An object of type plane represents a certain number of similar elements in a map.
The elements can:
When inserting a layer, EasyMap automatically assigns a name, which results from the name of the displayed elements and the displayed aspect (e.g. federal states or postal code areas). You can rename the levels if necessary.
In many cases EasyMap creates several layers in the map (e.g. areas, borders and texts) for a layer from the base map or for a territory layer. This allows you to influence the character sequences more specifically. The components of topographic layers (lines, areas, labels and symbols) are only visible in the properties of the layers.
A layer cannot be marked in the map directly by clicking on it (the elements of the layer already are). To call the Properties and commands of a layer, either use the control window Contents, or select an element of the layer in the map and select the submenu with the name of the layer in its context menu.
A right mouse click on a map layer in the content window opens the context menu for the clicked layer. The commands in this context menu and the corresponding properties refer to the layer as a whole, i.e. to all map elements contained in the layer.
| Transfer Selection to |
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| Visible |
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| Order |
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| Align | Not available for levels in the Contents control window. |
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Display table Show Results Table |
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| Place Elements |
This command is only available for area-related levels and area labels. With the help of this command, you can automatically place the elements of a layer optimally in the area. Three options are available: to central point, align to other elements and optimally place in area. More information can be found here. |
| Find... |
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| Restore defaults |
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| Restore scale range |
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| Restore Original Position |
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| Show this Level’s Layers only |
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| clip map (only ...) |
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| clip map (map ...) |
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| Copy layout / Paste layout |
This function is only available for levels with area texts. Transfers display settings from one layer to another. The levels must be of the same type. |
| Copy |
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| Paste |
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| Delete |
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| Rename |
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| Properties... |
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Although the elements contained can be very different, the layer objects are very similar with their properties. A layer must always be within a map.
The properties of a layer can vary greatly depending on the type of element. The following areas may exist. The references lead to detailed information:
Properties of the total layer available for all layers (e.g. the name of the layer in the table of contents, the visibility and the base map).
Surfaces always have a fill. The representation of shadow is only possible for areas, but e.g. not for lakes. For area levels, the fill color set here is the basic color of the areas. If you use a surface coloring analysis (surface coloring, surface hatching, data mountains, Boston Grid, raster) in addition to the fill color, the arrangement of the layers in the control window content decides whether the basic color of the areas or surface coloring from the analysis is visible. Please note the possibility to create surface colors transparent!
Only for layers that represent boundaries or lines - line display properties.
For boundary layers, the lines contained in this layer are combined according to their meaning to display types. The available display types are listed in the upper area. For borders of territories from the territory organization two different representation types are automatically created: external borders and internal borders. In the lower part, the settings of the display types selected above are displayed. You can edit these in their properties.
With other line objects (line shapes, motorways, rivers, etc.) it is not possible to add further display types or change the assignment of elements to display types.
Only for layers that represent point-shaped objects (e.g. city points) - Symbol display properties.
Symbols can also be grouped in display types. The main properties of the symbol display types are the name and visibility, the display and effects. New display types can be added to symbols. The assignment of a single element to a display type can be changed via the properties of the element.
Only for text levels: Specify the text display such as font type, size, color, and so on.
As with lines and symbols, there may also be different display types for labels, especially for area labels. This allows, for example, the font size to be varied depending on the available area. You can change the name, visibility, font, font effects, and text box for each display type. It is also possible to add new display types. The assignment of an individual element to a display type can be changed using the properties of the element.
Only for text levels: Define the wording of the texts of this level (e.g. data-dependent area texts)