Working with Custom Symbols - MapInfo_Pro - 2023

You can create and use your own custom bitmaps as symbols in MapInfo Pro. To access these custom symbols, place them in the CUSTSYMB directory and select them from the Custom Symbols option in the Font list of the Symbol Style dialog box (STYLE > Symbol Style). All of the custom symbols in MapInfo Pro are stored in the CUSTSYMB directory. If you cannot find this directory, there are a couple of places you could check. The location of this file depends largely on the administration of your computer, the version of MapInfo Pro you use, and the location of your installation directory.

Usually, this directory is located in Program Files\MapInfo\Professional\ (or one of its subdirectories) or in \Documents and Settings\user's login directory\Applications Data\MapInfo\MapInfo\version number\. If you cannot find this directory, click Start and Search and search for CUSTSYMB on your system.

When you change the style of a custom symbol, the Effects options in the Symbol Style dialog box change. You can either show a background or apply a color.

• Show Background displays the custom symbol with the background color with which it was created.
• Apply Color replaces all non-white pixels with a color you choose from the color palette.
• Display at Actual Size shows the symbol at its actual size.

When you are creating extended custom symbols we recommend you check the Show Background check box if you do not require transparency. This setting improves performance significantly during exporting and drag and drop operations.

MapInfo Pro ships with custom symbols that you can use to enhance your maps.

Understanding the Custom Symbol Types

There are two types of custom symbols: custom symbols and extended custom symbols. The difference in these two types depends upon the complexity of the bitmap images. Files that are equal to or larger than 128K and/or have greater than 8 bit color are considered to be extended custom symbols. You need to know the distinction between these two types of custom symbols because the options for the extended custom symbols are slightly different from the custom symbols.

Understanding the Custom Symbol Sizes, Shape, and Color Rules

There are two types of custom symbols:

• Custom symbols
• Extended custom symbols

The difference in these two types depends upon the complexity of the bitmap images. Files that are equal to or larger than 128K and/or have greater than 8-bit color are considered to be extended custom symbols. You need to know the distinction between these two types of custom symbols because the options for the extended custom symbols are slightly different from the custom symbols.

You can create various sized and shaped bitmaps for use as custom symbols. As a general rule, smaller symbols look better at smaller font sizes because they will not need to be stretched. Larger symbols look better at larger font sizes because they have more pixels and more detail. Here are some rules and tips that govern custom symbols:

• You can select the point size for custom bitmaps from 9 to 240 pt.
• You can display the custom bitmap image at actual size.
• There is no a file size limit for custom bitmaps (other than what is required by your raster engine and the amount of memory you have).
• Extended custom symbols can be either rectangular or square in shape.
• Extended custom symbols usually have their own complex color pattern (which is what makes them extended) so the Apply Color option is disabled.
• MapInfo Pro supports up to 24-bit color bitmaps.

When you are dealing with very large bitmaps, there are a couple of special rules to keep mind:

• Some users have reported panning problems associated with very large symbols. When you create a symbol that is larger than 36 points, the symbol may not completely redraw as you pan across your map. To alleviate this problem, go to the system registry and add or change your MBRExtraPoints registry entry.
• There are times when the custom symbol you are trying to display is too large for the sample area.

To display this image, click the Full View button to display the entire image in a new window. There may be times when the custom symbol you have created may be too large for even the new window.

Creating a Custom Symbol

To create a custom symbol:

1. Create your own custom symbol and save it as a bitmap.
2. Place the bitmap in the directory you have assigned for symbols.
3. Restart MapInfo Pro if it is running.
4. Open your map and make the map layer where you want to place the symbol editable. On the HOME tab, in the Windows group, click Tool Windows, and click Layers from the list, to open the Layers window.

   You can also see map layers in the Explorer window.

   Click the Editable icon beside the layer name to turn On editing.

   Click the Selectable icon beside the layer name to turn On selection.

5. On the SPATIAL tab, in the Create group, on the Style list, click Symbol Style to open the Symbol Style dialog box.
6. From the Font drop-down list, choose Custom Symbols.
7. Click Reload to view the newly added custom symbol.
8. Select your custom symbol and click OK.
9. Click on the map using the Symbol command to display your custom symbol. On the SPATIAL tab, in the Create group, click Insert, and Symbol Style.

Adding User-Defined Custom Symbols

You can add custom symbols to the current style collection using the Symbol Style dialog box.

To add a custom symbol:

1. On the SPATIAL tab, in the Create group, on the Style list, click Symbol Style to open the Symbol Style dialog box.
2. From the Font drop-down list, choose Custom Symbols.
3. Click Add to open the Add Custom Symbols dialog box.
   Note: The Files of Type drop-down list only displays the single file formats that are supported, including *.bmp; *.gif; *.png; *.jpg; *.jp2; *.j2k; *.pcx; *.psd; *.tif; *.tga; *.ecw. The All files (*.*) option lets you add the image and support files for multi-file format images.
   
   

   

   
   
4. Go to the appropriate directory and do one of the following:
   • If you are adding a raster image with a single file format, navigate to the image you want to add.
   • If you are adding a raster image with a multi-file format, choose the All Files *.* option and select the all of the files that are part of the image you want to add.
     Note: You can also copy raster files to the CUSTSYMB folder subfolder manually.

     Click Open to open the Add Custom Symbol Results dialog box.

5. Click OK to confirm what symbols you added and where they were added. You must place these files in the CUSTSYMB directory; its location is determined by the during MapInfo Pro's installation.

If one or more files cannot be copied, the Results dialog box reports the failure. The copy can fail for a number of reasons, including:

• File name must be unique. You may have attempted to overwrite an existing .BMP file of the same name.
• Destination file name is too long (greater than MAX_PATH, which is 260 characters for a 32-bit Windows system).
• Destination directory does not exist
• The security permissions on your system prevent copying.

After the symbols have been copied, they are immediately available in the Symbol drop-down list.

Figure: Symbol Style with Custom Symbols Selected

Custom symbols do not have any size restrictions, but your system may slow down if you use very large (multiple gigabyte) images in your maps. Consider the resolution of your custom symbols when you load and display them to prevent this performance issue.

From time to time, we add high-resolution (24-bit color) custom symbols and update existing custom symbols. These are installed along with other custom symbols in the CUSTSYMB directory. The symbols in the Symbol drop-down list are sized to fit into each square cell, so the high resolution images are only approximations of the final image. To change the size of an image, change the font size.

Finding the Custom Symbol Directory

You can create and use your own custom bitmaps as symbols in MapInfo Pro. To access these custom symbols, place them in the CUSTSYMB directory and select them from the Custom Symbols option in the Font list. All of the custom symbols in MapInfo Pro are stored in the CUSTSYMB directory. If you cannot find this directory, there are a couple of places you could check. The location of this file depends largely on the administration of your computer, the version of MapInfo Pro you use, and the location of your installation directory.

Usually, this directory is located in Program Files\MapInfo\Professional\ (or one of its subdirectories) or in \Documents and Settings\user's login directory\Applications Data\MapInfo\MapInfo\version number\. If you cannot find this directory, click Start and Search and search for CUSTSYMB on your system.

Organizing Custom Symbols

If you use groups of custom symbols together, then organize these symbols into subfolders under your CUSTSYMB folder. The name you give the subfolder appears in the Font list of the Symbol Style dialog box, so that you can use the custom symbol set in your map.

Adding your New Folder to the Font List

After you add the CUSTSYMB subfolder and images you want, there are several ways that the application can update the Font list.

To add a new folder to the Font list:

1. Using Windows Explorer, create a folder under the CUSTSYMB folder and place the appropriate images into it. Use a descriptive name for this folder to remember what the symbol group is for. For more about sharing your custom symbols, see Sharing or Not Sharing your Custom Symbols.
2. After these folders and images are copied, update the Font list so they display. There are three ways to do this:
   • On the SPATIAL tab, in the Create group, on the Style list, click Symbol Style to open the Symbol Style dialog box.
   • From the Font list, select Custom symbols.
   • Click Add to add a symbol individually or select Reload.
   • Use the MapBasic statement Reload Custom Symbols from dir in the MapBasic window

     Using any of these options prompts the application to search for additional custom symbols under the CUSTSYMB folder.

3. Click the Font drop-down list to display your new folder with the new images in them. In the Symbol drop-down list, the images display in alphabetical order, from left to right.

Using the New Fonts

To use one of the fonts you added:

1. On the SPATIAL tab, in the Create group, on the Style list, click Symbol Style to open the Symbol Style dialog box.
2. From the Font drop-down list, select Custom Symbols CivicEngland .
3. Select the image you want from the Symbol drop-down list, and click OK to display it.

Sharing or Not Sharing your Custom Symbols

Where you keep your CUSTSYMB folder determines whether you share this folder or not. There are four locations that MapInfo Pro will look for the CUSTSYMB folder:

• To prevent others from sharing your custom symbol folder (default setting):

  C:\Documents and Settings\<yourloginID>\Application
  Data\MapInfo\MapInfo\Professional\950\CUSTSYMB\New Subfolders

• To share your custom symbol folder with other users:

  C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application
  Data\MapInfo\MapInfo\Professional\950\CUSTSYMB\New Subfolders

• To keep your custom symbol folder in a per-computer location:

  C:\Documents and Settings\<machine name>\etc...)

• You can also keep the CUSTSYMB folder in the application folder:

  C:\Program Files\MapInfo\Professional\CUSTSYMB\New Subfolders

Displaying Overlapping Symbols

When point objects display at the same coordinate, you can miss the significance of their proximity because the data overlaps each other, preventing you from making the connection.

The Dispersed Groups symbol font gives you a way to display symbols that represent different organizations, events, or services that occupy the same coordinate location without overlapping each other. When you zoom out from the coordinate point, these symbols display around the coordinate point side by side. This font is installed when you install MapInfo Pro.

This symbol style is useful in several industries:

• Crime mapping - See multiple incidents at the same address and for traffic incident analysis
• Insurance - See multiple policy holders, policies, claims, or inspection requirements at the same address
• Wireless telecom - See multiple assets on the same mast/tower.
• Health care - See multiple incidents at the same address.
• Retail - See multiple attributes of a retail store, for example what internal franchised departments it contains or specific services that it offers.

To use this font in your current symbols:

1. Open a file that contains the points you want to use this font for.
2. Make the layer that contains those points editable.
3. Select one set of points using Select, SQL Select, or click the first set of points you want to display.
4. On the SPATIAL tab, in the Create group, on the Style list, click Symbol Style to open the Symbol Style dialog box.
5. From the Font drop-down list, select MapInfo Dispersed Group .
6. Click the Symbol drop-down list to display the font options.
7. Select the symbol, the color, and the other features you want for this custom symbol. Click OK.
8. Repeat this process for the other set of points. Click OK.
   
   

   

   
   

   In this example, the red point indicates arson reports and the green point indicates robberies. These points are located at the same coordinate address but can be viewed more distinctly as you zoom out.