How it works...

In this recipe, you started by adding new layers to a map. You added multiple layers at one time using the Add Data button. Once you added the new layers, you began to adjust their properties so that they would be more useful within the map. First, you renamed the layer using a more descriptive and understandable name than the one originally associated with the feature class in the geodatabase. Then, you updated the metadata for the layer so others using the map would have a better understanding of its purpose.

After you updated some of the basic properties of the layers you added, you worked on the symbology so that the map was easier to read. You made the Streams, Creeks, Lakes, and Ponds layers blue so they resembled the features they represent, also, people are accustomed to seeing them presented this way in a map. You made these adjustments by clicking the symbol patch located beneath each layer and then changing the symbol properties in the Symbology pane.

The Buildings layer required a little more effort, because you needed to change the symbology so that you could tell each building type from within the map. This required you to base the symbology on an attribute of the buildings that was stored in a field found in the attribute table of the Buildings layer. To do this, you went to the Appearance tab and selected the Unique Values symbology. Then, you configured this symbology type to use the Building Type field from the attribute table for the layer. Once you pointed the symbology type to that field, it automatically created a unique symbol for each building type it found. In this case, it created a unique symbol allowing you to determine the type of buildings (for example, houses or apartments). 

You added the Power Poles layer from the Catalog pane by right-clicking the feature class within the geodatabase and selecting Add to Current Map. You then adjusted the color of the Power Poles symbol to red by right-clicking the symbol and selecting Mars Red from the presented color palette.

Finally, you created a Map File based on the map you made, so you will be able add the map to other projects quickly and easily. The map will be added with all the layer properties and settings that you just configured, so you will not need to go through that process again.