Esri Mapping Center - Ask a Cartographer

MUTCD Sign Symbology

June 02 2011 | 4 comments
Categories: Symbology

I'm having issues with matching a sign inventory to its appropriate symbology. Since our sign inventory description does not perfectly match the description in the ESRI Transportation Style file, I was only able to match a handful of sign types to their symbology (using "Match to symbols in a style"). I need to be able to match signs according to their MUTCD sign code to their appropriate symbol, preferrably from the ESRI Transportation Style file. Any suggestions?

Mapping Center Answer:

The ESRI Transportation Style Esri has symbols that were compliant with a MUTCD version from 2003 (which was the latest at the time we made it). It contains some but not all of the symbols -- from 1999 to about 2003. The style file we have attached here (as a zip file) for ESRI Transportation actually has most of the codes - but remember, this is for this older 2003 version (these codes were stripped out in version 10). You can see the codes if you open the attached ESRI Transportation style as a MS Access database. The MS Access field with this information is "Code"(ex: M 1-1).

Caution, some of the symbols are multi-layer and each layer has the code assigned to it. What that means is that you will see multiple records in the Access database with the same code -- each one relates to a different layer in the symbol. For example, the Interstate Shield symbol has 4 layers, each one comes from the ESRI MUTCS 3 font but the ID of the symbols are different. Nonetheless, they all have the code "M 1-1".

You can either export the table to be opened in ArcMap (you'll need to change the file extension) so you can see which codes relate to which symbols. You could also add a new field in your feature class and populate it with these MUTCD codes by manual means.

Attachment: MUTCD style from 2003

Still no luck posted by James Bach on Jun 7 2011 8:54AM

Thank you for the thorough response. I tried looking at the attached style file in ArcMap, but for some reason I only see two symbols in the Transportation07.style file. Also, when I try to view this style using the Style Manager, my project just closes with the infamous error message "ArcGIS Desktop has encountered a serious application error and is unable to continue."

Any suggestions? I do not know how to open this attachment using Access.

Try Using Microsoft Access posted by Jaynya Richards on Jun 7 2011 10:28AM

Here's what might work better for you as a process. Download and extract the zip file to a file location on you computer. It will still be a "Style" file at that time (with a .style extension). Then, change the filename extension from .style to .mdb. You'll get a typical caution that the file may become unusable--say okay. Then you can open the file in Microsoft Access as a Microsoft Access database. Then use the table view and open the Markers Table. From there you can do the export to a table that can be used in ArcMap. Make sure to change the name of the Transportation07.style file back to .style so that it is still usable in ArcGIS - but it is an old file and updates have been made to the style since the early years.

Many more matches posted by James Bach on Jun 7 2011 12:47PM

Thank you for your help. I was able to modify the data in Access (I had to delete some spaces in the Code field) and match many assets with appropriate symbols.

Excellent! posted by Aileen Buckley on Jun 7 2011 12:48PM

This is a good example of you writing back for more clarification and us providing it. We do not always know what level you are at when we answer your questions! So you asking us for more clarification is a great way to solve this problem.

Glad you are on your feet now!

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