Pin maps show
point locations on a map similar to placing push pins on a paper map.
Pin maps are based on data files containing XY locations or primary ID
(ZIP code, other) for each pin. Pin maps show point locations and can
have associated labels. You can also classify pins based on variable information.
Pin locations can be based on coordinates, on five-digit ZIP code centroids, or custom location files. When based on coordinates, the coordinate locations must be contained in the data file. After you create a pin map, you can use the map as a symbol, pie, line graph, flow, or bar map, if the pins have been assigned an appropriate primary ID.
Click the Map | Create Map | Pin
command 
to create a pin map. Edit pin map properties
in the Property Manager.
See Creating and Editing Thematic Maps for more information on creating a map, changing a map to another map type, and changing map properties.
The Property Manager contains General, Symbol, Coordinate System, Data Labels, Pin Labels, Info, and Map pages. Click the preceding hyperlinks for information on properties in each of the property manager pages.
The Map page of the Property Manager has pin method, position, class, scale, and angle properties.
Edit pin map properties in the Map page of the Property Manager.
Pin methods and associated options are edited in the General section of the Map page. Select Uniform symbol, Proportional symbol size, Class by data, or Class by text from the Method list.
The Uniform symbol method uses the same symbol for each pin. Edit symbol properties on the Symbol page of the Property Manager.
The Proportional symbol size method scales the pin based on the selected Data column and Symbol Scaling properties. Select a data column for symbol sizing in the Data column list.
Select Class by data or Class by text to determine symbol properties based on classes defined in the Classes dialog. Select the data for classification in the Data column list.
The Symbol column property can be changed when the Method is Proportional symbol size. A data column in the linked worksheet determines the symbol for each pin. Symbol color and size are edited on the Symbol page. Specify the data column containing symbol information by selecting it from the Symbol column list.
The Symbol frequency property
determines which pins will be drawn on the map. A value of "1"
shows every pin. A value of "3" shows every third pin. Set the
Symbol frequency by typing a number into the input box
or clicking the 
buttons.
The Symbol frequency must be
between 1 and 100.
The Position section of the Map page has options map scale and position. The pin map data can have a different coordinate system and projection than the plot. The pin map and plot coordinate systems are set on the Coordinate System page of the Property Manager. Select the map layer to set the pin map coordinate system, and click the Map | Plot | Plot Properties command to set the plot coordinate system
Click the Overlay with plot check box to transform the pin map Coordinate System and place the pins in the correct position relative to the plot. Activating the Overlay with plot property does not change the data coordinate system, but only moves the pins.
Click the Scale map to page check box to scale the pin map to the page.
When Class by data or Class by text is selected in the
Method list, the Classes
section is available for editing. Click the 
button
to open the Classes dialog and change
class properties.
When the Proportional symbol size
method is used, the Min symbol
size is applied to the pin with the smallest data value. The Max symbol size is applied to the
pin with the largest data value. The remaining pins are sized proportionally
between these two sizes. Edit the Min
symbol size or Max symbol size
by typing a number into the field, or clicking the .
Symbol angles can by applied to pins separately by linking to a data column containing values in degrees. Select the column for symbol angles in the Angle column list. Select None to use one angle for all symbols on the map.
The Fixed angle option allows you to set a symbol angle from 0 to 359 degrees. Positive angles rotate the symbol in the counterclockwise direction. The angle is applied to all the pin map symbols. The Fixed angle property is disabled when a data column is selected in the Angle column list.
See Also
Pin Placement Based on Location Files
Symbol Specifications in the Data File