ILWIS objects

Layouts

A layout is required to print maps with annotation. A layout is a virtual sheet of paper on which you can make a composition of one or more map views, specify the scale on which these map views should be printed, and on which you can insert annotation.

In the layout editor, you can add to a layout:

one or more map views, each of which may include one raster map and/or one or more point maps, segment maps and/or polygon maps, annotation text layers, grid lines and/or graticules;
texts;
boxes;
pictures and/or bitmaps;
a page border.

For each map view, you can add to the layout:

a legend for each layer in the map view;
a map border, including coordinates and ticks for grid lines and/or a graticule;
a North arrow;
a scale bar and scale text.

Tips:

To obtain a layout, first save a map window containing one or more maps, and optionally Annotation Text, grid lines and/or graticules as a map view. Then, create a layout and add one or more map views to it.
Multiple texts, e.g. names or values of points in a point map, names or values of segments in a segment map, or names of polygons in a polygon map, can be created in a map window as an Annotation Text object; this can be edited in the Annotation Text editor in which you can for instance easily move texts, specify fonts, font size, colors, etc. .

Names of layouts:

In ILWIS 3, object names comply with Windows long file names. Also Universal Naming Convention (UNC) paths are supported. For more information, see How to use long object names.

To create a layout:

You can create a layout in the Main window or in a map window:

in the Main window, choose the Create Layout command from the File menu;
in a Catalog, click a map view with the right mouse button and choose the Create Layout command from the context-sensitive menu;
in the Operation-tree, open the Create item, and select the New Layout command;
in the Operation-list, double-click the New Layout command;
in a map window, choose the Create Layout command from the File menu.

The Layout editor is started. You can choose a page size, add map views and additional annotation. For more information, refer to Layout editor : functionality.

To edit a layout using the layout editor:

For more information on inserting or modifying map views in a layout, and on inserting or editing annotation in a layout, please refer to one Layout editor topics:

To save a layout:

A layout can be saved by choosing the Save or the Save As commands from the File menu of the Layout editor, or by clicking the Save button in the standard toolbar of the layout editor.

A changed map view in a layout will only be saved:

when you select the changed map view and click the Save button in the standard toolbar, or
when you select the changed map view, and you click the right mouse button and choose Save View or Save View As from the context-sensitive menu.

Technical information:

A layout only consists of an object definition file (.ILO). The object definition file stores the paper size, the margins, the name of the current printer, etc., and it contains references to the map view(s) that were included in the layout. The object definition files of the map views in turn contain further references to the maps and annotation text objects present in the map view. Furthermore, when a layout contains any bitmaps and/or pictures, these are stored in-line in the .ILO file.

By opening the properties of a layout, you can see the size of the object and the time it was last changed. You can also see which map views the layout contains. For more information, see Basic concepts : properties of objects or the Layout Properties sheet.

Note:

Map views that use a coordinate system of type latlon, cannot be properly displayed nor printed in a layout. It is advised:

to drag a coordinate system of type projection to a map window before saving the map window as a map view, or
to transform the vector maps with a coordinate system of type latlon, to a coordinate system of type projection.

Annotation types in a layout

Text

You can add texts to a layout for instance to add a title or some other textual information. The text may actually consist of multiple text lines; use the Enter key or the Shift+Enter key when inserting the text. Texts can be rotated, you can choose a color, font, etc.

Tip:

When you wish to obtain label-like texts for all points, segment or polygons of a map, or when you want to store multiple texts at multiple positions, it is advised to create an Annotation Text object in a map window.

Box

Boxes can be added to a layout for instance to obtain a box around a legend, a title, etc. You can choose line type and color; for line type Single, you can also choose the line width.

Tips:

Besides boxes, you can add:

a map border as a neatline with or without graduation tightly fitting a map view and/or as an outline at a certain distance around a map view;
a page border along the margins of the complete layout.

Bitmaps or Pictures from disk

A bitmap is a standard Windows graphic file format (.BMP) in 'raster' form. Bitmaps can use a 2, 16 or 256 color palette, or 24-bit colors.

A Windows metafile or a picture is a standard Windows graphic file format (.WMF, .EMF) in 'vector' form. A metafile consists of a set of Windows drawing instructions.

In the layout, you can size bitmaps while the height-width ratio is maintained. Pictures can be sized in all directions, i.e. maintaining the heigh-width ratio or not.

Tip:

You can also paste texts, bitmaps, or pictures from the clipboard into a layout. Pasted objects will appear as a new text, a new picture or a new bitmap in your layout.

Page border

A page border can be added to a layout from the Edit menu of the layout editor. The page border will automatically fit the paper margins as specified during Page Setup.

Legends

For each layer in a selected map view in your layout, you can add a legend. Class names and values are obtained from the domain of the layers, colors are derived from the representation of the layer. For more information, see Insert a legend.

Map border

When a map view is selected in a layout, you can add a map border. This includes the following possibilities:

a neatline around the map view as a thin single line or as an alternating black and white pattern;
ticks for grid lines and optionally coordinates for the grid line ticks;
ticks for a graticule and optionally coordinates for the graticule ticks;
coordinates for the corners of the map(s) in the map view;
an extra outline at a certain distance around the map view.

North arrow

When a map view is selected, you can add a North arrow to a layout. The North is determined from the georeference of the maps in the selected map view. The North is defined as the positive Y-direction. You can choose between different types of North arrows and you can specify the type of text that should appear.

Scale bar and scale information

When a map view is selected, you can add a scale bar and scale information to a layout. Both are determined from the specified scale on which the selected map view should be printed.

Other possibilities

Extra inset-maps in a layout:

As you can insert multiple map views into a layout on different scales, you can add one map view to a layout depicting the map(s) of study area and another map view depicting for instance the location of your study area in the country. You then add a scale bar or scale text, etc. for the second map view as usual.

Pasting text, pictures and bitmaps from clipboard:

Any text, picture or bitmap that has been copied into the clipboard from any Windows application, can be pasted as text, picture or bitmap into a layout. The pasted object will not have any coordinates anymore.

To copy an ILWIS table to clipboard, you can for instance use the Alt+PrintScrn keys in a table window, then use Edit, Paste in the layout editor.

Tip:

You can use Windows clipboard viewer to inspect the current contents of the clipboard.

Grid lines/Graticule:

Grid lines (lines parallel to the X- and Y-axes of the coordinate system) and a graticule (parallels and meridians of the coordinate system) can be be added to a map view both when in a map window and when in the layout editor. Coordinate ticks, X- and Y-coordinates etc. have to be added via the Map Border option (see above).

Annotation Text object:

By creating an Annotation Text object or layer in a map window and using an existing map as the base map, you can easily obtain label-like texts for all points, segment or polygons of the selected map. You can edit the Annotation Text object for instance in the Annotation Text editor: you can reposition selected texts, specify fonts, font sizes, etc. Texts in an Annotation Text object can only consist of one line. The annotation text layer can be saved as part of a map view and the map view can be added to a layout. For more information, see ILWIS objects : annotation text.