How to use

layers in a map window

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 a slide show.

You can also create an Annotation Text object, which usually contains the labels of a point, segment or polygon map. You can add multiple Annotation Text objects to a map window.

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

A map window displaying one or more maps, annotation text layers, optional grid lines and graticules can be saved as a map view. Map views can be added to a layout, which is used to make a final composition before printing. To the layout, you can then add further annotation such as legends, map borders including ticks and coordinates for grid lines or a graticule, north arrows, scale bars and scale texts, texts (such as a title), boxes, bitmaps and pictures, and a page border.

To add extra layers to a map window:

From the Layers menu, choose Add Layer, Add Grid Lines, or Add Graticule, or
in the white space of the Layer Management pane of a map window, click the right mouse button, and choose Add Layer, Add Grid Lines, or Add Graticule from the context-sensitive menu,
click the Add Layer button in the toolbar of the map window,
press the Ins key on the keyboard when a map window is active,
drag one or more point, segment, or polygon maps, a raster map, a map list, or annotation text objects from a Catalog or from Windows Explorer to an existing map window.

To show a map with a certain degree of transparency, or for more information on adding layers to a map window, see How to add extra layers to a map window.

To remove layers from a map window:

In the Layer Management pane in a map window:

select a layer to be removed, and click the Remove Layer button in the toolbar of the map window, or
click the layer to be removed with the right mouse button, and choose Remove Layer from the context-sensitive menu.

To hide or show a layer in a map window:

In the Layer Management pane in a map window:

click the check box to hide a layer, or
click the check box to show a layer.

To change the order of layers:

In the Layer Management pane in a map window:

select a layer, and drag it to another position in the list.

The layer which appears at the top of the list in Layer Management will be drawn last in the map window (=on top).

To change display options of a layer:

From the Layers menu, choose Display Options, and select a layer from the cascading menu, or
in the Layer Management pane, double-click a layer, or
click with the right mouse button in a map window, select Display Options from the context-sensitive menu, and select a layer from the cascading menu.

A Display Options dialog box appears in which you can select another or create a new representation, etc. for the map.

To activate Layer Info for data layers:

When a map in the Layer Management pane is preceded by , you may obtain information on that layer, by pressing the left mouse button in a map window. This is called 'layer info' or simply 'Info'.

To obtain Info on the contents of a raster map, polygon map, segment map, point map or the bands in a map list, the Info check box in a layer's Display Options dialog box has to be selected (default already selected for all maps except for segment maps).

To switch Info on, or to switch it off:

open a map's Display Options dialog box (see above), and
select the Info check box to switch Info on, or
clear the Info check box to switch Info off.

In the Layer Management pane, a small will appear in front of the map when 'Info' is on. 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.

The Info check box also needs to be selected if you wish to use the Double-click action in a map window.

To save multiple layers in a map window as a map view:

A map view stores the layers displayed in a window, their display settings, the scale of the map window, and the position of the layers in the map window. When you open a map view later, all layers are directly displayed 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 a layout, you can add one or more map views, and additional annotation.

To save the layers in a map window as a map view:

open the File menu in a map window, and choose Save View or Save View As, or
click the Save button in the toolbar of the map window.

When you choose Save View As, or when you are saving the map window for the first time, the Save View As dialog box will appear.