The Map window preferences control the default settings for any new Map window created in MapInfo Pro. You can override some of these preference settings for the current Map window in the Map Options dialog box. These include the settings for resizing Map windows, specifying distance and area calculations, and displaying coordinates in degrees, minutes, and seconds.
To set map options for the current map, in the Layers or Explorer window, right-click on the map name and select Map Options to open the Map Options dialog box..
To set the Map window preferences, on the PRO tab, click Options, and Map Window to open the Map Preferences dialog box.
There are several tabs of preferences:
- Display tab - preferences for resizing a Map window, applying clip region use, and various display settings.
- Editing tab - a warning message before loss of map information, how to move duplicate nodes in layers, digitizing options, and find selection options.
- Projection tab - default projections, display coordinates, and whether to calculate distances and areas using a Spherical or Cartesian calculation.
- Adornments tab - default location and style for scale bars.
For more information, see the following topics in the Help System:
- Scrolling through a Map
- Specifying Options in a Map
- Changing the Default or Preference Setting for Calculations
- Centering a Map Using Military Grid Reference System (MGRS) Coordinates
- Centering a Map Using United States National Grid (USNG) Coordinates
- Setting Default Clip Region Options
Display tab (Map window dialog box)
The Display tab on the Map Preferences dialog box has preferences for controlling the default behavior of Map windows and for how to clip regions.
The When Resizing Map Window options controls the default behavior of Map windows when you resize them.
- Click the Fit Map to New Window to draw the map to fit the resized window. You see the same view of the map that you saw before you resized the window. This is the default setting.
- Click the Preserve Current Scale button to change the view of the map when the Map window is resized. As you shrink or enlarge the window, you will see a smaller or larger area of the map.
This setting does not affect Map windows that are already open. To override the preference settings for the currently open Map window, make different selections in the Map Options dialog box.
The Apply Clip Region Using choices set how you want MapInfo Pro to clip regions.
- Windows Device Clipping (all objects) - The clipping is controlled by the Windows Device Display. All objects (including points, labels, text, and raster and grid images) will be clipped at the Clip Region boundary. This is the default setting.
- Windows Device Clipping (no points, text) - Use this method to emulate the Erase Outside Target clipping method. All objects are clipped using Erase Outside Target except points and labels. Points and labels will be completely displayed only if the point or label point lies inside the Clip Region object. Text objects, raster files, and grid files always display and are never clipped.
- Erase Outside (no points, text) - This method uses the Erase Outside Target functionality. The Clip Region object is the Cutter object, and all other objects are Target objects for this operation. All objects are clipped using Erase Outside Target, except points and labels. In addition, points and labels will be completely displayed only if the point or label point is inside the Clip Region object. Text objects always display and are never clipped.
Other display options are:
- Scrollbars - To display scrollbars, select the Scroll Bars check box. By default, MapInfo Pro does not display scrollbars in Map windows.
- Autoscroll - To scroll the layout automatically, select the Autoscroll check box.
- Show InfoTips - To display one or two word tips when you cursor over a button, select the Show InfoTips check box. By default, MapInfo Pro displays InfoTips. Clear the Show InfoTips check box to deactivate their display.
- Automatic Raster Zoom Layering - To choose the default mode for automatic zoom layering for raster layers, select this check box. Raster zoom layering is turned on by default.
- Automatic Grid Zoom Layering - To choose the default mode for automatic grid zoom layering when adding a grid layer to the map, select this check box. Automatic Grid Zoom Layering is turned off by default.
- Draw Layers Under Themes - This option sets the default behavior for the Replace Layer Style check box in both the Customize Range Styles and Customize Individual Styles dialog boxes. Select this check box to clear the Replace Layer Style check box by default. Clear this check box to select the Replace Layer Style check box by default.
- Automatically Open Default Theme - This option saves the theme to the table's metadata so that the theme displays each time you open the table. This check box is cleared by default.
- Enable Hardware Acceleration for 3DMap Windows - Select this check box to use your video card acceleration capability to display 3DMaps. Clear the box to display the 3DMap without using your video card acceleration capability. Turning the acceleration off reduces performance, but it avoids failure with certain graphic adapters and drivers.
- Mouse Wheel Zoom Based on a Cursor Location - Select this check box, so that when zooming a map using a the mouse wheel, the zoom will center where the cursor is located on the map. When this option is not set, the zoom is centered at the center of the map.
- Handler for New Grids - Select the output grid file format. By default, MapInfo Pro uses the MapInfo Pro handler (*.MIG). The available formats depend on which grid handlers are installed. When you change the grid file format, the file extension on the grid file name changes to reflect the selected format.
Editing tab (Map window dialog box)
The Editing tab on the Map Preferences dialog box has preferences for controlling the display of warning messages, how to move duplicate nodes, digitizing tolerances, and how to apply Find Selection features.
The Warn Prior to Loss of group of check boxes set warning messages before you leave the currently open Map window and lose cosmetic objects, map labels, and thematic layers you have created. After the warning, you can save these objects, labels and layers as part of a table or workspace. These check boxes are selected by default. Clear the Cosmetic Objects, Map Labels, and Thematic Layers check boxes to turn off these warnings.
The Move Duplicate Nodes in group of choices specifies whether MapInfo Pro will move duplicate nodes when you use the Reshape command (on the SPATIAL tab, in the Edit group, click Nodes, and Reshape) to edit objects that are adjacent to each other, such as regions.
- Choose None of the Layers to prohibit the product from moving duplicate nodes. This is the default setting
- Choose Same Layer to move duplicate nodes that are in the same layer when one of the connected nodes is moved.
The Digitizing Options group includes a Display Snap Radius check box to make the snap radius larger or smaller. If you clear this check box, then the radius does not display when the snap mode is turned on.
Type a new value in to the Snap Tolerance and Auto Node Tolerance boxes to specify the default tolerance in pixels within which Snap to node and Auto Node features operate. You use these settings when you draw objects. (Click the S key to turn Snap to node on.) The default is five (5) pixels. Enter a smaller value to obtain a tighter tolerance, and avoid snapping to the nodes of other objects as you draw. Enter a larger value to obtain a looser tolerance, when you want to snap to a node even though you are relatively far away from it.
For more information about the snap tolerance, see Using "Snap To" to Select Nodes and Centroids.
The Find Selection Options include:
- Zoom on Find Selection - Select this option to zoom to the selection each time you perform a Find Selection for single and multiple objects. Clear this check box to prevent zooming when performing a Find Selection.
- Find Selection after Paste - Select this option to turn on the Find Selection feature in the Map window only after you Paste an object. If you have an active Browser, and the selection is in that Browser window, the Browser still scrolls to the selection. Clear this check box to prevent zooming after pasting an object.
Projection tab (Map window dialog box)
The Projection tab on the Map Preferences dialog box has preferences for controlling the projection of tables and a MapBasic session, and the format in which coordinates display.
Specify the default for:
- Table Projection - To set the default projections for the current map, designate a default table projection for creating new tables, importing GML 2.1, MIF, MBI, and IMG files, and for Choose Projection options in dialog boxes.
Note: You can override the table projection defaults by clicking the Choose Projection button throughout MapInfo Pro except when you use the Universal Translator, ArcLink, or when you import DXF files.
- Session Projection - To set the option to designate a default MapBasic projection for returning coordinate values using a MapBasic window or Update Column. Compiled MapBasic applications are not affected by this preference.
The Display Coordinates list has options for changing the format in which coordinates display. You can select:
- Decimal Degrees - By default, MapInfo Pro displays coordinates in decimal degrees. MapInfo Pro displays coordinates of objects in the Object Info dialog box, and of the cursor location in the status bar if that display option is selected.
- Degrees, minutes, seconds - Choose this option to display your map using the degree, minute, seconds format.
- Military Grid Reference - Choose this option to display your map using the Military Grid Reference System format. Coordinates are converted to the Military Grid Reference System format using the World Geodetic System (WGS) of 1984 Ellipsoid.
- US National Grid Reference (NAD 83/WGS 84) - Choose this option to display your map using the United States National Grid (USNG) reference system format. Coordinates are converted to the United States National Grid format using the North American Datum of 1983 / World Geodetic System (WGS) of 1984 Ellipsoid.
- US National Grid Reference (NAD 27) - Choose this option to display your map using the United States National Grid (USNG) reference system format. Coordinates are converted to the North American Datum of 1927 Ellipsoid.
Note: To override a grid references system preference in individual maps, use the Map Options dialog box: in the Layers or Explorer window, right-click on the map name and select Map Options. Change the Display coordinates setting. Overrides to the default coordinate setting will be saved to your workspace.Note: Changes made in either the Map Options or Map Preferences dialog boxes, causes the format to display in the status bar, but not in the Object Info dialog boxes. If you display any Object Info dialog box for an object on a map that uses the Military Grid Reference System or United States National Grid, the coordinates will be displayed in decimal degrees.
Choose a Distance/Area using setting to specify the default type of distance and area calculation that MapInfo Pro uses for new Map windows.
- Spherical - The Spherical calculations measure distance according to the curved surface of the Earth. Spherical is the default. The data is first converted to Latitude/Longitude and then a calculation is produced. Lat/Long data will always use spherical calculations.
- Cartesian - The Cartesian method performs calculations on data projected onto a flat plane. Cartesian coordinates (x,y) define the position of a point in two-dimensional space by its perpendicular projection onto two axes which are at right angles to each other. Long/Lat projections cannot use Cartesian calculations.
Note: To specify a calculation method for the currently active Map window, use the Map Options dialog box: in the Layers or Explorer window, right-click on the map name and select Map Options.
For more information about map preferences, see Setting your Map Window Preferences in the Help System.
Adornments tab (Map window dialog box)
The Adornments tab on the Map Preferences dialog box has preferences for controlling how to position a new scale bar.
The Adornment group of options set the defaults for how to locate a new scale bar on the map.
- Select a default position - Select to place adornment in a preset location in the Layout window: upper left corner, upper right corner, lower left corner, or lower right corner.
- (Optional) Enter measurement values in to the X offset and Y offset fields. Use positive numbers.
- Specify a custom position (from top left) - Select to place adornment in a specific location in the Layout window. Enter measurement values in to the Move right and Move down fields. Use positive numbers.
- Background Style - Click this button to set the background fill style and background border style.
The Scale bar Adornment group of options set the default style for a scale bar.
- Bar Length - The two values are proportional: the first value is the distance on the paper map, the second value is what the first value represents as a distance on the Earth's surface. Specify the length of the scale bar to a maximum of 34 inches or 86.3 cm on the printed map.
- Bar Height - Set the height of the adornment to a maximum of 44 inches or 111.76cm on the printed map.
- Bar Type - Select a preset scale bar: Check Bar, Solid Bar, Line Bar, or Tick Bar.
- Use Automatic Sizing - Check this check box to set a preference if automatic sizing should be "on" or "off" for new scale bars.
- Add Cartographic Scale - Check this check box to include a representative fraction (RF) with the scale bar. In MapInfo Pro, a map scale that does not include distance units, such as 1:63,360 or 1:1,000,000, is called a cartographic scale.
- Bar Style - Set from the following:
Click to display the Region Style dialog box and select fill color for customizing the scale bar.
Click to display the Line Style dialog box and select line options for customizing the scale bar.
Click to display the Text Style dialog box and set the font style, such as type, size, and color, for customizing scale bar values.