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How do I customizing the default map scale list in ArcGIS? I can set a list from a text file.

default scale list

The list needs the following format (from comment of @Martin) for example:

1000,000000
10000,000000
25000,000000
50000,000000
100000,000000
250000,000000
500000,000000
750000,000000
1000000,000000
3000000,000000
10000000,000000

How do I set this list as default list for all users on all workstations?

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    If you first create a list in that dialog box and use the Save button, you can later load that same list with the "From file" option. However, I doubt anyone really uses those values, I sure don't bother with them.
    – Martin
    Commented Jan 15, 2016 at 10:32
  • You are right if you use ArcGIS a lot you won't need that but unfortunately there are users which are using that list...
    – wittich
    Commented Jan 15, 2016 at 10:50
  • ...which also helped you boil this done to one single question! :)
    – Martin
    Commented Jan 15, 2016 at 10:55
  • yes thx again :-)
    – wittich
    Commented Jan 15, 2016 at 10:58
  • So, do you want to be able to make this customization in an automated fashion for multiple ArcGIS users? No distributing the file and letting the users to update the scales with the text file?
    – Alex Tereshenkov
    Commented Jan 15, 2016 at 11:08

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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You have really two options.

  1. Create a file with needed scales and share the file with your end users. They, with your guidance, will update the scales in the map document they are working. This is something they will need to do for every map document they will create.

  2. Create a new empty map document. Add any layer and then remove it. Now the Map Scale list panel is activated. Prepare the list according to your needs. Then save the map document to a file. Now you can copy this map document into the user folder of every ArcGIS user. This is usually C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\ESRI\Desktop10.3\ArcMap\Templates. Place the file here. When users will create a new map document in ArcMap, they will see this "template" file under My Templates. Instruct them to use this template whenever they want to use the scales list you have provided.

Unfortunately, there is no way to modify the default scales list inside the software itself.

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  • Thanks for the answer! The customized template I had in mind, it has also some other advantages like to define a coordinate system etc... That's what I'm going to use.
    – wittich
    Commented Jan 15, 2016 at 12:44

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