
With some fitting strategies, when the map scale changes, the scale bar gets longer or shorter. This controls how the scale bar adjusts when the map scale changes. On the Properties tab, you can set the scale bar fitting strategy. For example, you can set the Label Text to KM instead of kilometers. You can also change the Label Text to adjust how the unit value is written on the scale bar. If you don't see the unit you want in the list, add it as a distance unit to your project. On the Options tab, you can choose the scale bar's unit by selecting an option from the Map Units drop-down list. Map units are the distance value the scale bar displays, for example, miles or kilometers. Any further changes to the map scale are not reflected. However, once converted to graphics, it loses all connection to the map. This changes the scale bar into groups of graphic elements that can be manipulated individually.

To do this, right-click the scale bar in the Contents pane and choose Convert to Graphics. If you can't achieve the appearance you want for your scale bar by adjusting the properties, consider converting it to graphics. Once you've adjusted your scale bar, you can save it to a style to use again in future projects without needing to redo the formatting.

To adjust the symbology of the map units, divisions, numbers, marks, and bars, click the Symbol button next to the item. Select the fitting strategy, change the properties and symbology for divisions, numbers, marks, and bars.Ĭontains border, background, and shadow properties. In the Element pane, select the tab containing the properties you want to change.In the Contents pane, right-click the scale bar and click Properties to open the Element pane.To insert a scale bar, follow these steps: You can set the map frame of the scale bar later, after it is inserted. If there isn't a map frame on the page, the scale bar is not associated with any map, and the

When a scale bar is added to the page, it is automatically associated with the default map frame. You can check the Compute at center option on the Options tab of the Element pane to calculate the map scale using the center of the map frame. In many cases, the scale listed in the map view reflects the scale at a location along the equator and that is what the scale bar displays. Map scales are often averages and can vary based on coordinate system, latitude, direction, and map extent. If the map scale for that map frame changes, the scale bar updates to remain correct. Scale bars are associated with a map frame in a layout. Such as tens of kilometers or hundreds of miles. It is labeled with its ground length, usually in multiples of map units, A scale bar is a line or bar divided into parts. Indication of distance and feature size on
