How to create a text box with inverted rounded corners

Question

I just saw this post on the tex SE site and wondered how I would do the same in ArcGIS. I created a text box in a layout and drilled down in all of the dialog boxes but couldn't see anything similar. Sure, it's easy to create a rounded box, but how do you invert the corners?

One solution I had was to manually draw a rectangle with circles on the corners.

Then, I used the subtract tool on the Graphics Operations context menu for each of the corners.

The result was satisfactory:

I could easily put some text in there and it would look fine. However, if the amount of text changes and I need to stretch the box, the corners stretch as well:

Does anyone know of a way to create such a frame around text in the layout in ArcGIS?

I'd be happy to know if it's possible to do this using Python.

Answer 1

Unless you want to try to implement an ArcObjects solution for this, as suggested by @blah238, your best bet appears to be to submit a new ArcGIS Idea for it.

I would target that enhancement request for ArcGIS Pro rather than ArcMap. However, there is not yet an ArcGIS Pro category available for you to do that.

Answer 2

If nothing works then i would do as below---

1. Convert texts into annotation
2. Run Feature To Polygon tool to convert these annotation into polygon (rectangle)
3. Run Feature Vertices To Points tool- it creates circle centre
4. Run Buffer tool to create circle (with appropriate radius)
5. Run Erase too where input is polygon(rectangle) and erase feature is circles
6. If you want those graphics back then run convert features to graphics
N.B.  Modify the buffer radius as you want

Answer 3

I use simple paint box in word office 2019. 1. Go to shapes. 2. Select rectangle with rounded corners. Draw a rectangle of required size and colour. 3. Now select round shape and draw a circle of required size, obviously smaller in size. Drag it to one of the corners, such that it will cut an arc of desired size inside the rectangle. 4. now use 'eraser' to erase outer part of circle. You have an inverted corner(out of four corners). 5. Select this small portion, copy and paste. 3 copies. Then using 'rotate' button, flip it by 90 degree and drag to one of the suitable corners. 6. Repeat this for flip vertical and horizontal respectively and drag to suitable places. 7. Even if you paste at any two corners in a line, you can select that part, rotate by 180 degree and drag to opposite side of the rectangle. Hope non-technical persons will find it useful. Do reply.