Unique types

USA freeways styled with a unique value renderer displaying freeway types

What is a unique types style?

A unique types style assigns distinct symbols to unique data values returned from a field or expression in a layer. You can use this style to visualize what something represents, such as:

Show points of interest on a map (e.g. schools, parks, places of worship)
Represent categories of data (e.g. regions, types)
Visualize ordinal data (e.g. High, medium, and low)

How a unique types style works

This style is configured with a Unique Value Renderer. This renderer requires the following:

A reference to a data value either from a field name, or an Arcade expression.
A list of unique value infos that match a unique symbol with an expected value returned from the field or expression.

Code examples

Categorical data

This example demonstrates how to visualize categories using a string value. The app visualizes freeways based on their classification: interstate, state highway, or U.S. highway.

Create a unique value renderer.
Reference the field name containing the classification values.
Create unique value info objects and assign a symbol to each expected value.
You can optionally add a default symbol to represent all features that don't have a matching value.

ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScriptArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScriptArcGIS Maps SDK for .NETArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaArcGIS Maps SDK for SwiftArcGIS Maps SDK for Qt (C++)ArcGIS Maps SDK for Qt (QML)
Expand
Use dark colors for code blocksCopy
        const hwyRenderer = {
          type: "unique-value",
          legendOptions: {
            title: "Freeway type",
          },
          defaultSymbol: otherSym,
          defaultLabel: "Other",
          field: "RTTYP",
          uniqueValueInfos: [
            {
              value: "I", // code for interstates/freeways
              symbol: fwySym,
              label: "Interstate",
            },
            {
              value: "U", // code for U.S. highways
              symbol: hwySym,
              label: "US Highway",
            },
            {
              value: "S", // code for State highways
              symbol: stateSym,
              label: "State Highway",
            },
          ],
        }
Expand

Ordinal data

This example demonstrates how to create ordinal categories from a numeric field attribute using an Arcade expression. This app classifies highways by low medium or high truck traffic.

First, write an Arcade expression to classify the data into ordinal categories: low, medium, and high.

Use dark colors for code blocksCopy
      var traffic = $feature.AADT;
      When(
        traffic > 80000, "High",
        traffic > 20000, "Medium",
        "Low"
      );

Create a unique value renderer.
Reference the Arcade expression in the valueExpression property.
Create unique value info objects and assign a symbol to each expected value.
You can optionally add a default symbol to represent all features that don't have a matching value.

ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript
Expand
Use dark colors for code blocksCopy
        const renderer = {
          type: "unique-value",
          valueExpression: `
            var traffic = $feature.AADT;
            When(
              traffic > 80000, "High",
              traffic > 20000, "Medium",
              "Low"
            );
          `,
          valueExpressionTitle: "Traffic volume",
          uniqueValueInfos: [{
            value: "High",
            symbol: {
              type: "simple-line",
              color: "#810f7c",
              width: "6px",
              style: "solid"
            }
          }, {
            value: "Medium",
            symbol: {
              type: "simple-line",
              color: "#8c96c6",
              width: "3px",
              style: "solid"
            }
          }, {
            value: "Low",
            symbol: {
              type: "simple-line",
              color: "#9d978b",
              width: "1px",
              style: "solid"
            }
          }]
        };
Expand

Categorical data (3D)

This example visualizes buildings based on the type of building: residential, commercial or mixed use. A unique value renderer assigns a color to each building based on the building's usage attribute.

Steps

Create different symbols for each building type.
Assign the symbols to a unique value renderer.
Assign the renderer to the scene layer.

ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript
Expand
Use dark colors for code blocksCopy
        const typeRenderer = {
          type: "unique-value",
          legendOptions: {
            title: "Building Type",
          },
          defaultSymbol: {
            type: "mesh-3d",
            symbolLayers: [
              {
                type: "fill",
                material: { color: "#FFB55A", colorMixMode: "replace" },
              },
            ],
            value: "Others"
          },
          field: "landuse",
          uniqueValueInfos: [
            {
              value: "MIPS",
              symbol: {
                type: "mesh-3d",
                symbolLayers: [
                  {
                    type: "fill",
                    material: { color: "#FD7F6F", colorMixMode: "replace" },
                  },
                ],
              },
              label: "Office",
            },
            {
              value: "RESIDENT",
              symbol: {
                type: "mesh-3d",
                symbolLayers: [
                  {
                    type: "fill",
                    material: { color: "#7EB0D5", colorMixMode: "replace" },
                  },
                ],
              },
              label: "Residential",
            },
            {
              value: "MIXRES",
              symbol: {
                type: "mesh-3d",
                symbolLayers: [
                  {
                    type: "fill",
                    material: { color: "#BD7EBE", colorMixMode: "replace" },
                  },
                ],
              },
              label: "Mixed use",
            },
            {
              value: "MIXED",
              symbol: {
                type: "mesh-3d",
                symbolLayers: [
                  {
                    type: "fill",
                    material: { color: "#B2E061", colorMixMode: "replace" },
                  },
                ],
              },
              label: "Mixed use without residential",
            },
          ],
        }
Expand

Tutorials

Style a feature layer

Use symbols and renderers to style feature layers.

Style layers in a web map

Use Map Viewer to style layers in a web map.

Map Viewer

Services

Feature service

Add, update, delete, and query feature data.

API support

Different APIs have different levels of support for data-driven visualization.

	Unique types	Class breaks	Visual variables	Time	Multivariate	Predominance	Dot density	Relationship
ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript
ArcGIS Maps SDK for Kotlin
ArcGIS Maps SDK for Swift
ArcGIS Maps SDK for Java
ArcGIS Maps SDK for .NET
ArcGIS Maps SDK for Qt
ArcGIS API for Python

Full supportPartial supportNo support

Tools

Map Viewer

Create, explore, and share web maps for 2D applications.

Scene Viewer

Create, explore, and share web scenes for 3D applications.

Vector tile style editor

Style vector tile basemap layers for applications.

Mapping APIs and location services

Unique types

Was this page helpful?

Was this page helpful?