About Individual Value Maps - MapInfo_Pro - 2023

Individual Value maps show points, lines, or boundaries that are shaded by individual values contained in a particular field. You can use both numerical and nominal values in individual values maps. MapInfo Pro gives each unique value its own color or symbol. When an individual values map uses symbol types, the symbols are taken from the base table.

For example, a soft drink distributor maintains a table of the supermarkets that buy soft drinks from him. Each supermarket sells the distributor's brand of soft drink for a different price. If the distributor shades the supermarket points by price, using individual values, all stores that sell the soft drink for 49 cents are shaded one color, all stores that sell the soft drink for 51 cents are shaded another color, and so on. Each unique value is assigned its own color. The distributor is able to see the price distribution among the supermarkets and can determine where he should increase his sales volume, based on the price.

If you are shading your points, lines or boundaries using nominal data, you can shade only by individual values. Nominal data is either non-numerical data (name, type of cuisine served, or brand of automobile sold) or numeric data where the numbers represent non-numeric data like an ID number. Dates are considered numeric data and can be used in both ranged and individual values maps.

For example, you have the results from a consumer survey. One question on the survey reads "What is your favorite Sunday afternoon activity?" The possible responses are:

1. Sleeping
2. Watching TV
3. Taking a drive
4. Reading
5. Playing or watching sports
6. Visiting museums or art galleries
7. Going to the movies

You want to shade each consumer point with the response for the favorite Sunday activity. The SUNDAY column of your table contains the number that corresponds to the consumer's favorite activity. However, the numbers in this column do not represent quantitative values. Going to the movies is not greater than Playing or watching sports even though 7 > 5. When numbers are used as names instead of values, you must shade your objects by individual values. The numbers are only used to reference the pastimes so color can be assigned to them.

Custom Sort Order for Individual Value Thematic Map Legends

Customers have asked us to be able to change the sort order in the map legend list for Individual Value thematic maps. This allows you to control the look of your map legend.

To customize the map legend label order of an Individual Value thematic map legend:

1. In the Legend Designer window, activate with a single click on the thematic map legend to modify.
2. In the Modify Thematic Map dialog box, choose the Custom radio button and then click Order.
3. In the Customize Legend Label Order dialog box, select an entry in the Legend Label List that you want to move and use the Move Up or Move Down buttons to reposition it in the list.
4. Click OK to save your settings and close the dialog boxes.

Your changes display for the thematic map legend in the Legend Designer window.

Important Notes

When you are creating and merging theme templates:

• MapInfo Pro saves the custom label order only when the option to Save Individual Value categories is selected in the Save Theme to a Template dialog box. This implies that when you create a theme based on a template, MapInfo Pro applies the custom label order only when the thematic expression creates the same categories as those in the template.
• When you are merging theme templates, the custom label order from the source template is applied to the current theme only when the option to Merge Individual categories is selected in the Merge a Template to a Theme dialog box and the template and current theme have the same number of categories.
• Saving a Template - The entry for theme templates on the PRO tab, click Options, and Directories to open the Directories Preferences dialog box allows you to designate the directory where theme templates reside.

Saving Individual Categories in a Theme Template for an Existing Thematic Map

For individual value themes you can save the actual categories in a theme template. For example, if you choose to build an individual value theme on a table to show land usage, you can assign a different region style to each type of land usage (such as commercial, forest, residential, and farm land).You may then want to take those same assignments and apply them to another table. You can do this by storing the category in a template, it will be associated appropriately when the template is applied to the second table.

To save individual categories in a theme template for an existing thematic, you must first create a thematic map. You would then:

1. Activate the legend for the theme in the Legend Designer window.
2. On the LEGEND tab, in the Content group, click Modify Theme to open the Modify Thematic Map dialog box.
3. Click Save As to open the Save Theme to a Template dialog box.
4. Specify a template name, and select the Save Individual Value Categories check box.
5. Click OK to return to the Modify Thematic Map dialog box.
6. Click OK.

Template saves and can be used to apply the stored individual categories to a second table. On the MAP tab, in the Content group, click Add Theme to have the template's name appear in the Template Name field in the Create Thematic Map - Step 1 of 3 wizard panel.

Saving Individual Categories in a Theme Template When Creating a Thematic Map

For individual value themes you can save the actual categories in a theme template. For example, if you choose to build an individual value theme on a table to show land usage, you can assign a different region style to each type of land usage (such as commercial, forest, residential, and farm land).You may then want to take those same assignments and apply them to another table. You can do this by storing the category in a template, it will be associated appropriately when the template is applied to the second table.

To save individual categories in a theme template when creating a thematic:

1. Activate a Map window
2. On the MAP tab, in the Content group, click Add Theme to open the Create Thematic Map - Step 1 of 3 wizard panel.
3. Click the Save As button in the Template to open the Save Theme to a Template dialog box.
4. Specify a template name, and select the Save Individual Value Categories check box.
5. Click OK to return to the Modify Thematic Map dialog box.
6. Click OK.

These categories save in a template for future use when creating an individual thematic map.

See Also:

Modifying a Thematic Map