Enhanced rendering in MapInfo Pro allows you to create translucent labels, themes, and layers, as well as apply anti-aliasing to smooth the jagged edges of text, labels, lines, curves, region borders and raster images. We also provide a way of drawing selections and two export formats as a result of using enhanced rendering support.
Enhanced rendering is possible through Microsoft's GDI+, an operating system level capability that provides two-dimensional vector graphics, imaging, and typography handling. GDI+ improves on standard Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI) by adding new features and optimizing existing features.
To take advantage of enhanced rendering in MapInfo Pro, you must turn on the capability. If you do not turn on enhanced rendering, rendering is performed using the standard Windows Graphics Device Interface (GDI).
Enhanced rendering does not mean that translucency and anti-aliasing are automatically applied. Translucency and anti-alias settings must also be applied to generate the best looking maps. You will, however, automatically have the improved selection drawing style (see Enhancing Selection Drawing Style). Translucency and Anti-Aliasing are discussed under Applying Translucency and Anti-Aliasing, respectively.
Enhanced rendering is supported for Map, Browser, and Layout windows. Enhanced rendering is not available for other types of windows, such as the Legend Designer.
To enable enhanced rendering, set it in the Options dialog for the Map (on the PRO tab, click Options, and Map Options), Browser, Layout, or Layout windows, or through a MapBasic statement. It is controlled on a per window basis.
Legends are drawn in the same mode as the associated Map window. So, if a map is in enhanced rendering mode, its legend is as well. There are no enhanced rendering options in the Legend Options dialog.
Like the Map and Browser windows, enhanced rendering for Layout and Layout windows is enabled in its Options dialog. This means that any annotations added to the layout, such as titles or watermarks will be drawn using enhanced rendering. If you add Map and Browser windows that already are enabled for enhanced rendering, enhanced rendering will be forced on for the Layout window. Enhanced rendering for the Map and Browser windows have no affect on the Layout window, and vice versa.
There is also a style preference to determine the initial enhanced rendering state for newly created windows. See Enabling Enhanced Rendering for New Windows.