Map window

Functionality

A map window may display one or more raster maps, polygon maps, segment maps, and/or point maps. Maps that are displayed in a map window are called data layers. The legend of each map is automatically displayed in the Layer Management pane of a map window.

A map window can also display three images of a map list as an interactive color composite, or all maps of a map list as an Animation.

Furthermore, you can add grid lines and graticules as a layer to a map window.

A map window displaying one or more maps, optional grid lines and graticules can be saved as a map view.

 

A map window consists of a viewer which displays the map(s) and additional layers, a Layer Management pane, an Layer information window, a menu bar, a context-sensitive menu, a toolbar and a status bar. Besides displaying, you can also edit maps in a map window.

To open a new map window:

A new map window is automatically opened when you open a map:

Before a map is actually displayed, some display options have to be specified in a Display Options dialog box.

You can also use the Open Map button in the toolbar of the Main window, or use the Show command in the Operation-tree or the Operation-list. For more information, see also How to open objects or How to display maps and tables.

 

Tips:

To display multiple layers in a map window:

You can add several layers to a map window by using the Add Layer command from the Layers menu, or by clicking the Add Layer button in the toolbar of the map window. You can add a raster map, a polygon map, a segment map, a point map, a map list to the map window. Additionally you can add a map list or an object collection( with only one map type of objects) as an animation to the map window. An animation is considered a normal layer in the map window

When you add a map list to a map window, you can choose to display the map list as a color composite.

To add grid lines or a graticule, you can choose the Add Grid Lines, or the Add Graticule command from the Layers menu.

For each new layer to be displayed in the map window a new entry in the Layer management will appear with appropriate dispay tools attached to it.

Layers that are added to a map window will be displayed on top of the other layers that are already displayed. When a map window already displays a raster map.

Tips:

To get Info on maps and attributes:

Information of the maps beneath the mouse position will be displayed in Layer Information Window. This display maybe continuous or only when the mouse button is pressed (this is configurable).

To obtain information on a data layer it is necessary that the Info check box in the Display tools branch that specific layer. In the Layer Management pane, the layer will then be preceded by a small . By pressing the left mouse button in the map window, you will obtain 'Info' on the top layer of which the Info check box has been selected. When a map is shown by one of its attribute values, 'Info' shows the class name or identifier and the attribute value of this class or identifier.

When multiple maps are displayed, a search will be performed at the position of the mouse pointer through all layers (from top to bottom) that are displayed, and of which the Info check box has been selected. When in the first layer a class name, identifier, value or a color is found, it is displayed next to the mouse pointer. When an undefined value is found, the search continues in the next layer. If in a raster map no class name, identifier, value or color is found, a question mark is shown. If in a vector map no class name, identifier, or value is found, nothing is shown.

Tips:

Double-click action, e.g. to view/edit attributes:

When an attribute table is linked to a map or its domain (class or ID domain), you can double-click at a position of interest in the map window and directly view and/or edit the attributes as stored in the attribute table.

Double-click can also be used to edit the representation of the classes in a map with a class domain, and to open other maps, tables, (GIF) images, sounds or videos, etc. i.e. via an Action column in the map's attribute table.

The action that will be performed on a double-click is determined by the Double-Click Action command on the Layers menu.

 

Tip: For more information, see also Map window : functionality (advanced).

To zoom in and out on maps, and pan:

To zoom in on a map, you can use for instance the Zoom In command on the Options menu, or you can click the Zoom In button in the toolbar. To zoom in on a certain area or position, you can also use the overview window.

If you zoom in very deeply on a raster map and when the Text check box has been selected in the map's Display Options dialog box, the values or meanings of pixels will appear inside the pixels of your map.

When zoomed in, you can use the Pan command from the Options menu or the Pan button to roam through your map(s), or use the scroll bars.

To zoom out or to (re)display the entire map, you can use for instance the Zoom Out or the Entire Map commands on the Options menu, or click the Zoom Out button , or the Entire Map button in the toolbar.

If you wish to display a raster map without any zooming, you can use the No Zoom command on the Options menu.

To switch off Zoom In, Zoom Out, Pan or Measure Distance mode and return to normal pointing mode, choose the Normal command from the Options menu or click the Normal button in the toolbar. The mouse pointer will change back into a normal pointer. You can also press the Esc key or the Ctrl+N keys on the keyboard to return to Normal mode.

Tips:

To change a representation:

If you are not satisfied with the current colors, hatching, line types, symbols, etc. of a map in your map window:

When the map window displays a map which uses a user-defined representation, you can also open Edit menu and choose Representation.

Depending on the domain used by the map, the representation Class editor or the representation Value/Gradual editor will be opened.

Tips:

Other functionality:

To edit maps:

To edit maps you can start one of the editors. In raster, polygon, segment and point maps, you can edit the IDs, class names or values in these maps, depending on the domain of the map. You can insert new segments or new points with or without using the digitizer. You can check segments and polygonize them. Furthermore, in point maps, points can be moved to a new position; and in segment maps, the position of coordinates within segments can be edited.

 

Note: Dependent maps cannot be edited until you break the dependency links in the Properties sheet of the dependent map.

To save multiple layers as a view and to create a layout:

You can save the layers in a map window, their display settings, as well as the scale of the map window, and the position of the layers in the map window as a map view. Use the Save button in the toolbar, or choose the Save View or the Save View As commands from the File menu.

When a map view is opened later, all the layers in the map view are directly displayed in one map window without any display options being asked.

Furthermore, you need one or more map views if you wish to create a layout to print your map(s). To create a layout, choose Create Layout from the File menu in the map window. If the layers in the map window still need to be saved, you will be asked to do so. Then the layout editor will be opened. To a layout, you can add one or more map views, and additional annotation.

See also: