Shape

The Shape property settings determine the shape or set of shapes of markers in a marker layer. These shapes can be fixed (the same for all markers), or they can vary depending on the value of a specified column. The marker shapes, along with their colors, sizes, and drawing order, can convey meaning to the users viewing the map.

Used by

Property setting Description
Fixed shape Specifies that all markers have the same shape. By default, the shape is a filled circle. Change the shape by clicking the drop-down arrow and selecting another shape.
Tip: Marker shapes like arrows indicate directions. If you select such a marker shape and specify a Rotation, you can visualize different directions of the markers.
Shape by column values Specifies that the shape is determined by the column value selected from the drop-down. This option is useful if the column does not have many values and shapes can be easily distinguished or do not need to be repeated.

Example of data shaped by column value

In this example, we have four restaurants and a distribution center. The column value to shape by is Type (Distribution or Restaurant). Because we have only two types, shaping by this value is appropriate.


map showing shape by column value Type

Tip: You can customize the shapes of markers from the legend. In the legend, click the shape icon that you want to change, and from the shape picker, select a new shape.