Copy Layer Properties

Purpose

The Copy Layer Properties tool allows copying layer properties between map layers.

Description

XTools Pro adds two buttons on the XTools Pro toolbar, Copy and Paste Properties. This feature allows to effectively copy selected layer properties from one layer to another layer, or to a few other layers. Feature, raster and group layers are supported, although not all properties can be copied. At that, there are options provided for selection:

• Copy Layer Properties
  this option provides a dialog allowing to select what properties you wish to copy

• Copy Symbology Settings
  this option allows to promptly copy symbology

• Copy Labeling Settings
  this option allows to promptly copy labels

• Paste Layer Properties
  this option allows to paste copied properties

Copying properties between layers

In order to copy properties from one layer to another or to a few other layers, select a layer you wish to copy properties from in the Table of Contents window, then select what properties you wish to copy, then select a layer to paste properties to and press the Paste button on the toolbar.

The Copy option used the last time is available from the toolbar. Other options can be used from the drop-down menu. Same way, the dialog allowing to select properties remembers the properties you selected last time.

The Paste Layer Properties button is activated if some layer properties are copied and another layer (or a few) is selected in the TOC window:

If there are no feature layers selected in the Table of Contents window then both icons remain disabled.

If the Copy Layer Properties option is used then you can select layer properties that you wish to copy in the following dialog:

For group layer the following layer properties are available:

For raster layer the following layer properties are available:

When you select to paste copied properties to one or a few other layers you will see what copied properties are applicable to the selected layers:

Layer properties can be copied between layers in different data frames within one MXD document, as well as between layers in different MXDs (i.e. between two open ArcMap sessions).

Notes:

• The copying functionality is simple. It copies properties between layers but it does not analyze layers. For example, if symbology of a layer is based on a certain attribute field and there is no such field in the table of another layer or field name differs in some way - the tool will try to copy symbology but there is no guarantee it will do it correctly. Same relates to copying labels and definition queries.

• Copying field order, layer fields with the same name will be moved up in the target layer field schema in the order of original layer. At that, OID, Shape, Shape_Length, Shape_Area fields are not taken into account.

• Please note that properties of both visible and hidden fields are copied.

Important:

Giving the efficient tool we hope you will be able to do many useful things fast. And we realize, by chance you will be able to do wrong things, fast as well. And especially for this reason the undo feature for the Copy/Paste functionality is provided. Copying (Pasting) properties with XTools Pro is safe, changes in the properties can be put back with just one click: