Create a New Symbol: Difference between revisions
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Revision as of 10:26, 2 September 2011
New symbols can be created at any time. Use the symbol editor to do this by selecting New in the Symbol menu. Select one of the six different symbol types.
hint If you would like to assign a color, which does not yet exist, to a new symbol, a new color level will need to be defined.
Preferences
Default symbol folder: Set the default symbol folder here. When a new file is created the symbol sets available in the New Map dialog box are loaded from this folder.
Symbol box:
- Selected symbol blink: If this option is activated the icon border of the selected symbol in the symbol box is blinking.
- Lock symbol position: If this option is activated it is not possible to move symbols with drag and drop in the symbol box
Create a New Point Symbol
You can create very complex point symbols with OCAD. In addition to the following object types, the symbol editor can make use of all the drawing modes and editing tools that are available for objects in the normal drawing window: Line, Area, Circle and Point. The color, line thickness, line type and radius are defined via the fields or the selection menus.
- Select New in the Symbol menu.
- Select the symbol type Point symbol. The Point symbol dialog window appears.
- Enter a number between 0.001 and 999999.999 in the Symbol number field and a symbol description in the Description field.
- Click Edit. The symbol editor appears.
- Select the color, line thickness (for lines and circles) and the diameter (for circles and filled circles).
- Draw the point symbol. It can be made up of different elements and different colors. Click Close when you are finished. The symbol editor is closed and the Point symbol appears once again.
- Select Icon in the dialog window or click Make screenshot for symbol icon in Symbol Editor. The Edit Icon dialog window appears.
- Draw the icon in the 22 x 22 pixel matrix field using the various drawing tools.
- When you are finished, click OK twice. The new symbol appears in the symbol field.
hint To change the color, line thickness or diameter of point symbols, select the new color or other dimensions and click Change.
video available Different point symbols
Create a New Line Symbol
You can create very complex line symbols with OCAD. In addition to the following options, the symbol editor can make use of all the drawing modes and editing tools that are available for objects in the normal drawing window:
- Main Line: Used to define the color, line thickness and line type.
- Distances: Used to define the length of dashed lines and the distance between the dashes.
- Symbols: Used to define the start, main, corner and end points.
- Double Line: Used to define the line width, filling color, line thickness and line type.
- Decrease: Decreasing line flow
- Framin:g Framing line flow
- Select New in the Symbol menu.
- Select the symbol type Line Symbol. The Line Symbol dialog box appears.
- Enter a number between 0.001 and 999999.999 in the Symbol number field and a symbol description in the Description field.
- Click Edit. The symbol editor appears.
- If required, configure the options 'main line', 'distances', 'symbols', 'double line', 'decreasing line flow' and 'framing' for the line symbol.
- Once you have defined the line symbol, select Icon in the dialog window. The Edit Icon dialog window appears.
- Draw the icon in the 22 x 22 pixel matrix field using the various drawing tools.
- When you are finished, click OK twice. The new symbol appears in the symbol field.
Define the distances between the structure elements of a line
Main length a
- For a dashed line enter here the length of a dash.
- For a dotted line enter here the distance between the dots.
End length b
- For a dashed line enter here the length of the first and the last dash (normally the same as Main length a).
- For a dotted line enter here 0.
- For a line with dots on it, enter here the distance from the start of the line to the first dot and from the last dot to the end of the line.
hint The end length is also used before and after a corner point.
At least 2 Gaps/Symbols Here you can define a minimum number of gaps or symbols (if a main symbol is defined) that a line should contain. If you want a dashed line to always have a gap (regardless how short it is) then choose a "1" here.
- Main gap C: For a dashed line, enter here the length of the gap; for other lines, enter here 0.
- Gap D: Define here a gap which appears between the main gaps or between the main symbols. (Note that the main symbol is where the main gap is). It is used in rare cases.
- Gap E: Define here a gap in the end part of the line. It is used in rare cases.
Main Line
Choose this page to define general parameters and parameters for the main line of a symbol.
- Symbol no.: Enter here a number between 0.1 and 999999.999 for the symbol. Each symbol requires a unique number.
- Description: Enter here a description for the symbol. The description is displayed when selecting the symbol or when selecting an object with that symbol.
- Preferred tool: Choose here a drawing mode. Each time the symbol is selected the drawing mode changes to this drawing mode. Choose None to switch off this feature.
- Line color: If the symbol has a main line, select the line color here, otherwise this box is not used.
- Line width: If the symbol has a main line (full or dashed lines) enter here the line width. Enter 0 here if no main line should be drawn (as for dotted lines).
- Line style: Choose one of the 3 line styles with different line caps and line joins.
- Line length: These parameters are set to values greater than 0 only in rare cases. The distance from start defines where the main line starts (after the first point of the line). The distance to the end defines where the main line ends before the last point of the line.
One case where these parameters are used is a pointed line. In this case the distance from start and the distance to the end define the length of the taper. Check pointed ends for these lines.
- Course setting symbol: Marked route
(This function is only available in course setting projects!) Activate this option if the symbol is used for marked routes.
- Area symbol: Symbol for area objects. Choose this page to define general parameters for the area symbol.
- Symbol no.: Enter here a number between 0.1 and 999'999.999 for the symbol. Each symbol in a given map requires a unique number.
- Description: Enter here a description for the symbol. The description is displayed when selecting the symbol or when selecting an object with that symbol.
- Preferred tool: Choose here a drawing mode. Each time the symbol is selected, the drawing mode changes to this drawing mode. Choose None to switch off this feature.
- Fill: Check this box if you want a filled area or a hatched/structured area with a background color. Choose here the color; otherwise this feature is not used. If the area is hatched/structured, make sure that the Fill color is below the colors of the other elements in the color table, otherwise the structure elements are covered by this color.
- Order: Check this box if you want a border line for the area symbol. Choose here an existing line symbol.
- Hatch/structure orientated to north
This setting is used when rotating a map (for instance between magnetic north and geographic north) using Rotate Map from the Map menu. Activate this option if the hatch or structure should remain in the same angle after the rotation. Deactivate this option if the hatch or structure should rotate.
Create a double line
Double lines are primarily used for streets, where you have a left and a right border line filled or not filled with another color. If you need a center line (often used for highways) define a main line (note that the color for the center line must be above the color for the infill in the color table).
Mode
- Off: No side lines and no infill are drawn.
- Full lines: The left and the right side lines are full lines.
- Left line dashed: The right line is a full line and the left line is dashed.
- Both lines dashed: Both side lines are dashed.
- Width: Enter here the width between the sidelines (not including the sidelines).
- Fill: Check this box if you want to fill the space between the side lines.
Fill color: If Fill is checked select here the fill color. The advantage of a fill color is that street crossings are automatically cleared. To get that effect you must choose a fill color which is above the color of the side lines in the color table. Otherwise the infill cannot erase the side lines in the street crossings.
- Left line/Right line: Enter here a color and a line width for the side lines. Enter 0 if no side line should be drawn.
- Dashed: If you have chosen "Left line dashed" or "Both lines dashed" enter here the length of the dashes and the gap.
Define a framing line
Framing lines are normally used as a background to line objects. Often a framing line is used to block out (or cover) other objects. Note that the color of the framing line must be above the colors of the objects to be covered in the color table.
- Line color: Select the line color.
- Line width: Enter here the line width. Enter 0 here if no framing line should be drawn.
- Line style: Select one of the 3 line styles with different line ends and line joins.
Define a symbol witch decreases size
These features are primarily used for geological symbols with decreasing dots. Decrease: Define here if the Symbols should decrease only towards one end or towards both ends.
Last symbol: Enter here how much the symbol size should decrease.
- Remark: The distance between the symbols is also decreased. However, the dashes of dashed lines are not decreased. Therefore you should not use the Decrease function together with dashed lines.
Create a New Area Symbol
You can create area symbols with OCAD. In addition to the following options, the symbol editor can make use of all the drawing modes and editing tools that are available for objects in the normal drawing window:
- General: Used to define the color and the borderline.
- Hatch: Used to define the line thickness, distance and orientation of the hatching.
- Structure: Used to define the structure symbol as well as the distances and orientation of the structure.
- Select New in the Symbol menu.
- Select the symbol type Area Symbol. The Area Symbol dialog box appears.
- Enter a number between 0.001 and 999999.999 in the Symbol number field and a symbol description in the Description field.
- Click Edit. The symbol editor appears.
- If required, configure the options 'general', 'hatch' and 'structure' for the area symbol.
- Once you have defined the area symbol, select Icon in the dialog window. The Edit Icon dialog window appears.
- Draw the icon in the 22 x 22 pixel matrix field using the various drawing tools.
- When you are finished, click OK twice. The new symbol appears in the symbol field.
video available Different area symbols
Define the structure of the area
- Structure: Choose None if you want no structure or choose one of the two layouts for the structure.
- Width: Enter the horizontal distance from one structure to the next (center to center). This distance is horizontal if the angle is 0, otherwise it is measured in the corresponding angle.
- Height: Enter the vertical distance from one structure line to the next (center to center). This distance is vertical if the angle is 0, otherwise it is measured in the corresponding angle.
- Angle: Enter here the angle of the structure. If this angle is 0 the structure is drawn as shown in the Structure box. Otherwise it is rotated counterclockwise for positive angles.
- Edit: Click this button to draw one structure element in the symbol editor. In the symbol editor the symbol will also appear (in gray) in the position of the neighboring structures in order to get an impression of the structured area. If you enter an angle other than 0, the structure will be rotated, but not the symbol.
- Remark: It is possible to rotate the structure of individual objects drawn with that symbol with the Indicate Direction of Area Pattern, Point or Text Object button. In this case the structure and the structure symbols will be rotated.
- Text symbol: Symbol for text.
hint For every text style, a separate symbol is required.
Choose this page to define general parameters for a text symbol.
You must create a text symbol for each text style used on the map. If you modify the text symbol, then all text written with that symbol will change. See also Symbols (basic principles).
A text symbol is used to write text.
- * Symbol no.: Enter here a number between 0.001 and 999,999.999 for the symbol. Each symbol in a given map requires a unique number.
- * Description: Enter here a description for the symbol. The description is displayed when selecting the symbol or when selecting an object with that symbol.
- * TrueType Font: Choose a font for the text symbol. All TrueType fonts installed in Windows are listed. You cannot use raster fonts or Adobe Type Manager fonts.
- * Color: Choose the color for the text.
- * Size: Choose the size in points for the text. Alternatively you can enter the character height in millimeters in the box Character height.
- * Character height: Enter here the height of the character 'B' in millimeters. Alternatively you can enter the size of the font in points in the box Size.
- Bold: Check this box for bold text.
- Italic: Check this box for italic text.
- Drawing mode
This setting is used if you rotate the map with the command Rotate Map in the menu Map.
- Horizontal text: Activate this radio button if the text shall be rendered horizontal after a rotation of the map.
- Rotated text: Activate this radio button if the text shall rotate with the map after a rotation of the map.
- Course setting symbol
(This function is only available in course setting projects!) Activate this option if the symbol is used for course titles or start numbers for relay courses.
Define Parameters for a hatched area
- Hatch: Choose None if you do not want a hatch; or choose a simple hatch or a cross-hatch.
- Color: Choose a color for the hatch lines.
- Line width: Enter the line width for the hatch lines.
- Distance: Enter the distance between the hatch lines.
- Angle 1: Enter the angle for the hatch lines. 0 means horizontal lines. For angles greater than 0, the lines are rotated counterclockwise.
- Angle 2: Enter the second angle for the hatch lines if you have defined a cross-hatch. Otherwise this value is ignored. 0 means horizontal lines. For angles greater than 0, the lines are rotated counterclockwise.
Create a New Text Symbol
You can create text symbols with OCAD. The following options are available:
- General: Used to define the font color, type and size.
- Paragraph: Used to define the paragraph attributes
- Tabulator: Used to define the tab attributes
- Line Below: Used to define the underscore attributes
- Framing: Used to define the framing and combination with point symbols
- Select New in the Symbol menu.
- Select the symbol type Text Symbol. The Text Symbol dialog box appears.
- Enter a number between 0.001 and 999999.999 in the Symbol number field and a symbol description in the Descriptionfield.
- Click Edit. The symbol editor appears.
- If required, configure the options 'general', 'paragraph', 'tabulator', 'line below' and 'framing' for the text symbol.
- Once you have defined the Text Symbol, select Icon in the dialog window. The Edit Icon dialog window appears.
- Draw the icon in the 22 x 22 pixel matrix field using the various drawing tools.
- When you are finished, click OK twice. The new symbol appears in the symbol field.
video available Different text symbols
Framing
Choose this page to set the parameters for text framing.
- Off: Activate this box if you don't want to use text framing.
- Line: Enter here the width (how much the framing extends outside the character) of the text framing.
- Shadow: Choose this option if a shadow to the text shall be rendered. Enter the horizontal and vertical offset of the shadow. Choose the color.
- Rectangle: Choose this option to add a rectangular background. Enter the values Left, Right, Bottom and Top if the rectangle shall overlap the text. Choose a color.
- Color:: Choose a color. To get text framing, this color must be below the color of the main font in the color table, but above the colors of any objects which you wish to cover.
- Point symbol: Check On if you want to attach a point symbol to the text symbol. Choose a point symbol.
Text framing is a method to make text more readable on maps. If - for instance - you have black text on a map, it may interfere with black line objects. Text framing can also be used for decorative effects - giving the text a shadow, for instance.
With framed text a small white border is created around the black text.
For text framing you need to understand the color table and you should have some experience in creating new colors and new symbols.
First you need two additional colors which are above the black color for symbols:
Then you can add text framing to an existing text symbol:
- Right click the text symbol and choose Edit from the context menu.
- Choose the General page. Choose "Black for text" for the text color.
- Choose the Framing page. Activate Line.
- Enter the desired framing width.
- Choose "White for text frames" in the Color box.
Selective text framing
Often text framing erases only the black color, but the other colors still come through. OCAD allows selective text framing for printing the map with spot colors (PMS or Pantone colors), by defining the appropriate spot colors. However, on the screen all colors below the framing color are erased. So beware: the appearance of the map on the screen and the printed map will be different.
Selective text framing is also possible for CMYK printing. For this case you have to define your own "spot colors" for CMYK. You cannot use the automatic CMYK color separations.
Choose this page to set the parameters for text framing.
- Off: Activate this box if you want to use text framing.
- Line: Enter here the width (how much the framing extends outside the character) of the text framing.
- Shadow: Choose this option if a shadow to the text shall be rendered. Enter the horizontal and vertical offset of the shadow. Choose a color.
- Color: Choose a color. To get text framing, this color must be below the color of the main font in the color table, but above the colors of any objects which you wish to cover.
Paragraph
Choose this page to define parameters for text paragraphs.
- Char. spacing: Enter here a distance to be inserted between characters. If you enter 100% a space character is inserted between characters. Default value is 0%.
- Word spacing: Enter here the distance between words. 100% means that a normal space character is used between words. Default value is 100%.
- Alignment: Choose the alignment of the text.
- Line spacing: Enter the distance from one line to the next within a paragraph, in relation to the font size. Standard value is 120%.
- Space after paragraph: Enter the additional space after each paragraph.
- Indent first: Enter the indent of the first line of each paragraph.
- Indent other lines: Enter the indent of the other lines of each paragraph.
Tab:
Choose this page to set the tabs for the text symbol. The tabs are left adjusted. A maximum of 32 tabs can be defined. If a text contains more tab characters than defined in the list, the distance to the last tab is repeated.
- To add a new tab: Enter the position and click Add. The tab is added to the list.
- To delete a tab: Click on the tab to be deleted on the list. Then click Delete.
Line Below
Choose this page to define a line which is drawn below each paragraph. (A paragraph is terminated by a hard return - the Enter key.)
- On: Check this box to get a line below the paragraphs.
- Line color: Choose a color for the line.
- Line width: Enter a line width.
- Distance from text: Enter a distance from the baseline of the text to the upper edge of the line.
Line text symbol
Choose this page to define the font for a line text symbol.
- Symbol no.: Enter here a number between 0.001 and 999'999.999 for the symbol. Each symbol requires a unique number.
- Description: Enter here a description for the symbol. The description is displayed when selecting the symbol or when selecting an object with that symbol.
- Preferred tool: Choose here a drawing mode. Each time the symbol is selected, the drawing mode changes to this drawing mode. Choose None to switch off this feature.
- TrueType Font: Choose a font for the text symbol. All TrueType fonts installed in Windows are listed. You cannot use raster fonts or Adobe Type Manager fonts.
- Color: Choose the color for the text.
- Size: Choose the size in points for the text. Alternatively, you can enter the character height in millimeters in the box Character height.
- Character height: Enter here the height of the character 'B' in millimeters. Alternatively you can enter the size of the font in points in the box Size.
- Bold: Check this box for bold text.
- Italic: Check this box for italic text.
Line text symbols are used for text along curved lines. Line text can be written along any line, including curved lines. To draw a line text object you must define a line text symbol and then:
- Select the line text symbol
- Draw a line in any drawing mode (curve, ellipse, circle etc.)
- After terminating the line, an insertion line appears and you can directly type the text on the keyboard.
- If the text goes in the wrong direction, click the Reverse line button.
Spacing
- Choose this page to define spacing and alignment for a line text symbol.
- Character spacing: Enter here a distance to be inserted between characters. If you enter 100% a space character is inserted between characters.
- Word spacing: Enter here the distance between words. 100% means that a normal space character is used between words.
- Alignment: Choose here how the text is aligned along the line. All line means that the text is distributed along the entire line.
Rectangle symbols
- Rectangle symbols are used to draw rectangular frames (around the entire map or around parts of the map). A special use for Rectangle symbols is punch boxes for orienteering maps.
- Symbol no.: Enter here a number between 0.001 and 999'999.999 for the symbol. Each symbol requires a unique number.
- Description: Enter here a description for the symbol. The description is displayed when selecting the symbol or when selecting an object with that symbol.
- Line Color: Choose a color for the frame.
- Line width: Enter a line width for the frame.
- Corner radius: If you want the frame to have round corners, enter the corner radius here (measured to the center of the line), otherwise enter 0 here.
Drawing mode
- Horizontal rectangle: Activate this option if you want to draw only horizontal rectangles.
- Rotated rectangle: Activate this option if you want to draw rotate rectangles.
Grid
- On: Activate this field if you want to draw punch boxes for orienteering maps.
- Cell width / Cell height: Enter the desired width and height for the cells.
Numbering
- On: Activate this field if you want numbers for the grid.
- Numbered from the bottom: Normally the cells are numbered starting from the top row. Check this box to start numbering from the bottom row.
- Text size: Choose the size in points for the text.
- Unnumbered Cells
- Number: Enter here the number of cells used as reserved fields.
- Text: Enter here up to 3 characters which appear instead of the number in the reserved fields. If you want all cells numbered enter here 0.
Create a New Line Text Symbol
You can create line text symbols with OCAD. The following options are available:
- General: Used to define the font color, type and size.
- Spacing: Used to define the letters, word spacing and text positioning.
- Framing: Used to define the framing
- Select New in the Symbol menu.
- Select the symbol type Line Text Symbol. The Line Text Symbol dialog box appears.
- Enter a number between 0.001 and 999999.999 in the Symbol number field and a symbol description in the Description field.
- Click Edit. The symbol editor appears.
- If required, configure the options 'general', 'spacing' and 'framing' for the text line symbol.
- Once you have defined the line text symbol, select Icon in the dialog window. The Edit Icon dialog window appears.
- Draw the icon in the 22 x 22 pixel matrix field using the various drawing tools.
- When you are finished, click OK twice. The new symbol appears in the symbol field.
Symbol Editor
The main window changes to the symbol editor:
- when you create or edit a point symbol
- when you create or edit a symbol for a structured line
- when you create or edit a symbol for a structured area
When you change to the symbol editor, the magnification changes to 32X and the coordinate (0, 0) is in the center of the screen. A number of menu functions are disabled when working in the symbol editor. However, you can open and adjust a background map if you have a scanned image of the desired symbol.
Instead of the symbols you have 4 buttons to choose:
Line button for drawing lines.
Area button for drawing areas.
Circle button for drawing circles.
Dot button for drawing dots (filled circles).
You must draw the elements of the symbol using these 4 types. However, all drawing modes are available (curve, ellipse, circle etc.). You can draw any number of elements for one symbol. The limit is that all elements of one symbol must have less than 32768 points. In the right part of the screen you can define the parameters for the elements.
- Color: Choose here the color. If you draw a structure for an area and this area has a background color, you must choose a color which is above the background color in the color table. Otherwise the element will be covered by the background color.
- Line width: Enter here the line width for lines and circles.
- Line style: Choose here the desired line style.
- Diameter: Enter here the diameter for circles and dots. For circles, this diameter includes the line width of the circle line.
Scale selected elements
ADD TXT
Scale center ADD TXT
Center ADD TXT
Make screenshot for symbol icon ADD TXT
Drawing symbols for structured lines
- When drawing symbols for a line, you can imagine that the line goes from left to right on the x-axis. If you want a tag to point to the right side of the line, draw it downwards from the origin (0, 0); if it should point to the left side, draw it upwards.
Drawing symbols for structured areas
- If the area symbol has a background color, this background color is also shown. Note that the background color must be below the color of any elements in the color table, otherwise these elements are covered by the background color.
- When you draw an element it is also shown in gray in the neighboring fields to get a better impression of the structure.
Editing in the symbol editor
- When you select an object, the values for color, line, width etc. are set to the values of the object. To change (for example) the color of the object, choose the desired color and click the Change button. The object will change to a new color.
Define a New Color
When displaying maps, OCAD uses the colors in the color table in a specific order; objects which use the lowest colors in the table are drawn first, objects which use the colors at the top of the table are drawn last. The advantage of this technique is that lines or areas can be omitted automatically. This is especially beneficial when drawing road junctions (cf. below).
- Select New in the File menu.
- In the New Map dialog window, double-click empty Symbolset.ocd.
- To edit the color table, select Colors in the Map menu.
- To create a new color, select Add in the color table and enter the name (e.g. pictogram white foreground) and CMYK value (e.g. blue 0/0/0/0) of the color.
- You can change the position of the colors in the color table by clicking the Move up and Move down buttons.
hint Roads are often displayed using two lines with a color filling between these lines. If two roads intersect, the side lines in the area where the roads cross each other must be omitted.
If two roads intersect at an under or overpass, only the lines of the lower road should be omitted. By moving the position of the color upwards or downwards, you will be able to influence these effects:
- Intersections: If the color of the filling is located above the color of the side lines in the color table, the side lines in the area where the roads cross each other will be omitted automatically.
- Overpass: To ensure the side lines are not omitted automatically, a new color must be defined for the side lines of the overpass. This color must be located above the filling color in the color table.
Rectangle Symbol
You can create text symbols with OCAD.
ADD
Icon Editor
Choose this command to draw or edit the icon for the selected symbol. The Edit Icon dialog box appears which contains a simple paint program. The icon is displayed in the symbol box.
- hint Use Make screenshot for symbol icon in symbol editor
Drawing tool Choose one of the drawing tools:
- Pen: Draw single pixels
- Line: Draw straight lines
- Rectangle: Draw rectangle
- Filled rectangles: Draw filled rectangle
- Circle: Draw circle
- Filled circle: Draw dot (filled circle)
- Fill: Fill area with selected color
- Selection: Select rectangle
- Rotate the icon 90 ° counterclockwise
- Rotate the icon 90 ° clockwise
- Copy: Copy the selected area
- Paste: Paste the copied area
- Paint: Start Microsoft Paint
Symbol icon palette: Choose between the predefined symbols Color: Choose one of the 26 colors.
Previous Chapter: Chapter 5: Colors
Next Chapter: Chapter 7: Background Map