Importing Layer Symbology into ArcMap for Landscape Burn Probability outputs

IFTDSS uses a specific color scheme for Map Studio and report figures. When you download IFTDSS files for use in Arcmap, you can duplicate this color scheme using our .lyr files contained in the "symbology" folder. The .lyr file contains all the color specifications used by IFTDSS.

Lyr files in the Landscape Burn Probability package include:

  • Conditional Flame Length (ft)
  • Integrated Hazard
  • Midflame Wind Speed (mph)
  • Proportion of Flame Lengths
  • 1-hr Fuel Moisture
  • 10-hr Fuel Moisture
  • 100-hr Fuel Moisture

Important! Burn Probability is dynamic and varies by file, see the BP steps below for details and setting symbology for it.

Important! The symbology was designed to match the units in Map Studio; however, the units in GeoTIFF are not always the same. For example, 1 Hour Fuel Moisture is a proportion in the GeoTIFF, and percent in the legend. In the image below, the value for the pixel at the black dot is 0.027283. This is 2.7283 % and is in the >2 - 3 class in the legend (orange).

arc legend on the left displaying classes, arc map 'more info' box on the right showing an exact number value rather than a class.

See the Landscape Burn Probability Outputs topic for the units in Map Studio versus the GeoTIFF.

In the Landscape Burn Probability (LBP) download package available in IFTDSS, we include a folder entitled "symbology." The symbology folder contains ArcGIS Layer (.lyr) files to define the symbology for most of the layers visible in Map Studio for use in ArcMap. In the GeoTIFF, the LBP layers are both categorical and continuous data, therefore importing the symbology is slightly different for the two types.

files available in the Landscape Burn Probability download package.  They include the ArcGIS Layer (*.lyr) files to define the symbology for most of the bands in the GeoTIFF (*.TIF, *.XML, *.OVR)

Although Burn Probability is visible in Map Studio, we have not included an ArcGIS Layer file because the bins are dynamically derived on the Analysis Maximum and it is not possible to create a file for individual model outputs. We have included the steps required to change the symbology within ArcMap manually.

Importing symbology for Integrated Hazard

The Integrated Hazard layer in the LBP GeoTIFF is categorical data. The following steps outline how to import the symbology for categorical data.

  1. Open an ArcMap session and add the layers you would like to map. For more information on how do add layers to ArcMap see the Opening an IFTDSS Geo Tiff file in ArcMap topic.
  2. Right-click on the “Integrated Hazard” layer and click Properties.

    "Properties" menu option that becomes available when right clicking on the layer in arcmap

  3. In the Layer Properties window go to the Symbology tab and select Unique Values. You may get a pop-up window asking if you would like to compute unique values. Click Yes.

    Click 'yes' in the 'compute unique values' box to proceed.

  4. Click the Folder icon folder toward the top right of the Layer Properties window. In the Import Symbology window that opens, click on the Folder icon folder. This opens the Browse window. Select the “Integrated Hazard.lyr” file in the Browse window and click Add.

    'Import Symbology' box opened via 'layer properties'.

  5. Click OK to close the Import Symbology window, and OK in the bottom of the Layer Properties window to apply the symbology.

    Click "ok" in the "import symbology" box, and "ok" in the "Layer Properties" box to proceed.

  6. Now you can see the Integrated Hazard layer in ArcMap (top image) the same as it is in Map Studio in IFTDSS (bottom image).

    Integrated Hazard Layer displayed in ArcMap with the same symbology as displayed in IFTDSS

    Integrated Hazard Layer displayed in IFTDSS

Applying symbology for 1, 10, and 100 Hour Fuel Moisture, Conditional Flame Length, Midflame Wind Speed, and Proportion of Flame Lengths

The same steps are completed to import the symbology for 1, 10, and 100 Hour Fuel Moistures, Conditional Flame Length, Midflame Wind Speed, and Proportion of Flame Lengths. These data sources are continuous data that are classified into distinct bins. The following steps outline how to import the symbology for continuous data. The example below will use Conditional Flame Length; however, the same steps are applied to the remaining layers.

  1. Open an ArcMap session and add the layers you would like to map. For more information on how do add layers to ArcMap please see the Opening an IFTDSS Geo Tiff file in ArcMap help topic.
  2. Right-click the “Conditional Flame Length” layer and click Properties.

    "Properties" menu option that becomes available when right clicking on the layer in arcmap

  3. In the Layer Properties window go to the Symbology tab and select “Classified”.

    The "Layer Properties" box with "Classified" selected.

  4. Click on the Folder icon folder toward the top right of the Layer Properties window. In the Import Symbology window that opens, click the Folder icon folder. This opens the Browse window. Select the “Conditional Flame Length (ft).lyr” file in the Browse window and click Add.

    "Browse" window open with "Conditional Flame Length" selected.

  5. Click OK to close the Import Symbology window, and OK in the bottom of the Layer Property window to apply the symbology.

    Click "OK" in the "Import Symbology" and "Layer Properties" to close.

  6. Now you can see Conditional Flame Length in ArcMap (top image) the same as it is in Map Studio in IFTDSS (bottom image).

    Conditional Flame Length layer displayed in ArcMap

    Conditional Flame Length layer displayed in IFTDSS

Applying Symbology for Burn Probability

For Burn Probability, because the legend is dynamically applied to each model output based on the analysis maximum burn probability value there is not an ArcGIS Layer file included in the download package. The steps below walk-through the process of classifying your Burn Probability in Arcmap using the same break values used in IFTDSS, and setting the color ramp to the same values for those classifications.

  1. Open ArcMap session and add the layers you would like to map. For more information on how do add layers to ArcMap please see the Opening an IFTDSS Geo Tiff file in ArcMap topic.

    Right-click on the "Burn Probability" layer and click Properties.

    The "properties" option displayed in ArcMap after right-clicking on the Burn Probability layer.

  2. To determine the break values for the classification, in the Layer Property window, go to the Symbology tab, select "Classified", then click the Classify button.

    "Layer Properties" box with the "Classified" option selected.

  3. In the Classification window, change the Method to “Equal Interval” and the Classes to “5”. Click the Exclusion.. button. In the Data Exclusion Properties window, enter “-1;0” and click OK.

    "Data Exclusion Properties" box with "-1;0" entered into the "Excluded Value" field.

  4. In the Classification window, click the % button to the right of the Break Values. Click each value and change the values to 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100 if they are not already set.

    Classification box showing break values of 20,40,60,80, and 100.

  5. Click the % button again. The Break Values represent the 20% of maximum classes seen in Map Studio for Burn Probability. Note the values or take a screen capture, you need them in the next step.

    Classification box with Break Values shown.

  6. To create the classification including the “Non-burnable” and “Burnable but Not Burned” classes, click Exclusions..., delete the values, and click OK.

    "Data Exclusion Box" with "Excluded values" field blank.

  7. Change the Method to anything other than "Manual", in our example we’ll use “Equal Interval”. Set the Classes to be 7. In the Break Values section, starting at the largest value (bottom of the list) update the last 5 values to match those in step F. Then change the first two to be -1 and 0, respectively. When you are done, click OK.

    Classification box showing 7 break values

  8. To update the legend in the ArcMap Table of contents, in the Layer Properties window type the correct names under Label. Click OK when you are done.

    "Classify" box with Labels filled in to match those in IFTDSS.

  9. Double-click the symbol next to the "-1" value (-1 represents Non-burnable pixels) . When the Color Selector window opens, click More Colors…, then set the color to “RBG” from the drop-down menu, enter the values R = 156 , G = 156, B = 156, and click OK.

    color selection menu

  10. Repeat the process for the remaining classes using the table below.

    RGB Value for each class.
    Value R G B
    -1 (Non burnable) 156 156 156
    0 (Burnable but not Burned) 0 0 0
    Lowest (0-20% of maximum) 41 219 255
    Lower (20-40% of maximum) 135 255 187
    Middle (40-60% of maximum) 250 250 100
    Higher (60-80% of maximum) 250 138 52
    Highest (80-100% of maximum) 232 16 20
  11. Click OK in the bottom of the Layer Property window to apply the symbology.
  12. Now you can see the Burn Probability layer in ArcMap (top image) appears the same as it is in Map Studio in IFTDSS (bottom image).

    Burn Probability displayed in ArcMap

    Burn Probability displayed in IFTDSS