How to edit a representation

A representation defines the manner in which the classes of a map with a class domain, a group domain or a picture domain, or the values of a map with a value domain or the image domain should be represented on the screen and on a printer. When a map is shown by an attribute column, the domain of the attribute column determines the (default) representation. A representation is a service object of a domain.

Representations can be edited:

Mind:

For more information, see Additional Info below.

Opening a representation editor

Depending on the type of the representation you open, either the Representation Class editor or the Representation Value/Gradual editor will be opened.

To open a representation editor from the Main window:

To open a representation editor from a map window:

To open a representation editor from the domain Class/ID editor:

Tips:

  1. For descriptions on how to use the Representation editors, see Representation Class editor : functionality and Representation Value/Gradual editor : functionality.
  2. When you opened a representation editor from a map window, and you want to see how the changes you made in the representation editor actually look in your map:

 

Interactively editing classes in a map window

When a map with a class or group domain is displayed in a map window, you can also directly edit specific classes of the representation that is currently used.

Double-clicking classes in the Legend of the Layer Management pane:

  1. Display the map in a map window;
  2. Expand the Legend in the Layer Management pane of the map window if necessary;
  3. Double-click a class in the Legend;
  4. An Edit Repr Item dialog box will appear in which you can directly change colors, polygon patterns, segment line types, line widths, point symbols, etc.

The map window will directly show the map in the changed representation.

Double-clicking mapping units in the map window:

  1. Display the map in a map window and make sure that the Info check box in the map's Display Options dialog box is marked;
  2. Open the Layers menu in the map window, choose the Double-Click Action command and select the Edit Representation option;
  3. Then, double-click the pixels, polygons, segments or points in the map: each time an Edit Repr Item dialog box will appear in which you can directly change colors, polygon patterns, segment line types, line widths, point symbols, etc.
  4. The map window will directly show the map in the changed representation.
  5. Continue double-clicking units in the map and editing the representation of that class until satisfied.

See also Map window : advanced functionality.

Opening a representation class as a table (advanced)

Advanced users may wish to edit a representation class in table form:

For more information, see the Open/Show As Table dialog box.

Additional information

Dealing with system domains, system representations and read-only representations:

The Representation command on the Edit menu of a map window is grayed out when for instance:

System representations (e.g. Pseudo or Gray) are always read-only and read-only objects cannot be edited.

You have two options to solve this 'problem':

  1. Create a new representation:
  2. Reopen the map's Display Options dialog box, and click the create button next to the Representation list box.

     

    The Create Representation dialog box will appear:

    For more information on creating representations, see the Create Representation dialog box.

     

    You can edit the new representation as usual.

     

  3. Change the domain of a map from a system value domain to a user-defined value domain:
  4. When values in a map (domain type Value) have a specific meaning, are in a specific range and should be represented by specific colors or ranges of colors, it is advised to create a user-defined value domain.
    To convert a map with system domain Value to a map with a user-defined value domain, see How to change the domain of a map.

Tips:

Symbols for point maps:

To store the display settings of point maps with a value or an ID domain, you can save the map window as a map view.

Colors for maps with a Bool, Bit, ID, or the Color domain:

Maps with a Bool, the Bit, an ID, or the Color domain do not have a stored representation on disk.

See also: