Assign Unsymbolized Objects to OCAD Symbols

How are unsymbolized objects created?

If vector data such as Shape, GeoPackages or DXF are imported into OCAD, OCAD must know which imported objects are to be assigned to which OCAD symbols by means of a Cross Reference Table (.ocdCrt) during import.

If the translation table contains errors or gaps, the imported objects are displayed in OCAD as unsymbolized objects, i.e. the objects appear in the drawing area but are not assigned to any OCAD symbol.

What properties do unsymbolized objects have?

Unsymbolized objects are displayed by default in red color on top of the other map objects.

If an unsymbolized object is selected, the layer name is shown in the left part of the status bar.

Hide or Show unsymbolized objects by changing the Show Objects without Symbol option in the Symbol menu.

How can unsymbolized objects be converted?

Option Cross Reference Table:

You can use the Convert Imported Layers to Symbol command from the Map menu to convert unsymbolized objects to symbolized OCAD objects. In the dialog box you can create and/or modify a list of references. A reference consists of a layer (left side) and the corresponding OCAD symbol (right side). Symbol number -1 means that OCAD do not import and delete the layer.

You can save the list to a cross reference (.ocdCrt) file for later use. You can load an existing cross reference file to modify or execute it. Predefined cross reference tables by OCAD can be found in the folder C:\Program Files\OCAD\OCAD 2018 [EDITION]\Crt.

This procedure is useful if geodata is often imported.

Option Manual Assignment:

See an animation here.

This procedure is useful when only a few unsymbolized objects are involved.

Route Analyzer: Show route length, climb and time per variant

With the last OCAD update there was a small improvement of the OCAD Route Analyzer. The route length, climb and time for each variant is now displayed in the txt file for relay courses.

The txt file will be created in the same folder, where your course setting project is saved when you click on Analyze routes (current course) or Analyze routes (all courses). The txt file contains a summary of all routes, as well as a summary for each course and variant separately.

The values can be added to the Courses dialog, e.g. add Extra length for sprint courses or add Climb used.

Not yet tried the OCAD Route Analyzer?
Try it yourself with our demo data.

Feature Map – Get more out of your LiDAR Data

In the latest OCAD Update, the option Create Feature Map was added to the DEM Wizard to gain even more information from LiDAR data.

The Feature Map can be used to recognize objects close to the ground such as stones, walls, tree trunks, fences, or cars which were previously not or only poorly recognizable on background maps that can be created with the DEM Wizard in OCAD.

How the creation of Feature Maps works

In a LiDAR file, each point is typically assigned to a class based on the reflection of the laser pulse, such as ground, vegetation, buildings or water. Only ground points are used to generate the Hill Shading and Slope Gradient map. This means that a lot of information is lost that is available in points classified differently.

To generate the Feature Map, OCAD reclassifies the LiDAR points so that not only ground points but all points are used for the calculation. You can further define from and up to which height points are taken into account.

Example stone detection
Pontresina, Switzerland
LiDAR data from 2022, 29 points per square meter, 0.5m cell size, 0.0-2.0m threshold.

Orienteering Map of stony terrain.
Slope Gradient Map. Most stones are not visible. The stones that are visible are probably overgrown and therefore classified as ground points.
Feature Map. Some stones becomes clearly visible.

Example stone wall detection
Jura, Switzerland
LiDAR data from 2020, 25 points per square meter, 0.5m cell size, 0.0-1.5m threshold.

Slope Gradient Map. The stone walls are only partially visible.
Feature Map. The stone walls become clearly visible.

Example tree trunks detection
S-chanf, Switzerland
LiDAR data from 2022, 25 points per square meter, 0.5m cell size, 0.0-0.5m threshold.

Slope Gradient Map.
Feature Map. Tree trunks are visible and can help to determine the exact position.

Example urban area
Zeiningen, Switzerland
LiDAR data from 2020, 13 points per square meter, 0.5m cell size, 0.0-2.0m threshold.

Slope Gradient Map.
Feature Map. Hedges, walls, cars and bridges becomes visible.
Vegetation Height Map. Most of the objects on the Feature Map are also visible on this map.

Example without satisfactory result
Lillehammer, Norway
LiDAR data from 2017, 10 points per square meter, 0.75m cell size, 0.0-2.0m threshold.

Slope Gradient Map.
Feature Map. In this area there are many small trees and bushes with branches down to the ground. It is difficult to distinguish, for example, large stones from trees or knolls from this data.
Vegetation Height Map of the same area.

Conclusion:

The information content of the feature map depends on the terrain type, the settings you choose in the dialog and the quality of the LiDAR data, in particular the point density. With good data quality, the feature map can be a useful addition to the existing background maps, to detect objects and help the cartographer to determine the exact position in the terrain.

Credit goes to Jeff Teutsch and his Lidar Case Study – Using simple ground reclassification to see features in data.

Do you already Upload Courses and Maps to Livelox?

Livelox is a very popular web-based application for viewing and analyzing routes and maps from orienteering events.

In OCAD, you can upload courses and maps directly from OCAD to Livelox to let spectators follow the competitors in real time, and to let participants analyze their route choices post-race.

Read in our OCAD Wiki how easily the Upload to Livelox works.

Course Setting Printing

In our OCAD Wiki we have summarized information and tips on the subject of printing orienteering courses.

https://www.ocad.com/wiki/ocad/en/index.php?title=Course_Setting_Printing

Map file loaded as background map in course setting project, blend mode set for course setting objects, control circle cut.