.

7. Ensure Create New Feature is selected in the Task liston the Editor toolbar.

8. Click the Create New Feature button on the Editortoolbar.

9. Click in the map display area to place the first vertex ofthe line to the left of the force element symbol youcreated earlier.

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10. Continue placing vertices, about four or five more, untilyou add the second-to-last one near the border of theenemy force element symbol.

Now you are ready to create the arrowhead and finishadding the arrow. You create the arrowhead when youadd the last vertex. The placement of the last vertexdetermines the size and shape of the arrowhead.

11. Click in the display to add the last vertex, as shown inthe illustration in the right column of this page. Youmust follow two rules when adding the last vertex. Theline segment you create when you add the last vertex:

• Must form an acute angle with the previous linesegment

• Must not extend beyond the previous line segment

The area between the blue lines in the illustration belowindicates the allowable area for the last vertex.

For details on the MOLE logic behind renderingmultipoint arrows, see the symbol rendering section inChapter 4, ‘Adding MOLE symbols in ArcMap’.

If you do not position the last vertex in the allowablearea, MOLE cannot render the arrow and, instead,draws a curved magenta line with no arrowhead.

12. To complete the tacticalgraphic, press F2 orright-click and clickFinish Sketch.

Your tactical graphicshould look similar to thearrow in the image to theright. By default, adirection of main attackarrow will be drawn andselected.

Valid placement oflast vertex

Invalid(angle notacute)

Invalid (extendsbeyond previous

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13. Click the MOLE Symbol Editor button on the MilitaryOverlay Editor toolbar.

The MOLE Symbol Editor dialog box opens.

As with force elements, the text boxes around thesymbol represent the fields in the MOLE featureattribute table. Values entered in these text boxes willappear as text labels around the symbols in the display.

14. Expand the Command & Control and GeneralManeuver branch of the tree.

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16. Click OK.

17. Save your edits.

18. Uncheck the Graphics Feature check box in the TOC.

You can continue adding force elements and tacticalgraphics to your map. When finished, save your edits andsave changes to the map.

In this exercise, you learned how to create custom MOLEfeature classes in a geodatabase in ArcCatalog. You alsopracticed editing the feature classes and adding forceelements and tactical graphics to them. The remainingchapters in this guide can help reinforce and expand uponwhat you have learned in these exercises.

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Exercise 4: Displaying and working with MOLE data in ArcGlobe

Working with MOLE data in ArcGlobe is very similar toworking with it in ArcMap except that you’re working in athree-dimensional environment. When working withMOLE in ArcGlobe, keep in mind these basic concepts:

• Force element graphics are always associated with pointfeatures, and tactical graphics are associated with point,line, or polygon features.

• You extrude lines and polygons when you make themthree-dimensional; but you billboard point features. Youcan apply the draping display type to any MOLEgraphic (to any feature type).

• Extrude and billboard apply to the graphic associatedwith the feature.

This exercise steps you through adding, displaying, andworking with MOLE data in ArcGlobe. In the first set oftasks in this exercise, you work with force elements; in thesecond set, you work with tactical graphics.

Adding and displaying MOLE data

1. If you haven’t already, install the ArcGIS 3D AnalystTM

extension.

2. Click Start, All Programs, ArcGIS, ArcGlobe.

ArcGlobe opens. The following image shows ArcGlobeafter you first start it.

For more information on installing 3D Analyst orstarting ArcGlobe, see Chapter 6, ‘Using MOLE withother ESRI products’.

3. Add the Military Overlay Editor toolbar in ArcGlobe byright-clicking any toolbar, then clicking MilitaryOverlay Editor.

The Military Overlay Editor toolbar displays. It containsa subset of the tools on the ArcMap version of theMilitary Overlay Editor toolbar.

4. Click the Add MOLE Data button on the MOLE toolbar.

5. On the Add MOLE Layers dialog box, navigate to theOPLAN tutorial data. By default, this data is installed

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QUICK-START TUTORIAL 53

with MOLE to the <MOLE Installation Directory>\Tutorial\Mole_oplan directory.

6. Double-click OPLAN.mdb, click Friendly Forces, thenclick Add.

The MOLE data is now in ArcGlobe. You can check thisby seeing if a new group layer called FriendlyForcesappears in the ArcGlobe TOC pane.

7. In the ArcGlobe TOC, right-click the FriendlyForcesGraphics layer and click Zoom To Layer.

The map should appear similar to the following image.

Resizing force elements

Next you’ll resize the force elements you just added.

1. In the ArcGlobe TOC, right-click the FriendlyForcesGraphics layer, then click Properties.

2. On the Layer Properties dialog box, click the Symbolstab.

3. In the Friendly Frame Height text box, type “0.01” toindicate 0.01 map units.

4. Click OK.

Now you can use the ArcGlobe Navigate tool to changethe display so you can see the symbols on their calloutlines.

Your map should look similar to the following image.

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54 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

Changing the three-dimensional display type offorce elements

Three-dimensional display types for force elements includedrape, billboard, and drape and billboard. For moreinformation on these display types, see the ArcGlobesection of Chapter 6, ‘Using MOLE with other ESRIproducts’.

In this task you change the three-dimensional display typeof force elements to drape and billboard.

1. In the ArcGlobe TOC, right-click the FriendlyForcesGraphics layer and click Properties.

2. On the Layer Properties dialog box, click the 3DDisplay tab, then click Drape and Billboard.

3. Click OK.

Your map should appear similar to the following image.

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QUICK-START TUTORIAL 55

Change thickness and color of a force elementcallout line

Next change the thickness and color of the callout line.

1. In the ArcGlobe TOC, right-click the FriendlyForcesGraphics layer, then clickProperties.

2. On the Layer Propertiesdialog box, click the 3DDisplay tab.

3. In the Width text box,type “5” to change thecallout line thickness tofive units.

4. To change the color of thecallout line, click thecolor selection dropdownarrow.

5. In the color palette thatdisplays, click the colorLight Vert.

6. Click OK to close theLayer Properties dialogbox and apply yourchanges.

Your map should appear similar to the following image.

Adding enemy force elements

See if you can add the force element layer for enemy forcesand symbolize it the same way you symbolized the friendlyforces graphics layer. But instead of using the color LightVert for the callout line, use Medium Coral or a color thatis in the red color family. When finished, your map shouldlook similar to the following image.

5

MOLE callout lines in ArcGlobe

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56 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

Adding tactical graphics

Adding tactical graphics in ArcGlobe is the same as addingforce elements.

1. If you haven’t already, install the ArcGIS 3D Analystextension.

2. Click Start, All Programs, ArcGIS, ArcGlobe.

ArcGlobe opens.

For more information on installing 3D Analyst orstarting ArcGlobe, see Chapter 6, ‘Using MOLE withother ESRI products’.

3. In ArcGlobe, click the Add MOLE Data button on theMilitary Overlay Editor toolbar.

4. On the Add MOLE Layers dialog box, navigate to theOPLAN tutorial data. By default, this data is installedwith MOLE to the <MOLE InstallationDirectory>\Tutorial\Mole_oplan directory.

5. Double-click OPLAN.mdb, click TacticalLines, thenclick Add.

MOLE adds the tactical graphics to the ArcGlobe mapdisplay. The map display should appear similar to thefollowing image if you performed the previousexercises.

Resize tactical graphic labels (text)

1. In the ArcGlobe TOC, click the MOLE graphic layerTacticalLines.

The Text Height button appears on the Military OverlayEditor toolbar.

2. Click the Text Height button.

3. In the map display, click and drag to create a smallrectangle.

MOLE redraws the labels so their height matches theheight of the box you drew.

Change the three-dimensional display type fortactical graphics

1. In the ArcGlobe TOC, right-click the TacticalLinesgraphics layer and click Properties.

When you open the Layer Properties dialog box for aline graphic layer, the Drape and Extrude displays wherethe Drape and Billboard option displayed for the forceelements (point) graphic layer.

2. On the Layer Properties dialog box, click the 3DDisplay tab, then click Drape and Extrude.

3. Type “2000” in the Height text box.

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QUICK-START TUTORIAL 57

4. Click OK.

MOLE applies the Drape and Extrude display type tothe tactical graphics you selected in the TOC, uses anextrusion height of 2,000 units, and draws the graphicsin the map display.

5. Use the ArcGlobe Navigate tool to pan and zoom in andout of the 3D graphics and observe their behavior as youmove around them.

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IN THIS CHAPTER

59

With MOLE you can take advantage of the functionality offered by theArcGIS geodatabase data model. By using a geodatabase—personal ormultiuser—you can leverage all the features of MOLE and all the additionalcapabilities that using a geodatabase provides.

If you are building MOLE data for the first time, it is recommended youcreate it in a personal or multiuser geodatabase instead of a shapefile. If youwant to use MOLE with shapefiles instead or are working on anon-Windows® system, review the shapefile section in Chapter 1,‘Introducing MOLE’.

Although you can use MOLE to create MIL-STD-2525B symbology for anysupported ArcGIS vector format, you may not have access to some of themore advanced MOLE functionality.

The steps required to create a MOLE geodatabase are discussed in thischapter.

If you are planning to create multiuser enterprise databases, read Building aGeodatabase. You’ll find this book in the ArcGIS documentation set or forpurchase at www.esri.com.

• MOLE feature types

• Creating a geodatabase

• Creating MOLE feature classes

• Attribute data field descriptions

• Creating MOLE geodatabases(ArcView users)

• Updating MOLE datasets

Creating a MOLE geodatabase 3

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60 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

MOLE organizes all the different object types found inMIL-STD-2525B into two categories: force elements and tacticalgraphics.

Force elements

Force elements are a category of symbols that represent unit,equipment, and installation military features. They arerepresented in the geodatabase as point feature classes. Thesesymbols include battle dimensions for space, air, ground, seasurface, sea subsurface, special operations forces, and others.

Force element symbols have properties and behaviors that MOLEmanages automatically. Symbols that are located close together,within a user-defined tolerance, can be rendered on leader lines.Identical units that occur at the same location can be stacked.These properties, along with other symbol display details, arecontrolled by the MOLE Layer Property tabs in ArcMap.

MOLE feature types

Tactical graphics

Tactical graphics symbolize other military operations, such asmovement, obstacles, and areas of operations. These symbols areline and area as well as point feature classes in the geodatabase.

These symbols appear in Appendix B of the MIL-STD-2525Bdocumentation. They are sometimes referred to by a hierarchycode (2.x).

Tactical graphic layers are different from force element layers.Tactical graphics are drawn using custom renderers, which allowadding new or customized versions of tactical graphic symbols.

MOLE further subdivides tactical graphics into six groups,according to 2525B categories: tasks, C2 and general maneuver,mobility/survivability, fire support, combat support, and other.Each of these can also have different feature types, points, lines,or polygons.

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CREATING A MOLE GEODATABASE 61

Creating ageodatabaseA geodatabase is a relationaldatabase that supports a modelof topologically integratedfeature classes. It also supportscomplex feature types andrelationships. The geodatabasemodel is an object-orientedvector data model. Entities arerepresented as objects withproperties, behaviors, andrelationships.

MOLE creates class extensionswithin a geodatabase. Theseclass extensions will automati-cally define the MIL-STD-2525Battributes that are required forproper symbolization along witha number of validation rulesspecific to MOLE. In addition,by utilizing MOLE geodatabaseclass extensions, you have theability to use the MOLE SymbolEditor, which is discussed in thefollowing chapter. u

Creating a personalgeodatabase

1. Start ArcCatalog.

2. Navigate to the folder whereyou want to create the newgeodatabase in theArcCatalog Catalog tree.Right-click the folder, point toNew, then click PersonalGeodatabase.

3. On the Contents tab of theArcCatalog window,right-click New PersonalGeodatabase.mdb in theCatalog tree and clickRename.

4. Type a new name for thegeodatabase and pressEnter.

You now have an emptygeodatabase within whichyou can create MOLE featureclasses.

See Also

See Building a Geodatabase forcomplete information on thegeodatabase data model.

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62 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

Creating feature datasets

1. Right-click the geodatabasein which you want to create afeature dataset, point to New,then click Feature Dataset.

2. Type a name for the featuredataset in the Name text boxof the New Feature Datasetdialog box.

3. Click Edit to open the SpatialReference Properties dialogbox.

4. Define the spatial referenceof the feature dataset. ClickSelect to choose apredefined coordinatesystem, or click Import to usethe coordinate system ofanother feature dataset orfeature class. Click the X/Y, Z,and M domain tabs to definethe spatial domain andprecision of the dataset. ClickOK when you are finishedsetting the spatial referenceproperties.

5. Click OK on the New FeatureDataset dialog box.

Feature datasets are primarilydesigned to contain featureclasses that are topologicallyconnected; you can use them toorganize your MOLE featureclasses. When you create afeature dataset, you can definea spatial reference for it. Thespatial reference properties willautomatically be applied to allthe feature classes that aresubsequently created within thefeature dataset. You can createmultiple feature datasets withina single geodatabase, each witha different spatial reference, ifso desired.

See Also

See Building a Geodatabase formore information on featuredatasets.

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CREATING A MOLE GEODATABASE 63

Creating a force elementfeature class

1. Right-click the featuredataset in which you want tocreate the feature class, pointto New, then click FeatureClass.

To create a standalonefeature class in ageodatabase, right-click thedesired geodatabase ratherthan the feature dataset. Allother steps are the same.

2. Type a name for the featureclass in the Name text box onthe New Feature Classdialog box.

Optionally, type an alias forthe feature class.

3. Click the button to storecustom objects.

4. In the Type area, click thecustom objects dropdownarrow and click MOLE ForceElement.

5. Click Next.

6. You will be asked if you wantto add z-values. If your datasource will supply or supportz-values, click Yes. Other-wise, click No.

7. Accept the defaults and clickNext on the following dialogbox, then click Finish.

Creating MOLEfeature classesWhen you create a MOLEgeodatabase feature class, youcan either create it within afeature dataset, or it can be astandalone feature classdirectly within the geodatabase.When you create a feature classwithin a feature dataset, thefeature class automaticallyobtains the spatial reference(coordinate system and spatialdomain) of the feature dataset.When you create a MOLEfeature class directly in ageodatabase, MOLE assigns adefault spatial reference to it.The default coordinate systemis Geographic WGS84. Thesteps in this task will covercreating a force element featureclass within a feature dataset.

Tip

Z-valuesIf the data source for your forceelement points has z-values thatyou want to maintain, you mustspecify that when you create thefeature class. You cannot addz-value support once the featureclass is created.

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64 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

Creating a tacticalgraphic feature class

1. Follow steps 1–3 in theprevious task to create a newgeodatabase feature class.

2. In the Type area, click thecustom objects dropdownarrow, then click any of theMOLE custom object typesother than MOLE ForceElement.

3. Follow steps 5–7 from theprevious task.

Repeat these steps asnecessary to create thefeature classes for yourapplication. Note that theclass extensions installedwith MOLE choose theappropriate feature type—point, line, or area—for youautomatically according tothe tactical graphic customobject type you select.

Tip

MOLE custom object typesThere are several MOLE customobjects you can define when settingup your feature classes.

• MOLE Force Element

• MOLE Tactical Graphic Area

• MOLE Tactical Graphic Line

• MOLE Tactical Graphic Point

Tip

Custom feature classes inMOLEMOLE uses geodatabase classextensions to create specific featureclass types for the categories oftactical graphics inMIL-STD-2525B. These classextensions also tell MOLE whichrenderers are valid for eachfeature class, so you don’t have tosearch long lists of items to find aparticular graphic. MOLEmanages that classification for you.

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CREATING A MOLE GEODATABASE 65

Attribute datafield descriptionsMOLE derives labels for itsgraphics from MOLE attributedata. Apart from Symbol_IDand a few attributes required byArcGIS, such as Shape, allMOLE attribute data is used forlabels.

You can add and edit thisattribute data in the MOLESymbol Editor or in the attributetable. You can also use existingattribute data for labels.

When you add an attribute (alabel), MOLE positions itaround the graphic inaccordance withMIL-STD-2525B positiondescriptions. For an overviewof MOLE attribute data andpositioning of labels, see ‘TheMOLE Symbol Editor’ inChapter 1.

The tables to the right givedetails for MOLE attributes.

If the field name (left column) isbold, the field is either requiredto have that exact name or youmust map your existing fields tothose fields to display labels.There are several ways to useexisting field names in MOLE. u

Point tactical graphics

Field name Type Default

character limit

Symbol_ID Text 15

Name Text 20Name1 Text 20Info Text 50Info1 Text 50Info2 Text 50Location Text 20DTG Text 20DTG1 Text 20Etype Text 10Speed Text 10Direction Double na

Line tactical graphics

Field name Type Default

character limit

Symbol_ID Text 15Name Text 20Name1 Text 20Location Text 20DTG Text 20DTG1 Text 20Info Text 20Info1 Text 20Etype Text 20

Area tactical graphics

Field name Type Default

character limit

Symbol_ID Text 15Name Text 20Name1 Text 20Info Text 50Info1 Text 50Info2 Text 50Location Text 20DTG Text 20DTG1 Text 20Etype Text 10Quantity Text 10

Force elements

Field name Type Default

character limit

Symbol_ID Text 15Name Text 20Parent Text 20SComment Text 50Info Text 50Strength Text 5EvalRating Text 2Location Text 20Alt_Depth Text 10Speed Text 10DTG Text 20HQ Text 10Quantity Text 10EType Text 20Effective Text 10Signature Text 10IFFSIF Text 10

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66 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

For more information on using existing field names in MOLE, see‘Getting started with MOLE’ in Chapter 1. For more informationon Speed and Direction fields for point tactical graphics, see‘Symbology rendering in MOLE’ in Chapter 4.

Required field names for MOLE feature classes

When MOLE adds feature classes, it looks for specific fields inthe attribute table of the feature class by which to render thesymbology and text labels of the features.

For example, if you have a force element feature class with anattribute field named Parent, MOLE will add the values in thatfield as labels at the bottom-right corner of the symbols in thelayer. Similarly, if the same attribute field is given an alias ofParent, but the field name is different, MOLE will still display thevalues in the field at the same location around the symbols.

In short, MOLE honors both attribute field names and aliaseswhen it renders labels. Either the field name or the alias mustconform to the naming conventions in the tables on the previouspage for the labels to be displayed. The Symbol ID is different,however. The field containing Symbol ID values must be namedSymbol_ID. Even if the field alias is Symbol_ID, the MOLEsymbology will not be displayed if the field name is notSymbol_ID.

When you create a custom object feature class, MOLE willautomatically create the necessary attribute fields with the correctfield names or aliases. The field names are only a concern if youare planning to create custom MOLE applications or design aMOLE database and do not want to use the default MOLEcustom object feature classes. Note that it is not necessary tocreate all the fields in the tables on the previous page for aparticular feature class. However, if you want particular labelsdisplayed with the MOLE graphics, the attribute fields containing

the values for those labels must either be named or aliasedaccording to the tables.

Default character limits

When creating new MOLE feature classes in a geodatabase,MOLE creates attribute fields, each of which has a defaultmaximum number of characters you can specify for its value untilMOLE truncates the value. For example, if you type an entry in afield in the MOLE Symbol Editor that exceeds the character limitfor that field, MOLE truncates the entry and, as a result, does notstore the removed characters in the source data upon save. TheMOLE Symbol Editor indicates via message boxes whether or notan entry exceeds this limit. Default character limits are also knownas length.

Force element attribute data field descriptions

The table on the following page, excerpted from MIL-STD-2525Band adapted for this guide, lists field descriptions for forceelement attribute data. This attribute data is used for labels.

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CREATING A MOLE GEODATABASE 67

Date/Time A label for units, equipment, and installations that displays traditional military Date/Time group format: DDHHMMSSZMONYY.

Quantity A label for an equipment graphic that identifies the number of items present.

Strength A label for a unit that displays (+) for reinforced, (-) for reduced, and (+/-) for reinforced and reduced.

Comment A label for units, equipment, and installations; content is implementation specific.

More Info A label for units, equipment, and installations; content is implementation specific.

Parent A label for units that indicates the number or title of a higher-echelon command (corps are designated by Roman numerals).

Effectiveness A label that indicates unit effectiveness or installation capability.IFF/SIF A label that displays IFF/SIF identification modes and codes.

Signature A label for hostile equipment; “!” indicates detectable electronic signatures.

Rating A label for units, equipment, and installations that consists of a one-letter reliability rating and a one-letter credibility rating: Reliability ratings: A-completely reliable, B-usually reliable, C-fairly reliable, D-not usually reliable, E-unreliable, F-cannot be judged. Credibility ratings: 1-confirmed by other sources, 2-probably true, 3-possibly true, 4-doubtfully true, 5-improbable, 6-cannot be judged.

HQ A label for units; indicator is contained inside the frame; contains

the name of the special C2 headquarters. Speed A label for units, equipment, and installations that displays

velocity as set forth in the United States Message Text Formatting Program specification, MIL-STD-6040.

Name A label for units, equipment, and installations that uniquely identifies a particular graphic; also known as track number. Identifies acquisition number when used with SIGINT symbology.

Type A label that indicates type of equipment.Location A label for units, equipment, and installations that displays a

graphic’s location in degrees, minutes, and seconds (or in UTM or other applicable display format).

Alt/Depth A label for units, equipment, and installations that displays the altitude portion of GPS; flight level for aircraft; depth for submerged objects; height in feet of equipment or structures on the ground.

Field descriptions for force element attribute data

Using the Type field for tactical graphics

The role of the Type field is different from that of the other fieldsin the Modifiers area of the MOLE Symbol Editor. It is a graphicalproperty for specific symbols. In other words, values entered heredo not appear as labels around the selected symbol but, instead,change its appearance. This only applies to the followinggraphics: tactical graphic areas/minefields/dynamic depiction(symbol ID G*M*OFD) and tactical graphic points/minefields/static depiction (symbol ID G*M*OFS). The following tablecontains the valid input values, which are not case sensitive, forthe possible mine types. If any other value is entered or if theType field is blank, MOLE displays unspecified mines by default.

The table on the following page describes each of the text fieldsin the tactical graphic MOLE Symbol Editor dialog box.

Mine Type Valid ValuesAntipersonnel Mine OMP, OMP---, ANTIPERSONNEL, APAntitank Mine OMT, OMT---, ANTITANK, AT

Antitank Mine + Anti-Handling Device

OMD, OMD---, ANTITANK ANTIHANDLING, ANTIHANDLING ANTITANK, AT AH, AH AT, AHAT, ATH, HAT

Directional Antitank Mine

OME, OME---, ANTITANK DIRECTIONAL, DIRECTIONAL ANTITANK, AT D, D AT, ATD, DAT

Unspecified Mine OMU, OMU---, UNSPECIFIED

Wide Area MineOMW, OMW---, WIDE AREA MINES, WIDE, WIDE AREA, W, WA, WAM

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Name

A text modifier that uniquely identifies a particular tactical graphic; also known as track number. Nuclear: delivery unit (missile, aircraft, satellite.)

InformationA text modifier for tactical graphics; content is implementation specific.

Date/TimeA text modifier that displays DTG format: DDHHMMSSZMONYY.

Location

A text modifier that displays a graphic’s location in degrees, minutes, and seconds (or in UTM or other applicable display format).

Type A text modifier that indicates mine type.

QuantityA text modifier in a nuclear symbol that identifies the detonation in kilotons; yield (can be displayed in decimals).

Direction

A graphic modifier for nuclear, biological, and chemical events that identifies the direction of movement (see paragraph 5.5.2.1 and figure 11 of MIL-STD-2525B).

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CREATING A MOLE GEODATABASE 69

Creating MOLEgeodatabases(ArcView users)MOLE uses geodatabasefeature classes with customobjects to perform manyfunctions involving editing andsymbol creation. The previoustasks outline the steps involvedin creating such feature classes.The ability to create featureclasses that store customobjects is supported byArcEditor and ArcInfo but notArcView. If you are usingMOLE with an ArcView license,you will not be able to createMOLE feature classes withcustom objects. However, inArcView you can use customfeature classes by makingcopies of and renaming existingcustom feature classes. On theMOLE installation CD–ROM,you will find a MOLEgeodatabase template,MOLE_BLANK.mdb, you canuse to create your owngeodatabases if you have anArcView license. The templatescontain an empty feature classfor each of the MOLE customobject types. You can alsodelete or copy any of thefeature classes within thetemplate database to suit yourneeds. You can use thedatabase for any MOLEapplication.

Using theMOLE_BLANK.mdbgeodatabase

1. Copy MOLE_BLANK.mdbfrom the installation CD toyour local computer.

2. Navigate to the folder inwhich you savedMOLE_BLANK.mdb in theArcCatalog Catalog tree.Right-clickMOLE_BLANK.mdb and clickRename, then type the newname.

3. Expand MOLE_BLANK.mdbin the Catalog tree byclicking the plus sign to viewthe feature classes it con-tains.

To add more feature classesto the geodatabase, copyand paste the appropriatefeature classes in thegeodatabase.

4. Right-click the feature classtype you want to add andclick Copy.

5. Right-click the geodatabaseto which you want to add thefeature class and click Paste.

6. Click OK on the DataTransfer dialog box.

The feature class will beadded to the specifiedgeodatabase. You can copy,paste, and rename thefeature classes in thetemplate geodatabase asyour project requires.

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70 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

Updating MOLE datasets

In some MOLE releases, the MOLE attribute data schemachanges, requiring you to update your existing datasets. If yourdataset meets one of the following conditions, you must updatethe dataset. Step-by-step procedures for updating your datasetare provided in this section.

Conditions that require you to perform an update procedure:

• If you want to use MOLE 2 data in MOLE 9.0 or greater

• If you want to use wind barbs (meteorological graphics forwind) and your dataset was created in MOLE 9.0 or earlier

Schema changes

Schema changes are documented in the release notes of eachrelease. The most significant schema changes since MOLE 2 are:

• In MOLE 9.0, data for the Boundaries, TacticalBio, andTacticalNuclear feature classes was brought into the TacticalLines, TacticalBio, and TacticalNuclear feature classextensions.

• Two fields, Speed and Direction, were added to point tacticalgraphics at MOLE 9.1 to allow for easier use of wind barbs onMOLE maps.

For an overview of the field names and descriptions of the MOLEschema for this release, see ‘Attribute data field descriptions’ inthis chapter.

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CREATING A MOLE GEODATABASE 71

Update MOLE 2 data

If you want to work with aMOLE 2 database (personal ormultiuser) in MOLE 9.0 orgreater, you must first update it.

Once you update it, you canopen it in ArcMap and workwith it using the commands onthe Military Overlay Editortoolbar.

You must use this same updateprocedure if you want to open adata source in MOLE thatcontains feature classesgenerated by MOLE 2 (a featureclass or linked data sourcessuch as a map document or .lyrfile).

Tip

MOLE 2 permitted the creation ofthree feature classes in an 8.xgeodatabase that contained classextensions incompatible withMOLE 9.0 or greater. Thesefeature classes are Boundaries,TacticalBio, and TacticalNuclear. InMOLE 9.0 and greater, theBoundaries feature class is handledby the Tactical Lines feature classextension, and TacticalBio andTacticalNuclear are handled by theTactical Point feature classextension.

1. If you haven’t already, open ablank ArcMap document inArcMap (click File, New, thenon the My Templates tab,double-click BlankDocument).

2. On the Military Overlay Editortoolbar, click MOLE, thenUpdate Older MOLEDatabase.

3. On the Update Older MOLEDatabase dialog box,navigate to and choose adatabase containing layersgenerated in MOLE 2.

You can select one or moregeodatabases (workspaces)at a time if they’re in thesame directory.

4. Click Update.

MOLE examines the featureclasses and datasets in theselected database ordatabases and validateseach feature class’s exten-sion class ID. If the classextension is missing orincorrect, MOLE clears theclass extension information.

When MOLE is finishedupdating the database, itdisplays a message boxconfirming that the update iscomplete.

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72 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

Adding wind barbgraphics to datasetscreated in MOLE 9.0 andearlier

Adding wind barb graphics todatasets created in MOLE 9.0and earlier requires the additionof two fields to the dataset.

These fields, Direction andSpeed, are added the same wayyou add any attribute fields toan ArcGIS dataset. Onecommon method, provided tothe right, is to start theprocedure in ArcMap. You canalso start in ArcCatalog.

1. If you haven’t already, openyour dataset in ArcMap.

2. In the TOC, right-click theMOLE feature layer.

In this case, the feature layermust be a point tacticalgraphics feature layer,because wind barbs arepoint features in MOLE.

3. Click Open Attribute Table.

4. In the Attributes window, clickthe Options button.

5. On the menu that appears,click Add Field.

6. On the Add Field dialog box,in the Name text box, type“Direction”.

7. Click the Type dropdownarrow and click Double.

8. Click OK.

9. In the Attributes window, clickthe Options button.

10.On the menu that appears,click Add Field.

11.On the Add Field dialog box,in the Name text box, type“Speed”.

12.Click the Type dropdownarrow, then click Text.

13.In the Field Properties area,in the Length text box, type“10”.

14.Click OK.

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Adding MOLE symbols in ArcMap 4• Adding MOLE graphics in ArcMap

• Using the Add MOLE Graphicsdialog box

• Symbology rendering in MOLE

When you store your MOLE features in a geodatabase with classextensions as discussed in Chapter 3, ‘Creating a MOLE geodatabase’, youhave access to the MOLE Symbol Editor. This editor greatly simplifies theprocess of adding MIL-STD-2525B symbology to your map, as well asediting existing symbology. MOLE also provides additional shortcuts foradding tactical graphic symbols.

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Adding MOLE forceelement graphics

1. Click the Add MOLE Databutton on the Military OverlayEditor toolbar. In the browsewindow, navigate to and openthe desired force elementlayer.

2. Click the Editor dropdownarrow on the Editor toolbarand click Start Editing.

3. Choose the folder ordatabase containing theMOLE layers you want to editand click OK.

If there are other editablefeature classes displayed inthe ArcMap data frame, theStart Editing dialog boxappears.

4. Click the Target dropdownarrow on the Editor toolbarand click the MOLE layer youwant to edit.

5. Click the Create New Featurebutton on the Editor toolbar,ensuring that Create NewFeature is selected in theTask dropdown list.

6. Click in the map display areato place a force elementsymbol.

The MOLE symbol for anunknown force element isdisplayed by default. u

Adding MOLEgraphics inArcMapThe easiest way to add graphicsfor force elements and tacticalgraphics to MOLE feature classesin ArcMap is to use the MOLESymbol Editor. You can also addor modify MOLE graphics byadding records with a validSymbol ID value to the layer’sattribute table. If your MOLEgraphics are stored in a shapefileor other simple feature class, youcan only add symbols in this way.This chapter covers only theMOLE Symbol Editor.

See Also

See Editing in ArcMap for moreinformation about using theArcMap Editor toolbar.

Tip

Add MOLE Data buttonYou must use the Add MOLE Databutton to open MOLE layers inArcMap. If you open a MOLElayer with the standard ArcMapAdd Data button, the MOLEgraphics do not display.

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ADDING MOLE SYMBOLS IN ARCMAP 75

7. On the Military Overlay Editortoolbar, click the MOLESymbol Editor button.

The MOLE Symbol Editoropens.

8. Expand one of the battledimension branches in theSymbol Library area. GroundTrack is an example.

9. In the Symbol Library area,click a force element symbolto select it. Airborne is anexample.

10. In addition to using thebranch expand methoddescribed above to find theelement you want to select,you can enter its name andhave MOLE navigate to it inthe Symbol Library area. Todo this, type the name of theelement in the Search fortext box. MOLE expands thebranches as you type toopen the instance of the term(or character set) you typedthat’s lowest in the branch.

You can also save favoritesand select from your favor-ites.

11. Modify the remainingparameters in the MOLESymbol Editor.

12. When finished modifying,click OK.

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Editing MOLE forceelement symbols

1. Open a MOLE force elementlayer in ArcMap, following thesteps from the previous task,and start editing.

2. Check the feature layer checkbox of the MOLE forceelement group layer you wantto edit in the ArcMap TOC.

3. Click the Edit button on theEditor toolbar.

4. Click the MOLE feature youwish to edit in the mapdisplay to select it.

You must click the feature,rather than the symbol, toselect it.

5. Click the MOLE SymbolEditor button on the MilitaryOverlay Editor toolbar.

The MOLE Symbol Editoropens.

6. Follow steps 8 and 9 from theprevious task to select a newforce element symbol.

When you modify existingMOLE force element symbols,you follow many of the samesteps as when you add newsymbols. You need to have anunderstanding of one of thedefining characteristics of MOLEforce element layers—the factthat they are actually grouplayers composed of a simplepoint feature and a complexsymbol built around it—whenyou select symbols to edit. Thepoint feature component must beactivated in the ArcMap TOC sothe symbol can be selected andaccessed by the MOLE SymbolEditor.

Symbol ID conflicts are alsopossible when you change aforce element feature from onesymbol to another. For example,if the existing symbol is anequipment type of symbol with amobility value in the Symbol IDcode and you change it to an airtype, such as a bomber thatcannot have a mobility value, aconflict is presented. WhileMOLE will handle thesesituations gracefully (see the lastsection of this chapter, ‘Symbol-ogy rendering in MOLE’), youshould become familiar with theway MOLE displays suchsymbols so you are aware if thereis a Symbol ID conflict.

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Adding MOLE tacticalgraphic symbols

1. Click the Add MOLE Databutton on the Military OverlayEditor toolbar. In the browsewindow, navigate to and openthe desired tactical graphiclayer.

2. Click the Editor dropdownarrow on the Editor toolbarand click Start Editing.

3. Choose the folder or data-base containing the MOLElayers you want to edit andclick OK. If there are othereditable feature classesdisplayed in the ArcMap dataframe, the Start Editing dialogbox appears.

4. Click the Target dropdownarrow on the Editor toolbarand click the MOLE layer youwant to edit.

5. Click the Create New Featurebutton on the Editor toolbar,ensuring that Create NewFeature is selected in theTask dropdown list.

6. Click the map display area,placing vertices to form thetype of feature (point, line, orarea) you want to add. If youare creating a line or area,when you are finished placingvertices, press F2 to com-plete the feature.

If you place a tactical graphicline feature, as pictured, u

Tip

Creating arrow symbolsMany C2/general maneuvertactical graphic line symbols arearrows. To create the arrow shape,the last vertex you add must beplaced behind and offset from thevertex placed before it. The lastvertex defines the shape and size ofthe arrowhead and, with certainsymbols, the size of the symbolitself.

Adding tactical graphics inArcMap is similar to addingforce elements yet slightly morecomplicated. Because tacticalgraphic symbols take on such awide variety of complex forms,when you draw the features thereare specific geometric propertiesthey must conform to for MOLEto display the symbols properly.MOLE also uses several differentrenderers to display tacticalgraphic symbols, based on thetype of military feature theyrepresent. The last section in thischapter, ‘Symbology rendering inMOLE’, details the way tacticalgraphics must be drawn to berendered by MOLE.

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78 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

the symbol for direction of mainattack is drawn by default.

7. Click the MOLE Symbol Editorbutton on the Military OverlayEditor toolbar.

The MOLE Symbol Editoropens.

8. Expand one of the branches inthe Symbol Library area.Command & Control andGeneral Maneuver is anexample.

9. In the Symbol Library area,click a tactical graphic to selectit. Axis of Advance/RotaryWing is an example.

10. In addition to using the branchexpand method describedabove to find the element youwant to select, you can enterits name and have MOLEnavigate to it in the SymbolLibrary area. To do this, typethe name of the element in theSearch for text box. MOLEexpands the branches as youtype to open the instance ofthe term (or character set) youtyped that’s lowest in thebranch.

You can also save favoritesand select from your favorites.

11. Modify the remaining param-eters in the MOLE SymbolEditor.

12. When finished modifying, clickOK.

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Editing MOLE tacticalgraphic symbols

1. Open a MOLE tacticalgraphic layer in ArcMap,following the steps fromthe previous task, andstart editing.

2. Check the feature layercheck box of the MOLEtactical graphic grouplayer you want to edit inthe ArcMap TOC.

3. Click the Edit button onthe Editor toolbar.

4. Click the MOLE featureyou want to edit in themap display area toselect it.

You must click thefeature, rather than thesymbol, to select it.

5. Click the MOLE SymbolEditor button on theMilitary Overlay Editortoolbar.

The MOLE Symbol Editoropens.

6. Follow steps 8 and 9 fromthe previous task toselect a new tacticalgraphic symbol.

Like force element layers, MOLEtactical graphic layers are grouplayers that are composed of asimple point, line, or area featureclass layer with a MOLEsymbology layer built around it.The feature class layer must beactivated in the TOC so itsfeatures can be selected forediting with the MOLE SymbolEditor. When you change atactical graphic feature from onesymbol to another, you may needto modify the shape of the featureso it conforms to the geometryrequirements of the new symbol.If the geometry of the featuredoes not satisfy the requirementsof the selected symbol, MOLEdisplays the message Unable toRender Selected Feature in theMOLE Symbol Editor. Thesymbol is then displayed as asimple magenta feature in themap display area.

See Also

See the section ‘Symbologyrendering in MOLE’ later in thischapter for more information.

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Adding tactical graphicsymbols

1. Following steps 1–4 from‘Adding MOLE tacticalgraphic symbols’ earlier inthis chapter, open a tacticalgraphic layer and startediting.

2. In the ArcMap TOC, check thefeature layer check box of theMOLE tactical graphic grouplayer you want to edit.

3. Click Add MOLE Graphic onthe MOLE menu from theMilitary Overlay Editortoolbar.

4. In the Category list, choose agraphic category, in this case,MobilitySurvivability.

5. Click the Graphic dropdownarrow and click the symbolyou want to add.

You can also set the valuesfor the Affiliation and Echelonattributes from theappropriate dropdown lists.

6. Click inside the map displayarea at the location whereyou want to place the symbol.

In the case of linear tacticalgraphics, a four-point line withthe chosen symbology isplaced in the map displayarea. u

Using the AddMOLE Graphicsdialog boxWhen adding tactical graphicsymbols, you can add a featureand use the MOLE SymbolEditor to symbolize the feature oryou can use the Add MOLEGraphics dialog box. Theadvantage of using the AddMOLE Graphics dialog box isthat you can select the tacticalgraphic that you want from adropdown list and when youclick on the map, both the featureand the selected symbology areplaced on the map. This methodis well suited for adding manytactical graphics at once. Theonly drawback is that the featureMOLE places on the map is ageneric four-point line or area, soyou must manually reshape thefeature to match the shape youwant by moving, adding, ordeleting vertices.

Tip

Tactical graphic renderersOnly the symbols that are avail-able with the currently enabledtactical graphic renderers will belisted in the Tactical Graphicdropdown list.

See Also

See the section ‘Symbologyrendering in MOLE’ later in thischapter for more informationabout tactical graphic renderers.

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ADDING MOLE SYMBOLS IN ARCMAP 81

7. Click the Task dropdownarrow on the Editor toolbarand click Modify Feature.

8. Click the Edit button on theEditor toolbar.

9. Place the pointer over thehighlighted vertices, thenclick and drag to move them.You can also insert anddelete vertices as desired.Press F2 when finishedediting.

See Also

See Editing in ArcMap for moreinformation about using theArcMap Editor toolbar.

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Symbology rendering in MOLE

As discussed in Chapter 1, ‘Introducing MOLE’, MOLEconstructs its symbology according to the 15-characterSymbol ID code. The moleCore.mdb database contains manytables that relate specific characters and combinations ofcharacters in the Symbol ID to Computer Graphics Metafilecomponents—graphic pieces that, when merged, constitute thecomplete MOLE symbols. MOLE also uses ArcGIS style sheetsto build some of the more complex tactical graphic symbols.

This section provides on overview of the way MOLE rendersgraphics. For more information, see the MOLE developerdocumentation.

Force element rendering

MOLE force elements are composed of four graphic components:frame, icon, echelon, and mobility. The frame defines the shapeof the symbol, the icon is the symbol inside the frame thatdenotes what the feature is, and the echelon and mobilityindicators are additional graphics outside the frame. The shapeand color of the frame change according to the symbol’saffiliation. In the case of friendly affiliated symbols and, to alesser extent, hostile-affiliated symbols and symbols where theaffiliation is unknown or pending, the shape is also determined bythe battle dimension of the symbol being represented. SeeMIL-STD-2525B for more details on force element symbolspecifications.

As mentioned above, MOLE renders force elements according totheir Symbol ID. Character 3, the battle dimension, is thecomponent of the Symbol ID that controls the frame; characters5–10, the function ID, define the icon and the type of militaryfeature the symbol represents; characters 11 and 12 are theplaceholders for the type, echelon, and mobility indicators. IfMOLE encounters an invalid or unrecognized Symbol ID value,it is handled in one of two ways. If a symbol has a valid functionID but has conflicts between the battle dimension and type/

echelon/mobility indicators, MOLE displays the symbol with thedefault pending (unknown) frame and the proper icon. If thefunction ID is invalid but the battle dimension and otherindicators are valid, MOLE displays the symbol with theappropriate frame with a question mark icon inside. See theillustrations below for examples.

Tactical graphic area and point rendering

Area and point tactical graphic rendering is straightforwardcompared to lines. The only instance deserving special attentionis when you display minefield symbols. For more information onmines, see ‘Attribute data field descriptions’ in Chapter 3. Aswith lines, if MOLE encounters area and point symbols with aninvalid Symbol ID or a Symbol ID for which MOLE has norenderer, then those symbols will be displayed in magenta as simplearea or point features without MOLE symbology.

The first figure represents a proper space station symbol with a correctSymbol ID.

The second figure represents a space station symbol with a correctfunction ID that has been given the value for Installation in the Typeindicator field. Because a Space symbol cannot be an installation, MOLEdraws the symbol with a Pending frame. The icon inside the symbol isdrawn properly, however, because the symbol’s function ID is correct.

The third figure represents a space station symbol with an invalid functionID. The battle dimension (Space) corresponds to the type/echelon/mobility,so MOLE draws the appropriate frame for a Space symbol but fills it with aquestion mark because it doesn’t recognize the function ID value.

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ADDING MOLE SYMBOLS IN ARCMAP 83

If you want to use wind barbs (meteorological graphics for wind)in your MOLE maps, you must populate the Speed and Directionattribute fields for the MOLE point tactical graphic you want toserve as the wind barb. If your dataset was created in MOLE 9.0or earlier, you must add the Speed and Direction fields. For moreinformation, see ‘Updating MOLE datasets’ in Chapter 3.

Tactical graphic line rendering

Because there are so many possible tactical graphic line symbolsin MIL-STD-2525B with so many varied rules for constructingthem, MOLE has several renderers to handle the different cases.The renderers are listed in the tactical graphic Layer Propertiesdialog box, where you can turn renderers on and off as you wish.See Chapter 5, ‘Controlling the MOLE display’, for moreinformation on the Layer Properties dialog box. When you add aMOLE line symbol in ArcMap, for MOLE to render it properly,you must have turned on the appropriate renderer and have drawnthe feature with the required properties. For example, if you wantto display a turn-effect obstacle, the feature that you want to berepresented as such must be a two-point line and the linearobstacles renderer must be enabled. If the feature does notconform to these requirements, it will be displayed in magenta asa simple line feature without MOLE symbology.

Arrow symbols can be either straight (three point) or curved(multipoint), depending on the type of arrow. Airborne, aviation,and rotary wing axis of advance arrows cannot be curved; allothers can be straight or curved. When creating arrow symbols,the location and positioning of the vertices, except for the lastone placed, determines the shape and length of the arrow body.The position of the last vertex defines the shape and size of thearrowhead. See the following examples. The red point representsthe last vertex placed; as illustrated, the last vertex must beplaced behind the previous vertex for MOLE to render thearrowhead.

Line segment direction that does not adhere strictly toMIL-STD-2525B

In ArcGIS and MOLE, line segments can have direction. Thedefault line direction ArcGIS and MOLE use is derived from theorder in which you added or digitized the vertices in the line orpolygon.

For example, if you are digitizing pipes in a water distributionsystem as line segments, you can add their vertices in an orderthat reflects the flow of water inside the pipes. To do this, youwould add your first vertex at the source, for example, a tank,then you would click to follow the pipe system until you add yourlast vertex, for example, at a residential parcel.

When MOLE adds MOLE graphics to your map display orsource data, it uses a certain direction for its line segments; thatis, it creates the vertices in a certain order. Usually this orderconforms to MIL-STD-2525B, but in a few cases, it does not (alist of known cases follows). In these instances, the graphic looksidentical to the way MIL-STD-2525B specifies it should look;however, the direction of some segments may not adhere to thedirection defined in MIL-STD-2525B.

Tactical graphic obstacle features (points, lines, and areas) canalso be displayed in green, as specified by MIL-STD-2525B.This is controlled by an additional renderer, which can beactivated from the Layer Properties dialog box.

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Tactical graphics that may contain segments that do not adherestrictly to MIL-STD-2525B segment direction:

2.X.2.3.1 Dummy (deception/decoy)

2.X.2.3.2 Axis of advance for feint

2.X.2.3.3 Direction of attack for feint

2.X.2.4.2.2 Principal direction of fire

2.X.2.5.2.1.1 Friendly aviation

2.X.2.5.2.1.3 Friendly attack, rotary wing

2.X.2.5.2.1.4.1 Main attack

2.X.2.5.2.1.4.2 Supporting attack, axis of advance/ground

2.X.2.5.2.2.1 Aviation

2.X.2.5.2.2.2.1 Main attack

2.X.2.5.2.2.2.2 Supporting attack, direction of attack/ground

2.X.2.5.3.3 Attack by fire position

2.X.2.5.3.4 Support by fire position

2.X.2.6.1.1 Ambush

2.X.3.1.6.3 Gap

2.X.3.2.2.1 Assault crossing area

Rules for multipoint arrows

When you add or digitize a multipoint arrow, you must followspecific rules when adding the last vertex.

The last vertex you draw in a multipoint arrow is importantbecause it tells MOLE how to draw the arrowhead. MOLEdetermines what size and shape the arrowhead should be basedon the position of the last vertex. MOLE uses the second-to-lastvertex you add as the pointer tip of the arrowhead.

Last vertex

Second-to-lastvertex

MOLE calculatesarrowhead shape

You must follow two rules when adding the last vertex. The linesegment you create when you add the last vertex:

• Must form an acute angle with the previous line segment

• Must not extend beyond the previous line segment

The area between the blue lines in the illustration below indicatesthe allowable area for the last vertex.

If you do not place the last vertex in the allowable area, MOLEcannot render the arrow and, instead, draws a magenta line.

Valid placement oflast vertex

Invalid(angle notacute)

Invalid (extendsbeyond previous

segment)

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Controlling the MOLE display 5• The force element Layer

Properties dialog box

• The tactical graphic LayerProperties dialog box

• The Layer Properties dialog boxversus the toolbar

• Identifying graphics

• Selecting graphics

• Resizing graphics

• Moving leaders

• Working with labels

• Modifying force element graphicswith the toolbar

When you create a map, next to data accuracy and integrity, the mostimportant aspect is the map’s appearance. The data within your map willnot be as effective if it is not conveyed in a manner that is easilyunderstood or interpreted. This is especially true with maps portrayingmilitary symbology because there are so many different types of symbolsthat can be displayed on various map backgrounds. For this reason, MOLEprovides many options for tailoring the appearance of MIL-STD-2525Bsymbology from the Layer Properties dialog boxes of individual layers andfrom the Military Overlay Editor toolbar. The various methods available inMOLE to modify the display properties of military symbols are discussedin this chapter.

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MOLE graphic cache will be periodically updated. The resultsare the same as clicking the Refresh Graphics button on theMilitary Overlay Editor toolbar.

Graphic selection

You can define the color of the outline for selected force elementsymbols by clicking the Selection Color, or you can modify theselection style by checking the Use Specific Symbol check boxand clicking the Edit Symbol button to access the Edit GraphicSelection Symbol dialog box.

Symbols tab

The Symbols tab on the force element Layer Properties dialogbox allows you to modify the display size and style of forceelement symbols. You can also control the display of callout linesand force concentration outlines for leadered or stacked graphicsfrom the Symbols tab.

The force element Layer Properties dialog box

MOLE provides many different ways to modify the appearanceof force element layers. Within the force element LayerProperties dialog box are numerous options for controlling thedisplay characteristics of individual force element layers,including size, color, fill properties, labels, leadering, stacking,and scale-dependent display. Many of these properties can alsobe accessed from the Military Overlay Editor toolbar and can,therefore, be applied to more than one layer at a time, dependingon what you have selected in the TOC before you click thetoolbar button.

Cache tab

The Cache tab contains options for specifying the cached graphicupdate properties and the symbol selection settings.

Graphic cache update

When MOLE renders symbols in ArcMap, it stores the graphicsin a cache so it doesn’t have to rerender the graphics every timethe display is refreshed, as with panning and zooming. Thisincludes MOLE symbols, leader lines, callout lines—any graphicthat MOLE creates. You can specify a time interval by which the

Graphiccacheupdate

Graphicselection

Symbolsize

Symbolstyles

Calloutlines

Forceelementpreviewwindow

Framedisplayoptions

Force concentrations

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Symbol size

You can specify the symbol size (frame height) in one of twoways. With the Map button selected, the symbol height will be setto the value entered in the Frame Height text box, in map units.The symbols will be displayed at a constant height relative to theground. In other words, if the map units are meters, and a valueof 50 is entered in the Frame Height text box, the symbols will be50 meters high in the map. With the Screen button selected, thesymbol height will be set to a percentage of the screen (dataframe) height, based on the value entered in the Frame Heighttext box. The symbols will be displayed at a constant heightrelative to the screen size. If a value of 0.1 is entered in theFrame Height text box, the symbols will always be displayed as10 percent of the screen height, regardless of how far you zoomin or out.

Symbol styles

You can create new display styles for the selected force elementlayer in the Style section of the Symbols tab. The display stylespecified in MIL-STD-2525B is used as the default. You canchange the frame fill, icon fill, line properties, text properties forlabels, and callout line properties. The new style will be savedwith the map document. You can also persist the style by savingthe force element layer as a Layer (.lyr) file.

Callout lines

When force element symbols are leadered or stacked together,they are displaced from their original position. Callout linesconnect the symbols to their original position on the ground. Thecallout line display properties can be modified in the Stylesection of the Symbols tab.

Force concentrations

Force concentrations, or convex hulls, are outlines that delineatethe ground location of groups of leadered or stacked force

element symbols. You can change the display properties of theoutlines and set a buffer distance, in map units, to denoteperimeters or areas of interest for the force element groups.Convex hulls are displayed as red lines by default.

Frame display options

The Special Combinations section of the Symbols tab allows youto specify the manner in which force element symbol frames willbe displayed. The options are to draw the frame boundary andframe fill, the frame boundary only (no frame fill), no frameboundary or fill (only the icon will be displayed), or white frameboundary lines for dark backgrounds.

Force element preview window

The force element preview window allows you to view changesto the symbology before they are applied.

Labels tab

From the Labels tab, you can select the attributes that you want tobe displayed around the force element symbols. The attributevalues can be entered in the MOLE Symbol Editor or in the

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appropriate fields in the layer attribute table. See the section‘Adding MOLE symbols in ArcMap’ in Chapter 4 for moreinformation on text modifiers.

Leadering tab

Leadering is a way to organize and group the force elementsymbols being displayed based on rules that you specify from theLayer Properties dialog box. It is useful if you have manyoverlapping symbols and want to clean up the display, or if youwant to group related units together or define perimeters or areasof interest for formations. Symbols that are grouped together onleader lines are ordered according to their echelon value. In caseswhere echelon values are not specified or are equivalent, symbolsare grouped on leaders according to their OBJECTID value.

Leadering rules

Symbols can be leadered together based on four different rules.You can apply multiple rules. The Matching Affiliation Rulegroups together force element symbols that have the sameaffiliation value. In other words, all units with an affiliation valueof Faker are grouped on a leader, or all units with a Hostileaffiliation.

An illustration of the effect of leadering force elements using theproximity rule

The Matching Attribute Value Rule groups together units thathave the same value for a selected field from the attribute table.The Field name is entered in the Rule Properties section of theLeadering tab. Symbols with the same value for this field will begrouped together.

The Matching Higher Formation Rule groups together units thathave the same higher formation, or parent, attribute value.

The Proximity Rule groups together symbols that are within acertain distance of each other. The distance is set in the RuleProperties section of the Leadering tab. Symbols must satisfy allselected rules to be placed on a leader.

Leadering rule properties

The Rule Properties section of the Leadering tab is where youspecify, for the Proximity Rule, the maximum distance that forceelements can be from each other to be leadered together. Thedistances are evaluated from the center of the force elementsymbols. You can either set a Tolerance value or a Multiplevalue. The Tolerance value sets an absolute distance in map units.The value in the Multiple field is multiplied by the Frame Heightvalue on the Symbols tab to determine the leadering distance. If

Leaderingruleproperties

Leaderingrules

Leaderstyles

Before After

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CONTROLLING THE MOLE DISPLAY 89

values are entered in both the Tolerance and Multiple fields, theMultiple value takes precedence.

Leader styles

MOLE provides three options for displaying leader lines. Youcan choose a dogleg leader, a dogleg leader with a dot at theleader origin, or a bracket leader. There is a preview windowallowing you to see the leader appearance before you applychanges. You can also change the color and style of the line.

Stacking tab

Stacking is another means of grouping force element symbolstogether based on common attributes. As the name implies,symbols conforming to the stacking rules specified on the LayerProperties dialog box are placed on top of each other.

Stacking rules

As with leadering, symbols can be stacked according to threedifferent rules. The Message String Rule stacks symbols togetherthat have the same Symbol ID. The other two rules, the Higher

The illustrations above provide an example of the results of applyingstacking rules to a force element layer. The upper figure shows theappearance of a force element layer before stacking is enabled, whilethe lower figure shows how the same layer appears with the HigherFormation and Proximity stacking rules applied.

Stackingrules

Stackingruleproperties

Formation and Proximity Rules, apply to leadering as well asstacking and are described in the Leadering tab section on theprevious page. All stacking rules selected must be satisfied for asymbol to be added to a stack. If both stacking and leadering areenabled with the same rule selected, the symbols will be stackedbefore they are leadered. See the following illustrations, whichshow how symbols are stacked when the Higher Formation Ruleand Proximity Rule are applied.

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90 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

Scaling tab

MOLE allows you to set scale-dependent display rules (filters)for force element layers based on the echelon property—thetwelfth character of the 15-character Symbol ID—of the symbolswithin the layer. As you zoom in and out in the ArcMap mapdisplay area, the symbols are displayed or hidden, based on thefilters you create on the Scaling tab of the Layer Propertiesdialog box. Each time you click the New Filter button, a newechelon scaling rule is created. When the rule is applied, theforce element symbols will be displayed according to the ruleproperties, which are specified from the Scaling tab of the LayerProperties dialog box. You can create as many scaling filters asyou like. Only the filters that are checked in the Scale FiltersAssociated with this Layer list will be applied to the layer. Toview or change the properties of any of the echelon filters, click afilter name in the Scale Filters Associated with this Layer list.These settings are saved to both the layer file and the .mxd file.

Scale Filters Associated with this Layer

This list contains the names of the filter rules that have beencreated for the selected force element layer. To enable a filter,check its check box in this list.

ScaleFiltersAssociatedwith thisLayer

Filter Name

To change the name of a filter rule, select the filter in theScale Filters Associated with this Layer list, then highlightthe name in the Filter Name text box and type a new namefor it.

Minimum Scale

The value entered in the Minimum Scale text box representsthe smallest scale—or the farthest you can be zoomed out—at which the symbols in the specified echelon range will bedisplayed, according to the selected filter rule.

Minimum Value

The value selected from the Minimum Value dropdown listrepresents the lowest-level echelon that will be displayed bythe selected filter rule.

Maximum Scale

The value entered in the Maximum Scale text box representsthe largest scale—or the closest you can be zoomed in—atwhich the symbols in the specified echelon range will bedisplayed, according to the selected filter rule.

Maximum Value

The value selected from the Maximum Value dropdown listrepresents the highest-level echelon that will be displayed bythe selected filter rule.

Symbol Size

The value in the Symbol Size text box represents the size atwhich symbols satisfying the filter’s echelon criteria will bedisplayed. You can set a new value for the filter, with theoption of selecting map or screen units for the size. See thedescription of the Symbols tab earlier in this chapter for moreinformation about the difference between map andscreen units.

Filter Name

Minimum Scale

Minimum ValueMaximum Scale

Maximum Value

Symbol Size

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CONTROLLING THE MOLE DISPLAY 91

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The first scale filter specifies that symbols with an echelon value up toCompany/Battery/Troop, including those with an unspecified echelonvalue, will be displayed with a symbol height of 4 percent of the data frameheight when zoomed in at scales between 1:100,000 and 1:150,000.

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The third scale filter specifies that symbols with an echelon value betweenBrigade (H) and Division (I) will be displayed with a symbol height of 11percent of the data frame height when zoomed in at scales between1:250,000 and 1:1,000,000.

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The second scale filter specifies that symbols with an echelon valuebetween Battalion/Squadron (F) and Regiment/Group (G) will be displayedwith a symbol height of 7 percent of the data frame height when zoomed inat scales between 1:150,000 and 1:250,000.

The following figures illustrate what happens when echelon scalefilters are applied to a force element layer. The layer in questionhas had three scaling rules applied to it. The parameters for eachfilter rule and a screenshot of the layer showing the effects of thefilter are shown here. The figure below shows the appearance ofthe layer with echelon scaling disabled.

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92 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

Modifying force elementsymbols from the LayerProperties dialog box

Changing graphic size

1. Right-click the Symbols layerof a MOLE force elementgroup layer in the ArcMapTOC.

2. Click Properties.

The Layer Properties dialogbox appears.

3. Click the Symbols tab.

4. Click the Map button in theSize section.

5. Type a value in the FriendlyFrame Height text box andclick OK.

Note how the symbol sizechanges in the map displayarea as you zoom in and out.Open the Layer Propertiesdialog box again, followingsteps 1–2 above.

6. Click the Screen button in theSize section.

7. Type a value in the FriendlyFrame Height text box, thenclick OK.

Zoom in and out of the mapdisplay area and note that thesymbols maintain a constantsize relative to the dataframe.

See the section ‘The forceelement Layer Propertiesdialog box’ earlier in thischapter for details on the Mapand Screen options whensetting the symbol size.

See Also

See Chapter 4, ‘Adding MOLEsymbols in ArcMap’, for instruc-tions on opening MOLE forceelement layers.

Tip

Opening the MOLE LayerProperties dialog boxYou can also open the LayerProperties dialog box by double-clicking the layer.

Tip

Map unitsWhen specifying the symbol size inmap units, be sure to note the unitsof the coordinate system beingused for the selected MOLE layer.

Tip

Entering decimal valuesWhen entering decimal values lessthan one in the Friendly FrameHeight text box, you must type“0”, then a decimal, then thenumber, rather than just typing adecimal and the number.

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CONTROLLING THE MOLE DISPLAY 93

1. Right-click the Graphics layerof a MOLE force elementgroup layer in the ArcMapTOC.

2. Click Properties.

The Layer Properties dialogbox appears.

3. Click the Symbols tab.

4. Click the New Style button inthe Style section of theSymbols tab.

5. Click New Style in the Stylesdropdown box.

6. In the Style text box, type anew name for the style.

7. Click the Item dropdownarrow.

8. Click an item to change forthe relevant symbol affiliation.Friendly Present Frame Fill isan example. This sets theoverall symbol fill color for theselected layer. u

Using styles to changegraphic properties

You can create a style to store aset of graphic properties for reuseon other layers of the sameMOLE graphic type. If the styleyou create is for force elements,you can reuse the style only onforce elements that have the sameaffiliation.

MOLE saves the styles youcreate for a layer with the mapdocument that the layer is within,rather than with the layer itself.You can also persist the style bysaving the force element layer asa .lyr file.

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Style shortcutsYou can use the options outside theStyle area on the Symbols tab toapply a different appearance to thegraphics in the layer withouthaving to create a style. Forexample, to give all MOLE friendlyforce graphics in the layer atransparent fill, click Draw FrameBoundary Only.

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94 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

9. Click the Color dropdownarrow and click a colorfrom the palette. In thiscase, orange is selected.

You can change the filltype, fill color, outline style,and outline color.

10.Click OK.

The appropriate graphic inthe Layer Propertiespreview window reflectsthe changes.

11. Click Apply to view thechanges in the mapdisplay.

The style is saved with themap document andincluded in the Stylesdropdown list on theSymbols tab of the LayerProperties dialog box.

To restore the symbols tothe original style, click2525B Default from theStyles dropdown list.

See Also

To learn more about changingsymbology styles, see UsingArcMap for information on theArcMap Symbol Property Editor.

Tip

Style itemsEach item in the Items dropdownlist affects symbols in the selectedlayer with a specific affiliation. Inother words, changes made to anitem with a Friendly prefix will beapplied to all symbols in the layerthat have a friendly or assumedfriend affiliation value. Items witha Hostile prefix will affect hostile,joker, faker, and suspect-affiliatedsymbols. Items with an Unknownprefix will affect symbols whoseaffiliation is unknown, pending, orunspecified. Items with a Neutralprefix will affect symbols with aneutral affiliation value.

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After you clickOK on theFriendlyPresent FrameFill dialog box,theappropriatesymbolupdates toreflect thechange.

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CONTROLLING THE MOLE DISPLAY 95

1. Check the feature layercheck box of a MOLE forceelement group layer in theArcMap TOC.

2. Right-click the graphics layerof the same force elementgroup layer.

3. Click Properties to open theLayer Properties dialog box.

4. Click the Leadering tab.

5. Check the Enable Leaderingcheck box.

6. Click each of the LeaderingRules to see a description ofeach below the LeaderingRules list.

7. Check the Proximity Rulecheck box.

The Rule Properties will beenabled.

8. Click and drag over theMultiple value in the RuleProperties text box to selectit. Type a new value andpress Enter.

9. Click each of the AvailableLeader Styles and view themin the preview window.Choose one of them and clickApply.

See the illustrations to theright that show how leaderingchanges the display of forceelement symbols. uSee Also

See the section ‘Leadering tab’earlier in this chapter for moreinformation on leadering.

Tip

Selecting leaderedsymbolsForce elements are composed oftwo parts: a point feature and aMOLE symbol built around it.When force element symbols areleadered or stacked, if you select aMOLE feature point with the SelectFeatures tool, the correspondingsymbol is also highlighted. Inaddition, if you select a leaderedor stacked force element symbolwith the MOLE Select Graphicstool, its feature will also behighlighted.

Setting leaderingproperties

Leadering allows you to groupforce element symbols togetheron leader lines based onleadering rules that you set fromthe Layer Properties dialog box.When you enable leadering fromthe Layer Properties dialog box,the rules that you specify willonly be applied to the currentlyselected layer. Leadering isuseful if the display is cluttered,or if you want to organize thelayer so that, for example,symbols with a common majorsubordinate command (higherformation or parent) will begrouped together.

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96 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

10. Click the Symbols tab on theLayer Properties dialog box.

11. Check the Draw CalloutLines on Leadered andStacked Graphics check boxand click Apply.

Dashed lines are displayedconnecting the symbols totheir point features.

12. Check the Draw ConvexHulls for Leaders check box,then click Apply.

The groups of point features,or ground locations, ofsymbols that are leaderedtogether are encircled by ared line.

13. Click the Specify Fill Symbolbutton and choose a newcolor or style for the outline.

This step is optional. Thedefault style is a two-pointred line.

14. Type a value by which tobuffer the convex hulloutlines in the Buffer textbox. The value is in mapunits. This step is optional.

Tip

Callout linesWhen force element symbols areleadered or stacked, they movefrom their original position.Callout lines link force elementsymbols to their original position,allowing you to see their actuallocation on the ground.

Tip

Callout line styleYou can change the callout linestyle by following the steps in‘Changing symbol frame proper-ties’, earlier in this chapter; clickCallout Lines from the Itemsdropdown list.

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CONTROLLING THE MOLE DISPLAY 97

Setting stackingproperties

1. Check the feature layer checkbox of a MOLE force elementgroup layer in the ArcMapTOC.

2. Right-click the graphics layerof the same force elementgroup layer.

3. Click Properties to open theLayer Properties dialog box.

4. Click the Stacking tab on theLayer Properties dialog box.

5. Check the Enable Stackingcheck box.

6. Click each of the StackingRules and read the descrip-tions below the StackingRules list.

7. Check the check box of oneor more of the StackingRules.

In this example, the HigherFormation Rule is selected.

8. Click Apply.

All symbols with a commonvalue for their Parent attributewill be stacked on top of eachother. The point features thatthe symbols are associatedwith remain in their originallocation. See the illustrationsto the right that show howstacking changes the displayof force element symbols. u

Tip

Stacking rulesYou can choose more than onestacking rule, and you can stackand leader force element symbolssimultaneously.

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98 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

9. Click the Symbols tab on theLayer Properties dialog box.

10. Check the Draw CalloutLines on Leadered andStacked Graphics check boxand click Apply.

Dashed lines are displayedconnecting the symbols totheir point features.

11. Check the Draw ConvexHulls for Stacks check boxand click Apply.

The points whose symbolsare grouped in individualstacks are bordered by a redoutline. You can change thestyle of the line by clickingthe Specify Fill Symbolbutton in the Force Concen-trations section of the LayerProperties dialog box. Youcan also apply a buffer to theoutline. See the previoustask.

See Also

You can also apply a buffer to theconvex hull (force concentration)outline. See the prior task, ‘Settingleadering properties’, for moreinformation.

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CONTROLLING THE MOLE DISPLAY 99

Setting echelon scaling

1. Right-click the Symbols layerof a MOLE force elementgroup layer in the ArcMapTOC.

2. Click Properties.

The Layer Properties dialogbox appears.

3. Click the Scaling tab.

4. Check the Filtering Enabledcheck box.

5. Click New Filter.

The Scale Filters Associatedwith this Layer section of theScaling tab becomes active,and the name of the new filterappears in the list box of thatsection. Echelon Filter is thedefault name.

6. Click to select Echelon Filterin the Filter Name text boxand type a new name for thefilter.

Specify the echelon range

7. Click the Minimum Valuedropdown arrow and click thesmallest echelon that youwant symbols to have to bedisplayed with the filter.

8. Click the Maximum Valuedropdown arrow and click thelargest echelon that you wantsymbols to have to bedisplayed with the filter. u

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100 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

Specify the scale range

9. Type the value for thesmallest scale at which youwant the symbols to bedisplayed in the MinimumScale text box.

For example, if you do notwant the symbols to bedisplayed when you arezoomed out beyond1:250,000 in the map display,type “250000” in the MinimumScale text box.

10. Type the value for the largestscale at which you wantsymbols to be displayed inthe Maximum Scale text box.

For example, if you do notwant the symbols to bedisplayed when you arezoomed in past 1:50,000 inthe map display, type “50000”in the Maximum Scale textbox.

Specify the symbol size

11. Specify the symbol size forthe filter by typing a value inthe Symbol Size text box.

12. Click either the Map orScreen buttons to set theunits for the symbol size.

13. Click Apply.

Repeat steps 5–11 in thistask to create additionalechelon filters.

Tip

Symbol size unitsClicking Map sets the units for thesymbol size to map units—the unitsof measure for the layer, estab-lished by its coordinate system.Clicking Screen sets the symbolheight to a percentage of the dataframe height.

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CONTROLLING THE MOLE DISPLAY 101

The tactical graphic Layer Properties dialog box

Renderers tab

MOLE tactical graphic renderers were introduced in the previouschapter. Each renderer is responsible for drawing specific typesof tactical graphic symbols. For example, the Multipoint Arrowsrenderer is required to display curved arrows. The renderers arelisted on the Renderers tab of the tactical graphic LayerProperties dialog box. Each renderer can be expanded by clickingthe plus sign (+) next to it to list each of the symbols that aresupported by the renderer.

Available Compatible Renderers

The Available Compatible Renderers list displays all therenderers that are available to the selected tactical graphic layerbut have not been associated, or enabled. Symbols that are

supported by renderers in this list will not be displayed with theirMOLE symbology.

Associated Renderers

The Associated Renderers list displays the renderers that areenabled for the selected tactical graphic layer. Symbols that aresupported by the renderers in this list will be displayed by MOLEwith their MIL-STD-2525B symbology. Note that by default,when a tactical graphic line layer is opened in ArcMap, only theArrows and Linear Graphics renderers will be associated. Fortactical graphic area layers, only the Areas renderer will beassociated by default. For tactical graphic point layers, only thePoint Graphics renderer will be associated.

Text Height

The Text Height text box displays the current height in map unitsof the label text for the selected tactical graphic layer. It alsoallows you to enter a new value for the text height.

Message bar

When the mouse pointer is placed over a renderer, a briefdescription of the types of symbols that the renderer supportsappears in the message bar. If the renderers are expanded and the

The Renderers tab for a tactical graphic area layer is shown above. Thefunctionality is the same for tactical graphic lines, points, and area layersas well. However, each tactical graphic layer type has its own renderers.

AvailableRenderers(disabled)

AssociatedRenderers(enabled)

Text Height Use Affiliation Color

Messagebar

When the listed renderersare expanded, the MOLEsymbol types associatedwith each renderer aredisplayed.

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102 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

the selected layer to be displayed with their affiliation color. Thescreenshot below shows how tactical graphic symbols appearwhen displayed with their affiliation color.

Scaling tab

The Scaling tab is present and works the same way in both theforce element and tactical graphic Layer Properties dialog boxes.Echelon scaling for force element symbols is described earlier inthis chapter in the section ‘The force element Layer Propertiesdialog box’. The information there also applies to tactical graphicechelon scaling.

symbols corresponding to the renderers are displayed in the list,placing the mouse pointer over the symbol names will also causea description of the symbol to be displayed in the message bar.

Use Affiliation Color

MIL-STD-2525B specifies that tactical graphic symbols bedisplayed with a color based on their affiliation property. See thelist below to see the colors associated with each affiliation. Inpractice, however, tactical graphics are generally displayed inblack. For this reason, by default, tactical graphic symbols aredisplayed in black by MOLE. You can override this by checkingthe Use Affiliation Color check box, which causes the symbols in

Tactical graphic symbols can either be displayed in black, which is thedefault, or they can be displayed with their affiliation color, as shownabove.

Affiliation ColorFriendly/Assumed Friend BlueHostile/Joker/Faker/Suspect RedNeutral GreenPending/Unknown/Unspecified Yellow

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CONTROLLING THE MOLE DISPLAY 103

In this example, some of thesymbols in a tactical graphicline layer are not initiallybeing displayed with theirMOLE symbology.

1. Right-click the graphic layerof a MOLE tactical graphicgroup layer in theArcMap TOC.

2. Click Properties.

The Layer Properties dialogbox appears. The LayerProperties dialog box for atactical graphic line layer isshown here.

3. Click the Renderers tab.

The disabled renderers aredisplayed in the AvailableCompatible Renderers list,while the enabled renderersare displayed in the Associ-ated Renderers list.

4. Click a renderer in theAvailable CompatibleRenderers list.

5. Click the Right arrow to movethe selected renderer into theAssociated Renderers list.

6. Repeat steps 4–5 until all ofthe necessary renderers aredisplayed in the AssociatedRenderers list.

7. Click Apply. u

Enabling tactical graphicrenderers

When you first open a MOLEtactical graphic layer in ArcMap,not all of the renderers areenabled. If you try to add aMOLE tactical graphic whoserenderer isn’t turned on, theMOLE symbology will notdisplay.

See Also

See the section ‘Symbologyrendering in MOLE’ in Chapter 4.

Tip

Renderer descriptionsAs you place the pointer over arenderer or a symbol name, adescription of the selected itemappears in the message bar.

Tip

Supported symbolsClick the plus sign (+) next to arenderer to expand it and see thesymbols that the renderer supports.

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104 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

The renderers in the Associ-ated Renderers list are nowenabled and the symbolssupported by them aredisplayed in the map displayarea.

Tip

Disassociating renderersTo disable a renderer, click it in theAssociated Renderers list and clickthe Left arrow to move it into theAvailable Compatible Rendererslist.

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CONTROLLING THE MOLE DISPLAY 105

The Layer Properties dialog box versus the toolbar

Most of the functions in the MOLE Layer Properties dialog boxfor modifying the display of force element symbols are also onthe Military Overlay Editor toolbar. The main difference betweenthe toolbar and Layer Properties functions is that the toolbarallows you to globally apply changes you make to all layers in themap document, while the Layer Properties dialog box does not.Changes you make with the Layer Properties functions arerestricted to individual layers.

This section provides further comparison of the functions that aresimilar between the toolbar and the Layer Properties dialog box.For a complete list of toolbar function descriptions, seeChapter 1, ‘Introducing MOLE’.

Echelon Scales

Clicking Echelon Scales from the MOLE menu on theMilitary Overlay Editor toolbar opens the Echelon ScaleBand Equalizer dialog box. This dialog box allows you to setup scale-dependent displays for all MOLE layers in the mapdocument based on their echelon property. Unlike theScaling tab on the Layer Properties dialog box, the ScaleBand Equalizer limits the number of scaling rules you can setto three and applies the rules to all displayed force elementlayers.

The sliders on theScale Band Equalizerdialog box make it easyto set scale-dependentdisplay for MOLElayers.

Toggle Leadering

Click this button to leader the symbols in all the force elementlayers in the ArcMap data frame. Clicking this button has thesame effect as checking the Toggle Leadering check box onthe Layer Properties dialog box—the leadering rules that areselected on the Layer Properties dialog box of each forceelement layer will be applied to that layer. In other words, if alayer has no leadering rules selected, the symbols for thatlayer will not be leadered when the Toggle Leadering buttonis clicked.

Toggle Stacking

Click this button to stack the symbols in all the force elementlayers in the ArcMap data frame. Clicking this button has thesame effect as checking the Enable Stacking check box on theLayer Properties dialog box—the stacking rules that areselected on the Layer Properties dialog box of each forceelement layer will be applied to that layer.

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106 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

IdentifyinggraphicsYou can use the MOLE Identifytool to select a MOLE graphic inthe map display and see theattributes for that feature.

Identifying graphics

1. Click the Identify Graphicsbutton on the Military OverlayEditor toolbar.

2. Click the MOLE graphic youwant to identify.

The Identify Results dialogbox appears listing theattributes of the featureassociated with the MOLEgraphic you selected.

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You can hold down the Shift keywhile clicking the map to keep theresults of your previous clicks inthe Identify Results dialog box.

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CONTROLLING THE MOLE DISPLAY 107

SelectinggraphicsYou can use the Select Graphicsbutton on the Military OverlayEditor toolbar to select one ormore MOLE symbols for editing.You can edit one at a time orapply edits to a group you’veselected. Because in MOLE youtypically select graphics to editthem, before you select them,you’ll likely want to start anArcMap editing session.

This button performs the samefunction as the ArcMap SelectFeatures tool but operatesexclusively on MOLE symbols.It allows you to select symbolswithout having the Featurescomponent of the force elementgroup layer displayed.

Select a graphic

1. Start an ArcMap editingsession by right-clicking theArcMap toolbar, then clickingEditor.

2. On the ArcMap Editor toolbar,click Editor, then click StartEditing.

3. On the ArcMap Editor toolbar,click the Target dropdownarrow to select the layer thatcorresponds to the MOLE layeryou want to edit.

4. On the Military Overlay Editortoolbar, click the SelectGraphics button.

5. Click a symbol you want to edit.

You can select more than onesymbol using one of two methods:

Hold down the Ctrl key andclick the symbols you want toselect, one at a time.orClick and drag a rectanglearound the graphics you wantto select. MOLE selects anygraphic that is touching therectangle.

You are ready to edit thesymbols you’ve selected.

6. On the Military Overlay Editortoolbar, click the MOLESymbol Editor button. Fordetails on editing MOLEsymbols, see Chapter 4,‘Adding MOLE symbols inArcMap’.

Tip

For more information on editingsymbols, see Chapter 4, ‘AddingMOLE symbols in ArcMap’.

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108 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

Resizing graphicsYou can resize all MOLEgraphics on your map at onetime. This is also known assetting graphic height or settingsymbol size.

Resize a graphic

1. On the Military Overlay Editortoolbar, click the GraphicHeight button.

2. Click and drag to draw arectangle that has the heightyou want all symbols to have.

MOLE uses the height of therectangle you drew as thenew height for all existingsymbols and resizes thesymbols accordingly.

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Moving leadersYou can move a leader afteryou’ve created it. A leader is aline along which symbols align toimprove the readability of themap.

Move a leader

If you haven’t already, create aleader by:

1. Setting the leader distance

2. Turning on leadering

If symbols don’t align along aleader, you likely must draw alarger circle when setting theleader distance.

3. On the Military Overlay Editortoolbar, click the MoveLeaders button.

The mouse pointer turns tocrosshairs.

4. In the map display area, clickand drag a leader to a newposition in the map.

MOLE symbols align with thenew position of the leader.

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CONTROLLING THE MOLE DISPLAY 109

Working withlabelsMOLE labels differ from typicalArcGIS labels. You can use bothtypes of labels in your map.

MOLE labels are derived fromMOLE attribute data and are apart of the MOLE graphic. Apartfrom the Symbol_ID attributeand a few attributes required byArcGIS, such as Shape, allMOLE attribute data is used forlabels.

In ArcMap and ArcGlobe, youcan add labels, turn theirvisibility on or off, and use yourexisting MIL-STD-2525B labels.In ArcMap, you can edit labels.You use the same procedure forediting labels as you do foradding them.

Adding labels

1. If you haven’t already, start anedit session: click Editor on theEditor toolbar, then click StartEditing.

2. If other editable feature classesare displayed in ArcMap, theStart Editing dialog box appears.Choose the folder or databasecontaining the MOLE layers youwant to edit and click OK.

3. Click the Target dropdown arrowon the Editor toolbar and clickthe MOLE layer you want to edit.

4. Click the Select Graphic buttonon the MOLE toolbar.

5. Click a force element graphic inthe map display area.

6. Click the MOLE Symbol Editorbutton on the MOLE toolbar.

7. In the Attributes area of theMOLE Symbol Editor, type a newvalue in the text box for the labelyou want to add. For example,click in the Parent text box andtype “41D”.

If the text you type is gray, it willnot appear on the map becauseits visibility is set to off. You canturn on label visibility on theLayer Properties dialog box.

8. Click OK or Apply.

MOLE applies the label to thefeature in the database, whetherthe label’s visibility is on or off.

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See Also

For an overview of MOLEattribute data and positioning oflabels, see ‘The MOLE SymbolEditor’ in Chapter 1.

See Also

For attribute data (label) fielddescriptions, see Chapter 3,‘Creating a MOLE geodatabase’.

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See Also

For information on using existinglabels in MOLE, see Chapter 1,‘Getting started with MOLE’.

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Turning on label visibility

You can turn MOLE attributedata visibility on or off.

Label visibility is a property ofthe layer, so you cannot control itfor an individual graphic (unlessit is the only graphic of thattype—the force element type ortactical graphic type—with thatattribute in the layer).

When you turn on the visibilityof an attribute, MOLE positionsit around the graphic inaccordance withMIL-STD-2525B positiondescriptions. For example, if it isa date/time group label, MOLEplaces it up and to the left of thegraphic.

The MOLE Symbol Editor uses avisual cue—black and gray texton the text box labels—to alertyou to which attributes have theirvisibility turned on or off in thelayer. If the label’s text is black,the visibility is turned on. If gray,it is turned off.

Tip

For more information on labels,see Chapter 1, ‘IntroducingMOLE’. For more information onediting symbols, see Chapter 4,‘Adding MOLE symbols inArcMap’.

Turn label visibility on or off

1. In the ArcMap or ArcGlobeTOC, right-click the MOLEgraphics layer for which youwant to turn on or off labelvisibility.

2. Click Properties.

3. On the Layer Propertiesdialog box, click the Labelstab.

4. On the Labels tab, in theAttribute Label Visibility area,check all the labels you wantto display with their graphics.

To view all labels available,use the scroll bar to the right.

You can turn all labels on oroff at one time by clickingeither the All On button or theAll Off button.

5. Click OK.

Examples of an attribute whosevisibility is off; the gray text cuesyou that the text you type won’tdisplay on the map.

Example of an attributewhose visibility is on;the MOLE SymbolEditor uses black text.

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The LayerProperties dialogbox in ArcMap.Note that checkedattributes in thisdialog box appearas black text in theMOLE SymbolEditor below.

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CONTROLLING THE MOLE DISPLAY 111

Modifying forceelement graphicswith the toolbarUsing the Military Overlay Editortoolbar, you can bypass theLayer Properties dialog box andset the graphic size for all forceelements at once in your map orfor all force element layers youselect in the TOC.

Changing graphic size for allforce elements at once isespecially useful when thecoordinate system of the forceelement layers in your map isdifferent from the coordinatesystem of the ArcMap dataframe.

For example, if you add a MOLEforce element layer with ageographic coordinate system toa map with a universal transverseMercator (UTM) projection, theforce element symbols may notappear in the map display area.This is because the size units ofthe force element symbols wereset to decimal degrees, while theunits of the UTM map aremeters. The symbols are there,but they are too small to be seen.You can quickly remedy this byusing the toolbar to adjustgraphic height.

Changing theforce elementgraphic size using thetoolbar

1. In the ArcMap or ArcGlobeTOC, select the force elementlayer or layers for which youwant to change graphic size.You can select all forceelements in the TOC byhighlighting the highest levelin the TOC, the data framelevel. By default, the dataframe is named Layers.

2. Click the additional toolsdropdown arrow on theMilitary Overlay Editortoolbar.

3. Click the Graphic Heightbutton.

4. In the map display area, clickand drag a box to set thegraphic height.

The height of the box youdraw defines the new graphicheight.

MOLE uses the height of therectangle you drew as thenew height for all applicablegraphics (in this case, forceelement graphics) andresizes the graphics accord-ingly.

5. Click any other ArcMap orArcGlobe tool to disable theGraphic Height tool.

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112 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

Leadering with the MilitaryOverlay Editor toolbar

1. Follow the instructions inChapter 1, ‘IntroducingMOLE’, to open the MilitaryOverlay Editor toolbar.

2. Click the Toggle Leaderingbutton.

All force element symbols inthe map that satisfy theLeadering Rules selected ontheir Layer Properties dialogbox will be placed on leaderlines.

Changing the leader tolerance

3. Click the size tools dropdownmenu on the Military OverlayEditor toolbar.

4. On the dropdown menu, clickLeader Distance.

5. Click inside the map displayand drag a circle to set theleader distance.

The diameter of the circledefines the leader distancevalue for the Proximityleadering rule. Force elementfeatures within this distanceof each other will be placedon a leader together. u

Leadering and Stackingwith the toolbar

The Toggle Leadering and ToggleStacking tools on the MilitaryOverlay Editor toolbar, alongwith the Graphic Height tool,provide shortcuts for leaderingand stacking all force elements inthe ArcMap TOC at the sametime. You can reposition leadersas well by using the MoveLeaders button on the MilitaryOverlay Editor toolbar.

You must have at least one forceelement layer open in theArcMap data frame to performthese tasks.

Tip

Leader and stackingdistanceThe Proximity Rule must beselected on the Leadering and/orStacking tab of the Layer Proper-ties dialog box to set the leaderand stacking tolerance from theMilitary Overlay Editor toolbar.

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Leadering and StackingrulesThe leadering and stacking rulesthat are selected on the LayerProperties dialog box of each forceelement layer in the map areapplied to the respective layerswhen the Toggle Leadering orToggle Stacking buttons areclicked.

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CONTROLLING THE MOLE DISPLAY 113

Moving leaders

6. Click the Move Leadersbutton on the Military OverlayEditor toolbar.

7. Click a leader line in theArcMap map display and dragit to a new position.

Stacking with the MilitaryOverlay Editor toolbar

1. Click the Toggle Stackingbutton on the Military OverlayEditor toolbar.

All force element symbols inthe map that satisfy theStacking Rules selected onthe symbols’ Layer Propertiesdialog box are placed instacks.

Changing the stack distance

2. Click the size tools dropdownarrow on the Military OverlayEditor toolbar.

3. Click the Stack Distancebutton.

4. Click inside the map displayand drag a circle to set thestack distance.

The diameter of the circledefines the stack distancevalue for the Proximitystacking rule. Force elementfeatures within this distanceof each other will be stackedon top of each other.

See Also

See the section ‘The force elementLayer Properties dialog box’earlier in this chapter for moreinformation about leadering andstacking rules.

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1. Click Echelon Scales fromthe MOLE dropdown menu.

The Echelon Scale BandEqualizer dialog box appears.

2. Check the Enable EchelonScale Filtering check box.

3. Check the Enabled check boxfor Echelon Scale Band 1.

4. Click and drag the scaleslider in Echelon ScaleBand 1 to the desired scalevalue.

As you move the slider, thescale values will display nextto it. The scale range will beindicated by a blue fill in theslider.

5. Click and drag the SymbolSize slider in Echelon ScaleBand 1 to the desired value.

The symbols matching thecriteria you specify inEchelon Scale Band 1 aredisplayed with the symbolsize you set here. The symbolheight is expressed as apercentage of the data frameheight. In other words, avalue of 2 causes the symbolheight to be 2 percent of thescreen height. u

Echelon scaling with theMilitary Overlay Editortoolbar

The Echelon Scale BandEqualizer allows you to set scale-dependent display rules for allMOLE layers in the TOC at oncebased on the echelon value of thesymbols. This equalizer differsfrom the Scaling tab in the LayerProperties dialog box, whichrequires you to apply filtering toonly one layer at a time. You canset up to three scale filteringrules with the Echelon ScaleBand Equalizer.

The scale sliders are available inthree different levels: Tactical,Operational, and Strategic. Thescale range supported by thelevels is listed in the figurebelow.

By default, Echelon Scale Band 1has a Tactical scale slider, Band 2has an Operational scale slider,and Band 3 has a Strategic slider.You can change the slider byright-clicking it and clicking anew slider from the popup list.

Scaling Level Scale RangeTactical 1:1000–1:500,000Operational 1:100,000–1:1,000,000Strategic 1:1,000,000–1:100,000,000

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CONTROLLING THE MOLE DISPLAY 115

6. Click the From Echelondropdown arrow and click avalue from the list ofechelons.

This sets the minimumechelon size to be displayedin the specified scale range.

7. Click the To Echelondropdown arrow and click avalue from the list ofechelons.

This sets the maximumechelon size to be displayedin the specified scale range.

8. Repeat the preceding stepsto set echelon scaling rulesfor Echelon Scale Bands 2and 3, if desired.

Tip

Scale slidersYou can change the initial scalevalue for a particular slider if youdo not want to use the defaultvalue. Click and drag the slider tothe desired starting value, thensimultaneously press Shift andclick and drag the slider to thedesired end value.

Tip

Scale valuesOnce the scale range is set, if youplace the pointer anywhere insidethe slider, the scale value displaysas a ToolTip.

Tip

Symbol sizeIf you set the symbol size to 0, thesymbols are not displayed.

The Echelon Scaling Band Equalizer can be utilizedin other ways as well, such as setting up differentdisplay sizes for symbols in defined echelon ranges,as illustrated here.

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IN THIS CHAPTER

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Using MOLE with other ESRI products 6• Adding MOLE symbols with the

Coordinate tool

• Using MOLE layers in TrackingAnalyst

• Using MOLE with ArcSDE andArcIMS

• Versioning

• Using MOLE with ArcGlobe

The flexibility in MOLE allows you to use it with many ArcGIS extensionsand other products in ESRI’s suite of GIS software solutions. Most notably,and of the greatest relevance to military users, is the ability to use MOLEwith ArcGIS Military Analyst, ArcGIS Tracking Analyst, ArcGlobe, andESRI’s enterprise GIS products—ArcSDE and ArcIMS.

You can use the Coordinate tool of Military Analyst to add MOLE forceelements at precise locations in ArcMap. You can use MOLE with TrackingAnalyst to model near real-time battlefield scenarios. ArcSDE allows you tostore MOLE data in a relational database management system (RDBMS)and perform multiuser editing on the data. With the ArcIMS ArcMap Servercomponent, you can distribute MOLE map documents over the Internet.

A clear and accelerating trend is for mission applications to havethree-dimensional displays. MOLE has extended the capability to viewMIL-STD-2525B graphics in ArcGlobe.

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118 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

Adding MOLEsymbols with theCoordinate toolMOLE is fully integrated withArcGIS, including the ArcGISextensions. Because of this,you can take advantage of theadditional functionality offeredby the extensions by usingMOLE in conjunction withthem. One example of anextension that enhances MOLEcapabilities is the MilitaryAnalyst extension. With theCoordinate tool of MilitaryAnalyst, you can add symbolsto MOLE layers in ArcMap atspecific locations by typing thecoordinates in the CoordinateTool dialog box while editingthe layer. The MOLE symbol foran unknown force element willbe placed with its center at thecoordinates you enter. Thisability gives you a greaterdegree of accuracy whenadding MOLE symbols thansimply looking at the coordinatedisplay on the ArcMap statusbar and estimating the locationof the symbol. The MilitaryAnalyst extension must beinstalled for this task.

1. Activate the Military Analystextension and open theMilitary Analyst toolbarfollowing the instructions inChapter 1 of Using ArcGISMilitary Analyst.

2. Open the Editor toolbar byclicking the Editor toolbarbutton on the ArcMapStandard toolbar.

3. Open a MOLE force elementlayer in ArcMap.

See Chapter 4, ‘AddingMOLE symbols in ArcMap’,for instructions on openingMOLE layers.

4. Click the Editor dropdownarrow on the Editor toolbarand click Start Editing.

If there are other featureclasses open in ArcMap, theStart Editing dialog boxappears.

5. On the Start Editing dialogbox, click the databasecontaining the feature classyou want to edit, then clickOK.

6. Click the Target dropdownarrow on the Editor toolbarand click the feature classesyou want to edit.

7. Ensure Create New Featureis selected in the Taskdropdown list on the Editortoolbar. u

See Also

See Using ArcGIS MilitaryAnalyst for more information onthe Coordinate tool.

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USING MOLE WITH OTHER ESRI PRODUCTS 119

8. Click the Coordinate toolbutton on the Military Analysttoolbar.

The Coordinate Tool dialogbox appears.

9. Check the Draw pointgraphic/feature check box.

10. Type the coordinates atwhich you want to place aforce element symbol in theappropriate coordinate textfield.

11. Click Convert.

The MOLE symbol for anunknown or pending forceelement is placed in the mapdisplay area at the specifiedcoordinates. You can edit thesymbol as you desire.

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ArcGIS Tracking Analyst is another ArcGIS extension that youcan use in conjunction with MOLE. Tracking Analyst allows youto model near real-time changes in geospatial data. By associatingtemporal signatures with feature classes, you can create twotypes of temporal layers. Static temporal layers contain featureswhose geographic locations remain constant, while their attributevalues change over time. These changes can be represented bysymbology changes in the features. Dynamic temporal layerscontain features whose geographic locations change over time.The features move in the display, representing the geographicchanges. The combination of MOLE and Tracking Analyst isideal for mission planning and rehearsal, as well as battlefieldvisualization, because it allows you to track troop and equipmentmovement and model different engagement scenarios. TheTracking Analyst extension, as well as MOLE, must be installedand activated to use them together. There are multiple ways tocreate temporal (tracking) layers. Some of those methods will bediscussed here, with respect to MOLE. For detailed informationon Tracking Analyst and temporal layers, seeUsing ArcGIS Tracking Analyst.

Creating MOLE temporal layers

As mentioned above, there are several methods for creatingtemporal layers. Regardless of the technique used, features inMOLE temporal layers must have the following attributes, at aminimum, associated with them:

• A valid 15-character MOLE Symbol ID value

• Date/Time values

• X and y coordinate values as well as optional z-values

The following figure displays an example of a MOLE temporallayer table.

Using MOLE layers in Tracking Analyst

In this example, a non-MOLE, nontemporal layer table wasmodified by adding the necessary temporal attributes. First, aSymbol_ID field was added and populated with valid Symbol IDcodes, thus making it a MOLE layer. X-, y-, and z-coordinatevalues were added to give the MOLE feaures the necessarygeographic locations. Next a date/time field was added andpopulated with sequential one-minute time intervals, adding thenecessary temporal component. In addition, a TRACK_ID fieldwas added to designate the temporal tracking ID for the layer.

The following examples illustrate ways to create MOLE temporallayers:

• Create a MOLE feature class by adding a Symbol_ID field toan exising attribute table and populating the field with validSymbol ID values. Add x, y, and date/time fields to theattribute table

• Add x, y, and date/time fields to the attribute table of a MOLEfeature class and populate the fields with values.

• Using ArcMap, join the attribute table of a MOLE featureclass with a table containing x, y, and date/time values thatcorrespond to the MOLE features. This produces the sameresults as the first example above.

• Using the Tracking Analyst Add Temporal Data Wizard, join atemporal (x, y, date/time values) geodatabase feature classwith a table containing MOLE Symbol ID values.

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USING MOLE WITH OTHER ESRI PRODUCTS 121

You are not restricted to these methods. In ArcMap you can jointwo feature classes with each other, two tables, or a feature classwith a table. It doesn’t matter which one contains the Symbol IDor the temporal data. However, when you join feature classes andtables, there must be an attribute field that is common to thetables being joined so they can be associated with each other.

The figure below displays an example of a table with MOLESymbol ID values joined with the attribute table of a temporalfeature class containing time and location information, using thefield EVENTID as the join field.

MOLE table

Temporal feature table

MOLE temporal layer

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122 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

See Also

See Using ArcGIS TrackingAnalyst for information about thecomplete functionality of TrackingAnalyst.

Creating a MOLE temporallayer in Tracking Analyst

1. On the ArcMap main menu,click Tools, then click Exten-sions.

2. Check the Tracking Analystcheck box on the Extensionsdialog box, then click Close.

3. Open the Tracking Analysttoolbar by clicking View onthe ArcMap main menu,pointing to Toolbars, thenclicking Tracking Analyst inthe toolbars list.

4. Click the Add Temporal Databutton to open the AddTemporal Data Wizard dialogbox.

5. Choose an option.

If you choose the secondoption, in a later step you willneed to select and link theappropriate MOLE table tothe temporal feature class.

6. Add the feature classcontaining temporal data inthe input feature class field.

7. Click the dropdown arrowand choose the attribute fieldcontaining the temporal(date/time) data.

8. Click the dropdown arrowand choose the attribute fieldcontaining the unique trackID. Click Next. u

Tip

Supported MOLE symbolsOnly MOLE force element symbolsare supported by Tracking Analyst.Tactical graphic symbols are notsupported.

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USING MOLE WITH OTHER ESRI PRODUCTS 123

9. Choose the default optionsfor the date/time string, ormodify them to suit yourdate.

10. If you selected the secondoption in step 5, skip tostep 11; otherwise, clickFinish and skip to step 13 ofthis procedure.

11. If you chose the secondoption in step 5 (step 1 in thewizard), the Add TemporalData Wizard panel appears.Choose and link the appro-priate MOLE table to thetemporal feature class. Clickthe Join Field in InputFeature Class dropdownarrow and click the field withwhich you want to join theMOLE table.

12. Click the Join Field in InputTable dropdown arrow tochoose the correspondingfield from the MOLE table.Click Finish.

13. The layer is initially dis-played as simple points.

14. Specify MOLE symbologyfrom the Layer Propertiesdialog box. Right-click thelayer in the ArcMap TOC andclick Properties to open theLayer Propertiesdialog box. u

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15. Click the Symbology tab onthe Layer Properties dialogbox.

16. Scroll up in the Draw As listand click MOLE (2525B).

17. Click the Military DescriptorColumn Name dropdownarrow and click the fieldcontaining the MOLESymbol ID values.

18. Click Apply and/or OK.

The MOLE symbology willnow be displayed in ArcMap.

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USING MOLE WITH OTHER ESRI PRODUCTS 125

Using MOLE with ArcSDE and ArcIMS

MOLE and ArcSDE

ArcSDE is a program that allows you to store geospatial datawithin a relational database management system and access thedata with ArcGIS. You can also use ArcSDE to serve geospatialdata over the Internet with ArcIMS. There are many advantagesto using ArcSDE in conjunction with an RDBMS to store andconnect to your geospatial data. The primary advantage is thatthis type of configuration allows multiple users to simultaneouslyedit the same GIS data. See Understanding ArcSDE for moreinformation.

Because MOLE is compatible with ArcSDE, you can takeadvantage of the multiuser editing environment, versioningcapability, and the ability to store your MOLE data in an RDBMSoffered by ArcSDE and still use all of the GIS processingfunctionality of ArcGIS. With ArcSDE, MOLE layers arecontained in an enterprise geodatabase, rather than a personalgeodatabase. You can create new MOLE ArcSDE feature classesdirectly in ArcCatalog, or you can export existing MOLEshapefiles and geodatabase feature classes or feature datasetscontaining MOLE feature classes into an enterprise geodatabase.The steps that you follow to create new MOLE feature classes inan enterprise geodatabase and to view and edit MOLE ArcSDElayers in ArcMap are identical to the steps for the same processesfor MOLE feature classes in a personal geodatabase. Because theprocesses are the same, the steps for creating new and editingexisting MOLE feature classes are not discussed in this chapter.The main idea to keep in mind is that when you are working withMOLE layers in an enterprise geodatabase, you must connect tothe database before you can create new layers or view and editexisting layers. MOLE layers must also be registered as versionedwith the enterprise geodatabase before they can be edited. Referto Chapter 3, ‘Creating a MOLE geodatabase’, and Chapter 4,‘Adding MOLE symbols in ArcMap’, for information on creatingand editing MOLE layers, respectively.

MOLE and ArcIMS

ArcIMS is a program that allows you to serve features, imagery,and map documents over the Internet, providing wide access toyour geospatial data. You can use ArcIMS to distributeoperational graphics and situation maps, which can containMOLE symbology, across secure Intranets for rapiddissemination of those products. The primary benefit of usingArcIMS to distribute MOLE maps is that it provides users whodo not need the advanced GIS functionality of ArcGIS the abilityto view them using standard Internet browsers.

Requirements for using MOLE with ArcIMS

To use MOLE with ArcIMS, you must have ArcIMS 4.0.1 orgreater installed on a server, along with the ArcMap Servercomponent of ArcIMS, without ArcGIS. MOLE is incompatiblewith earlier versions of ArcIMS. The ArcMap Server componentallows you to publish ArcGIS map documents (.mxd) andArcReader™ published map format documents (.pmf) on theInternet. MOLE must be installed on the same server as ArcIMS.You also need to save the MOLE layers that you want todistribute within a map document produced in ArcMap, thencreate an ArcIMS ArcMap Image Service for the map. This is theonly way ArcIMS will serve MOLE layers with their MOLEsymbology. The steps required to set up ArcIMS and create anArcMap Image Service are not discussed in this publication.Refer to Getting Started With ArcIMS or the ArcIMS help systemfor detailed information on ArcIMS, Using ArcReader andArcGIS Publisher for information on ArcReader, and UsingArcMap for information on creating map documents.

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MOLE symbols not supported by ArcIMS

As discussed in Chapter 4, ‘Adding MOLE symbols in ArcMap’,some of the more complex MOLE tactical graphic symbols arerendered using ArcGIS style files. Because ArcIMS does notsupport the use of ArcGIS style files, these symbols will not bedisplayed when served by ArcIMS. The symbols will berepresented by black lines for line and area features and simpleblack points for point features. The figure below illustrates asample MOLE mission planning map served on a Web pagecreated with ArcIMS.

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Exporting MOLE layers toArcSDE

1. Expand the DatabaseConnections folder in theCatalog tree in ArcCatalogand double-click Add SpatialDatabase Connection toconnect to an ArcSDEdatabase.

2. Right-click the MOLEpersonal geodatabasefeature dataset or featureclass in the Catalog tree youwant to export to the data-base connection and clickCopy.

You can also select it andpress Ctrl + C.

3. Right-click the databaseconnection and click Paste,or select it and press Ctrl + V.

4. Click OK on the Data Transferdialog box.

The layers are added to theArcSDE enterprisegeodatabase. They can nowbe opened in ArcMap andedited the same way as anyMOLE layer.

See Also

See Using ArcCatalog for details onadding a spatial databaseconnection.

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Versioning with MOLE

1. Connect to the ArcSDEdatabase in ArcCatalogcontaining the MOLE layeryou want to edit.

2. Right-click the MOLE featuredataset or feature class youwant to edit in the ArcCatalogCatalog tree, then clickRegister as Versioned.

If the feature class iscontained within a featuredataset, register the featuredataset as versioned. If thefeature class is not within afeature dataset, register thefeature class as versioned.

3. Right-click the connection tothe database containing thefeature classes you want toedit and click Versions.

The Version Managerwindow appears.

4. Right-click the name of theparent version—the versionyou create the new versionsfrom—and click New.

The New Version dialog boxappears.

5. Type a name for the versionin the Name text box on theNew Version dialog box.

6. Click one of the Permissionbuttons to set the securitylevel of the version, then clickOK. u

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VersioningThe MOLE feature class or featuredataset containing the featureclasses you want to edit must beregistered as versioned before theycan be edited.

VersioningVersioning is the methodArcSDE provides for managingmultiuser editing. You cancreate multiple versions of anenterprise database containingMOLE feature classes. Userscan make edits to their ownversion of the feature classes,and the changes will not besaved to the parent version ofthe feature class until the editsare explicitly reconciled againstand posted to it. This allows forbetter quality control andmanagement of data integrity.

See Also

See Understanding ArcSDE formore information aboutversioning.

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USING MOLE WITH OTHER ESRI PRODUCTS 129

The new version is displayedin the Version Manager.Follow the previous steps tocreate more versions if youdesire.

7. Close the Version Managerwindow.

8. Open the feature class youwant to edit in ArcMap,following the instructions inChapter 4, ‘Adding MOLEsymbols in ArcMap’.

9. Click the Source tab at thebottom of the ArcMap TOC.

The parent version of thegeodatabase is listed at thetop of the TOC.

10. Right-click the parentversion in the TOC and clickChange Version.

11. Click the version you want toedit in the Change Versiondialog box, then click OK.

The new version name islisted at the top of the TOC.You can now edit the version.Make sure you save youredits. Edits will not be addedto the feature class until youreconcile and post them tothe parent version. u

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130 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

12. Open the Versioning toolbarby clicking View in theArcMap main menu, pointingto Toolbars, then clickingVersioning.

13. On the Versioning toolbar,click the Reconcile button.

14. Click the parent version onthe Reconcile AgainstVersion dialog box and clickOK.

15. Click the Post button on theVersioning toolbar to savethe edits to the parentversion of the geodatabase.

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USING MOLE WITH OTHER ESRI PRODUCTS 131

Using MOLE with ArcGlobe

Displaying MOLE data in ArcGlobe is similar to displaying it inArcMap except that you’re working in a three-dimensionalenvironment.

MOLE in ArcGlobe gives you many options for displayinggraphics in a three-dimensional environment. If you’ve workedwith ArcGlobe before, you are likely already familiar with theoptions except for possibly billboarding. Billboarding, as well assome of the more commonly used options, is described in thissection.

When working with MOLE in ArcGlobe, it is helpful to keep inmind:

• Force elements are always associated with point features, andtactical graphics are associated with point, line, or polygonfeatures.

• You can apply z-values to the graphics associated with MOLEpoint, line, and polygon features. So you can apply z-valuesto force elements and tactical graphics.

• You perform extrusions on graphics associated with MOLEline and polygon features when you make themthree-dimensional; you billboard MOLE point features tomake them three-dimensional. So you can extrude line andpolygon tactical graphics, and you can billboard forceelements and point tactical graphics.

• You can apply the draping display type to any MOLE graphic.

• Extruding, billboarding, and draping affect the graphicassociated with the feature. The feature remains at its originalx, y, z location in its original form (point, line, or polygon)unless you change it.

To use ArcGlobe, you must have installed the ESRI 3D Analystextension.

MOLE three-dimensional display types

MOLE three-dimensional display types—billboarding, extruding,draping, and draping and billboarding, are described in thissection.

Billboarding

Billboarding is a method for displaying graphics associated withpoint features in three-dimensional space by posting them onvertical callout lines as two-dimensional symbols and orientingthem to always face the user.

Illustrations of sample billboarded MOLE graphics follow.

You can specify callout line properties. For example, the graphiccan be elevated from the surface by a value you specify in theHeight text box in the callout line properties.

Force elementgraphics that

have beenbillboarded in

ArcGlobe

Calloutlines

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132 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

Extruding

Extrusion is a method of projecting features in a two-dimensionaldata layer into three-dimensional space. Although you can applyextrusions to point features in ArcGIS, you cannot apply them toMOLE point features, only lines and polygons. You specify howhigh the extrusion should be from the earth’s surface (in theHeight text box on the 3D Display tab of the Layer Propertiesdialog box). The extrusion is a transparent rendition. Anillustration of sample extruded MOLE tactical graphics follows.

Draping

Draping renders atwo-dimensional graphicsuperimposed onto athree-dimensional surface.

Draping and billboarding

Draping and billboarding is a method of displaying graphicsassociated with point features in three-dimensional space bycombining the draping and billboarding methods.

Axis of advancetactical graphics

Anti-tank ditchreinforced withmines

An illustration of thedraping and billboardingdisplay method

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USING MOLE WITH OTHER ESRI PRODUCTS 133

Z-values and MOLE elevation in ArcGlobe

When you are creating MOLE data or converting existing data toMOLE data, you can use z-values. In a three-dimensional model, az-value represents elevation, or the height a feature is from theterrain.

MOLE gives you a second way to specify elevation (height) forbillboarded or extruded graphics in three-dimensional models: theArcGlobe Layer Properties dialog box as shown below.

If you have z-values defined for a layer, then decide to also applya MOLE height to that layer, MOLE uses the following logic torender the graphic.

• If the height value is greater than the z-value, MOLE uses theheight value.

• If the height value is less than the z-value, MOLE uses thez-value unless the height value is negative. If the height valueis negative, then MOLE uses the height value (it maintains thenegative height value).

Callout lines and MOLE height

By default, a callout line extends from the center of the graphic tothe terrain and has the same length as the graphic’s elevation.

Allows you toset theelevation forbillboardedgraphics

Allows you to setthe elevation forextrudedgraphics

This forceelement’s elevation

and callout linelength are equal.

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134 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

Installing 3D Analyst

1. Click Start, Control Panel.

2. In the Control Panel window,double-click Add or RemovePrograms.

3. In the Add or RemovePrograms window, clickArcGIS Desktop, Change.

The ArcGIS installationwizard appears.

4. In the first panel of thewizard, click Modify, thenclick Next.

5. In the second panel, in thelist area, open theExtensions tree branch.

6. Click 3D Analyst.

7. Click Next.

The installation wizardinstalls 3D Analyst.

8. When the wizard indicatesthe installation is finished,click Finish.

ArcGlobe and ArcSceneTM

are now available from theStart menu. You may have toactivate 3D Analyst byopening ArcMap thenclicking Tools, Extensions.

9. To start ArcGlobe, click Start,All Programs, ArcGIS,ArcGlobe.

ArcGlobe opens.

Starting ArcGlobe

To start ArcGlobe, you musthave first installed the3D Analyst extension.

You install extensions using theArcGIS installation wizard, alsoknown as the ArcGIS setupprogram.

The procedure on this pageshows how to start ArcGlobe ina Windows XP environment.

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USING MOLE WITH OTHER ESRI PRODUCTS 135

Adding the MilitaryOverlay Editor toolbar inArcGlobe

1. Right-click any toolbar, thenclick Military Overlay Editor.

The Military Overlay Editortoolbar displays. It contains asubset of the tools that areavailable on the ArcMapversion of it.

Adding and displayingMOLE data in ArcGlobe

1. Click the Add MOLE Databutton on the Military OverlayEditor toolbar.

2. On the Add MOLE Layersdialog box, navigate to yourMOLE data and open it.

You may have to adjust thescale of the data before youopen it in ArcGlobe. If so, aprompt will appear—click OKand adjust the scale.

Your MOLE data shouldappear as a new group layerin the ArcGlobe TOC pane.

3. In the ArcGlobe TOC,right-click the graphics layerof the data you just added.

4. Click Zoom To Layer.

Your MOLE data appears inthe map display.

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136 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

Resize force elements

1. In the ArcGlobe TOC, right-clickthe MOLE layer, then clickProperties.

2. On the Layer Properties dialogbox, click the Symbols tab.

3. In the Friendly Frame Height textbox, type a new value. Thisvalue indicates map units.

4. Click OK.

MOLE resizes the forceelements in the map display.

Change the three-dimensional display type

1. In the ArcGlobe TOC, right-clickthe MOLE graphics layer andclick Properties.

2. On the Layer Properties dialogbox, click the 3D Display tab.

3. Click the display type you want:Drape, Billboard, Extrude,Drape and Billboard, or Drapeand Extrude.

The extrude option won’t beavailable if you selected a layerassociated with a point featurelayer in step 1. The billboardoption won’t be available if youselected a layer associated witha line or area feature layer instep 1.

4. Click OK.

MOLE applies the display typeyou chose.

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USING MOLE WITH OTHER ESRI PRODUCTS 137

1. In the ArcGlobe TOC, right-click the MOLE graphicslayer, then click Properties.

2. On the Layer Propertiesdialog box, click the 3DDisplay tab.

3. In the Width text box, type avalue for the line thicknessyou want.

4. To change the color of thecallout line, click the colorselection dropdown arrow.

5. In the color palette thatdisplays (pictured at right),click the color you want.

6. Click OK to close the LayerProperties dialog box andapply your changes.

Change thickness andcolor of a callout line

Callout lines are used by defaultin billboarded MOLE graphics.

You can change the followingcallout line properties:

• Show callout lines—Allowsyou to set visibility of thecallout lines on or off.

• Height—A value in mapunits you give to tell howhigh you want the billboardto be from the map surface.

• Extrude—A value you giveto tell how high you wantthe tactical graphic to bedisplayed from the mapsurface.

• Width—A value you give toset the thickness of thecallout line. The units are inmap units.

• Color—Displays a colorpalette from which tochoose a color for thecallout line.

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IN THIS CHAPTER

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MOLE geoprocessing tools 7• The Add MOLE Fields tool

• Accessing and using the MOLEtoolbox

Geoprocessing, also known as model building, is the performing of a functionor functions on geographic information. Typically, geoprocessing is a set offunctions, or operations, you’ve chosen or defined and put in a certain order.You can save this ordered group of operations so you can perform them onyour geographic information again and again.

Common geoprocessing operations are geographic feature overlay, featureselection and analysis, topology processing, raster processing, and dataconversion. An example of a geoprocessing sequence is: clip the dataset,select a part of the dataset, then intersect two datasets.

The Military Overlay Editor Tools toolbox (MOLE toolbox) is a standalonetoolbox located at the highest level within the ArcToolboxTM structure. Likemost ArcGIS toolboxes, it contains one or more toolsets that form a categoryof tools. The MOLE toolbox contains the Utilities toolset, which includes theAdd MOLE Fields tool. The Add MOLE Fields tool allows you to convertexisting non-MOLE datasets into MOLE datasets by adding the requiredfields for you.

This chapter introduces you to the Add MOLE Fields tool. For details on thetool, see the help available with the tool by clicking Show Help in the tool.

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140 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

The Add MOLE Fields tool

The Add MOLE Fields tool allows you to convert existingnon-MOLE datasets into MOLE datasets by adding the fields thatare required to display and edit data in MOLE.

You can access this tool from any application that supportsArcToolbox. It allows you to convert multiple datasets with thesame geometry type at one time. All point, line, and polygongeometries can be input as feature classes or shapefiles to addthe necessary MOLE fields. You select the inputs through astandard geoprocessing dialog box or command line; the files areoutput to a shapefile format and directory you choose.

Field descriptions for the Add MOLE Fields tool

Input Features

In the Input Features field, enter the file or files you want to addMOLE fields to.

Click the browse button to navigate to and select the input file orfiles—feature classes and shapefiles. You can add multiple files ofthe same geometry type.

Data Type

Click the Data Type list to choose the MOLE data type used toadd fields. Point

Output Features

In the Output Folder field, specify the location for the file or filesto be created from the input files and added MOLE fields. Thetool will save the new file or files to the location you specify. Bydefault, the new file or files will be given the same name as theinput file or files with a suffix of featuretypemole, wherefeaturetype signifies the type of feature: point, line, or area.

Click the browse button to navigate to and select the outputlocation. Choose an output data type, either feature class,shapefile, or table.

Overwrite Any Existing Files

If files with the same name as the output files exist in theoutput location, you can overwrite them without gettingprompted by checking Overwrite Any Existing Files. Youmust specify the option to overwrite files in theGeoprocessing Evironments settings.

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MOLE GEOPROCESSING TOOLS 141

Accessing andusing the MOLEtoolbox

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1. If you haven’t already, installMOLE. Installing MOLE addsthe MOLE geoprocessingtoolbox to ArcToolbox.

2. Open ArcToolbox. Forexample, in Windows, openArcCatalog, then clickWindow, ArcToolbox.

3. In ArcToolbox, right-clickArcToolbox.

4. Click Add Toolbox.

5. On the Add Toolbox dialogbox, navigate to theToolboxes folder in theArcGIS installation directory,for example, <ArcGISInstallation Directory\ArcToolbox\Toolboxes.

6. Choose Military OverlayEditor (MOLE) Tools and clickOpen.

The toolbox and the AddMOLE Fields tool are addedto ArcToolbox.

7. To use the Add MOLE Fieldstool, in ArcToolbox, navigateto the MOLE toolbox. Openthe Utilities toolset, thendouble-click the Add MOLEFields tool.

8. Enter information in the fieldsaccording to the fielddescriptions on the previouspage.

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affiliationIn MOLE, the type of threat posed by the war fighting element being represented. The basic typessupported by MOLE are unknown, friend, neutral, and hostile. See also war fighting element.

aliasAn alternative name specified for fields, tables, and feature classes that is more descriptive anduser-friendly than the actual name of these items. On computer networks, a single e-mail alias mayrefer to a group of e-mail addresses. In database management systems, aliases can containcharacters, such as spaces, that can’t be included in the actual names.

attributeInformation about a geographic feature in a GIS, usually stored in a table and linked to the featureby a unique identifier. For example, attributes of a river might include its name, length, and averagedepth. Also known as attribute modifier, text modifier, or modifier.

billboardingA method for displaying graphics associated with point features in three-dimensional space byposting them on vertical callout lines as two-dimensional symbols and orienting them to alwaysface the user. See also extrusion.

C4IIn defense, an abbreviation used to signify that a computer program or system supports command,control, communication, computers, and information.

cacheIn computer science, a temporary storage area. Because this storage area tends to be quicker andeasier to access than others from a systems resources standpoint, developers use caches forobjects to save time when operations are later performed on the objects. In the MOLE API, forceelement display lists and tactical graphic display lists serve as caches.

cached graphicA term primarily used in the MOLE API to refer to graphics that are stored in (managed by) adisplay list. Display lists serve as caches in MOLE. There are two types of display lists: forceelement and tactical graphic. All MOLE graphics (force elements, tactical graphics, leaders, andstacks) can be added to and managed by these display lists.

Glossary

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callout lineA line between the center of a graphic and its geographicposition. In three-dimensional display, callout lines are used onlywith force elements and point tactical graphics.

callout valueIn MOLE, a number that specifies the length of the callout line.By default, a callout line extends to the terrain and has the samelength as the graphic’s elevation.

convex hullIn MOLE, an outline on a map that represents the location of agroup of force elements (leadered or stacked force elements). Seealso force concentration.

coordinate systemA fixed reference framework superimposed onto the surface of anarea to designate the position of a point within it; a referencesystem consisting of a set of points, lines, and/or surfaces; and aset of rules used to define the positions of points in space ineither two or three dimensions. The Cartesian coordinate systemand the geographic coordinate system used on the earth’ssurface are common examples of coordinate systems.

coverageA data model for storing geographic features. A coverage stores aset of thematically associated data considered to be a unit. Itusually represents a single layer, such as soils, streams, roads, orland use. In a coverage, features are stored as both primaryfeatures (points, arcs, polygons) and secondary features (tics,links, annotation). Feature attributes are described and storedindependently in feature attribute tables. Coverages cannot beedited in ArcGIS 8.3 and subsequent versions.

data frameA top-level item in the ArcMap TOC.

drapingA perspective or panoramic rendering of a two-dimensional imagesuperimposed onto a three-dimensional surface. For example, anaerial photograph might be draped over a digital elevation modelto create a realistic terrain visualization.

elevationThe vertical distance of a point or object above or below areference surface or datum (generally mean sea level). Usedespecially in reference to vertical height on land. In MOLE, thereference surface is the terrain.

extrusionProjecting features in a two-dimensional data layer intothree-dimensional space. Uses of extrusion include showing thedepth of well point features or the height of building footprintpolygons. In MOLE, extrusions can be applied to line and areatactical graphics but not force elements or point tactical graphics.See also billboarding.

Data frame

Drapedforce element

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GLOSSARY 145

extrusion valueIn MOLE, a number that specifies the distance between afeature’s geographic location, typically on the terrain, and itshighest point when projected in a three-dimensional map display.

feature classA collection of geographic features with the same geometry type(such as point, line, or polygon), the same attributes, and thesame spatial reference. Feature classes can stand alone within ageodatabase or be contained within shapefiles, coverages, orother feature datasets. Feature classes allow homogeneousfeatures to be grouped into a single unit for data storagepurposes. For example, highways, primary roads, and secondaryroads can be grouped into a line feature class named roads. In ageodatabase, feature classes can also store annotation anddimensions.

feature datasetA collection of feature classes stored together that share thesame spatial reference; that is, they have the same coordinatesystem, and their features fall within a common geographic area.Feature classes with different geometry types may be stored in afeature dataset.

fillIn MOLE, the graphic component inside the frame that forms thebackground. See also frame, icon.

force concentrationIn MOLE, a component of a map display that shows where forceunits are located so the map reader can see where forces are thestrongest and weakest. Also see convex hull.

force elementIn MOLE, a type of graphic that represents a military unit (suchas Company A, 1st Battalion of the 135th Infantry), equipment, orinstallation (such as a hospital or radar site). See also tacticalgraphic, stack, leader, and war fighting symbology.

frameIn MOLE, the geometric border of a graphic that indicates theaffiliation, battle dimension, and status of the war fightingelement that the MOLE graphic represents. See also graphiccomponent.

geodatabaseA collection of geographic datasets for use by ArcGIS. There arevarious types of geographic datasets, including feature classes,attribute tables, raster datasets, network datasets, topologies, andmany others.

geodatabase data modelThe schema for the various geographic datasets and tables in aninstance of a geodatabase. The schema defines the GIS objects,rules, and relationships used to add GIS behavior and integrity tothe datasets in a collection.

graphicAn image produced by and stored in a computer as data fordisplay. MOLE graphics are similar to ArcGIS symbols andessentially serve as symbols in the map display. MOLE labels arepart of the graphic. The types of graphics include force elements,tactical graphics, stacks, and leaders. See also symbol.

FrameA frame with an open bottomindicates that this war fightingelement is an aboveground unit.

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graphic componentIn MOLE, the most elementary part of a graphic. Icon, frame, andfill are examples of components that make up MOLE graphics.

The following illustration shows examples of graphiccomponents.

See also graphic, symbol.

iconIn MOLE, the innermost graphic component of a graphic. Theicon is derived from the Function ID position of a Symbol IDcode. See also graphic component, war fighting element.

layer1. The visual representation of a geographic dataset in any digitalmap environment. Conceptually, a layer is a slice or stratum of thegeographic reality in a particular area, and is more or lessequivalent to a legend item on a paper map. On a road map, forexample, roads, national parks, political boundaries, and rivers areexamples of different layers.

2. In ArcGIS, a reference to a data source, such as a coverage,geodatabase feature class, raster, and so on, that defines how thedata should be symbolized on a map. Layers can also defineadditional properties, such as which features from the data sourceare included. Layers can be stored in map documents (.mxd) orsaved individually as layer files (.lyr). Layers are conceptually

FrameFill color

Icon

Direction indicator

F Icon

similar to themes in ArcView 3.x. A MOLE layer is an ArcGIS layerthat includes a Symbol_ID field.

3. A standalone feature class in a geodatabase managed withSpatial Database Engine™ (SDE®) 3 or ArcSDE.

leaderIn MOLE, typically two or more force elements grouped togetherand placed on a line based on user-specified rules. Leaders areoften used to clean up the map display in cases where manysymbols overlap, to group related units together, and to defineperimeters or areas of interest for formations. See also forceelement, tactical graphic, stack.

map displayA graphic representation of a map on a computer screen.

MIL-STD-2525BThe Department of Defense Common Warfighting Symbologyspecification; the U.S. military standard that provides guidelinesand criteria for the development and display of standard C4Iwar fighting symbology.

MIL-STD-6040The United States Message Text Formatting Programspecification; the U.S. military standard that establishes formats,contents, and procedures for messages and associated C4I dataelements.

Military Analyst extensionAn ArcGIS extension that optimizes the effectiveness of coreArcGIS as a toolset foundation for military planners andintelligence analysts. See also Military Analyst suite, MOLE.

Military Analyst suiteAn ESRI collection of tools for the defense and intelligence usercommunities. Tools in the collection include the Military Analyst

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GLOSSARY 147

extension (MA) and the Military Overlay Editor (MOLE) softwareapplication. See also MOLE, Military Analyst extension.

MOLEMilitary Overlay Editor. A component of the ArcGIS MilitaryAnalyst suite that functions as a new symbol generator andeditor for modern battlefield planning applications. MOLE is acollection of graphic renderers that builds graphics and displaysthem on a map. See also Military Analyst suite.

offsetA change in or the act of changing the z-value for a surface orfeatures in a scene by a constant amount or by using anexpression. Offsets can be applied to make features draw justabove a surface.

RDBMSRelational database management system. A type of database inwhich the data is organized across several tables. Tables areassociated with each other through common fields. Data itemscan be recombined from different files. In contrast to otherdatabase structures, an RDBMS requires few assumptions abouthow data is related or how it will be extracted from the database.

reconcileIn version management, to merge all modified datasets, featureclasses, and tables in the current edit session with a secondtarget version. All features and rows that do not conflict aremerged into the edit session, replacing the current features orrows. Features that are modified in more than one version areconflicts and require further resolution via the ArcGIS ConflictResolution dialog box.

renderingThe process of drawing to a display. The conversion of thegeometry, coloring, texturing, lighting, and other characteristics ofan object into a display image.

shapefileA vector data storage format for storing the location, shape, andattributes of geographic features. A shapefile is stored in a set ofrelated files and contains one feature class.

spatial domainFor a spatial dataset, the defined precision and allowable rangefor x- and y-coordinates and for m- and z-values, if present. Thespatial domain must be specified by the user when creating ageodatabase feature dataset or standalone feature class.

spatial referenceThe coordinate system used to store a spatial dataset. For featureclasses and feature datasets within a geodatabase, the spatialreference also includes the spatial domain.

stackIn MOLE, two or more force elements grouped together andplaced one on top of another. Like leaders, stacks allow users toquickly make a map easier to read by allowing graphics to begrouped according to user-specified rules. See also force element,tactical graphic, leader.

symbolA graphic used to represent a geographic feature or class offeatures. Symbols can look like what they represent (tiny trees,railroads, houses), or they can be abstract shapes (points, lines,polygons) or characters. Symbols are usually explained in a maplegend.

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Symbol ID codeA 15-character identifier that provides the information necessaryto display or transmit a military symbol betweenMIL-STD-2525B-compliant systems.

tactical graphicA type of MOLE graphic that aids in regulating the movement offorce units, such as lane boundaries and obstacles. See also warfighting symbology, force element, leader, and stack.

toleranceThe minimum or maximum variation allowed when processing orediting a geographic feature’s coordinates. For example, duringediting, if a second point is placed within the snapping tolerancedistance of an existing point, the second point will be snapped tothe existing point.

vector data modelAn abstraction of the real world in which spatial elements arerepresented in the form of points, lines, and polygons. These aregeographically referenced to a coordinate system.

versionIn geodatabases, an alternative state of the database that has anowner, a description, a permission (private, protected, or public),and a parent version. Versions are not affected by changesoccurring in other versions of the database.

war fighting elementIn MOLE, a real-world battle element, such as a ground force unitor a lane boundary, represented by MOLE graphics on a map. Seealso tactical graphic, force element, war fighting symbology.

war fighting symbologyGraphics on a map that represent battle elements such as groundtroops and direction of troops. These graphics are used to planand execute military operations in support of C4I functions.MOLE graphic types fall within four main categories: forceelements, tactical graphics, stacks, and leaders.

World Geodetic System of 1984 (WGS84)The most widely used geocentric datum and geographiccoordinate system today, designed by the U.S. Department ofDefense to replace WGS72. GPS measurements are based onWGS84.

z-valueThe value for a given surface location that represents an attributeother than position. In an elevation or terrain model, the z-valuerepresents elevation; in other kinds of surface models, itrepresents the density or quantity of a particular attribute.

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12Index A

AddingMOLE graphics in ArcGlobe 135MOLE graphics in ArcMap 74the MOLE toolbar to ArcMap or ArcGlobe 16

Affiliation color. See Tactical graphic LayerProperties dialog box: Renderers tab

Aliases 66Altitude/Depth 15ArcIMS

and MOLE 125requirements for using MOLE 125unsupported MOLE symbols 126

ArcMap Server 125ArcReader 125ArcSDE

and MOLE 125exporting MOLE layers to 127versioning 128

Arrow symbolscreating 77

Attribute modifier. See AttributeAttributes

displaying around a MOLE graphic 15in the MOLE Symbol Editor 13Required field names for MOLE feature classes 66

B

Basic icon. See graphic componentBiological event 48. See also Nuclear, biological, and

chemical eventsBoundaries. See Frame or Tactical graphics

C

Callout lines 87CGM. See Computer Graphics Metafile

components

Character limits, default 66Chemical event 47, 48. See also Nuclear, biological,

and chemical eventsClass extensions 61Computer Graphics Metafile components 82Convex hulls. See Force concentrationsCoordinate tool

adding MOLE symbols 118, 119Creating

a MOLE geodatabase 61MOLE feature classes 63MOLE graphics. See Adding

D

Database. See GeodatabaseDate/Time group format 15, 67, 120Department of Defense common war fighting

symbology See MIL-STD-2525BDisplay styles. See Symbol stylesDisplaying attribute data (labels) around a graphic 15DTG. See Date/time group format

E

Echelon Scale Band Equalizer 114Echelon scaling

described 90from the Layer Properties dialog box 90illustrated 91setting 99, 100symbol size units 100with the Military Overlay Editor toolbar

114, 115Enabling. See Turn on and offEnterprise geodatabase 125

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150 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

F

Feature classescreating

force elements 63tactical graphics 64

custom 64MOLE custom object types 64

Feature datasetscreating 62spatial reference 62

Force concentrations 87Force element Layer Properties dialog box

Cache tabgraphic selection 86graphic update 86

described 86Force elements

adding 74components 82described 60editing 76modifying from the Layer Properties dialog

box 92modifying with the Military Overlay Editor

toolbar 111rendering 82

Framedisplay options 87examples illustrated 82in Symbol ID code 11

Frame height. See Graphic height, set

G

Geodatabase. See also Personal geodatabase,RDBMS, and ArcSDE

creating a MOLE geodatabase 59-72update MOLE 2.0 data 71updating tip 21

Geoprocessing, MOLE 139Graphic component

categories of 14how MOLE uses to build symbols 82–83

Graphic height, set 108

I

Installation. See Force elements

L

Labels. See AttributesLayer Properties dialog box. See also Force

element or Tactical graphic LayerProperties

overview 18Layers. See MOLE layersLeadering

about setting leadering distance using rules88–89

callout lines 96described 88leader distance 112rules 88selecting leadered symbols 95setting properties 95, 96setting with the Military Overlay Editor

toolbar 112styles 88turning on and off 16

Length. See Character limits, defaultLimit. See Character limits, defaultLinux

converting to shapefile for use with 9

M

MIL-STD-2525Bassociated renderers for tactical graphics 101deviating from 26, 83

in geodatabases 59-68,in the force element Layer Properties dialog

box 87manually editing the Symbol ID code 41mentioned 19, 20, 48, 73, 82, 83, 85overview 1, 6tactical graphic affiliation colors 102types of tactical graphics, geodatabases 64with MOLE layers 7, 41

Military Analyst extension, using MOLE with118

Military operations other than war 11, 12Military Overlay Editor toolbar

buttons described 16difference between Layer Properties dialog

box 33, 86making global changes with 16, 17, 21modifying layer properties from 22–24

Military symbols specification. See MIL-STD-2525B

Minefields. See MinesMines

sample graphic in ArcGlobe 132Type field for 67, 68

Modifiers. See AttributesMOLE custom object types. See Feature

classes: MOLE custom object typesMOLE feature classes. See Feature classesMOLE graphics. See also Symbol ID code

overview 7MOLE layers

difference between ArcGIS layers 6exporting to ArcSDE 127group layers 76, 79overview 6

MOLE Symbol Editoradding force elements 74overview 13toolbar button illustration and description 16

MIL-STD-2525B continued

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INDEX 151

MOLE temporal layerscreating in Tracking Analyst

described 122, 123, 124overview 120

supported MOLE symbols 122MOLE_BLANK.mdb 41, 69MOOTW. See military operations other than

warMultiuser editing 125

N

NBC. See Nuclear, biological, and chemicalevents

Nuclear, biological, and chemical events 48, 68

O

OBJECTID 88

P

Personal geodatabasecreating 61creating (ArcView users) 69

Primitive component. See graphic component

R

RDBMS 117, 125. See also GeodatabaseRelational database management system. See

RDBMSRenderers. See Tactical graphic symbols:

renderers

S

Scale-dependent display. See Echelon scalingScaling. See Echelon scalingSDE. See ArcSDE

Shapefilesadding MOLE symbols to 74for use with UNIX 9MOLE and 9

Solarisconverting to shapefile for use with 9

Special combinations. See FrameSpecification for military symbols. See MIL-

STD-2525BStacking

about setting stacking distance using rules 37about toggling 105, 112illustration of 89mentioned 16, 17, 18, 60, 86setting stacking properties 97, 98setting with the Military Overlay Editor

toolbar 113turning on and off 16two ways to set stacking distance described

38Style items 94Symbol frame properties

changing 94Symbol ID code

6, 8, 14, 19, 41, 120, 146, 148conflicts 76, 82graphic component details 11, 82how MOLE uses to render graphics 11, 82in MOLE Symbol Editor areas 13

Symbol modifier field. See Attributes orSymbol ID code

Symbol_ID attribute field6, 8, 11, 15, 47, 65, 66, 109, 120, 146. Seealso Symbol ID code

in MOLE Symbol Editor areas 13in shapefiles 9used to stack graphics 37when data is opened in MOLE 10

Symbology. See force elements or tacticalgraphics

T

Tactical graphic Layer Properties dialog boxRenderers tab 101, 102Scaling tab 102

Tactical graphicsadding 77arrow symbols. See Arrow symbols: creatingdescribed 60editing 79MOLE exceptions to MIL-STD-2525B 83renderers

area and point rendering 82, 83associated 101available 101described 80, 101, 103disassociating 104enabling 103, 104line rendering 82, 83supported symbols 103

Tactical symbols. See Force elementsTemporal layers. See MOLE temporal layersText labels. See AttributesText modifier. See AttributeToggle. See Turn on and offTolerance. See Leadering or StackingToolbars. See Military Overlay Editor toolbarToolbox. See GeoprocessingTracking Analyst. See MOLE temporal layersTurn on and off

label visibility 110leadering 16stacking 16tactical graphic renderers 101

U

Units (force)5, 6, 11, 12, 18, 19, 37, 66, 67, 88. Seealso Force elements

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152 USING MILITARY OVERLAY EDITOR FOR ARCGIS

grouping using leadering rules 34infantry unit preview in symbol editor 14set scaling based on unit size 38

Units (of measure) 17, 35, 38, 101for billboard height 137sample for graphic size 87synching in different coordinate systems 111using map units for graphic size 92, 100

UNIXconverting to shapefile for use with 9

Updating MOLE 2.0 data 71Updating MOLE datasets 70USMTF 146

V

Versioning 128, 129, 130

W

Wind barbs 72, 83

Z

Z-valuesand MOLE elevation in ArcGlobe 133feature classes 63in Tracking Analyst 120mentioned 43

Units (force) continued