Mapinfo User Guide
Mapinfo User Guide
Version 17.0
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12 - Productivity Aids
In this section
What's New in MapInfo Pro 9
Enhancements and Updates 15
Getting Support 21
Customer Experience Improvement Program 28
Copyright 29
Welcome to MapInfo Pro
Thank you for upgrading to trying out the most advanced computer mapping product in the Pitney
Bowes Inc. software family! As the field of computer mapping continues to expand, Pitney Bowes
Inc. leads the way with new products that are designed to fulfil your computer mapping needs from
the most basic to the most specialized. This is a list of the most important features and enhancements
scheduled to be released with MapInfo Pro 17.0.
We have created a Customer Experience Improvement Program (the “EIP”) in order to collect
information about how our users and customers use our products, problems they may encounter
while using the products, and features and functions most often used by our customers. This allows
us to provide thoughtful, continuousimprovement to ensure that we offer our customers the best
user experience available.
For details, see Customer Experience Improvement Program
The Welcome Window is an informative and functional page that appears when you start MapInfo
Pro. It provides you a quick access to recently used tables and workspaces and the possibility to
open new ones.
For more, see The Welcome Window
A sample workspace containing StreetPro, POI, Parcel and Elevation data for Washington DC area
is now available by default when you install MapInfo Pro to help you start sampling and testing the
Beta.
Other sample datasets will also be available for download in the future.
You can use Quick Search to quickly search and execute commands on the MapInfo Pro ribbon.
These commands might be grouped or nested under different tabs, sub-menus or backstage items
but the Quick Search tool displays a list of all relevant commands as you type your query in the
search box.
For more information, see Quick Search Tool
Layout Templates
A Layout Template is as a user defined format that contains a Layout window with required
placeholders for maps/browsers/etc. in a specific arrangement for presentation. You can choose
from a list of pre-built templates provided as part of MapInfo Pro or create and define your own and
automate the filling on contents within it. Layout Templates are made up of empty frames that get
filled in with contents of other windows such as maps or browsers, static content (text, shapes,
images, etc) and dynamic text such as date, path, etc. They are portable and can be used in any
environment in which MapInfo Pro operates and with any MapInfo products.
For details, see Layout Templates
Drivetime Regions is a MapInfo Pro tool that is loaded by default when you install MapInfo Pro. This
tool replaces the older Drivetime Regions (Table) Utility that used an Envinsa 4.0 server. Using this
tool, you can access a Driving Regions server to create time-based and distance-based buffers for
the selected table entries. MapInfo Pro accomplishes this by connecting to:
• Spectrum Spatial Server.
• Pitney Bowes LI APIs.
You can load or unload the Drivetime Regions tool from the Tool Extensions drop-down list under
the Tools group on the HOME tab.
Note: The older Drivetime Regions (Table) utility is visible only when the Drivetime Regions Tool
is not loaded. When loaded, the Drivetime Regions tool takes precedence and replaces the
older version.
Layout Smart Text is an enhancement to text frames in the Layout Designer. Previously you could
only add static text to text frames in the Layout Designer. Smart Text provides the ability to embed
dynamic values that can change based on the context. For example, you may wish to include the
current date or the layout page number as text in a Layout. Smart Text uses MapBasic expressions
to accomplish this.
For details, see Layout Smart Text
The MapInfo Data Access Library (MDAL) is a set of classes and interfaces that allows .NET
developers to create MapInfo Pro Addins that can easily Create, Search, and Update MapInfo Tables
and other supported database formats such as Oracle, SQL Server, GeoPackage. The Library is
based on a subset of the MapInfo MapXtreme™ SDK product, mainly the Data Access functionality.
Currently the MapInfo Data Access Library is only available for use with MapInfo Pro Addins.
• Fully capable Data Access Object Model – Create MapInfo Tables, Insert, Update, Delete, Select,
Join multiple tables, Search using a well thought out API.
• Full MISql Support – Note that there are differences from MapBasic Syntax.
• Complete Geometry Object Model – Supports efficient reading, creation and editing of all MapInfo
Geometry types, including text objects. Also supports conversion to and from Well Known Binary,
Well Known Text and GeoJson formats.
• Full Coordinate System Support.
• Thread-Safe – Can be used to create background tasks in MapInfo Pro or run processing on
secondary threads.
• Supports Most Pro Data formats.
Note: Not all formats are supported. For example, no spatial support for postgis.
• MapInfo Pro style transactions on MapInfo and MapInfo Extended tables - This allows for
background threads to edit tables open in MapInfo Pro and let the end user decide to commit or
revert the changes.
• Documentation – API Reference Guide, User Guide, MISql reference.
For more details, refer to the MapInfo Data Access Library section of the MapInfo Pro Extensibility
Reference Guide.
You can use the Mini Toolbar on the Layout window for quick access to often used actions. Tasks
like Select, Pan, Zoom In / Zoom Out, Alignment and many more are directly available on the Layout
window when you right-click inside (above or below the context menu depending on where you click
in the window).
For available options, see Mini Toolbar for Layout Window
The Layout and Mapper Mini Toolbars can be customized to suit your needs and work style.
Commands can be added to and removed from the toolbars.
To customize a toolbar:
1. Right-click on the ribbon and choose Customize Quick Access Toolbar to open the Customize
Ribbon dialog box.
This dialog is also available from the Customize Quick Access Toolbar menu, in the upper left
corner of the desktop, by choosing More Commands.
2. Highlight Map Toolbar or Layout Toolbar in the left pane to access the customizable settings.
3. In the left pane, highlight a command and click the Add button.
4. To remove a command from a custom tab or group, click the Remove button.
5. To organize the commands within a tab or group, use as the Up and Down arrows. You can also
reorder any of the tabs, including the standard ones.
6. Click OK to save your changes.
You can also create toolbar customizations for added ease of use. This would allow you to have a
different selection of commands on the toolbar for every customization.
To create a new customization:
1. Customize a toolbar as per your requirement.
2. Enter a Name in the Customization Name text box.
3. Click on the "+" icon above the Customization Name text box to add and save the customization.
4. Use the Save and Delete icons to save updates to or delete a customization.
Ribbon Customization
The MapInfo Pro ribbon can be customized to suit your needs and work style. For example, create
custom tabs and custom groups to hold frequently used commands. Re-arrange tabs and groups
to put commands where you want them. Minimize the ribbon to enlarge your work area.
To know how to customize the MapInfo Pro Ribbon, see Customizing the Ribbon
The MapInfo MapCAD tool is registered but not autoloaded when MapInfo Pro starts up. To load
MapCAD, go to the Tool Extensions on Home Tab, click on Registered tab, then double-click on
MapCAD entry in list of tools to launch.
MapCAD provides tools that work with MapInfo Pro to create maps that are appropriate for land
development and surveying tasks. This update was for continued compatibility with MapInfo Pro
and includes no new functionality.
The MapInfo MapCAD is a tool that installs under a subfolder called MapCAD. You can turn off
MapCAD if you do not want to see these commands. To do this, on the HOME tab, in the Tool
Windows group, click Tool Extensions. On the Running tab, click the arrow beside the name MapCAD
to display an option to unregister this tool.
The manufacturer provides a full help system to assist you in using this product. You can access
this help from MapInfo MapCAD or on MapInfo Pro’s backstage by selecting the PRO tab, clicking
Add Ins, and then clicking Help under MapInfo MapCAD. For support, contact MapInfo MapCAD
incorporated directly. Their web site is: http://www.geoas.de.
MapInfo Pro installs with the Feature Manipulation Engine (FME) 2018, which lets you open data
directly to avoid having to translate it separately and work with copies of the data in .TAB format.
To see what is new in FME 2018, see http://www.safe.com/fme/new.
The FME from within MapInfo Pro opens following Universal Data formats:
• Autodesk AutoCAD (*.DWG, *.DXF)
• Bentley MicroStation Design (V7) (*.FC1, *.DGN, *.POS)
• Bentley MicroStation Design (V8) (*.FC1, *.DGN, *.POS)
• ESRI ArcInfo Export (*.E00)
• ESRI Legacy ArcSDE
For details about these formats, see Feature Manipulation Engine (FME) Format Support.
To access the FME and open universal data directly in MapInfo Pro; on the HOME tab, in the File
group, on the Open list, click Universal Data. For details, see Using Universal Data Directly
Thematics
Layouts
resize an edge of an item near another item on the page, you will be able to feel it snap when it
aligns with the other item.
• We have fixed the issue when snapping rotated items, so that MapInfo Pro uses the minimum
bounding rectangle (MBR) of the rotating item to snap against.
Layout Alignment
Use Smart Guides and improved snapping to align objects or snap them together quickly. Smart
Guides work by snapping objects on the layout together as they move close together. You can use
smart guides to align the edge of the item you are moving to the edge of other items on the current
layout. This is turned on by default for a new Layout window.
To turn on smart guides for a Layout window:
1. On the LAYOUT tab, in the Edit group, from the Alignment list, select Smart Guides.
When using this option, we recommend disabling Snap To Grid.
2. Select one or more layout frames (frame borders display to indicate your selections) and move
them to their new position. The edges of the frame or item will align with the edges of any other
frames nearby.
Smart guides do not display as you are moving items. Instead, the item automatically aligns (snaps)
to the edge of nearby items as if there is a guide line. Smart guides include the border of an item,
so that items visually align.
While using the left mouse to drag or resize an item, pressing and holding the Alt key temporarily
disables all Snap to Grid and snap to guide behaviour. Releasing the Alt key enables these
behaviours.
Zooming / Panning
• When zooming in/out using the zoom tool or mouse, the zoom operation is now centred on mouse
location.
• Added Fit Layout in Window option in the Layout context menu to quickly zoom out to see the
entire Layout.
• Hold down the middle mouse button to pan around the Layout.
Paper Margins
• Paper Margins now shown on the Layout so that you are aware of non-printable space.
• With Snap to Grid on, you will be able to snap objects to the Paper Margins (coming soon).
Frame Deactivation
• Map and browser frames can now be activated to edit live content directly from within a Layout.
• Deactivation of these frames can be done with either Alt-Click of the mouse or by clicking outside
of the frame on the Layout.
• New Preference added to disable frame deactivation clicking somewhere on the Layout
The following MapBasic tools have been ported or added to the 64-bit version of MapInfo Pro:
1. Ring Buffer Tool
2. Quick Search Tool
3. Layout Template Tool
You can now undo and redo actions in the layout window.
Press Ctrl+Z , or on the HOME tab, in the Clipboard group, click Undo to undo a previous action.
Press Ctrl+Y , or on the HOME tab, in the Clipboard group, click Redo to revert.
When a Create Points operation is completed, use the Add to Map option to open the result in a
new map window or add it to an existing map window. This saves time and clicks as compared to
going to Layer control and adding the layer. Available options are:
• Current Mapper - Open the table in the current Map window. This is selected by default.
• New Mapper - Open the table in a new Map window.
• No View - Open the table without viewing it (adds the table to the Table list in the Explorer window).
While using the Reshape tool, if you click on something on a different layer or leave the Reshape
mode accidentally and then return to the layer you are editing, Reshape mode persists. The layer
will stay in Reshape mode until you turn it off.
Table Operations
A floating window can now have a Topmost property in which it stays on top of other floating windows
(and over any non topmost window including other apps). This property is available when floating
in the title bar context menu along with Dockable, Tabbed, Auto Hide etc. This property is available
for the following windows:
• Info (selected by default, would be Topmost when opened)
• MoveMapTo
• Statistics
• Ruler
Shortcut Keys
Snap
• Snap to grid using arrow keys has changed. When using the Up arrow, the top edge of the minimum
bounding rectangle (MBR) for the selection of items snaps to the closest horizontal line of the grid
above the selection. When using the Right arrow, the right edge of the selection MBR snaps to
the closest vertical line of the grid to the right of the selection.
• To temporarily override snap while dragging or resizing items with the mouse, hold down the ALT
key.
• To temporarily override snap while moving items with arrow keys, hold down the CTRL key. The
CTRL moves selected items by one (1) pixel instead of snapping them to the grid.
Info
Press Ctrl + Shift + I to use the Info tool
Map
In a map window, pressing the Esc key changes the currently selected tool to the Select tool.
All functionalities in the Quick Start dialog are now available in the Welcome Window. So, the Quick
Start dialog has been removed from MapInfo Pro.
As a result of this change, the Startup Preferences dialog has been updated. The checkbox controlling
display of the Quick Start dialog has been replaced with a checkbox to control the display of the
Welcome Window.
Also, if you turn ON the Welcome Window, the MapInfoPro.wor workspace would not be automatically
loaded and the checkbox to turn it ON in Startup preferences is also disabled.
A new command Calculate Statistics has been added to the TABLE tab under the Calculate
group. This command allows you to perform statistical calculations for a column in a table or
query/selection These statistics can then be used in other applications.
Multiple changes have been made to improve legends swatches. This includes various types of
swatches (custom symbol, rectangular fills, etc.). Changes also include appearance on-screen, as
well as when printing or exporting.
You can now customize the units string shown in the layout scalebar. This helps in the case when
you may want to produce a layout and show a unit name with an alternate spelling, such as
"kilometers" vs. "kilometres".
The default unit naming convention has not changed. But if you wish to alter the units string, you
can do so in the Layout Scale properties dialog during creation or you can modify an existing scalebar.
You can either click on the unit name shown below the scalebar sample, or click on the pencil icon
to begin editing.
Note: If a scalebar has a customized unit name, the scalebar will not open in older versions of
MapInfo Pro (version 16.0 or earlier).
Getting Support
Unquestionably, MapInfo Pro can set your organization apart from your competitors; however, it
also requires knowledge of the program's basic functionality.
Here is a four-step process you can use to ensure your own success:
1. Read the documentation.
• MapInfo Pro installs with a set of PDF documents that will help you with all the basic information
that you will need to get started with the software. These PDF documents are located in the
Documentation subfolder of your installation directory.
• MapInfo Pro also has a context-sensitive Help System integrated that contains a comprehensive
set of topics that will help you understand all the features and functionality in the software. You
can access the help system by pressing F1, or by clicking the help button in MapInfo Pro.
See MapInfo Pro Documentation for more details.
2. Get trained
Get the most out of your MapInfo Pro software by getting trained in the product and version of
the software you are using. Pitney Bowes Inc. and its partners provide comprehensive training
courses throughout the world that is customized to meet your particular business needs. You will
learn everything from basic to advanced operations and develop important skills along the way.
See Getting MapInfo Pro Training for more details.
3. Subscribe to the free "The MapInfo Pro Monthly Journal".
Looking for tips, tricks, advice and techniques for using MapInfo Pro? Subscribe to the "The
MapInfo Pro monthly Journal". Each issue includes tips for different levels of users. Regular
features include easy tips, and something a bit more advanced.
This is a free journal delivered via e-mail. Sign up here:
http://web.pb.com/PBS-GB-TheMapInfoProfessionalSubscription
4. Use support along the way.
When you are stopped at a critical point, Technical Support is here to help.
See Tech Support for details on contacting your local support center.
MapInfo Pro documentation, in the form of PDF files, installs with MapInfo Pro in to the Documentation
sub folder (for example, C:\Program Files\MapInfo\Professional\Documentation).
You must have the Adobe Acrobat reader installed to view PDF files. To download a free copy of
the Adobe Acrobat Reader, go to https://get.adobe.com/reader.
Documentation is also available on our website at www.mapinfo.com/miprodocs.
MapInfoProInstallGuide.pdf
MapInfo Pro Install Guide: This document describes the system requirements for installing MapInfo
Pro, and describes how to install MapInfo Pro to your desktop. It also provides more advanced
topics that an IT Specialist or System Administrator would follow for installing MapInfo Pro within
an organization.
ActivatingYourProduct.pdf
MapInfo Pro Licensing and Activation: The first time you start MapInfo Pro you are asked to activate
your product using the serial number and access code you supplied during the installation. This
document describes the activation process for the type of license your organization purchased.
LicenseServerUtility.pdf
License Server User Guide: If you have purchased MapInfo Pro using a concurrent licensing scheme,
you would require a License Server to be installed and maintained to handle requests for product
licenses from other computers on the network. This document is designed to help you install, set
up, and administer the Pitney Bowes License Server.
EasyLoaderUserGuide.pdf
MapInfo EasyLoader User Guide: MapInfo EasyLoader is a utility to upload MapInfo TAB files to a
remote database. You can either start MapInfo EasyLoader from within MapInfo Pro or separately
if you downloaded your MapInfo EasyLoader from the web. This document provides you all the
information that you need to know for using the utility.
MapBasicUserGuide.pdf
MapBasic User Guide: MapBasic Development Environment is a programming language that lets
you customize and automate MapInfo Pro. This document provides the concepts behind MapBasic
programming, and has all the information that you would need to know for using the MapBasic utility
from within MapInfo Pro or separately if you have downloaded your MapInfo MapBasic from the
web.
MapBasicReference.pdf
MapBasic Reference: MapBasic Development Environment is a programming language that lets
you customize and automate MapInfo Pro. This document describes every statement and function
in the MapBasic Development Environment programming language.
The best way to ensure success with MapInfo Pro software is to make certain that users are trained
in the product and version of the software you are using. Pitney Bowes Inc. and its partners provide
comprehensive training courses throughout the world that is customized to meet your particular
business needs.
Since Pitney Bowes Inc. recognizes that it is not always possible for the designated contact to be
trained immediately, Pitney Bowes Inc. offers a 30-day grace period on this requirement. At the end
of the 30-day grace period, Technical Support reserves the right to withhold support from untrained
designated contacts.
Note: Trained contacts can place an unlimited number of support calls during the time period of a
valid technical support contract.
Pitney Bowes Inc. also manages a YouTube channel where you can find short video tutorials for
using MapInfo Pro: www.youtube.com/mapinfo.
Technical Support
Pitney Bowes Inc. offers a free support period on all new software purchases and upgrades, so you
can be productive from the start. Once the free period ends, Pitney Bowes Inc. offers a broad
selection of extended support services for individual, business, and corporate users.
Technical Support is here to help you, and your call is important. This section lists the information
you need to provide when you call your local support center. It also explains some of the technical
support procedures so that you will know what to expect about the handling and resolution of your
particular issue.
Please remember to include your serial number, partner number or contract number when contacting
Technical Support.
2. Your name and organization. The person calling must be the contact person listed on the support
agreement.
3. Version of the product you are calling about. To locate your MapInfo Pro version, click on PRO
tab, and click About.
4. The operating system name and version.
5. A brief explanation of the problem. Some details that can be helpful in this context are:
• Error messages
• Context in which the problem occurs
• Consistency - is the problem reoccurring or occurring erratically?
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp
The minidump file has a date and time stamp in its name in the format yyyy_mm_dd_hh_mn_ss.dmp.
Where:
• yyyy - year
• mm - month
• dd - day
• hh - hour
• mn - minute
• ss: seconds
When reporting an issue to a Technical Support associate, send this file with your report. Depending
on what the issue is, this file will speed up the response time to your issue.
5. Click OK to close the dialog boxes and save the new variable.
If MapInfo Pro is running, then stop and restart it now to apply the new system variable. The minidump
file could be large; a typical size would be between 500 MB and 1 GB. You may need to compress
the file (using a compression tool, such as WinZIP) before sending it to your Technical Support
associate, or you may need to make it available for download.
zero (0) disables error logging. By default, the License Server logging level is set to one (1), which
logs error messages for some specific situations and if there is a deletion of invalid licenses.
0 Disables logging.
1 Logs short error messages and error codes, and logs if there
is a deletion of invalid licenses. This is the default setting.
The License Server writes log entries to a file called PBLicense.log in the Windows %temp% folder
on the machine where the License Server is running. MapInfo Pro creates the same log file to the
same location. The %temp% folder is set by default to:
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Temp
When reporting a licensing issue to your Pitney Bowes Inc. Technical Support representative, you
will send this log file along with the details of your issue.
If the log file reaches the maximum size limit (of approximately 1MB), then it is renamed to
PBLicenseLog.bak, and the new log entries are written in the new PBLicense.log file.
To set the logging level:
1. On the Start menu, click Control Panel, and type Advanced System Settings in the search box.
Click Advanced System Settings in the results to open the System Properties dialog box.
2. Select the Advanced tab and then click Environment Variables to open the Environment Variable
dialog box.
3. In the User variables group, click New to open the New User Variable dialog box.
4. Set the following:
• In the Variable name field, type MI_LOGLEVEL.
• In the Variable value field, type the logging level (a value of 0 to 3). Setting a value of zero (0)
disables error logging. Setting no value causes the License Server to use a default logging
value of one (1).
5. Click OK to close the dialog boxes and save the new variable.
If the License Server is running, then stop it and restart it to apply the new system variable and start
logging messages. If MapInfo Pro is running, then you must also restart it.
To resolve questions about the accounting of your product, contact the Customer Service department.
Keep in mind that this is not a technical support resource. To contact the office nearest you, go to:
http://www.pitneybowes.com/us/location-intelligence/geographic-information-systems/mapinfo-pro.html
Here are some other resources available to you when you need assistance in using or learning to
use MapInfo Pro.
Note: Any messages sent to the list can be read by anyone on the list.
Want to give MapInfo Pro Engineers feedback? We have an option to provide direct product feedback
to Pitney Bowes Inc. If you have a need for a new feature, or you need our product to do something
it does not currently do, use this feature to write to us. Whether you want to complain or complement,
let us know so we can meet your MapInfo Pro needs better.
To send us feedback:
• On the PRO tab, click About, and Suggestions to post your thoughts on our ideas forum.
Our team of Product Managers and Engineers will collect your feedback and consider your request
in a future release of MapInfo Pro. You will be able to track the activity on your suggestions through
different statuses and maintain a list of your ideas or suggestions. Your suggestions will be grouped
with other similar ideas to help us build a list of new features and work-flows for the application. You
may be invited to give your feedback on the scoping and implementation of these suggestions and
participate in surveys that help us narrow down the priority of the features we are working on.
Our goal is to ensure that MapInfo Pro stays on the forefront of your needs and product requirements.
Help us do that important work for you!
Pitney Bowes Software Inc. (“PBSI”) is pleased to offer our customers and users theopportunity to
participate in the improvement and development of PBSI products. We believe that our customers
are the best source of information on how we can consistently improvethe usability of the products
we offer. We have created a Customer Experience Improvement Program (the “EIP”) in order to
collect information about how our users and customers use our products, problems they may
encounter while using the products, and features and functions most often used by our customers.
This allows us to provide thoughtful, continuousimprovement to ensure that we offer our customers
the best user experience available.
1. Participation. Your participation in the EIP is voluntary. You may elect to not participate in EIP
upon installation of the product, and at any time thereafter. If you choose at any time to end your
participation in the EIP, you can go to the options, settings, or help menu for your product and
change your settings to end your participation. If you received our products under a beta or
evaluation license, your participation in the EIP is automatic. If you choose not to participate in
the EIP, you may cease use of your beta or evaluation product to end your participation.
2. Collected Data. We will collect general information about: (i) our products (such as version
number, serial number (if applicable), the type of license purchased, and whether or not your
product was purchased with a maintenance agreement; (ii) the computer on which our products
are installed (such as machine name, manufacturer, model, clock speed, processors, amount of
memory, operating system, hard drive model/capacity, screen resolution); (iii) product experiences
(such as startup/shutdown/crash details, time spent in various parts of the products, which menu
options/commands are used and their frequency); and (iv) the general location/geography of the
computer. The EIP will not collect information specific to you as the user, such as your name,
address, or telephone number.
3. Collecting Data. The EIP will only collect the general information about the computer on which
our products are installed, and the products themselves. This may include tools, MBX, plugins,
and add-ins (“Add-Ins”). The EIP will only collect data from Add-Ins that are created or provided
by us. The data is collected through web-enabled functionality within the products. The EIP will
not collect data related to other software, applications, files or information that may reside on the
computer, including Add-Ins created by you or third parties that you may elect to install on your
computer.
4. Use of Data. We will only use the data collected through the EIP for internal purposes like the
improvement of our products or services. We may share this data with our partners and providers,
but this data will not be able to be used to identify you. Participation in the EIP will not result in
additional marketing emails, surveys, or other communications.
5. Access to Data. Since there will not be information to connect you as an individual to the data
collected through the EIP, unfortunately we are not able to provide any participant with the ability
to review or remove data once collected by the EIP.
6. Location of Data. This data may be collected, stored, and accessed by us within the United States
or any geography in which we or any of our affiliates or partners operate.
7. Further Information. If you have any questions regarding your participation in the EIP, please
contact us at: [email protected], or at: Pitney Bowes Software Inc.,350 Jordan Road,
Troy, NY, 12180 attn: Technical Support.
Copyright
© 2018 Pitney Bowes Software Inc. All rights reserved. Pitney Bowes Software Inc. is a wholly owned
subsidiary of Pitney Bowes Inc. Pitney Bowes, the corporate logo, MapInfo, Group 1 Software, and
MapInfo Pro are trademarks of Pitney Bowes Software Inc. All other marks and trademarks are
property of their respective holders.
Contact information for all Pitney Bowes Software Inc. offices is located at:
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In this section
Introduction to MapInfo Pro 35
A Tour of the MapInfo Pro User Interface 42
Using the Help System 111
Data - Where MapInfo Pro Begins 112
Understanding Your Data in MapInfo Pro 130
Using Workspaces 136
Reviewing the Windows in MapInfo Pro 142
Working with Tables in the Tables List 169
Working with Layers in the Explorer Window 175
Working with Raster and Grid Layers 205
Working with Seamless Layers 208
Working with MapInfo Manager Library Services 213
Saving, Closing, and Exporting Your Work 214
Getting Started
MapInfo® Pro is a comprehensive computer mapping tool that enables you to perform complex
geographic analysis such as redistricting, accessing your remote data, dragging and dropping map
objects into your applications, creating thematic maps that emphasize patterns in your data, and
much more.
With MapInfo Pro, the power of computer mapping is at your complete disposal. You can display
your data as points, as thematically shaded regions, as pie or bar charts, as districts, etc. You can
perform geographic operations such as redistricting, combining and splitting objects, and buffering.
You can also make queries against your data and access your remote data directly from MapInfo
Pro.
For example, MapInfo Pro can show which branch store is the closest to your biggest customers.
It can calculate the distances between customers and stores; it can show you the customers who
spent the most last year; it can color-code the store symbols by sales volume. What makes it all
come together is a visual display of your data on the map.
Mapping at a Glance
Huge quantities of information are available today, far more than ever before. Data abounds in
spreadsheets, sales records, and marketing files. Paper and disk store masses of information on
customers, stores, personnel, equipment, and resources. Thematic maps show distribution of
customers for a marketing campaign.
Nearly all data has a geographic component. An estimated 85 percent of all databases contain
some sort of geographic information such as street addresses, cities, states, postal codes, or even
telephone numbers with area codes and exchange numbers.
Computer mapping can help you sort through all of this information, and using the geographic
components in your data, display your results on a map. This lets you see patterns and relationships
in the mass of information quickly and easily without having to pore over your database.
To begin with, you can use the data you already have, in the form it is already in—spreadsheets
such as Excel, databases such as Access, popular CAD packages, and other GIS applications, to
name just a few. If your data is on a remote database, you can access it directly from MapInfo Pro.
If you have data that is not already online, you can create database files right inside the product, or
use data supplied by Pitney Bowes Inc., such as census data.
Similarly, you can use any of thousands of maps available from Pitney Bowes Inc., everything from
street and highway maps to world maps. You can also create your own maps, either in MapInfo Pro
or with a drawing package. You can diagram anything - floor plans, flow charts, even brain anatomy
- can be treated as a map and entered into the product.
After you have organized your data visually, you will save the results to files, or send them to any
of the dozens of printers and plotters MapInfo Pro recognizes.
If you have your data on hand and you can read a map, you are just about ready to begin. Soon,
we will show you an example of how easy it is to put MapInfo Pro's power to work for you.
But first, install MapInfo Pro following the instructions in the MapInfo Pro Install Guide. If you are
new to the product, or new to computer mapping, we suggest you refer to this guide for an overview
of basic mapping terms and concepts. Use the web-enabled tutorial to learn about its features, and
become accustomed to the more common tasks and functions.
For more product and service information, you can connect directly from MapInfo Pro to our forum
(on the PRO tab, click Products, and visit the MapInfo.com website), or visit us at
http://www.pitneybowes.com/us/location-intelligence/geographic-information-systems/mapinfo-pro.html.
MapInfo Pro gives you the processing power of databases (including powerful SQL queries) and
the visual power of maps. It is an essential business tool for data analysis, sales, and presentations.
Here is a look at some of the features MapInfo Pro offers:
• Direct opening of files created with dBASE or FoxBASE, delimited ASCII, comma delimited CSV
files, ESRI shapefiles, Lotus 1-2-3, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft Access; importing of graphics
files in a variety of formats; a function for creating database files from within the product.
• Multiple views of your data in Map or Browser windows. Hot Views allow you to open multiple
views of the same data and update them when you change any one view.
• Live ODBC access to remote database data, such to SQL Server.
• Seamless map layers that allow you to handle several map layers as if they were one layer.
• Legend Designer window, enabling you to create and customize legends for any map layer.
• Thematic maps to create analyses of your data with high visual impact, including grid surface
themes, 3DMaps, and Prism maps.
• Use raster underlay capabilities to enhance your work session.
• Querying capabilities ranging from simple data selections from a single file to complex SQL queries
from one or more files.
• Workspaces that save all your settings and views so you can start where you left off.
• HotLinks that let you launch files or URLs directly from a Map window.
• A comprehensive array of drawing and editing tools for customizing your maps.
• Thousands of ready-made maps and functions for creating your own maps.
• A layout window for preparing output.
• Printing and export capabilities for high-quality output
• The ability to change the projection of your map for display or digitizing.
• Object processing functions that help to correct errors in data, set node snap tolerances for different
objects, as well as thin nodes and polygons.
When it is time to run MapInfo Pro, you will feel right at home with its windowing environment. After
you have organized your data visually, you will save the results to files, or send them to your printer
or plotter.
For tips to help you succeed in using MapInfo Pro, see Ensuring Your Success in the MapInfo Pro:
Getting Support Guide.
Getting Started
This section describes that a map is the visual representation of data files where each data file
displays as a layer on the map.
MapInfo Pro helps you analyze your data on a map for activities such as appraisal, conservation,
forecasting, planning, surveying, demarcating, tracking, or managing. You can tailor maps to your
specific uses for analysis.
A map is a visual representation of data that has location. MapInfo Pro displays data on the Earth,
such as country boundaries, but can also display data that is relative to itself, such as a building
floor plan. Seeing data visually on a map gives you the locations of where things are, the relative
importance of things through the use of symbols or colors, and the relationships between locations.
Figure 2: World map showing relative literacy rates where each color represents a range of
average values.
Data must be in the form of tables. MapInfo Pro displays data tables as layers on a map. Each table
is a single layer and a map may have many layers (tables) on display. For more information about
how MapInfo Pro represents data on a map, see What is a Layer?.
A data table organizes information by rows and columns, so that you can easily visualize and manage
information in a database, such as SQL Server, or in data management software, such as Microsoft
Excel. MapInfo Pro access data tables in a database directly or lets you import data tables to work
with them directly in MapInfo Pro's native .TAB format.
Figure 3: Map displaying three layers: capitol cities, country boundaries, and ocean layers.
A Query Browser window displays a table with the results of a simple selection.
Data is represented on a map as an object, such as a point to mark a location, a polygon to mark
the boundaries of a region, or a line to mark a route.
Figure 4: A simple map showing store locations as points, circles as sales territories, and
lines as roads and railways.
In MapInfo Pro you begin by opening your table of data and displaying it in a Map window. Each
table you open displays as a separate layer. Before you launch MapInfo Pro, you will need to know
where your data tables are located or you will need to set up access to your remote data source.
For details, see Working with Data in a DBMS in the Help System.
To help you visualize your data and give it context, open a few of the sample data tables that come
with MapInfo Pro, such as country and county boundaries, roadways, or city locations. If you have
not already done so, install the sample data from the MapInfo Pro DVD. For instructions on how to
do this, refer to the MapInfo Pro Install Guide.
You are then ready to launch MapInfo Pro as described under Starting and Leaving MapInfo Pro.
There is a lot of information under A Tour of the MapInfo Pro User Interface that describes how
to work with MapInfo Pro. Review this section and the other sections in this MapInfo Pro: Getting
Started Guide to learn how to work with this product.
For more information about working with data, see the following topics in the Help System:
• Understanding Your Data
• Putting Your Data on the Map
• Working with Data in a DBMS
In this section we cover the very basics of starting MapInfo Pro, using the STARTUP.WOR, and
exiting the program. Since opening a table is basic to getting started in using MapInfo Pro, we cover
that topic here, as well.
2. In the Quick Start dialog box, choose how you want to start your mapping session.
• If you are returning to MapInfo Pro, you can return to the previous mapping session by choosing
Restore Previous Session or Open Last Used Workspace.
• If this is your first look at MapInfo Pro, choose Open on the HOME, TABLE, MAP, or LAYOUT
tabs. The Open list displays a variety of resources that you can open in MapInfo Pro.
3. Click on the desired resource. The appropriate dialog box for the resource opens.
Note: The Quick Start dialog box displays every time you start MapInfo Pro, but you can change
this behavior in the Startup preferences. On the PRO tab, click Options, and Startup to open
the Startup Preferences dialog box. Clear the Display the Quick Start Dialog check box.
For details, see Setting the Startup Preferences in the MapInfo Pro Help System.
MapInfo Pro contains tools that simplify mapping tasks, convert MapInfo Pro files to different file
formats and vice versa, automate tasks for working with DBMS tables, and more. The Tools Manager
helps you run and manage these many utilities easily.
Use the Tool Manger to run, add, edit, or remove tools from MapInfo Pro. You can also configure
a tool to run automatically upon startup. If you performed a Custom installation, you may have
elected to not install the tools. In this case, when you open the Tools Manager, the list box will be
empty (on the HOME tab, in the Tools group, click Tool Extensions).
For a list of available tools and for information about using the tools in MapInfo Pro, see Working
with MapInfo Pro Tools in the MapInfo Pro MapInfo Pro: Productivity Aids Guide.
Introduction
This section provides an overview of the MapInfo Pro user interface. The application interface
consists of a command ribbon, Quick Access Toolbar and Status Bar. The command ribbon
is located across the top of the desktop where tabs provide access to all MapInfo Pro features and
functionality. The Quick Access Toolbar allows you to place frequently used commands in one
location, either above or below the ribbon. The Status Bar provides information during a MapInfo
Pro session, some of which can be changed on the fly. Like many aspects of MapInfo Pro, these
user interface components can be configured to match your needs and working style.
Image call-outs:
• 1 - Command Ribbon
• 2 - Quick Access Toolbar
• 3 - Status Bar
The best way to learn the new user interface is to start using it.
If your copy of MapInfo Pro includes introductory data, you may want to install it now, as described
in the MapInfo Pro Install Guide. You can then view the sample data in MapInfo Pro as a map while
getting familiar with the features of this product.
For more information, see Opening MapInfo Pro Introductory Data
The Welcome Window is an informative and functional page that appears when you start MapInfo
Pro. It provides you a quick access to recently used tables and workspaces and the possibility to
open new ones. You can also access the base Bing maps (Aerial, Roads and Hybrid) from the
Welcome Window.
The Welcome Window also has links to the Pitney Bowes Li360 Community site. Li360 is a Location
Intelligence and GIS Community that contains useful information and video demonstrations on how
to effectively use MapInfo Pro.
You can also access resources like Technical Support and Documentation along with useful
suggestions on how to use MapInfo Pro optimally right from the Welcome Window.
The MapInfo Pro desktop is a collection of tabs, groups and commands that are accessible from a
ribbon layout across the top of the desktop. Each tab contains a number of related groups of features,
while within the groups are the commands and command lists for performing MapInfo Pro's
operations. The following is a brief overview of the tabs and their contents. See the individual topics
for details.
• HOME – This tab includes File and Window groups of commands, as well as Clipboard, Output
and Tools. The Open command list includes commands to open every type of supported resource
from tables and workspaces to Base Maps and database connections.
• TABLE – This tab has groups of commands related to working with tables, such as Selection and
Edit.
• MAP – This tab has commands for creating map content, manipulating, navigating, labeling, and
analyzing map data.
• SPATIAL – This tab has the groups and commands for selecting, editing and creating data,
including geocoding.
• LAYOUT – This tab has commands for creating layouts for output.
• RASTER – This tab has commands for working with MapInfo Advanced. You need a Premium
license to enable all of the commands.
• LEGEND – This tab has commands for working with map legends and the Legend Designer
window. It displays after creating a map legend.
• THEME – This tab has the most commonly used commands and command lists for working with
theme settings and styles.
• STYLE – This tab has commands for changing the display styles for layers. It displays after
highlighting a layer in the Layers or Explorer window.
• LABELS – This tab has commands for working with layer labels. It displays after highlighting a
layer in the Layers or Explorer window.
• GRIDLINES – This tab has commands and command lists for managing the gridlines in a Map
window. It displays after selecting a Gridline layer for a map in the Explorer window.
One additional tab to the left of the others is the PRO tab where you access licensing and help tasks
and product information. One key group on this tab is the Options group where you choose settings
for a wide variety of features. It is organized into System, Window, and Devices subgroups.
For convenience, some of the commands are repeated on more than one tab, such as the Open
command on the HOME and TABLE tabs, and selection commands on the MAP and SPATIAL tabs.
The tabs are also available when a window is floating. For example, a floating Browser window
displays the TABLE tab. A floating Map window displays the TABLE, MAP and SPATIAL tabs.
Several additional tabs appear on the ribbon when certain conditions are met. These include the
STYLE and LABELS tabs when you highlight layers in either the Layers or Explorer windows. For
details, see the STYLE Tab and the LABELS Tab.
The LEGEND tab is available when a Legend Designer window is active. See About the Legend
Designer Window in the Help System.
The LEGACY tab is visible on the MapInfo Pro ribbon after running a MapBasic tool that includes
ribbon commands. For information on how to run or add MapBasic tools to your MapInfo Pro, see
Working with MapInfo Pro Tools in the MapInfo Pro: Productivity Aids Guide.
4. To remove a command from a custom tab or group, click the Remove button.
5. To organize the commands within a tab or group, use as the Up and Down arrows. You can also
reorder any of the tabs, including the standard ones.
6. Click OK to save your changes.
To reset the ribbon:
1. On the Customize Ribbon dialog box, click the Reset button down arrow and select Reset only
selected Ribbon Tab or Reset all customizations.
2. Click OK to save your changes.
To minimize the ribbon:
1. From the Quick Access Toolbar, choose Minimize Ribbon or click the caret on the lower right
corner of the ribbon.
To return it to view, clear the checkmark next to Minimize Ribbon on the Quick Access Toolbar.
Note: Instead of minimizing the ribbon, consider putting frequently used commands on the Quick
Access Toolbar and moving the toolbar under the ribbon. Choose Show Quick Access
Toolbar Below the Ribbon from the Customize Quick Access Toolbar menu. See Customizing
the Quick Access Toolbar
HOME Tab
The HOME tab contains commands and command lists for accessing files, windows and tools. The
HOME tab is available on the ribbon, unless it is minimized.
File Group
These commands open resources, such as workspaces, tables, programs, base maps, web services
and connections. This group includes commands for closing resources and saving workspaces.
Open Ctrl+ O The following commands are available from the Open
command list.
Open Table (Ctrl+ O) Opens one or more tables in MapInfo .TAB format, as well
as Microsoft Access and Excel, ESRI Shapefiles, raster and
grid images, SQLite, and GeoPackage and others.
Ctrl+ K
Save Workspace Save Workspace: Saves the current session as a
workspace.
Save
Save Table (Ctrl+ S): Save changes made to a table.
Available once there are changes made to a table.
Close
Close DBMS: Closes a DBMS connection. Enabled
when a DBMS connection is open.
Clipboard Group
These commands copy and paste selections to the clipboard.
Paste Ctrl+ V Pastes the content of the clipboard. Enabled once you cut
or copy a selection.
Cut Ctrl+ X Cuts the selection and puts in on the clipboard. Enabled
once you make a table selection of an SQL selection.
Undo Ctrl+ Z Undo/redo last operation. Enabled after you make an edit.
Windows Group
This group has drop-down list of new document windows and related tool window commands.
Hide Status Bar: Shows and hides the Status Bar at the
bottom of the desktop.
Recover Windows
Ensures that floating windows are positioned on screen.
Output Group
These commands set and printing window contents.
Tools Group
The Tool Extensions command expands to display a three-tab drop-down where you see which
MapBasic programs are running, registered, or recent. The Options drop-down lets you run a
program, register and get additional tools, and unload tools.
Tab Description
Registered A list of installed tools and Autoload check boxes for MapInfo Pro to load them automatically
on startup. Click on a tool name to see a description. Buttons display to manage the tool
including load, unload, edit registered tool information, and unregister a tool.
TABLE Tab
The TABLE tab contains commands and command lists for working with tables. The TABLE tab is
available on the ribbon, unless it is minimized. It is also available at the top of floating Map, Browser
and Layout windows. The Table tab for a Browser window displays two additional groups of
commands (Browser Tools and Sort and Filter).
Contents Group
These commands modify the contents of a Browser window.
New Browser F4 Creates a new Browser window where data from a table is
displayed in tabular format.
Save Ctrl+S The commands on the Save Table command list are:
Revert Discards edits and uses the last saved table version.
New Table Ctrl+N Creates a new table. Opens the New Table dialog box.
Universal Translator Tool to import and export MapInfo data to and from other
popular mapping formats.
Selection Group
These commands provide advanced object selection options.
Find Ctrl+F
Find (Ctrl+Shift+F): Select an item or row and find the
item in all windows.
Edit Group
Append Rows To attach the rows of one table to another table. The tables
should have the same set of columns, in the same order.
Add New Row Ctrl+E Adds a new blank row to the bottom of the active Browser
window.
Clear Map Objects Deletes the selected map objects from the table but leaves
the attributes column intact.
HotLink Enabled when the Browser references a table containing hotlink data (URL).
HotLink Options Opens the Hotlink Options dialog box where you can add, remove and manage
the Hotlink properties.
Pick Fields Choose which fields display in the active Browser window. You can also use
Pick Fields to temporarily rename a column, creates a new column that will
display in the Browser window, or edit the expression that defines an existing
column.
Font Opens the Text Style Dialog Box where you select how to display the text in
the Browser window.
Filter
Filter: Opens the Filter dialog box where you can set filter conditions for
the column. A filter may consist of up to two conditions where each condition
is built from a simple set of operations (such as equals, greater than, and so
on) and some set of values. After applying a filter to a column, an icon displays
in the column header to let you know that the column has a filter. You can
apply as many column filters as the number of columns in the table up to a
limit of 100. Each new column filter is appended to the previous filters to
produce fewer records in the current view.
Clear Filter: Clears the filter conditions from the column and refreshes the
Browser window. This only clears the filter on the right-clicked column; filters
and sort on other columns are preserved. The Clear Filter command is enabled
after you apply a filter condition to a column.
The Filter and Clear Filter commands are also available by right-clicking on a
column in the Browser window.
Sort
Sort Multi-Column: Opens the Sort dialog box where you would make
selections to perform a multi-column sort in the Browser window.
Clear Sort: Removes the sort that was applied to the data in the Browser
window. This removes the sort from memory, so you cannot reapply the sort
after making this selection.
Clear All Removes all sort and filters that were applied to the data in the Browser
window. This removes the sort and filters from memory, so you cannot reapply
them again after making this selection.
Sort On/Off Turns off a sort, so that you can view data as it appears in the table. After
turning a sort off, you can turn it back on to view the sort result.
Re-Sort Reapplies the last sort/filter to the data in a Browser window. This is useful
after making changes to the data or after turning the sort/filter on.
Add to Map Opens the Create Query dialog box which allows you to add a query with the
current sort and filter conditions as a layer on the map.
Maintenance Group
Table
Modify Structure: Change the structure for editable tables, including add,
remove, rename or reorder fields, add and remove indexes).
Delete Table: Permanently removes the table and its component files
from the computer.
Database Commands for maintaining remote database tables. There are also
Oracle-specific commands in this group (not shown).
Change DBMS Table Symbol: To change the symbol attributes for the
objects in a mappable DBMS table.
Refresh DBMS Table: To refresh a MapInfo Pro linked table with the most
recent data residing on the remote database for that linked table.
Disable Oracle Versioning: Turn versioning off for an existing Oracle table.
Library
Add to Library: Create a metadata record for the table in MapInfo Manager
Library.
View/Edit Metadata: View and edit a metadata record for the table.
Raster
Adjust Image Styles: Adjust raster image color, contrast and brightness.
Web Services
WFS Table Properties: Opens the WFS Table Properties dialog box to
edit the settings for a WFS table.
WFS Table Refresh (Alt+F5): To refresh the WFS layer based on the WFS
server settings and the filter options set for WFS Refresh in the Web Services
preferences.
WMS Table Properties: Opens the WMS Table Properties dialog box to
edit the settings for a WMS table.
WMTS Table Properties: Opens the WMTS Table Properties dialog box
to edit the settings for a WMTS table, changing display styles, and image
format settings.
MAP Tab
Use the MAP commands when working with maps. It is always available, unless it is minimized.
The MAP tab is also available at the top of floating Map and Layout windows.
Content Group
These commands modify the contents of the active map.
Add to Map
Legend (Shift+F3): Adds a legend to the layout.
Cosmetic
Clear Cosmetic Layer: Clears all objects from the
cosmetic layer. Enables when there are cosmetic objects
on the active map.
Selection Group
These commands provide methods for selecting objects.
Select
Select: Selects one or more map/layout objects or
browser rows.
Find
Find (Ctrl+Shift+F): Select an item or row and find the
item in all windows.
MapCAD is a tool that plugs in to MapInfo Pro on startup. Some commands on the SPATIAL ribbon
are from MapCAD. To read more about how to use MapCAD commands, see the MapCAD Help:
On the PROtab, select Add Ins, and then under the section titled MapCAD, click Help.
Create Group
These commands create objects on the map.
Insert
Rounded Rectangle Creates a rectangle shape that has rounded corners on the map.
Style
Region Style Ctrl+F8 Modifies the color, pattern and outline of closed objects.
Navigate Group
These commands change the map display.
Zoom To
Entire Selection Layer: Views the entire extents of the
layer that has the current selection.
Label Group
These commands manage the map labels.
Label Tool Adds a custom label to the map at the cursor location.
Text Objects
Text from Table: Create text objects from a table. (MapCAD)
Update Column with Text Object: Write the content of text objects that
are placed within polygons/regions or on top of lines/polylines into a column
of the table. (MapCAD)
Priority Change the priority of labels from different layers. Two or more layers which
can be labelled must be open to activate it.
MapCAD is a tool that plugs in to MapInfo Pro on startup. Some commands on the SPATIAL ribbon
are from MapCAD. To read more about how to use MapCAD commands, see the MapCAD Help:
On the PROtab, select Add Ins, and then under the section titled MapCAD, click Help.
Options Group
These commands provide additional choices for displaying the map.
Map Tools
Ruler: Opens the Ruler window.
Redistricter
New Redistricter Window:(Shift+F4) Allows you to
display and manipulate a table in a district browser.
Lock Scale Locks the scale, so that only zoom and center changes are
allowed. When on, resizing the Map Window does not
change the scale of the content. When off, resizing the Map
Window resizes the map content, so that everything remains
in view.
SPATIAL Tab
The SPATIAL tab contains commands and command lists for working with tables. It is always
available, unless it is minimized. The SPATIAL tab is also available at the top of floating Map and
Layout windows.
Clipboard Group
These commands copy and paste selections to the clipboard.
Paste Ctrl+ V Pastes the content of the clipboard. Enabled once you cut
or copy a selection.
Cut Ctrl+ X Cuts the selection and puts in on the clipboard. Enabled
once you make a table selection of an SQL selection.
Undo Ctrl+ Z Undo/redo last operation. Enabled after you make an edit.
Selection Group
These commands provide methods for selecting objects.
Select
Select: Selects one or more map/layout objects or
browser rows.
Find
Find (Ctrl+Shift+F): Select an item or row and find the
item in all windows.
Edit Group
These commands edit objects on the map.
Set Target Ctrl+T Sets a map object as the target for editing.
Erase
Erase Target: Removes a portion of a map object using
the currently selected object as the eraser.
Combine
Combine Selected Objects: Combines separate map
objects into a single object.
Disaggregate Separates objects and their data into their component parts
(polygons, polylines, and multi-points).
Buffer
Buffer Objects: Creates a buffer polygon around a
selected object or objects.
Modify
Line Intersection: Trim two lines or polylines at their
intersection point. (MapCAD)
Nodes S key
Snap to Nodes: In Snap mode (S key) the cursor snaps
to a node of a map object when it comes within a certain
distance.
Fix/Clean
Check Regions: Check regions for self-intersections,
overlaps and gaps.
Transform
Offset Object: Moves the selected object by specifying
a distance and direction.
Convert to Polylines
Convert to Polylines: Changes each selected object
into a polyline object.
Calculate
Calculate Angle: Returns the value of the angle between
two straight lines segments. (MapCAD
Clip Region
Set Clip Region: Defines a region to be clipped.
Clear Map Objects Deletes selected map objects from the table, but keeps the
attribute columns in tact.
Create Group
These commands create objects on the map.
Insert
Line Polar Append Creates a line using distance and angle. (MapCAD)
Traverse Line Creates a polyline from the distance and angle of each node.
(MapCAD)
Orthogonal Polygon Creates a polygon with a right angle between the first and
last line segment. (MapCAD)
Circle from 3 Points Creates a circle on the map from three points. (MapCAD)
Rounded Rectangle Creates a rectangle shape that has rounded corners on the
map.
Rotated Rectangle Creates a rotated rectangle using specific width and height.
(MapCAD)
Style
Region Style Ctrl+F8 Modifies the color, pattern and outline of closed objects.
Cell Style Specify the current cell and manage the cell library.
(MapCAD)
Regions
Voronoi (Objects) Partitions the map space into cells from a designated set of
points. Each cell is an area in which the contained points
are closer to the enclosed site than to any others.
Voronoi (Table) Partitions the map space into cells based on a point layer
from a table, selection or query. Each cell is an area in which
the contained points are closer to the enclosed site than to
any others.
Dimension
Continuous Dimension Line Generates measurement lines with cumulated distance and
distance to objects. (MapCAD)
Create
Create Points Creates point objects for a database table using X and Y
coordinates.
Polyline from Table Create polyline objects from a table. For details, see the
MapCAD Help. (MapCAD)
Circle from Table Create circle objects from a table. For details, see the
MapCAD Help. (MapCAD)
Geocode
MapCAD is a tool that plugs in to MapInfo Pro on startup. Some commands on the SPATIAL ribbon
are from MapCAD. To read more about how to use MapCAD commands, see the MapCAD Help:
On the PROtab, select Add Ins, and then under the section titled MapCAD, click Help.
LAYOUT Tab
The LAYOUT tab contains commands and command lists for working with layouts. It is always
available, unless it is minimized. The tab is also available in the Layout window when the window
is floating.
Page Group
These commands create and set the page properties for a layout.
Page Setup Opens the Page Setup dialog box, where you can set the
paper size, orientation (portrait or landscape), and margins
for your layout.
Output
Print Prints window contents.
Clipboard Group
These commands copy and paste selections to the clipboard.
Paste Ctrl+ V Pastes the content of the clipboard. Enabled once you cut
or copy a selection.
Cut Ctrl+ X Cuts the selection and puts in on the clipboard. Enabled
once you make a table selection of an SQL selection.
Undo Ctrl+ Z Undo/redo last operation. Enabled after you make an edit.
Insert Group
These commands add the contents to the layout.
Map Select to add a map into a new frame or into the selected frame on the
layout. Either, copy an existing Map window into the Layout, or create a
new map.
Legend Select to add a legend to the layout. This option is active when there is a
map on the layout.
Browser Select to add a Browser into a new frame or into the selected frame on the
layout. Either, copy an existing Browser window into the Layout, or create
a new browser.
Text Select and then click in the Layout window where you want to add text to
your layout.
New Frame
Remove Content
Remove (frame)
Style Group
These commands control the text, region, line, symbol, and frame display styles.
Font Family Change the font family. Available when a text box is activated on the layout.
Font Size Change the font size. Available when a text box is activated on the layout.
Increase Font Size Change the font size incrementally larger when a text box is activated on the
layout.
Decrease Font Size Change the font size incrementally smaller when a text box is activated on
the layout.
Highlight Sets a color to use behind labels to make them more legible on the map.
Background Color Selects the background color to use with Halo and Highlight effects.
Line Spacing Increase or decrease the spacing between lines of selected text.
Rotate Frame Rotate the selected frame by entering or selecting an angle value.
Style The Style command list contains the following commands. The last selected
style is active.
Line: Modify the style of a line object. Activate or open a Layout window
and select a line object to modify.
Edit Group
These commands help you design the layout.
Bring to Front moves the frame to the front, so that it is on top of all of the
other frames.
Send to Back moves the frame to the back, so that it is behind all of the
other frames.
• Guides:
Add Vertical Guideline adds a guideline to the Layout canvas for aligning
frames along their left or right sides.
Add Horizontal Guideline adds a guideline to the Layout canvas to align
the tops or bottoms of frames.
Disable/Enable Guidelines shows or hides Layout window guidelines.
Remove All Guidelines removes the guidelines from the Layout window.
Smart Guides aligns the edge of the item you are moving to the edge of
other items on the current layout. This is turned on by default for a new
Layout window. When using this option, disable Snap To Grid.
• Grid:
Show Grid Shows or hides the layout grid.
Snap To Grid Enable so that when you move a frame near a guideline or a
grid line it aligns and attaches (snaps) to the line.
Grid Size Resizes the grid by a percentage value. Select this to choose a
value.
• Align Objects:
Align Left Snap left edge of selected objects to the nearest guideline.
Enables after selecting an object in a layout with a vertical guideline.
Align Center Arrange selected objects along their mid points vertically
(up and down).
Align Right Snap right edge of selected objects to the nearest guideline.
Enables after selecting an object in a layout with a vertical guideline.
Align Top Snap top edge of selected objects to the nearest guideline.
Enables after selecting an object in a layout with a horizontal guideline.
Align Middle Arrange selected objects along their mid points horizontally
(left and right).
Pan Select and then click on and drag across the layout to re-center the
map to a new location (this changes what you see in the map view). To get
out of zoom mode, click the Select tool.
Zoom In Select and then click on the layout to zoom in by two times (2x)
the current zoom level (this shows more details in a smaller area). Click and
drag across the layout to create a marquee rectangle that becomes the new
view and zoom level. To get out of zoom mode, click the Select tool.
Zoom Out Select and then click on the layout to zoom out by two times
(2x) the current zoom level (this shows a larger area). Click and drag across
the layout to create a marquee rectangle that more of the map displays around.
To get out of zoom mode, click the Select tool.
RASTER Tab
Use the RASTER commands when working with raster files, which contain grid-based spatial
information. The tab is also available in the Raster window when the window is floating. For a
description of these commands, which are part of the MapInfo Pro Advanced raster extension, click
the Help button on the RASTER tab.
After opening a raster file, such as a MRR, ERS, ASC, GRD, or GRC file, use the RASTER commands
to apply processing, analysis, and creation operations to the raster data.
By default, all MapInfo Pro users have access to a subset of commands on the RASTER tab. To
enable all of the commands on the RASTER tab, you must have a Advanced license. For a free
trial of all of the raster features, on the Pro tab, click Licensing and then click Begin 30 Day Trial in
the Advanced Version section. To purchase an Advanced license, contact your MapInfo Pro sales
representative.
File Group
This group of commands manage raster files in MapInfo Pro.
Open Clicking Open displays the dialog from your last selection.
Open Table displays the Open dialog where you can select a data
file to work with in MapInfo Pro. From the Preferred View list, select to
open the file in a Browser window, the current Map window as a layer
on the map, a new Map window, or to make it available on the Explorer
panel.
Copy Raster Copy a raster file, and its associated files, to a directory location.
Properties Group
These commands provide information about a raster.
Raster Info Opens the Raster Info window, which displays information about the
raster dataset.
Statistics Opens the Statistics window, which displays information about the
raster dataset. By default, the Input File field is populated with the
current raster file on display. Click Calculate Statistics in this window
to generate information about the raster.
Cell Value Queries and returns cell values from selected locations in a raster.
Full shows information about a selected location in the Cell Value
window.
Status Bar shows information about a selected location on the MapInfo
Pro status bar, located at the bottom of the MapInfo Pro window.
Interpolate Group
These commands let you select interpolation methods for creating continuous raster surfaces from
point data. You must have an Advanced license to enable these commands.
Create Raster Multifile Creates a raster data set from multiple vector data files. Select from
various interpolation methods to create continuous raster surfaces
from the point data.
Display Group
The following commands are active when you have a raster overlay on the map. These commands
are also available on the STYLE tab.
Field Displays all the fields that are present in the active raster. To render
different fields, select the field name from the drop-down list. There
must be two or more fields to activate this command.
Display Mode Select to render the file in either Pseudo, RGB, or Classified mode.
You can render continuous and imagery file in either Pseudo or RGB
display mode.
Band to Display Displays all the bands for the selected field in the current raster, such
as red, green, and blue. When in Pseudo display mode, select a
specific band from the drop-down list to render it on the current map.
When in RGB display mode, map different bands in the current raster
to the RGB channel to then render it on the current map. This is useful
for Landsat data.
Color Opens a dialog to select the color to apply to the raster. The raster
must be open in Pseudo mode to activate this command.
Color Stretch Opens the Color Stretch dialog, which has options to enhance the
display of a raster grid by changing the grid's appearance through data
stretches.
Advanced Color Opens a Color dialog to enhance all aspects of the appearance of the
raster by changing its coloring, data stretches, and bandpass cutoffs.
Hill Shade Opens a dialog of effects to mimic the sun's illumination, intensity, and
shadows across variations in elevation within the map landscape (the
raster surface). The raster must be open in Pseudo mode to activate
this command.
Favorite Template Manage and apply custom templates. Selecting Manage Templates
opens the Custom Templates window where you can create and edit
your raster templates.
You must have an Advanced license to enable this command.
Operations Group
Raster Operations Command
These commands process and analyze a raster overlay. A message dialog displays when a command
requires an Advanced license to use it.
Processing
Combine Arranges different input rasters into a single MRR file as individual
fields or as multiple bands in a single field.
Resample Creates a new version of the raster dataset wit a different height or
width.
Reproject Changes the projection of a raster dataset from one projection system
to another.
Analysis
Point Inspection Extracts all cell values from one or more input rasters at point locations
and adds these as attributes of the points.
Region Statistics Extracts aggregated statistics from a raster within region objects and
add these as attributes.
Cross Section Extracts the cell values of a raster along a line or polyline.
Line Statistics Extracts cell values as attributes from a raster along polyline or line
objects.
Line of Sight Checks the visibility from a source point to a destination point.
Volume Computes the volume of a raster against the constant plane or between
two rasters.
Utilities
Interactive Cross Section Process the cell values of a raster by drawing a line or polyline on the
map.
Interactive Line of Sight Check the visibility from a source point to a destination point.
LEGEND Tab
The LEGEND tab contains commands and command lists for working with map legends and the
Legend Designer window. It is available after creating a map legend by selecting Add Legend on
the MAP tab.
For information about the Legend Designer window, see About the Legend Designer Window in the
Help System.
The LEGEND tab contains commands and command lists for working with map legends and the
Legend Designer window. It is available after creating a map legend by selecting Add Legend on
the MAP tab.
Content Group
These commands modify the contents of the active legend.
Modify Legend Modifies legend properties, such as font size, row visibility,
and row order. This command activates when selecting a
frame in a Legend window.
Add Legend Shift+F3 Creates legend frames for the active Map window.
Alignment Group
These commands help you to design the layout of the legend.
Snap to Left Snap left edge of selected frame to the nearest guideline. Enables
after selecting a frame in a legend with a vertical guideline.
Snap to Top Snap top edge of selected frame to the nearest guideline. Enables
after selecting a frame in a legend with a horizontal guideline.
Snap to Bottom Snap bottom edge of selected frame to the nearest guideline. Enables
after selecting a frame in a legend with a horizontal guideline.
Snap to Right Snap right edge of selected frame to the nearest guideline. Enables
after selecting a frame in a legend with a vertical guideline.
Snap To Grid Enable so that when you move a frame near a guideline or a grid line
it aligns and attaches (snaps) to the line.
Grid Size Resizes the grid by a percentage value. Select this to choose a value.
THEME Tab
The THEME tab contains the most commonly used commands and command lists for working with
theme settings and styles. It is a consolidation of the Modify Thematic Map dialog boxes for all
theme types except the Grid theme. The THEME tab makes commonly used theme editing tasks
much easier and in most cases eliminates the need to use the theme modification dialogs.
When you select a theme type in the Layers or Explorer window, the THEME tab displays settings
and styles for that particular theme. Any updates or changes to the settings and styles on the THEME
tab automatically updates the map's meta-data and the theme view, except when you modify the
actual data in the table being themed. In that case you have to Recalculate the theme to reflect the
updates on the map.
See also:
• Creating Thematic and Other Themed Maps in the Help System
File Group
These commands create a thematic template, save and remove default themes, and recalculate
the current theme in case of data modifications. The File Group is common to all theme types and
all commands and command lists provides the same functionality across all theme types.
Save as Template Displays the Save Theme to a Template dialog box. Type a unique
name or highlight an existing name and overwrite it. If you overwrite
an existing name you will be asked to confirm this action.
Save Theme Saves the current theme to the map's meta-data to make it the default
theme view for that map. The saved theme is automatically applied to
the map the next time you open it.
Remove Theme Disassociates a saved theme from the map and removes it from the
map's meta-data. The theme view reverts to default when you remove
the associated theme.
Recalculate Theme If you have added, deleted or modified any data in the table being
themed, click Recalculate Theme to recalculate the map and theme
bins without deleting and recreating the theme. The Theme and Legend
Designer now reflects the current state of the data on the table.
See also:
THEME Tab
Field
Updates the field or expression that contains the data values. The
drop-down list displays all the applicable fields in the table selected
when creating the theme.
Method
The Method list contains the following commands:
Equal Ranges The difference between the top and bottom values
in each range is the same.
Ranges Choose the number of ranges you want from the drop-down list. The
minimum number of ranges is 2, and the maximum number of ranges
is 16. The default is 4 ranges.
Round By Choose a rounding factor for the range breaks from the drop-down
list. Each rounding factor is a multiple of 10.
Color Palettes Shades different ranges of data with a set of color band.
Color Palettes contain a list of predefined bands of colors that can be
applied on any existing range thematic map. When you associate a
color band from Color Palettes to a ranged map, it turns off
auto-spreading of style attributes and sets the colors from the selected
colors band to the ranges.
Color Palettes provides two types of color schemes for ranged thematic
maps.
• Diverging - Contains two different colors at both the ends of the set.
Lightness and saturation of these two colors change as they move
from the edge towards the center and they meet in the middle at an
unsaturated color.
See also:
THEME Tab
Chart Type
Choose the type of bar chart you want to create from the four choices
in the group.
Stacked The bars for each variable are stacked on top of each
other, creating a single bar chart.
Multiple Creates a multi-bar chart, one bar for each field. All the
bars in each chart are scaled according to the ratio of the height in the
Max Height box to the value in the at value box.
Graduation
The Graduation list is available only when the Chart Type is Stacked
- Graduated or Multiple. It contains the following commands.
Log Choose Log to scale logarithmically (base 10). All bars are
scaled down to a zero-sized bar for a zero value. The default setting
is to scale by a constant, which is best for representing data in one
dimension. Since you are only concerned with one dimension in bar
charts, the height of the bars, we recommend that you stay with the
default scaling method.
Note: If your data range is extremely large, or the numbers are
related in an exponential way, graduate the size by log.
Height Indicates the maximum height of a bar. The default height is 0.25
inches, and the valid range is 0.1 to 10 inches. Set the paper units in
System Preferences.
• If the chart type is Stacked, then all the bars are the same height,
as specified in the Height box, and the value in the at value box is
ignored.
• If you choose Stacked - Graduated, the value in the Height box is
the height, in paper units, of a stacked bar when the value in the at
value text box is the sum of the bar's data values.
• If the bar chart contains Multiple bars with identical scales for each
bar, all bars are scaled according to the ratio of Height to the at
value.
• If the chart type is Multiple - Independent, at value is ignored and
each bar is scaled according to the ratio of Height to its field's or
expression's maximum value.
Width Indicates the width, in paper units, of the bar chart. The valid range is
0.1 to 4 inches. You can set the paper units on the PRO tab, by clicking
Options, and System Preferences.
Orientation
Choose one of the buttons in the Orientation box to set the bar charts'
placement and direction with respect to the object's centroid in the
base layer. Each button shows a different orientation. The base layer
is the map view of the table on which you have chosen to base your
thematic map. For example, if you are making a thematic map with
bar charts from the States table, the States layer is the base layer. The
default is to place the bar chart above the object's centroid in the base
layer.
Top Left (West)
See also:
THEME Tab
Chart Type
Choose the type of pie chart you want to create from the group.
Graduation
Choose Graduated to make the size of the pies proportional to the
sum of their components.
Pie Size Drag to set the maximum diameter of a pie. Double click at thumb to
set value at specified size.
Start Angle Specify at what angle you want the first pie wedge to start.
Orientation
Choose one of the buttons in the Orientation box to set the pies'
placement and direction with respect to the object's centroid in the
base layer. Each button shows a different orientation. The base layer
is the map view of the table on which you have chosen to base your
thematic map. For example, if you are making a thematic map with pie
charts from the States table, the States layer is the base layer. The
default is to center the pie chart over the object's centroid in the base
layer.
Top Left (West)
Top Center (North)
Top Right (East)
Center Left (West)
Center (North)
Center Right (East)
Bottom Left (West)
Bottom Center (South)
Bottom Right (East)
See also:
THEME Tab
Field Updates the field or expression that contains the data values. The
drop-down list displays all the applicable fields in the table selected
when creating the theme.
Graduation
Choose Graduated to make the size of the pies proportional to the
sum of their components.
Positive Symbol Enables you to choose a symbol for positive data values. Displays the
Symbol Style dialog box for positive values.
Negative Symbol Enables you to choose a symbol for negative data values. Displays
the Symbol Style dialog box for positive values.
At Value
Enter the data value on which you want to base the symbol's proportion.
The size of the symbol at this value is the size you specified in the
Symbol Style dialog box. The symbols for the remaining data values
are sized using this value. The default setting is the maximum value
of your data, with two significant digits. The symbols are scaled down
to a one point symbol for zero values.
See also:
THEME Tab
Field Updates the field or expression that contains the data values. The
drop-down list displays all the applicable fields in the table selected
when creating the theme.
Dot Shapes
Choose either the Circle or the Square to display the dot shape of
your choice.
Size Choose either square dots (1-25 pixels) or circle dots (2-25 pixels).
Value Per Dot MapInfo Pro makes an estimate of how many units each dot should
represent and places this estimate in the text box. Enter a different
number if you wish. The greater the number of units each dot
represents, the fewer the number of dots that appears on the map.
Increase Size
Increases the dot size.
Decrease Size
Decreases the dot size.
Dot Color
Changes the dot color of a Dot Density Thematic map.
See also:
THEME Tab
Field Updates the field or expression that contains the data values. The
drop-down list displays all the applicable fields in the table selected
when creating the theme.
Color Palettes Changes the color scheme of Individual Value Thematic map. Color
Palettes contain a list of predefined bands of colors that can be applied
on any existing individual value thematic map. When you select a color
band from Color Palettes, it sets the color of the line, point or region
of individual value object to the color selected from the color palette.
See also:
THEME Tab
Modify Group
Allows you to modify theme style settings. This group is visible only when you select one out of the
following theme types in the Layers or Explorer window; Ranges, Bar chart, Pie Chart or Individual.
The Styles command behaves differently based on the theme type selected. Refer the table below
for details.
Styles
Displays the Customize Range Style dialog box when a Ranged
theme type is selected in the Layers or Explorer window. This allows
customization of attributes such as color and size. For details, see
Customize Range Styles Dialog Box in the Help System.
Displays the Customize Pie Style dialog box when a Pie Chart theme
type is selected in the Layers or Explorer window. This allows
customization of chart type, method and orientation. For details, see
Customize Pie Styles Dialog Box in the Help System.
Displays the Customize Bar Style dialog box when a Bar Chart theme
type is selected in the Layers or Explorer window. Allows
customization of chart type, method and orientation. For details, see
Customize Bar Styles Dialog Box in the Help System.
Displays the Customize Individual Style dialog box when an Individual
Style theme type is selected in the Layers or Explorer window. Allows
customization of color and other attributes. For details, see Customize
Individual Styles Dialog Box in the Help System.
See also:
THEME Tab
STYLE Tab
The STYLE tab contains commands and command lists for working with layers. It is available when
at least one layer in the Layers or Explorer window is highlighted.
Style Group
These commands change how regions, lines, symbols, and text display on the map.
Use Stacked Styles Toggles stacked styles on and off. See Stacking Display Styles to Create a
Custom Look
Region Style Modifies the color, pattern and outline of closed objects.
Symbol Rotation Adjusts the rotation for symbols in the selected layer(s).
Translucency Group
These commands control how opaque a layer or its labels are on the map. Make a layer transparent
to make the information behind it more visible when overlaying a region, such as a flood plain,
market catchment area, or hotspot. Make labels transparent, so that they do not obscure information
behind them.
Command Description
Label Adjusts the percentage of translucency for the labels in the layer.
Display Group
Show Centroids Displays the centroid of each object in the selected layer.
Show Line Direction Displays the direction in which line objects are drawn.
Field Displays all the fields that are present in the active raster. To render
different fields, select the field name from the drop-down list. There
must be two or more fields to activate this command.
Display Mode Select to render the file in either Pseudo, RGB, or Classified mode.
You can render continuous and imagery file in either Pseudo or RGB
display mode.
Band to Display Displays all the bands for the selected field in the current raster, such
as red, green, and blue. When in Pseudo display mode, select a
specific band from the drop-down list to render it on the current map.
When in RGB display mode, map different bands in the current raster
to the RGB channel to then render it on the current map. This is useful
for Landsat data.
Color Opens a dialog to select the color to apply to the raster. The raster
must be open in Pseudo mode to activate this command.
Color Stretch Opens the Color Stretch dialog, which has options to enhance the
display of a raster grid by changing the grid's appearance through data
stretches.
Advanced Color Opens a Color dialog to enhance all aspects of the appearance of the
raster by changing its coloring, data stretches, and bandpass cutoffs.
Hill Shade Opens a dialog of effects to mimic the sun's illumination, intensity, and
shadows across variations in elevation within the map landscape (the
raster surface). The raster must be open in Pseudo mode to activate
this command.
Favorite Template Manage and apply custom templates. Selecting Manage Templates
opens the Custom Templates window where you can create and edit
your raster templates.
You must have an Advanced license to enable this command.
LABELS Tab
The LABELS tab is available on the ribbon when you highlight one or more layers in the Layers or
Explorer windows. This tab is another way to access label options that are also available from the
Layer Properties dialog box. It contains the following groups of commands.
Command Description
Abbreviate with Select this check box and a column in the table that contains abbreviated labels. This uses
abbreviations when there are a large number of labels.
Label Position Use these default position (Anchor Point) buttons and the label offset to set
label placement.
Top Left
Top Center
Top Right
Center Left
Center
Center Right
Bottom Left
Bottom Center
Bottom Right
The anchor point is the label's position relative to the map object. The default
anchor point varies with the type of map object: Regions default to Center,
Lines to Above Center, and Points to Right.
Offset Sets the number of points (a measurement of text size) that a label is placed
from its anchor point.
Allow Duplicates Allows duplicate labels for different objects to display, for example, (Portland,
OR) and (Portland, ME). Use this option with street maps to label street
segments individually.
Label Partial Objects Label polylines and objects whose centroids are not visible in the Map window.
This only applies to autolabels. Customizing a label does not change its
location.
Font Family Change the font family. Available when a text box is activated on the layout.
Font Size Change the font size. Available when a text box is activated on the layout.
Increase Font Size Change the font size incrementally larger when a text box is activated on the
layout.
Decrease Font Size Change the font size incrementally smaller when a text box is activated on
the layout.
Highlight Sets a color to use behind labels to make them more legible on the map.
Label Background Color Selects the background color to use with Halo and Highlight effects.
Label Lines Lists the following commands. The last selected style is active. Label lines
display after you move the label from where it was originally created.
None: Do not display a line with the label.
Simple: Create a call-out by using a simple line that connects the label to the
anchor point.
Arrow: Create a call-out by using an arrow and line that connects the label to
anchor point.
Line Style Modify the style of the call-out lines.
Enable Preview Enables a preview of the label while you are making style choices.
GRIDLINES Tab
The GRIDLINES tab contains commands and command lists for managing the grids in a Map
window. The GRIDLINES tab is available on the ribbon after selecting a Gridline layer for a map in
the Explorer window.
Gridline Group
These commands add a grid to a map and modify the properties of it.
Add Gridline Creates a new grid layer on the active Map window. You can add more
than one grid layer to a map.
Gridline Properties Modifies properties for an existing grid layer on the active Map window,
such as the horizontal and vertical spacing of grid lines.
Style Group
These commands control how the labels on grid lines display.
Use Stacked Styles Toggles stacked styles on and off. See Stacking Display Styles to
Create a Custom Look
Highlight Sets a color to use behind labels to make them more legible on the
map.
Label Background Color Selects the background color to use with Halo and Hightlight effects.
Enable Preview Enables a preview of the label while you are making style choices.
Labels Group
These commands control how labels are placed relative to their grid line.
Label Offset Sets a measurement value to place labels from their grid line. This
uses the measurement type beside the Map Edge Offset command.
Map Edge Offset Sets a measurement value to place labels from the edge of the map.
The measurement can be in inches (in), centimeters (cm), millimeters
(mm), picas, or points.
Label Placement Vertical Lines select to place labels to the left of, centered on, or to
the right of grid lines.
Horizontal Lines select to place labels above, centered on, or below
grid lines.
Label Positions select an anchor point for placing labels, such as using
all sides of labels, the top and left of labels, or the bottom and right of
labels.
Label Direction Label Direction select the direction in which to place labels: either
horizontal or following grid lines.
Label Format select to display labels using compass direction
(N,E,S,W) or degrees (-90 to +90).
Translucency Group
These commands control how opaque a grid layer or its labels are on the map. You can make grid
lines transparent to control how much importance the grid has to the map design and to make
information behind the grid lines more visible. You can make the labels for grid lines transparent,
so that they do not obscure information behind them.
Command Description
Label Adjusts the percentage of translucency for the labels in the layer.
PRO Tab
The PRO tab contains links to a wide variety of system, application and product resources, including
setting preferences on the Options page and handling licenses on the Licensing page. The PRO
tab is always available.
Click the arrow at the top of the Pro tab to return to the MapInfo Pro desktop and the other tabs.
Click Exit to stop the current MapInfo Pro session and exit the product.
About
The About group contains links to updates, copyrights, license terms, news and suggestions.
Licensing
The Licensing group is where you manage your license(s) for MapInfo Pro, including transferring,
borrowing and returning a license, activating an advanced license, and entering a Bing License key.
Help
The Help group contains links to help topics and documentation, tutorial video library, Tech Support
and system information.
Products
The Products group contains links to the MapInfo page on the Pitney Bowes website, MapInfo data
products, and the MapInfo Online Store.
Geocoding
The Geocoding group contains links to manage your PB Global Geocoder account.
Add Ins
The Add Ins group contains a list of applications that have been added to this MapInfo Pro installation,
such as MapInfo Pro Raster.
Options
The Options group provides access to preferences for system and application-level components of
MapInfo Pro. For a description of each option, see Summary of Preferences in the Help System.
You can use Quick Search to quickly search and execute commands on the MapInfo Pro ribbon.
These commands might be grouped or nested under different tabs, sub-menus or backstage items
but the Quick Search tool displays a list of all relevant commands as you type your query in the
search box. Once you see the desired command in the drop-down list, select or click on the command
to launch. The selected command location on the ribbon interface is also highlighted on launch from
Quick Search to aid you in locating the command.
Quick Search is a MapInfo Pro tool that is loaded by default when you install MapInfo Pro. Once
loaded, it is located at the top-right corner of the MapInfo Pro ribbon and is accessible by choosing
the Ctrl+Q keys. You can show or hide the Quick Search box by loading or unloading the Quick
Search tool from the Tool Extensions drop-down list under the Tools group on the HOME tab.
Custom Keywords
You can define custom keywords to launch specific commands using the Quick Search tool. The
keyword list is in a comma separated value (CSV) file stored in the Application Data directory of the
Quick Search tool at
%appdata%\MapInfo\MapInfo\Professional\1700\Tools\QuickSearch\keyword_en.csv
The keyword list works on the Key-Value pair concept. A typical keyword list looks like
info,point query
add theme,thematic,Create Thematic Map, Bivariate, Chloropleth
hybrid,bing hybrid,base map
aerial,bing aerial,base map
roads,bing roads,base map
Here the first entry in every CSV line is the key (command searched) and all subsequent entries
are values (search query). For example, from the first line of the keyword list; if you type point query
in the Quick Search box, a list of all info commands would be displayed.
Note: For command highlighting to work correctly, it is recommended that you disable Ribbon Tab
Switching. Under the PRO tab, click Options and then click Application in the System section
to open Application Preferences. Set Ribbon Tab Switching to None.
The Quick Access Toolbar is a customizable toolbar that contains a set of commands that are
independent of the tab on the Ribbon that is currently displayed. You can add buttons that represent
commands to the Quick Access Toolbar. The toolbar is located in the upper-left corner of the MapInfo
Pro desktop by default. It can also be moved closer to the work area below the ribbon.
Commands are grouped by common themes, such as Layer and Edit commands, as well as for
each tab. Layer and Legend commands are also listed.
4. Double-click on a command name or highlight it and click Add to move it to the Quick Access
Toolbar pane.
The following instructions describe how to add more commands and organize them on the toolbar.
To remove a command:
1. On the Customize Ribbon dialog box, click the Remove button.
2. Click OK to save your changes.
To organize the commands:
1. On the Customize Ribbon dialog box, use the Up and Down arrows.
2. Click OK to save your changes.
To reset the toolbar to the default settings:
1. On the Customize Ribbon dialog box, click Reset.
2. Click OK to save your changes.
To change the location of the Quick Access Toolbar:
1. Right-click on the ribbon and choose Show Quick Access Toolbar Below the Ribbon.
To hide the ribbon:
1. Right-click on the ribbon and choose Minimize Ribbon. See Customizing the Ribbon.
Document windows, such as Map, Layout, and Browser windows, may be set to float outside of
MapInfo Pro or dock within MapInfo Pro.
To set how a window displays, right-click on the document window name located on the document
tab. Select one of the following from the pop-up menu:
• Floating - Separate the window from MapInfo Pro, so that you can move it anywhere on your
screen or onto a second monitor. Floating Map and Browser windows include a ribbon of
commands for working with the contents of the window.
• Dockable - Attach the window to the side of the MapInfo Pro screen, so that it is out-of-the way
when collapsed, but still easy to access.
• Tabbed - Cascade windows one on top of another. For details, see Tiling and Cascading
Windows.
If you chose to dock a window, then the right-click context menu on the document window name
shows the following additional option:
• Auto Hide - Automatically hide a docked window when it is not active. Docked windows are located
along the sides of the MapInfo Pro screen, where they are out-of-the way, but still easy to access.
This option is only available on docked windows.
The document windows that are currently open are listed in the Explorer window. You may need
to scroll down the Explorer window to see the Windows panel and the list of open documents. If
you have selected to hide a window, then it is in the Explorer window list where you can select it
to redisplay it.
Document windows, such as Map, Layout, and Browser windows, may cascade one on top of
another or tile one beside the other when they are in the tabbed state (when they are not docked
or floating). When document windows cascade, they overlap and the document on top is visible.
When document windows tile, they are next to one another and each window is visible on the screen.
To cascade or tile document windows, right-click on a document window name located on the
document tab. Select one of the following from the pop-up menu:
• New Horizontal Tab Group - Displays when document windows cascade. Select to tile windows
side-by-side across the screen. Only the selected window is active.
• New Vertical Tab Group - Displays when document windows cascade. Select to tile windows
side-by-side down the screen. Only the selected window is active.
• Move To Next Tab Group - Displays when document windows are tiled. Select to overlap windows,
so that only the top window is visible. The top-most window is always the active window.
• Hide - Removes the window from view, but keeps it open in MapInfo Pro. To view the window,
select it from the Windows list (select the check box beside its name) in the Explorer window.
To view a hidden document window, locate the table (document) name in the Explorer window,
right-click on it, and select Activate. You can also double-click on the table (document) name to
open it.
The document windows that are currently open are listed in the Explorer window. You may need
to scroll down the Explorer window to see the Windows panel and the list of open documents.
Document windows, such as Map, Layout, and Browser windows, can be closed or hidden.
To remove one or more document windows from view, right-click on the document window name
located on the document tab. Select one of the following from the pop-up menu:
• Close All But This - Closes all document windows except for this one.
• Close All - Closes all document windows in MapInfo Pro.
HTML Support
As a mapping graphics application, we support exporting map images to formats commonly used
on the World Wide Web.
Shortcut Menus
Shortcut menus are pop-up menus activated by the right mouse button. They are available in Map,
Browser, Layout, and MapBasic windows. Use them to quickly perform common tasks.
Installer/Uninstaller
MapInfo Pro has a fully-automated installation program that graphically leads the user through the
installation process. Furthermore, MapInfo Pro provides several different uninstall options.
Using the Save Window to File Dialog Box for HTML Support
When saving a window to a file, you can specify a file name for the image, directory, file format, and
drive.
To save a window to a file:
1. On the HOME tab, in the Output group, click Save to open the Save Window to File dialog box.
2. From the Save as type list, choose the file format for the exported image. The default format is
Bitmap (.BMP).
2. Click and hold down the mouse button anywhere in the Map window.
3. Drag the map to the new location.
4. Release the mouse button; the map is dropped in the new location.
If the application into which you are dragging a map cannot accept the map object, the No Drop
cursor displays.
MapInfo Pro applies the crosshair cursor style globally-there is no per-window setting. It stores the
style between sessions, so you see the most recent crosshair cursor style at startup.
Note: Two dialogs display a crosshair cursor when the mouse cursor is over the sample raster
image within the dialog: the Image Registration dialog box and the Adjust Image Styles
dialog box. While working within the Adjust Image Styles dialog box, you cannot toggle
between different cursor styles (by pressing the X key).
Pan
1. Open a map on your touch screen device.
2. Place two fingers on your touch screen display and drag both fingers together in any direction.
Zoom In
1. Open a map on your touch screen device.
2. Place two fingers on your touch screen display and spread them apart without lifting them from
the screen.
Zoom Out
1. Open a map on your touch screen device.
2. Place two fingers on your touch screen display and pinch them in together without lifting the
fingers from the screen.
The Status Bar along the lower edge of the desktop provides helpful information during your mapping
session and allows you to make some changes directly in the Status Bar.
Note: Not all entries display in the Status Bar at all times. Entries display when a feature is active.
• Status Bar Help: To find out what a command does, hover the cursor over the command in the
Status Bar. A brief description (tooltip) displays.
• Zoom, Map Scale, Cartographic Scale, Cursor Location: View any one of these settings in the
Status Bar. You can change which one displays directly from the Status Bar. Click the setting on
display in the Status Bar and then click the one you want to display from the list. The Status Bar
automatically updates. These display settings are also controlled in the Map Options dialog box
(on the MAP tab, in the Options group, click Map Options).
• Editing: To keep track of which layer is currently editable, review the list of layers that display in
the Status Bar. You can change the editable layer directly in the Status Bar by clicking Editing and
selecting a layer from the list of layers in the active Map window. The Status Bar updates showing
the new editable layer.
• Selecting: The Status Bar indicates which layer the current selection is from. If there is nothing
selected, the Status Bar reads: Selecting: NONE.
• records: When viewing a table in a Browser window, the record count displays in the Status Bar.
• SNAP: When working in a Map window, you can turn on snap-to-node by pressing the S key.
When this feature is in use, SNAP displays in the Status Bar.
• AUTOTRACE: When working in a Map window, you can turn on the auto-trace indicator by pressing
the T key. When this feature is in use, AUTOTRACE displays in the Status Bar.
• AUTONODE: When working in a Map window, you can turn on the auto-node indicator by pressing
the N key. When this feature is in use, AUTONODE displays in the Status Bar.
MapInfo Pro's comprehensive Help System provides the information you need to learn and use the
product more effectively. You can reach the information in several ways:
• Use the Help System screen to choose topics.
• Use the Search feature to search on a specific word. Type the word you want to search for in the
first field, select the matching word in the second, and then the topic in the third box. MapInfo Pro
displays the topic in the drop-down pane beneath the search box.
• Context-Sensitive Feature: Press the F1 key to receive more information on any command or
dialog box. The Help window for that item displays.
The MapInfo Pro Help System lets you quickly reference commands and options (such as what is
the purpose of this command, how do I make this command active) and provides step-by-step
instructions for the related tasks.
To find a topic in the Help System:
1. Click the Contents icon to browse through topics by category.
2. Click the Search icon to search for words or phrases that may be contained in a Help topic.
To copy text from the Help window select the text to copy, right-click, and then select Copy from
the pop-up menu.
Related Links
Searching for Help on a Keyword on page 112
Saving a Favorite Topic
The Search dialog box lets you select or type a keyword that you want to search for in the Help
System. All help topics associated with that keyword are listed. You can then choose the desired
topic for display. For example, to find out how to add a control point, you could select or type add,
control, or point. Topics that have the word add, control, or point associated with them would then
be listed in the Search dialog box.
To search on a keyword:
1. On the top right of the MapInfo Pro window, click the MapInfo Pro Help Topics (?) button to open
the Help System.
2. On the Search tab, type the topic or word you want to search for in the search box.
3. Click Search.
4. Click on the topic in the search results that you want to view.
Clicking on the Back button in the menu bar will return you to the previous Help screen.
For more about using help, see Instructions For Using Help and Saving a Favorite Topic.
Related Links
Instructions For Using Help on page 111
To use MapInfo Pro, you need to match the files that contain your information (data) and maps that
come from MapInfo Pro or that you create yourself. MapInfo Pro organizes all its information, whether
textual or graphic, in the form of tables; each table is a group of MapInfo Pro files that constitute
either a map file or a database file.
MapInfo Pro begins when you open tables, whether they are maps or data from a database.
Emergency medical calls thematically shaded by type of call and time of call, with response zones
shaded by number of calls.
To understand MapInfo Pro, you need a basic understanding of database organization, in particular,
three fundamental concepts: record, field, index, and query.
To understand the database concepts we are about to discuss, consider the table above.
Each row in the list contains information about one person. In database terms, each row is a record.
Each different box of information (Last Name, First Name, etc.) within a record is called a field.
Fields correspond to the columns so that the table shown above contains four different fields.
Database fields are ordered (first, second, third, fourth, etc.), and the basic convention is that the
first field displays as the first column in the database. The second field is in the column to the right
of the first, and so on to the last field, which is displayed in the right most column.
Since the data in a database is not usually in alphabetical order or postal code order or any other
pattern which would make it easy for the computer to find the information, the computer needs a
way to organize the information. A database uses an index to keep track of what information is
where and what record it is tied to. Without indices it would be tedious to find anything in a database
with hundreds of records, not to mention databases with thousands and tens of thousands of records.
A database index works on the same principle as a book index. A book index is an alphabetical list
of topics that appear in the book and the page number or address of the information. Database
indices work in a similar way, except that they generally work behind the scenes. You do not ever
see them. But the computer constructs them and allows you to use them in your work. An index
allows the computer to work with the records according to the order of items in the key field.
MapInfo Pro requires fields to be indexed in order to use the Find command. Indices are also used
to improve performance in SQL Select and joins.
A query is just another word for a question. You query data to collect a particular type of information
from your database. For example, if you wanted to know how many customers live within a certain
number of miles of your store, (and you had that kind of information in your database), you could
query the database to find out that information. The result of the query is query data. You can think
of query data as a subset of your data as in the example - a list of all the customers within 5 miles
and none of the customers who live further away. MapInfo Pro has commands to help you query
your data and display it on a map.
For more about querying your data, see Selecting and Querying Data in the Help System.
MapInfo Pro allows you to use data that was created in other file formats. When you bring data into
MapInfo Pro for the first time, you need to specify its format. For example, if your data is in delimited
ASCII format, choose Delimited ASCII from the File Format drop-down list.
Data file choices include:
• Microsoft Access
• Microsoft Excel
• dBASE DBF
• ESRI shapefiles
• Raster Images
• Grid Images
• ASCII Delimited Text
• Lotus 1-2-3
• Remote Databases (Oracle, SQL Server, PostGIS)
• Workspace
• Comma Delimited CSV files
• GeoPackage
For database versions that MapInfo Pro supports, see the MapInfo Pro Install Guide.
When you choose a particular file format, the File Name box will only list files that have the appropriate
extension. For example, if you choose dBASE DBF from the File Format drop-down list, MapInfo
Pro will only list files that are in dBASE format.
When you choose a file other than a MapInfo-formatted file type, MapInfo Pro creates a table structure
for that data based on the type of file that it is.
Note: During the .TAB file creation process, the original file is in no way altered. The file retains
its original properties.
When you open that table in future work sessions, MapInfo Pro will treat these files as if they were
in MapInfo Pro's native format. The next time you want to open the table, you should choose the
.TAB format for the table. If you accidentally attempt to open the file again with its original file format,
MapInfo Pro prompts you with the message:
This message displays because MapInfo Pro has already created a table for that file. To use the
file you have already created, click Cancel and open the associated .TAB file.
Also keep in mind that MapInfo Pro supports long filenames and UNC paths. The UNC paths allow
you to access your data without having to remember your drive mappings from one session to
another.
To display your table in the Map window, your data must contain X and Y coordinates. If it does not
already, you can add them using MapInfo Pro. Assigning these coordinates is called geocoding.
When enabled, this system setting writes workspaces using the UTF-8 charset. New Tab files or
Tab files being re-written, such as save copy as, pack table, update friendly name, or update
metadata, use the UTF-8 encoding. The !charset in the .tab file remains the same; it represents the
data in the table and not the charset of the .tab file itself. MapInfo Pro writes a UTF-8 Byte Order
Mark (BOM) at the beginning of the file, so that other applications recognize the encoding.
When Encode Workspaces and Tab Files is enabled (turned on) and you are opening an Excel or
Access file for import into MapInfo native TAB format, the resulting tables (TAB files) are in UTF-8
format. When opening an instance of an Excel, ASCII, CSV, or Lotus 1-2-3 data type and Create
Copy in MapInfo Format is checked on the Open Table dialog, the resulting table is in MapInfo
Extended format with a default character set (charset) preference set to NativeX (MapInfo Extended).
When reading from or writing to a .QRY file, the file opens using the UTF-8 character set.
To enable or disable the Encode Workspaces and Tab Files feature:
1. On the PRO tab, click Options, and click System Settings in the System group, to open the
System Settings Preferences dialog box.
2. Select the Encode Workspaces and Tab Files check box to enable this feature or clear the check
box to disable it.
3. Click OK.
To specify a specific character set, such as UTF-8 or UTF-16, to use for your MapInfo tables (*.tab)
and MapInfo Interchange files (*.mif, *.mid), see Setting Your Language Preferences in the Help
System.
Note: You can encounter data corruption, due to truncation or conversion, when saving a copy of
a database table between Unicode and non-Unicode character sets. When saving non-UTF-8
(non-Unicode) to UTF-8 (Unicode), there is the potential for data truncation. When saving
UTF-8 or UTF-16 (Unicode) to a non-Unicode, there is the potential for conversion issues.
When saving data to the MapInfo Extended TAB format (NativeX format), MapInfo Pro
interprets the width of character fields in tables with a UTF-16 character set (charset) as the
number of characters with two bytes (16-bits) per character. It interprets the width of character
fields in tables with any character set other than UTF-16 (such as WindowsLatin1, Cyrillic,
and UTF-8) as the number of bytes. For non UTF-8 character sets each character takes up
one byte, but could also take from one to four bytes. For UTF-8, since it is used to store
characters from any language, it is more likely to require more than one byte. This means
that you need to allow for larger field widths to avoid data truncation.
Using the UTF-16 character set is the best way to ensure that all data is preserved, but it
results in larger file sizes. The UTF-8 character set can be used to encode all characters
faithfully, but truncation could occur. When you save a copy of a table from a non UTF-8
character set to UTF-8, increase the field width to avoid truncation.
See also:
Saving a Table or a Copy of a Table
MapInfo Pro supports raster image display. Raster images are computerized pictures. These graphic
images can be used as backgrounds for maps you create in MapInfo Pro and can serve as a
reference for your displayed data.
When you bring in a raster image to MapInfo Pro, you may need to register it (specify its map
coordinates) so MapInfo Pro can display it properly. Choosing the Raster Image file format from the
Open dialog box will bring you to the Image Registration dialog box where you can specify the
appropriate map coordinates. Once you register the image, a process that creates a .TAB file for
the image, you can open it as you would open any table in a Map window. Images that you purchase
from MapInfo Pro will already be registered.
If a raster image is georeferenced it will be automatically opened. If a raster image has an associated
world file, you will be prompted to choose the projection. If you open a raster image that does not
have any georeferencing data, you will be prompted to display or register the image.
For a full discussion of raster image display, see Registering SPOT Images in the Help System.
The MapInfo Pro raster handlers support:
• LeadTools to version 15
• MrSID SDK (3.2), to provide support for MG3 files
• Multi-threading; specifically for ECW and the Government handlers (ADRG, ASRP, CADRG, CIB,
NITF)
AirPhotoUSA provides raster images at different elevations for particular areas in the United States.
The AirPhotoUSA map handler allows MapInfo Pro users to open and display the imagery contained
in AirPhotoUSA Map files as a layer. These files are treated just like any other raster file in MapInfo
Pro. The MAPINFOW.PRJ file contains AirPhotoUSA information.
You can use the AirPhotoUSA Conterminous U.S. coordinate system without making any changes.
However, if you want MapInfo Pro to recognize and give a name to that coordinate system, or to
use it for other purposes, you must add it to the MAPINFOW.PRJ.
When you open your data file, MapInfo Pro creates a table. This table consists of at least two
separate files. The first file contains the structure of the data. The second file contains the raw data.
All MapInfo Pro tables have the following two files:
• <SOMEFILE>.tab: This file describes the structure of your table. It is a small text file describing
the format of the file containing your data.
• <SOMEFILE>.DAT or <SOMEFILE>.WKS, .DBF, .XLS, .XLSX: These files contain your tabular
data. If you are working with a dBASE/FoxBASE, delimited ASCII, Lotus 1-2-3, Microsoft Excel,
or Microsoft Access file, your MapInfo Pro table will consist of a .TAB file and your data or
spreadsheet file. For raster tables, the equivalent extension might be BMP, TIF, or GIF.
Your data may also contain graphic objects. Once you assign X and Y coordinates to your data
records, your table will also contain graphic objects. If you already have graphic objects in your
table, there are two more files associated with the table:
• <SOMEFILE>.MAP: This file describes the graphic objects.
• <SOMEFILE>.ID: This file is a cross reference file that links the data with the objects.
See Geocoding - Assigning Coordinates to Records in the Help System to learn how to assign X
and Y coordinates to your data records so you can display them on a map.
For a Microsoft Access table, there will be a file SOMEFILE.AID associated with the table instead
of SOMEFILE.ID. This file is a cross reference file that links the data with the objects for a Microsoft
Access table.
Your table may also include an index file. The index file allows you to search for map objects using
the Find command. If you want to locate an address, city, or state using the Find command, those
fields must be indexed in your table. The index is located in:
• <SOMEFILE>.IND
You can open the following file types in MapInfo Pro on the HOME tab by pointing to Open:
• ACCDB – Microsoft Access 2007 or later files
• CSV – Comma Delimited files
• DBF – dBASE DBF files
• MDB – Microsoft Access files
• TAB – MapInfo .TAB files (includes MapInfo Extended – Type NATIVEX)
• Raster image files – (*.bil, *.sid, *.gen, *.adf, *.img, *.ntf, *.ecw, *.url, *.tif, *.grc, *.bmp, *.gif, *.tga,
*.jpg, *.pcx, *. jp2, *.j2k, *.png, *.psd, *.wmf, *.emf, *.map)
• SHP – ESRI Shapefiles
• TXT – Delimited ASCII files
• WKS – Lotus 1-2-3 files (*.wk1, *.wks, *.wk3, *.wk4)
• WOR – MapInfo workspace files
• MWS – MapInfo workspace files
• XLS – Microsoft Excel files
• XLSX – Microsoft Excel 2007 or later files
• Grid images – (*.adf, *.flt, *.txt, *.asc, *.img, *.dem, *.dt0, *.dt1, *.dt2, *.mig, *.grd). This release
does not support .XLSM and .XLSB Excel files.
• GPKG – GeoPackage files
Note: Grid Format Direct Support: The following grid handlers support direct read of DEM-USGS
Text (.dem); GTOPO30 (.dem) and DTED levels 1, 2, 3 (.dt0, .dt1, .dt2). These grid handlers
are read-only; they cannot be used to create grid files during the Create Grid Thematic
interpolation process.
• ESRI ArcSDE
• ESRI Geodatabase (File GeoDB API) (.gdb)
• ESRI Geodatabase (Personal Geodatabase) (.mdb)
• GML (Geography Markup Language) (.gml, .xml, .gz)
• Google Earth KML (.kmz, kml)
• OS MasterMap Database – Supports Cadcorp OS MasterMap Database data.
• OS VectorMap District – Reader supports GML data in OS VectorMap District format.
• OS VectorMap Local – Reader supports GML data in OS VectorMap Local format.
• Spatial Data Transfer Standard, such as TR01CATD.DDF (*CATD.DFF)
• Vector Product Format (VPF) Coverage, such as POAREA.AFT, POLINE.LFT, POPOINT.PFT
(.*ft)
You can import the following file formats into MapInfo Pro on the HOME tab by selecting Open and
then pointing to Import:
• DXF – The graphic/data interchange format (DXF) for AutoCAD and other CAD packages
• GML – OS MasterMap format
• GML, XML – Geographic Markup Language (GML) 2.1
• IMG – A file format for MapInfo Pro for DOS image files
• MBI – MapInfo Pro Boundary Interchange format (MBI) An ASCII file for MapInfo DOS boundary
files.
• MIF – MapInfo Pro Interchange Format (MIF) MapInfo Pro’s data interchange format (ASCII file
format).
• MMI – MapInfo DOS MMI
Note: You can download raster handlers for NIMA formats such as ADRG, CADRG, ASRP, CIB,
USRP, and NITF formats from the Pitney Bowes Inc. website or get them from the Installation
DVD.
MapInfo Pro imports graphics and textual information from MapInfo Pro Interchange Format, DXF,
MBI, and MMI files. MapInfo Pro imports only graphics from IMG.
Supported Raster Image File Formats
The following are the Raster image file formats that MapInfo Pro supports:
• ADF – ArcInfo coverage Data File (ADF)
• ASC – ASCII text file
• BIL – Satellite Pour l'Observation de la Terre (SPOT) satellite images Spot Image Formats 1.5
and 4.0: 8 Bit Gray, Format 1.5, 8 Bit Gray, Format 4.0, 24 Bit Color, Format 1.5, 24 Bit Color,
Format 4.0
• BIP – Band Interleaved by Pixel
• BSQ – Band Sequential
• BMP – Windows bitmap (BMP) Monochrome: 8 Bit Color, 24 Bit Color
• DAT – Datum, contain data in text or binary format
• DEM – Digital Elevation Model
• DT0, DT1, DT2 – Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED) Level 0, 1, and 2
• filename.* – Compressed ARC Digitized Raster Graphic (CADRG) format
• filename.* – Controlled Image Base (CIB) format
• ECW – Enhanced Compression Wavlet (ECW) format handler by ER Mapper
• EMF – Enhanced Metafile Format
• ERS – European Remote Sensing
• FLT – Image Filter (FLT)
• GEN – ARC Digitized Raster Graphic (ADRG) format
• GEN – ARC Standard Raster Product to 1.2 (ASRP) 1.2 format
• GIF – Graphics Interchange Format (GIF)
• GIF – Graphics Interchange Format (GIF89a) non-interlaced only Monochrome: 8 Bit Color
• GRC – Grid, or MapInfo Vertical Mapper
• GRD – Classified Grid, or MapInfo Vertical Mapper
MapInfo Pro treats GRD files as either a grid or raster image. If the associated .TAB file contains
a RasterStyle 6 entry, then MapInfo Pro treats the file as a grid.
• IMG – ERDAS IMAGINE File Format
• JFIF – JPEG File Interchange Format (JFIF)
8 Bit Gray, 24 Bit Color, No Subsampling, 24 Bit Color, YUV422 Subsampling, 24 Bit Color, YUV411
Subsampling
• JP2 – Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG) 2000 format
MapInfo Pro supports creating JPEG 2000 files using Save Window As and viewing JPEG 2000
files using the LeadTools raster handler.
• JPG – Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPG)
• JPEG – Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPEG)
8 Bit Gray, 24 Bit Color, No Subsampling, 24 Bit Color, YUV422 Subsampling, 24 Bit Color, YUV411
Subsampling
• MRR – Multi-Resolution Raster
• NTF – National Imagery Transmission Format (NITF) version 2.x format
• PCX – ZSoft Paintbrush
• PCX – Format Version 5 (Paintbrush Version 3.0)
Monochrome, 8 Bit Gray, 8 Bit Color, 24 Bit Color
• PNG – Portable Network Graphics (PNG) format
• PSD – Photoshop 3.0
• SID – MrSID format
The MrSID raster handler allows you to open and display raster images compressed in the MrSID
format
• TGA – Targa
TGA Truevision File Format Specification 2.0. 8 Bit Gray, 8 Bit Color, 24 Bit Color
• TIF – Geographic Tagged Image File Format (GeoTIFF)
• TIF – Tagged Image File Format (TIFF)
TIFF Revision 5.0, Monochrome (Class B), Uncompressed, Monochrome (Class B), PackBits
Compression, 8 Bit Gray (Class G), Uncompressed, 8 Bit Color (Class P), Uncompressed, 24 Bit
Color (Class R), Uncompressed
• TIF – Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) CMYK
• TIF – Tagged Information File Format (TIFF) CCITT Group 4
• TIF – Tagged Information File Format (TIFF) LZW
• TXT – Text
• URL – Uniform Resource Locator
• VRT – Virtual Format
• WMF – Windows Metafile Format(WMF)
The raster handler will load a rasterized version of the WMF file.
• ZIP – a compressed file containing raster format files
• ESRI Geodatabase (File Geodatabase API) - Supports 10.0 File Geodatabases or higher
• ESRI Geodatabase (Personal Geodatabase) – Supports ArcGIS 10.x
• ESRI Shapefile (*.SHZ, *.SHP)
• Geography Markup Language (GML) - Reader supports GML versions 2.1.2, 3.1.1, and 3.2.1 and
Writer supports GML versions 3.1.1 and 3.2.1
• Google KML – Supports KML 2.2
• OS MasterMap Database – Supports Cadcorp OS MasterMap Database data.
• OS VectorMap District – Reader supports GML data in OS VectorMap District format.
• OS VectorMap Local – Reader supports GML data in OS VectorMap Local format.
• Spatial Data Transfer Standard (SDTS) - Supports USGS DLG datasets that adheres to the SDTS
Topological Vector Profile (TVP) and USGS Digital Elevation Model (DEM) datasets that adhere
to the SDTS Raster Profile
• Vector Product Format (VPF) Coverage - Supports VPF data that is stored in a structure described
in the Military Standard, Vector Product Format, MIL-STD-2407
Note: MapInfo Pro installs with a subset of FME that supports a limited number of formats. You can install the com
FME Suite from Safe Software for additional formats, and use it with mapInfo Pro. See Working with the
Suite for details. For the list of formats supported by the FME suit, see:
http://docs.safe.com/fme/html/FME_Desktop_Documentation/FME_ReadersWriters/Format-List-All
To open these data formats in MapInfo Pro, on the HOME tab, point to Open and select Universal
Data.
To translate TAB files using FME in MapInfo Pro, on the HOME tab, in the Tools group, click Tool
Extensions, and select Universal Translator.
To see what is new in FME 2016, see http://www.safe.com/fme/new.
Just about everything in MapInfo Pro starts with opening a table. You can display the information
in your tables in a number of ways in MapInfo Pro, as a table, in a browser, and on a map.
To open a local table (which is a data file on your machine):
1. On the HOME tab, on the File group, in the Open list, click Table to open the Open dialog box.
Note: If you are at the Quick Start dialog box (the first dialog box you see after starting MapInfo
Pro), choose the Open button. The Open dialog box displays.
2. Navigate to the data file you want to open. From the Files of type drop-down list, select the type
of data you will open.
3. From the Preferred View drop-down list, select the view you want of this data.
• Automatic - MapInfo Pro chooses the most appropriate view. If the data is mappable (for
example, graphic objects are attached to the data), for example, MapInfo Pro opens the table
in a Map window. If you have a Map window displayed and the table you want to open is
mappable, MapInfo Pro will automatically open the table in the current Map window. If the data
is not mappable, MapInfo Pro will attempt to open the table in a Browser window. If the table
cannot be mapped or browsed, MapInfo Pro opens the table using the No View option (no data
is displayed).
• Browser - MapInfo Pro attempts to open the table in a Browser window.
• Current Mapper - MapInfo Pro attempts to add your data to the current Map window.
• New Mapper - MapInfo Pro attempts to open the table in a new Map window.
• No View - MapInfo Pro opens the table making the data available for other uses, but no data
is displayed.
Note: When you open a table and select an option in the Preferred View drop-down list,
MapInfo Pro remembers what you selected and uses the same option the next time you
open a table.
4. Select the Create copy in MapInfo format for read/write check box to open it in native (.tab) format.
Note: If you do not select the Create copy check box, the file opens read-only.
When opening multiple tables, use Shift-click to select adjacent tables and Ctrl-click to select
non-adjacent tables.
Note that although a MapInfo Pro table consists of two or more component files (STATES.TAB,
STATES.DAT, STATES.MAP, etc.), only the .TAB file appears in the File Name box of the Open
dialog box. It is the only component file you must open. For more about these other MapInfo file
types, see Understanding the Files Associated with MapInfo Pro Tables.
In MapInfo Pro you can work with a variety of table types. Some data tables are like the example
table we just discussed. Further subdividing this class of tables are data tables that contain graphic
objects (map objects) and data tables that do not (such as spreadsheets or external database
tables). Raster tables are graphic images that you can display in a Map window. These computerized
pictures do not have the same table structure of record, field, and index as data tables do, and
therefore, will not be discussed in this chapter.
For more on raster images, see Working with Raster Images in the MapInfo Pro Help System.
You can see what windows are currently open by reviewing the list at the bottom of the Explorer
window.
You can open additional tables to add more information (layers) to the Map window. If you want the
second table to display in the current Map window, leave the Automatic option selected in the
Preferred View list. MapInfo Pro displays the table in the current Map window automatically.
If you do not want the table to display with the first map, choose New Mapper. MapInfo Pro opens
a second table in its own Map window.
To set a default path you want MapInfo Pro to use when opening tables, select new directories in
the Directories Preferences dialog box. Here, you can also set default paths for workspaces,
MapBasic programs, Import files, and DBMS SQL queries.
See Setting your Directory Preferences in the Help System.
Note: If your data file does not contain graphic objects, you will not be able to display the table in
a Map window. You can only bring it up in a Browser. You must first geocode the table to
display it as a map.
Geocoding is discussed more fully in Geocoding - Assigning Coordinates to Records in the
Help System.
Use the Places Bar to quickly access a specified directory. There are four MapInfo Pro Places
options: Table; Workspaces; Import Files; Remote Tables. Designate each directory path in the
Directories Preferences dialog box.
In MapInfo Pro you can work with a variety of table types. Some data tables are like the example
table we just discussed. Further subdividing this class of tables are data tables that contain graphic
objects (map objects) and data tables that do not (such as spreadsheets or external database
tables). Raster tables are graphic images that you can display in a Map window. These computerized
pictures do not have the same table structure of record, field, and index as data tables do, and
therefore, will not be discussed in this chapter. You can see what windows are currently open by
reviewing the list at the bottom of the Explorer window.
MapInfo Pro attempts to open the table as specified for Browser, Current Mapper, and New Mapper.
If it cannot, it will open the table according to the following rules:
• If Current Mapper is selected, and there is no Map window displayed, MapInfo Pro will attempt to
open the table in a new Map window.
• If Current Mapper or New Mapper is selected and the data is not mappable, MapInfo Pro will try
to open the table in a Browser window.
• If the table cannot be mapped or browsed, MapInfo Pro opens the table using the No View option
(no data is displayed). You will see it in the Tables list in the Explorer window.
For more information, see Renaming a Table and Deleting a Table.
Renaming a Table
A MapInfo Pro table consists of several component files. When you rename a table using the Rename
Table command, MapInfo Pro automatically renames that table's component files. When you rename
a table through the Windows File manager, you have to be sure that you rename all of the component
files.
To rename a table:
1. On the TABLE tab, in the Maintenance group, click Table, and Rename Table. A dialog box with
a drop-down list of all open tables displays.
2. Choose the table you want to rename from this list and click the Rename button.
3. Type the new name into File Name.
4. Choose the directory where you want to put your renamed table.
5. Click OK.
Note: When you rename a table, any workspaces containing that table are affected. When you
want to continue using those workspaces, you should edit the workspace file so that it uses
the new table name. You can edit a workspace file in any text editor or word processor.
Deleting a Table
To delete a table:
1. On the TABLE tab, in the Maintenance group, click Table, and Delete Table to open a dialog box
with a drop-down list of all open tables.
2. Choose the table you want to delete from this list and click the Delete button.
3. Click OK.
Deleting a table allows you to remove the .TAB file and all component files associated with the table.
Deleting a raster table only deletes the *.tab file. Deleting a grid file removes both the *.tab and grid
file. Deleting a GeoPackage table deletes the *.tab file and all associated component files. If a
GeoPackage has only one table, using this command will delete only the table and associate files,
not the GeoPackage file.
MapInfo Pro also enables you to access remote database data through its ODBC connectivity
support and the Oracle Spatial Object support. The MapInfo Pro ODBC connectivity support supplies
many ODBC drivers that you can easily install.
Oracle spatial databases store spatial objects with your conventional data in the same database.
This enables you to read and write geographies in Oracle Spatial without the need for a middleware
product or SDE. You also gain better performance through the Oracle Call Interface (OCI). In addition,
Oracle applications can use this same spatial or non-spatial data through other interfaces (ODBC,
OCI, JDBC, PL/SQL, HTTP, IIOP) or use other spatial or non-spatial commands (MapInfo Pro,
ArcView, Intergraph, Excel, Forte, Formida).
For more about accessing remote data using ODBC connectivity, see Setting your Database
Connection Preferences in the Help System.
The Places box. Select the Workspaces Directory option in the Places box, to display the Workspace
(.wor) type in the Files of Type list. If you select any other entry in the Places box, MapInfo (.tab)
displays in the Files of type list.
The Open dialog box provides many ways to quickly find the maps that you have created in a variety
of locations in your system and network.
Note: The Places box on the left side of the Open dialog box allows you to select a directory in
which you may have your map and other MapInfo Pro tables and workspaces.
When you select the Workspaces Directory option in the Places box, the Files of type drop-down
list changes to Workspace (.wor) type. If you select any other entry in the Places box, MapInfo (.tab)
displays in the Files of type list.
Computer maps are organized into layers. Think of the layers as transparencies that are stacked
on top of one another. Each layer contains different aspects of the whole map.
What is a Layer?
In MapInfo Pro you begin by opening your table of data and displaying it in a Map window. Each
table displays as a separate layer. Each layer contains the table plus any map objects, such as
regions, points, lines, and text. Additionally, the layer contains style overrides and zoom layering
characteristics that you can add to give the layer more or less prominence in the Map window.
Map layers form the building blocks of maps in MapInfo Pro. Once you have created your layers,
you can customize them in a variety of ways, add and delete layers, or reorder them.
For example, one layer may contain state boundaries, a second layer may have symbols that
represent capitals, and a third layer might consist of text labels. By stacking these layers one on
top of the other, you begin to build a complete map. You can display one, two, or many tables at a
time.
Maps in MapInfo Pro are made up of layers of map objects. There are five basic types of objects:
• Regions: closed objects that cover a given area. These include polygons, ellipses, and rectangles.
For example, country boundaries, postal code boundaries, sales territories.
• Point objects: represent single locations of data. For example, customer locations, restaurants,
parking meters. Points can also be combined into multipoint objects.
• Line objects: open objects that cover a given distance. These include lines, polylines, and arcs.
Examples are streets, rivers, power lines.
• Text objects: text that describes a map or another object, such as labels and titles.
• Collection objects: combination of region, line, and multipoint objects.
You can have each type of object in a separate layer (most common), or you can combine objects
in the same layer. MapInfo Pro lets you create, edit, customize, and display these objects to make
maps that meet your needs.
For information about drawing and editing map objects, see Drawing and Editing Objects in the Help
System.
Note: Since the moves are made in screen pixels, the zoom level affects how far the object is
moved.
You can move several objects at a time. Once you have chosen multiple objects, using any MapInfo
Pro selection technique, place the cursor on any one of them and proceed as if you were selecting
a single object. When you move the objects, all of them move at once, maintaining their positions
relative to one another.
To move objects using a precise direction and distance:
1. Click your map to make it active.
2. In the Layers window click the Editable icon to make the layer editable.
3. Select the object(s). It does not have to be contained in the editable layer.
4. On the SPATIAL tab, in the Edit group, click Offset Objects to open the Offset Objects dialog
box.
5. Specify the angle and/or distance to move the objects.
6. To create a copy of the object during the move, choose Create Copy. The copy will be placed in
the editable layer in the new location. Click Next. The Data Aggregation dialog box displays.
Skip to step 8.
7. To move the objects without making a copy, choose Move Objects. Click OK.
8. Choose the appropriate aggregation method (blank or value) that will be applied to the moved
object. Click Back to return to the Offset Objects dialog box. Click OK to complete the
move/aggregation operation.
The key to controlling your map layers is the Layers window. The window shows all the layers that
make up a Map window and the status of the layer attributes. These attributes are: Visible On/Off,
Style Override, Editable, Selectable, and Automatic Labels. ToolTips display over the attribute when
you move your cursor over them to help familiarize yourself with each one. It is easy to change a
layer's, or multiple layers', attributes.
You also have options available to change the display and label settings; modify any thematic maps
you have displayed; and reorder, add, or remove layers. See Working with Layers in the Layers
Window for details about working with the map layers.
2. Do one of the following to access the Rounded Rectangle Object dialog box:
• Select a rounded rectangle and press F7.
Using Workspaces
Introduction
A workspace is a list of all the tables, windows, and settings you are using, stored in a file with the
extension .WOR or .MWS. Workspaces are a convenient way to return to a previously created map
without having to open each table file individually. The workspace keeps track of the following
elements:
• Map, Browser, 3DMap, Layout, and Layout windows, including their size and position
• Query tables created from base tables using either the Select or SQL Select statements (queries
on queries will not be saved)
• Thematic maps
• Legend Designer windows
• Cosmetic objects
• Labels
• Styles for fonts, symbols, lines, and fill patterns used to display objects
A .WOR file is a MapInfo Pro workspace file containing un-compiled MapBasic code that MapInfo
Pro interprets to open a session with tables, windows, and settings the way a user left it. It is MapInfo
Pro version-specific depending on features used in it.
A .MWS workspace file originates from the MapXtreme product line and is comprised of XML code
to do things similar to a MapInfo Workspace *.wor with some limitations.
To view the contents in the workspace file, open the .WOR or .MWS file in MapInfo Pro, a text editor
or word processor.
Note: When you save a workspace, you cannot save any references to selections or queries made
by the Selection commands or the Query options.
You can use the Workspace Packager tool to create a copy of your current workspace in a new
folder, and copy all the data referenced by the workspace in the same folder. Using this tool, the
workspace looks to these internal references to find the data and .TAB file, so you can open this
workspace no matter where you have moved or copied that folder, even if you move it to a different
computer. To access this tool look in the Tools Manager (on the HOME tab, click Tools, click Options,
and Run Program, and then choose Packager.MBX).
Opening a Workspace
Any previously opened tables and windows will be left untouched when you open a workspace.
However, to avoid cluttering up your screen with unnecessary windows, use the Close All command
on the HOME tab before adding the workspace.
There are two MapInfo workspace formats, WOR and MWS. A .wor file is written using MapBasic
and a .mws file is written using XML. The MWS format contains more information about the data
sources than the WOR format does. MapInfo Pro works with both workspace formats, but other
MapInfo products may work with only one of the two formats.
MapInfo Pro has some limitations opening a .mws file and may not read all of the information
contained within it. For details, see Limitations opening a MWS Format Workspace.
To open either a .wor or a .mws workspace:
1. On the HOME tab, in the File group, from the Open list, click Open Workspace.
2. In the Open dialog box, from the Files of type list, select Workspace (*.wor, *.mws).
3. From the Look in list, navigate to and select the workspace (.wor or .mws) file to open.
4. Click Open.
Note: When you exit MapInfo Pro, the MapInfo Pro workspace (MAPINFOPRO.WOR) stores the
last session (unless you have set your preferences so that the workspace will not be written).
If there are files you do not want added to your workspace, close them before exiting.
3. Click Open.
MapInfo Pro reads basic label information from MWS files created in MapInfo Pro or MapXtreme's
Workspace Manager.
The following is a list of label properties that can be read in:
• Label expression if it is a simple column identifier
• Font style
• Callout line style
• Label placement (center center; centre left, etc.)
• Label orientation (horizontal, rotated, curved)
• Label offset
• Label visibility including zoom range
• Label adjustments like discarding overlaps, labeling partially visible objects, etc.
• Custom labels - all properties
The MWS schema supports more options for labels than MapInfo Pro supports. Therefore, MWS
files created with Workspace Manager may lose some label information when imported into MapInfo
Pro.
LabelLayer Visibility Label sources inherit the parent label layer visibility.
LabelSource Visibility If there are multiple LabelSources for one feature layer
without zoom enabled, then the top visible label layer is
added.
If there are no visible label layers, then the top invisible label
layer is added.
If there are multiple LabelSources with zoom ranges, then
one label layer is chosen as a base label layer and all others
are added as label overrides.
The logic for finding a base label is:
• When there are visible layers without zoom range, set the
top visible layer without zoom range as a base layer
• Or else when there are visible layers with zoom range,
set the last visible layer with zoom range as a base layer.
• Or else when there are no visible layers, set the top
non-visible layer without a zoom range as the base layer
• Or else set the last non-visible layer with zoom range as
the base layer.
Modifier Edited Labels Visible custom labels are imported into MapInfo Pro. Only
the custom labels that are visible are imported.
(LabelSelectionTheme Visibility)
Label override information is written as additional LabelSource XML elements within one LabelLayer
XML element. The base label layer information is added as the last LabelSource element. (Prior to
11.0.3, MapInfo Pro added label layers allowing overlaps within a separate LabelLayer element.)
The following rules apply when writing label information to a MWS:
• All overrides inherit the Auto property from the base label layer.
• If the base layer is invisible, then all label overrides are set as invisible in the MWS workspace,
so that MapInfo Pro and MapXtreme can read the workspace properly.
MapInfo Pro opens and saves to both .wor and .mws formats. When opening a .mws format
workspaces, if there is more than one base layer from the same data source, then all charts are put
on the top layers. This is because they relate to the data sources in the MWS file and not to layers.
Cosmetic Cosmetic
Graduated Symbols Graduated Symbols
Major Cities Population Pie Charts
Population Pie Charts Major Cities
Major Cities Major Cities
When MapInfo Pro saves a MWS workspace, it saves the layers in a group layer, but does not save
the group layer.
MapInfo Pro includes Layer Translucency, Style Override Translucency, and Label Translucency
settings.
The MWS schema supports more options for translucency settings than MapInfo Pro supports; the
MWS Schema translucency factor is set at the geometry level, and the MapInfo Pro translucency
settings are for the entire layer. If you divide a Region object into Area and Line (Border) geometries,
a MWS Schema applies independent translucency for each geometry, and MapInfo Pro treats the
whole region as one layer with only one translucency setting for the region. As a result, the
translucency setting for a MWS file in MapInfo Pro is adjusted to fit the MWS schema.
Saving (writing) a MWS File from MapInfo Pro with a translucency setting:
• While writing translucency setting for a layer to a MWS file, MapInfo Pro writes the translucency
setting to all the underlying geometry objects of the layer in the MWS file. If there is a region object
in a layer then the setting gets written to both its Area and Line (Border).
Opening (reading) a MWS File from MapInfo Pro with a translucency setting:
• The MWS schema translucency setting is at the geometry level, so the first geometry that has a
translucency setting is used as the translucency setting for that entire layer in MapInfo Pro.
Saving a file with a translucency setting from MapInfo Pro writes the same setting to all geometry
layers.
Saving a MWS file from other Pitney Bowes Inc. products that support the MWS workspace format,
such as a MapXtreme.NET's Workspace Manager, and that support separate geometry level settings
may not display as expected. Opening a MWS file in MapInfo Pro that has different translucency
settings for each geometry object in the layer causes MapInfo Pro to use the first translucency
setting for that layer to the entire layer. MapInfo Pro ignores all other geometry translucency settings
for that layer.
Consequently, how translucency displays depends on the product. MapXtreme.NET supports
translucency settings for each geometry in the layer for example. Opening this file in MapInfo Pro
causes MapInfo Pro to apply only one translucency to the entire layer and ignore all other translucency
settings.
When you change the name of a table listed in a workspace, you invalidate the workspace. Table
names are stored in the workspace file, so if change it, the workspace cannot find it.
For example, if you create a workspace called CUSTOMER.WOR that contains the STATES table.
If you later rename the STATES table to AMERICA, MapInfo Pro will not be able to open the
CUSTOMER.WOR workspace. It will try to open the STATES table and not be able to locate it.
There are three ways to avoid this problem:
• Make any table name changes before you start to build workspaces.
• Open the workspace file in any text editor and manually change the table names.
• Open a workspace. Rename the table(s) using the Rename Table dialog box and immediately
save the workspace.
MapInfo Pro enables you to save your printer information to a workspace, and restore printer
information from a workspace. These settings are located in the Startup preferences (on the PRO
tab, click Options, and Startup). To save printer information to a workspace, check the Save Printer
Information into Workspaces option. Subsequently, when you save your workspace, the printer
name, paper orientation, paper size, and the number of copies are saved. When this preference is
on, the printer settings are saved in a workspace file.
Note: We recommend that you leave this preference on.
To restore printer information from a workspace, select the Restore Printer Information from
Workspaces option. When you open the workspace, the printer name, paper orientation, paper size,
and the number of copies are restored. This is useful if you are sharing workspaces with other
MapInfo Pro 6.0 or later users who are also using the same printers. You may want to leave it off if
you want to send the workspace to someone who is using a different printer. If this preference is
turned off, MapInfo Pro uses the default printer selected in the Printer preferences.
Note: You can get additional printer advice in the MapInfo Pro Printing Guide, which is located in
the Documentation subfolder of your installation directory.
Introduction
MapInfo Pro allows you to display your data in many different windows and with different views at
the same time. For instance, you can display the WORLD table of country boundaries in a Map
window to view the geographic boundaries. At the same time you can display the tabular data of
the WORLD table in a Browser window to see the country names, population, and other data in the
file. If you make a change in either window, it is reflected in the other.
Only one view can be active at a time. To make a different window active, click its title bar.
There are many different types of windows you can display your data in, depending upon what you
need your data to communicate. This section covers the many ways you can display your data using
MapInfo Pro. Each of these display methods: map, list, and presentation give your information a
different impact. How you display the information you have should depend upon what effect you
want.
Consider these options carefully before you select a display type.
• Explorer windows present all open maps, tables, windows, tools and connections in one convenient
place.
• Map windows present information arranged as conventional maps, allowing you to visualize the
geographic patterns of your data (for details, see Displaying Data in a Map Window). In addition,
Legend Designer windows present information arranged as map legends, so that you can
understand the symbols and themes used in the map (for details, see Creating a Legend for your
Map) in the Help System.
• Browser windows present information as tabular lists (just as conventional databases do), allowing
you to fully examine tabular data (for details, see Displaying Data in a Browser Window).
• Layout windows present information in a polished and attractive way and can be embedded in
other applications such as Microsoft Word or PowerPoint For details about the Layout window,
see About Map Layouts in the MapInfo Pro: Preparing Maps for Publishing Guide.
Note: To switch between windows to change which is active, press the Ctrl+Tab keys.
Explorer Window
The Explorer window displays all open maps, tables, windows, commands and connections in one
convenient place.
To open the Explorer window, on the HOME tab, in the Windows group, click Tool Windows, and
click Explorer from the list. Like other MapInfo Pro windows, you can position it as a floating, docked,
or tabbed window, and show, hide or auto-hide it.
To search for any open resource, type a search term in the Search box and click the Search button.
All resources that match the search term are returned. To clear the search box, click the Clear
Search button.
Use the Explorer window to manage layer visibility, selectability, editability, labeling, styling. See
Working with Layers in the Explorer Window.
Each section of the Explorer window includes a context menu to reach commands specific to the
contents. For example, in the Layers section, when you right-click on a map name, you can rename
it, access the Map Options dialog box or change the label priorities. Right-click on a table name in
the Tables section to change the table structure, update a column or add the table to the Catalog
Browser.
To show or hide any of the sections, and to reset the height of each section, on the PRO tab, select
Options, and click Explorer.
You use Map windows to display the geographic objects from your table on a map. Map windows
can display information from many tables at once, with each table a separate layer.
The Change View dialog box allows you to set various parameters of the map including:
• Display the current zoom, scale or cursor position in the status bar (the default unit of distance is
miles which is specified on the MAP tab, in the Options group, by clicking Map Options).
• Change the zoom, scale, and the center point of the current map view.
• Behavior of the map when you resize the window.
• Resize the map to fit the new window, keeping the view the same.
• Set the map to preserve the current scale, so that resizing the window has the effect of letting you
see more or less of the map.
3. Select the Use Auto Spacing check box to have MapInfo Pro calculate the optimum spacing at
any zoom level and then set the Horizontal and Vertical spacing of the grid lines.
You would set the spacing to optimize viewing an area at a specific zoom level. If you did not
select the Use Auto Spacing check box, then changing the zoom level may result in poor visibility
of the map, such as when zooming out to view the entire country after setting the grid line spacing
for viewing a city.
4. Click OK.
The grid is a specialized layer on the map, so you can hide or show it in the same way as any other
layer on the map. In the Explorer window, toggle the Visible check box located before the Gridline
layer name to turn visibility to off and hide the grid.
You can add as many Gridline layers to the map as you need and hide or show them as necessary.
Use Stacked Styles Toggles stacked styles on and off. See Stacking Display Styles to
Create a Custom Look
Highlight Sets a color to use behind labels to make them more legible on the
map.
Label Background Color Selects the background color to use with Halo and Hightlight effects.
Enable Preview Enables a preview of the label while you are making style choices.
Label Offset Sets a measurement value to place labels from their grid line. This
uses the measurement type beside the Map Edge Offset command.
Map Edge Offset Sets a measurement value to place labels from the edge of the map.
The measurement can be in inches (in), centimeters (cm), millimeters
(mm), picas, or points.
Label Placement Vertical Lines select to place labels to the left of, centered on, or to
the right of grid lines.
Horizontal Lines select to place labels above, centered on, or below
grid lines.
Label Positions select an anchor point for placing labels, such as using
all sides of labels, the top and left of labels, or the bottom and right of
labels.
Label Direction Label Direction select the direction in which to place labels: either
horizontal or following grid lines.
Label Format select to display labels using compass direction
(N,E,S,W) or degrees (-90 to +90).
You use Browser windows to view and manipulate your data records in traditional row and column
form, typically used in spreadsheets and databases. Each column contains information about that
particular field, such as name, address, phone number, cable ID number, or order amount. Each
row contains all information relating to a single record.
HotLink Enabled when the Browser references a table containing hotlink data (URL).
HotLink Options Opens the Hotlink Options dialog box where you can add, remove and manage
the Hotlink properties.
Pick Fields Choose which fields display in the active Browser window. You can also use
Pick Fields to temporarily rename a column, creates a new column that will
display in the Browser window, or edit the expression that defines an existing
column.
Font Opens the Text Style Dialog Box where you select how to display the text in
the Browser window.
Filter
Filter: Opens the Filter dialog box where you can set filter conditions for
the column. A filter may consist of up to two conditions where each condition
is built from a simple set of operations (such as equals, greater than, and so
on) and some set of values. After applying a filter to a column, an icon displays
in the column header to let you know that the column has a filter. You can
apply as many column filters as the number of columns in the table up to a
limit of 100. Each new column filter is appended to the previous filters to
produce fewer records in the current view.
Clear Filter: Clears the filter conditions from the column and refreshes the
Browser window. This only clears the filter on the right-clicked column; filters
and sort on other columns are preserved. The Clear Filter command is enabled
after you apply a filter condition to a column.
The Filter and Clear Filter commands are also available by right-clicking on a
column in the Browser window.
Sort
Sort Multi-Column: Opens the Sort dialog box where you would make
selections to perform a multi-column sort in the Browser window.
Clear Sort: Removes the sort that was applied to the data in the Browser
window. This removes the sort from memory, so you cannot reapply the sort
after making this selection.
Clear All Removes all sort and filters that were applied to the data in the Browser
window. This removes the sort and filters from memory, so you cannot reapply
them again after making this selection.
Sort On/Off Turns off a sort, so that you can view data as it appears in the table. After
turning a sort off, you can turn it back on to view the sort result.
Re-Sort Reapplies the last sort/filter to the data in a Browser window. This is useful
after making changes to the data or after turning the sort/filter on.
Add to Map Opens the Create Query dialog box which allows you to add a query with the
current sort and filter conditions as a layer on the map.
3. Click OK.
• To turn grid lines off, on the TABLE tab, in the Browser Tools group, click Gridlines.
• To change the background color used in all Browser windows, click the PRO tab, and click Browser
Window. The Browser Window Preferences dialog box lets you choose a background color used
in all Browser windows, not just in the active (front-most) Browser window. It also lets you select
to display or hide grid lines by default.
• Sort and Filter conditions are not saved directly in the .TAB file. To preserve your sort and filter
conditions, save a workspace (.WOR) file.
• When you add new rows to a table, sort and filter conditions are automatically toggled off, so that
all rows (including new rows) become visible. Newly-added rows display at the bottom of the
Browser window. Once you are finished adding new rows, you can turn the sort and filter on again
on the TABLE tab, in the Sort and Filter group, click Sort On/Off.
• Sort and filter conditions may be toggled off, or cleared altogether, after you use the Pick Fields
dialog box. If you use the Pick Fields dialog box to remove a column or re-define that column's
expression, any sort or filter condition on that column will be cleared. Also, if other columns in the
Browser window have filter conditions, then those other column filters will be toggled off. If you
remove any of the columns used in a multiple-column sort, the entire sort is cleared.
1. On the Browser window, click the Select All button located to the immediate left of the column
heading name.
2. Once you have selected all rows in the filtered Browser window, you can perform other operations
on the selection table.
Note: Deleting or editing rows could also affect hidden rows if they are in your selection. For more
information, see CAUTION: Editing and Deleting when there are Hidden Rows.
Multi-line text has limitations which might make it inappropriate in some situations. Multi-line text:
• Displays on a single line in the Browser window of pre-11.0 versions of MapInfo Pro.
• Displays on a single line in the Info window.
• May affect copy/paste operations. Copying multi-line text in the Browser window and then pasting
it in to another application may result in extra rows of data depending on how an application
interprets the data.
3. Click the Add button. The selected fields are added to the end of the Columns in Browser list
box.
4. Click OK.
2. When you are finished adding rows, on the TABLE tab, in the Contents group, click Save Table.
Resizing columns only affects how they display in the Browser window, and does not change their
width in the underlying table. Workspaces do not save resizing information.
1. On the HOME tab, in the Output group, click Print to open the Print dialog box.
2. Select the MapInfo PDF Printer.
3. Click Properties.
4. In the Properties dialog box, click the Advanced Options tab.
5. Make sure the Enable Postscript Simulation check box is checked.
6. Click OK to close the dialogs and save your setting.
1. On the HOME tab, in the Output group, click Print to open the Print dialog box.
2. Select Adobe PDF Printer.
3. Click Properties.
4. In the Properties dialog box, select the General tab and click Printing Preferences.
5. Select the Images category.
6. For all types of Images (Color, Grayscale, Monochrome), set Downsample to Off.
7. Click OK to close the dialogs and save your setting.
This example shows a sort result on the columns Country, then City, then Landmark:
If you sort a Browser window and then edit that table, the Browser window may turn the sort off.
Specifically, any edit operation that adds new rows to the table causes the Browser window to
unsort, so that newly-added rows are visible at the bottom of the window. Note that this unsorting
can occur even if you add new rows in a different window (for example, if you add new rows by
drawing new lines in a Map window). After adding a new row to the table, you can re-apply the sort
to the Browser window on the TABLE tab, in the Sort and Filter group, click Sort On/Off.
5. Click Apply to apply this filter to the data in the Browser window.
Clicking Reset in the Filter dialog box clears your selected parameters, but does not clear the applied
filter.
Clicking Clear Filter in the Filter dialog box, clears the applied filter, so that you can start over again.
Clicking Close (or pressing the Esc key) closes the Filter dialog box without applying your selections.
The following table lists the data types that may be used with each operator type:
Number (Integer, SmallInt, LargeInt, Float, Decimal) • Equals, Does not Equal
• Greater than, Greater than or Equal to
• Less than, Less than or Equal to
The following are filter examples. To begin, you would display the Filter dialog box by right-clicking
on a column and selecting Filter from the pop-up menu.
Simple text sort: I want to display only records that are for the city named Sidney. (Character sorts
are not case sensitive and do not require quotation marks.)
1. Select the Equals operator from the first drop-down list.
2. Enter Sidney into the first textbox.
3. Click Apply.
Text sort with wildcard matching: I want to display only those records containing the phrase "ing".
(A wildcard operator, such as the asterisk * symbol, is not needed for wildcard matching.)
1. Select the Contains operator from the first drop-down list.
2. Enter ing into the first textbox.
3. Click Apply.
Sort on date: I want to display only records where the last updated date is before Jan 1, 2011.
(Ensure the date format matches that used in the Browser window, such as mm/dd/yyyy, mm/dd/yy,
or dd-MMM-yyyy for example.)
1. Select the Is Before operator from the first drop-down list.
3. Select the Open a new Browser for this query check box if you want the results of this query to
open in a new Browser window.
4. Select the Add this query as a layer to check box to add the results of this query as a layer to:
• An existing map - Select this option and a Map window from the drop-down list, which contains
the names of the existing Map windows.
• A new map named - Select this option and then type a name for the new Map window in the
textbox. If a table is not mappable, then the Add This Query As A Layer check box is grayed
out and unavailable.
3. In the Pick Fields dialog box, to create a new Browser view, click Add to add the fields from the
left column to the list on the right and use the Up and Down buttons to arrange the columns in
the order you want them to display. Any columns you do not move to the Columns in Browser
list do not display in the new view.
To remove a column from the Columns in Browser list, click the column entry. Click Remove.
To return the lists to their original entries, click Reset.
4. To create an expression to save to the Browser view, scroll to the bottom of the left hand column
and click the Expression entry. Use the Expression dialog box to enter the expression and click
OK to complete it.
5. When you have your expressions and columns set the way you want them to display, select the
Save as Default Browser View check box. Click OK to save these settings.
Note: If you change the data structure of the table the Browser is based on, MapInfo Pro removes
this column and expression setting information from your table.
3. In the Text Style dialog, set font, color, and style preferences.
You cannot mix fonts in a Browser window-you can use only one font.
Note: If you change the data structure of the table the Browser window is based on, MapInfo Pro
removes this column and expression setting information from your table.
3. If the Hotlink Filename Expression is a table field name, then the corresponding text in the browser
field will be underlined. If the Hotlink Filename Expression is complex, then you need to create
your hotlink browser field by following these steps:
1. On the TABLE tab, in the Browser Tools group, click Pick Fields to open the Pick Fields dialog
box.
2. Click the Expression item in the Fields in Table list to open the Expression dialog box.
3. Type the Hotlink filename expression into the edit control box. Click OK.
4. Click OK in the Pick Fields dialog box. The text in the new field should be underlined and the
Hotlink command enabled.
6. In the Hotlink Options dialog box, check the Save options to table metadata check box and click
OK.
7. Right-click on the Browser window and in the pop-up menu that displays, select Pick Fields.
8. In the Pick Fields dialog box, from the Fields in Table list, select Expression.
9. In the Expression dialog box, paste your expression field by pressing Ctrl+V. Click OK to close
the dialog box.
10. In the Pick Fields dialog box:
1. In the Name field, type a descriptive name, such as URLlinks.
2. Check the Save as Default Browser view check box and click OK.
In the Browser window, there is a new column at the end of your table (you may need to scroll to
see it) containing a list of hotlinks.
The Layout window lets you stylize your map for presentation and publishing. You can design a
map layout for print or to export to an image file for distribution.
There are two ways to open a Layout window:
• On the LAYOUT tab, click New Layout.
• On the HOME tab, in the Windows group, click New Document, and click Layout from the list. This
adds the LAYOUT tab to the ribbon if it is not already present.
You can add Map and Browser windows to your layout, add images and shapes, and create a
legend for the map layout. How you stylize the map and browser in your layout does not affect the
styles in your open Map and Browser windows.
You can save your map layout to a workspace to work on it in later sessions. Besides printing a
layout you can also export it to an image to include within a presentation or for distribution.
For details about the Layout window, see About Map Layouts in the MapInfo Pro: Preparing Maps
for Publishing Guide.
There are two other ways of displaying data that are used less often or can be used in conjunction
with display options we have already reviewed.
• Legend Designer windows display legends, or keys, to the cartographic data on your map. (Map
legends are the key boxes at the bottom of a map that explain what the map symbols mean.) The
Legend Designer window displays information for any map layer including thematic map layers.
The legend frames can all be in one Legend Designer window, or can be split among several
Legend Designer windows for the same map. Therefore, each map can have one or more Legend
Designer windows containing the frames of your choice. Additionally, you can customize the text
and style of the information presented. Modifications to the legend can be made through shortcut
menus you access by right-clicking in the Legend Designer window or on the LEGEND tab.
You can learn more about legends in Working with a Thematic Map Legend. in the MapInfo Pro:
Creating Thematic and Themed Maps Guide.
• Redistricter allow you to create groupings of spatial information. This is a little more complex than
these other options. For more information about redistricting windows, see Redistricting in the
MapInfo Pro Help System.
Introduction
The Tables window lets you perform operations on open tables in MapInfo Pro using fewer clicks.
You can organize tables into groups and sort them alphabetically and recently opened first. The
Tables window is accessible on the HOME tab, in the Windows group, click Tool Windows, and
click Tables from the list.
The Tables list lets you manage open tables and their attributes. This list is available from the
Explorer and Table windows. These windows are resizable, floatable, dockable, and can be hidden.
To access the Tables list:
Select either of these methods.
• Look in the Explorer window, which is open by default in MapInfo Pro. If this window is not
open, then on the HOME tab, in the Windows group, click Tool Windows.
• On the HOME tab, in the Windows group, click Tool Windows, and click Tables from the list.
In Table windows, on the List drop-down, choose how to display the entries from the following:
• Group by Type: Tables are grouped in a tree view according to type.
• Ascending or Descending: Sort tables in ascending or descending order.
• Recently Opened: Sort tables based on the order they were opened. The most recently opened
table displays first. This is the default view.
Tables in the Tables window can be ordered in several ways. If the tables are organized by group,
double-click on the group name to expand or collapse to view or hide the table names.
Hovering over an entry in the Tables window displays the path of the open table as a tool tip.
Like other windows, the Tables window is resizable, floatable, dockable, and can be hidden. On
the List drop-down, choose how to display the entries from the following commands:
Recently Opened First Click to sort tables based on the order they were opened. The most recently
opened table displays first. In tree view mode, the table type nodes always
display in ascending order.
Universal Data table - It refreshes the Universal Data table, such as AutoCAD®, Microstation
Design®, and ESRI ArcSDE datasets.
DBMS table -It refreshes a MapInfo Pro linked table with the most recent data residing on the
remote database for that linked table. It is enabled when there are no pending edits against the
table.
• Table Structure - Select this option to specify the field name, field type, number of characters
(width), and whether the field is to be indexed for each field in your new database. You also indicate
whether or not the table is mappable by associating graphic objects with records and, if so, whether
the map is to be an earth or a non-earth map. Collectively, this information is the structure of your
database.
For more information, see Modify Table Structure Dialog Box in the Help System.
• Create Points - Select this option to create point objects for a database that has X and Y coordinates
or longitude/latitude coordinate information. These points can be displayed on a map. If you do
not have coordinates in your table, then use Geocode to match some other geographic information
(such as street address) against a table that already has graphic objects.
For more information, see Create Points Dialog Box in the Help System.
• Update Column - Select this option to change a column's value by updating a table based on its
own data values or by updating a table based on data from another table. This dialog box
remembers the column that was updated the last time update was run and the expression that
was used for updating a column the last time an update was run.
For more information, see Update Column Dialog Box in the Help System.
• View/Edit Metadata - Select this option to view the metadata of a managed table.
• Add to Library - Select this option to create a metadata record for the layer in the MapInfo Manager
Library. You can perform this operation only after selecting the Catalogs and Library Mode
preference for library services and while at least one unmanaged native table is open.
For more information, see the Catalog Browser Help System.
To set preferences for library services: on the PRO tab, click Options, and Web Services. Click
the Library Services tab.
Note: To load the Catalog Browser tool into MapInfo Pro, on the HOME tab, in the Tools group,
click Tool Extensions, and click the Registered tab, and then select the Catalog Browser
check box.
• Close - Closing a table removes it from active use in your current session. When you close a table,
you automatically close all views of that table. When closing a table that displays in a Map window
with other tables, MapInfo Pro removes that table from the window and keeps the Map window
open.
For more information, see Closing a Table.
Recently Opened First Click to sort tables based on the order they were opened. The most recently
opened table displays first. In tree view mode, the table type nodes always
display in ascending order.
Searching Tables
You can search for a table name in the Tables window by typing characters in the Search text box.
The Tables view refreshes itself to show only those tables that contain the search characters.
Clear Search
Typing in the Search text box causes the Search button to change to a Clear Search button. To
clear the contents of the Search text box, click the Clear Search button.
MapInfo Pro seamlessly works with MapInfo Manager through Library Service. A Library Service
lets you access the metadata records published in MapInfo Manager.
Introduction
The Explorer window lets you control the layers on display for all maps open in MapInfo Pro.
Clicking on a map name in the Layers list, brings the map to the front of view in MapInfo Pro. This
is also done by selecting the map name and pressing Enter.
turning several layers off, because the map redraws only once instead of redrawing for each layer
selection.
Modify multiple layers at once instead of having to modify layer properties one layer at a time. Use
the Shift and Ctrl keys to select multiple layers in the Layer list, and then right-click to open the
Layer Properties dialog box. Changes apply to all selected layers making it easier to ensure
consistency in your layer settings. You can also set the style override for all selected layers by
clicking the style swatch for one of the layers, or set the labeling font for all the selected layers by
right-clicking on one of the layers and then choosing Label Font.
You can only modify a selection of similar layers; if you select different types of layers, such as a
raster layer and a pie theme, then the dialog box is not enabled.
Apply Display and Label Overrides for when zooming the Map
At different zoom levels information on the map may be difficult to view. Changing (overriding) the
display style for specific zoom levels can help. As an example, to make the map easier to read, you
may want roadways to display using a thick line when zoomed in to the map, but a very thin line
when zoomed out of the map.
Right-clicking on a layer in the Layers list and clicking the Add Display Override option creates a
display override for that layer. Right-clicking and clicking the Add Label Override option creates an
override for labels for a layer. The first display override defaults to the zoom range of the layer.
Adding subsequent display overrides splits the zoom range of the first display override. You can
then customize the display style for the layer at each specific zoom level.
Reorder Layers
The Layers list has multi-select capabilities. To change the order of one or more contiguous layers,
hold down the Shift key, select the layers, and drag them up or down. To change the order of one
or more layers that are out of sequence, hold down the Ctrl key, select the layers, and drag them
up or down.
When you begin to drag the layers, the cursor will change shape to represent the number of layers
being dragged. If you are dragging one layer, the cursor becomes an arrow icon with a single layer
icon attached to the top. If you are dragging multiple layers, the arrow icon will display multiple layer
icons at the top. If you select layers that cannot be dragged or if you are attempting to insert layers
where they cannot be inserted, the cursor becomes a circle with a line through it.
Note: A selection of layers that is out of sequence will become contiguous upon insertion.
Use the Move Layers Up or Move Layers Down buttons to move one or more layers. You cannot
reorder or remove the Cosmetic layer. It will always be the top layer.
Group Layers
Group layers to organize them, so that you can show or hide the entire group with a single click.
Note: Group Layers are not preserved when you do a Save Workspace As to a .MWS file.
Rename Maps
You can give a descriptive title for your map by right-clicking on the Map name (at the top of the
layer list) and choosing Rename Map.
You can add one layer to the current Map window at a time or use the multi-select functionality to
add layers simultaneously.
Note: You can only add layers from tables that are open. If you want to add a layer and you do
not see it in the list, make sure the table that contains that layer is open.
• To add a contiguous block of tables, select the first table, hold down the Shift key, select the
last table.
• To add multiple tables that are out of sequence, hold down the Ctrl key, select the tables.
To deselect tables, hold down the Ctrl key, click on the tables,
Map layers display in the order that they are listed in the Layers window, with the bottom layer
drawn first and the top layer (which is always the Cosmetic Layer) drawn last. It is important to order
your layers correctly.
For example, you have a layer of customer points and a layer of census tracts. If the layers are
incorrectly ordered in the Map window, MapInfo Pro might draw the customer points first and then
display the census tract layer second. Your points would be obscured by the census tract layer. You
can reorder how layers are displayed in a Map window two ways.
To reorder the layers in a map:
1. On the HOME tab, in the Windows group, click Tool Windows, and click Explorer from the list,
to open the Explorer window.
2. Do one of the following:
• Select the layer or layers you want to reorder and use the Move Layers Up and Move Layers
Down buttons to position the layer(s) where you want them.
• Click the layer or layers and drag it (or them) to the new position. When you use the click and
drag method, the cursor changes and as you move the cursor, a marker displays indicating the
layer's new position.
If you cannot move a layer to a particular position (for example, attempting to move a layer
above the Cosmetic layer), the cursor changes to a circle with a slash through it to let you know
that you cannot move the layer to the proposed position.
Note: Since the Cosmetic layer is always the top layer, reordering has no effect on it. You
cannot move a layer above the Cosmetic layer.
Layer order is also important when you use the Select button. The Select command selects objects
from the topmost Selectable layer. If you have several objects at the same location, it is difficult to
select the exact one you want. You can reorder your layers in Layers window so that the layer you
want to select from is the new topmost layer.
MapInfo Pro does not allow you to control the front-to-back ordering of objects within a single map
layer. If you are editing a table, and you draw a line on top of a circle, the line might appear in front
of or behind the circle; you cannot control whether it is in the front or the back. You can, however,
control the front-to-back ordering of objects in a Layout window.
Note: If you need to control the ordering of objects (for example, you need to make sure that your
lines display on top of your regions), put the different object types in separate layers. Put
your line objects in one table, and put your region objects in another table. Then use the
Layers window to order the layers.
You can also use the Move Layers Up or Move Layers Down buttons to move one or more
layers. You cannot reorder or remove the Cosmetic layer. It will always be the top layer.
See also:
• Reordering Map Layers
• Removing a Layer from the Map
Grouping Layers
You can group layers in the Explorer window to make it easier to make them visible or invisible
(showing or hiding them).
To hide a group of layers, so that they are not drawn on the map, check the Visible On/Off check
box in the Maps list.
Note: Group Layers are not preserved when you do a Save Workspace As to a .MWS file.
Removing a Group
To remove a Group Layer from the Maps list either:
• Ungroup layers by right-clicking on the group name and selecting Ungroup from the popup menu.
This deletes the group, but does not delete the layers that are inside the group.
• Delete layers by selecting the group and then clicking the Remove button. This deletes the group
and deletes all of the layers inside the group.
The group is removed from the Maps list. The layers contained within the group now display in the
Maps list, they are not removed.
The Catalog Browser tool lets you add a translucent overlay to a map window that shows the location
of a particular metadata record. See the Catalog Browser Help System for help on using this feature.
The overlay information saves to a temporary group layer in the Explorer window called Catalog
Browser.
You can make Catalog Browser group layers selectable and visible in the Explorer window. If you
double-click on the overlay in the map window, then the Rectangle Object dialog displays with
location information for the overlay, such as bounds, centroid, and size. You cannot label the overlay.
To remove an overlay from the map window, either close the map window or close MapInfo Pro.
You can also remove the layer from within the Catalog Browser by clicking the View Bounds on
Map button for the metadata record.
Note: To load the Catalog Browser tool into MapInfo Pro, on the HOME tab, in the Tools group,
click the Registered tab, and then select the Catalog Browser check box.
Renaming a Map
Renaming a Layer
You can rename a layer in the same way that you would rename a map:
1. On the HOME tab, in the Windows group, click Tool Windows, and click Explorer from the list,
to open the a window with a list of the map layers.
2. Right-click on the layer name and select Rename from the pop-up menu.
To restore the default layer name for a renamed layer, select this option again to display the
icon on the far right of the selection. Click to delete the friendly name.
Note: You can only rename layers when the Show Friendly Names preference is enabled in the
Layer Control Options dialog. To set this, on the PRO tab, select Options, and click Layers
to open the Layer Control Options dialog box. Select the Show Friendly Names check box
to enable assigning a friendly name to layers.
Map legend titles default to the friendly names (friendly names also display in the Create Legend
– Choose layers dialog). For thematic legends this does not happen when the title is updated during
theme creation (or when Title AUTO is set in the MapBasic Set Legend statement).
You can also assign a default name to a layer using the Description field (part of Definition section)
in a TAB file. To do this, a preference must first be set in the Layer Control Options dialog. On the
PRO tab, select Options, and click Layers to open the Layer Control Options dialog box. Select
the Use Description Field for Friendly Name check box.
The Cosmetic layer cannot be removed. You cannot remove all of the map layers. There must
always be at least one main layer displaying in the Maps list. Selecting all the map layers disables
the Remove Layers button.
All changes made to map layers in the Explorer window take effect immediately. If make many
changes quickly and do not want the map to redraw with each change, then you can suspend the
redraw feature.
To suspend map redraw:
• Click the Redraw command on the MAP tab's Options group.
With the map drawing suspended, you can make as many changes as you like to the layer properties,
without having to wait for any map redraws. When you are finished changing layer properties, click
Redraw again, to resume normal map redrawing.
You can control how the layer list behaves and how it displays in the Explorer window by specifying
whether the list automatically collapses to save space or lists only the active maps, and if the layers
in the list show or hide the layer type icon for example.
To open the Layer Control Options dialog box to specify how the layer list behaves and displays:
1. On the PRO tab, select Options, and click Layers.
2. Change settings as necessary and click OK.
Setting Options
Maps to show in the Layer list:
• List all maps - This displays all layers for all maps in the Layers window.
• List only the active map - This displays only the layers for the active map in the Layers window.
Inactive map layers do not display.
• Collapse list to save space - The Layers window lists all the layers in all the maps in the workspace.
The list is automatically expanded or collapsed as you switch from map window to map window,
so that only the active map window is expanded.
• Confirm removal of layers - Check to enable a confirmation prompt that displays when deleting a
layer from the Layers list.
• Show ToolTips when cursor is over layer list - Check to display table names, .TAB file paths, and
zoom range information in ToolTips as you move the cursor over the layer list.
• Show icons for styles and layer types - Check to show the layer type icons in the layer list. These
are the icons that indicate the types of items in the layer, such as points, lines, regions, theme
range, or raster images.
The Layer Properties dialog box customizes the display for each layer in a Map window.
To change the display options of a layer:
1. On the HOME tab, in the Windows group, click Tool Windows, and click Explorer from the list,
to open the Explorer window.
2. Do one of the following:
3. On the Layer Display tab, check the Style Override or the Display within Zoom Range check
boxes.
The Zoom Layering options allow you to determine zoom levels at which the selected layer
displays, so that the map layer displays only when the map's zoom level falls within this preset
distance.
For more about zoom layering, see Setting the Zoom Layering.
The Show options at the bottom of the Layer Display tab, allow you to set the way points, lines
and regions display on the current layer.
Note: For information about using stacked styles, see Stacking Styles for a Layer.
4. Select the Show line direction check box to show the direction of line objects.
5. Select the Show Nodes check box if you plan to edit objects in a layer and need to see the object's
nodes.
6. Select the Show Centroids check box to show the centroid of an object.
7. Click Styles for New Objects to set specific styles (for lines, symbols, or regions) that will be
applied to every item in the layer. This button is enabled when a layer is editable. Clicking Styles
for New Objects opens the Insert Style dialog box where you can add, remove, and reorder
styles for the layer. In this dialog box, clicking on a style swatch opens the Style dialog box for
setting color, line pattern, or symbol shape.
8. Make your new selections and then click OK to return to the Layer Properties dialog box.
9. Click OK to return to the Layers window.
The map redraws with your changes.
For more information about changing the look of data on your layers, see Changing a Map's Style
in the Help System.
When you select a layer in the layer list, the STYLE tab displays on the MapInfo Pro ribbon. You
can change style settings using the commands on this tab. For an overview of these commands,
see the STYLE Tab.
Sometimes you want a map layer to display only at certain zoom levels. Zoom layering controls the
display of a map layer so that it displays only when the map's zoom level falls within a preset distance.
For example, you have a layer of streets and a layer of postal code boundaries. When you zoom
out past 10 or so miles, the streets look like a black smudge in the window. This is because the
zoom (window width) is too wide to show detailed street maps. Use zoom layering to tell MapInfo
Pro to display the street layer only when the zoom is set to a distance that allows you to see the
street detail properly, for instance, less than 5 miles.
The first map does not have zoom layering set for its street layer. At a zoom of 15 miles across,
notice how difficult it is to see any detail. The second map has zoom layering set to display the
streets when the zoom is less than five miles. Therefore, the streets layer does not display when
the window is set at 15 miles.
• Set the map to preserve the current scale, so that resizing the window has the effect of letting you
see more or less of the map.
Zooming In on a Map
To zoom in on a Map window:
1. On the MAP tab, in the Navigate group, click Zoom In.
2. Do one of the following:
• Click on the center of the area you want to zoom in on. The area magnifies by a factor of two.
This point will be at the center of the map in the zoomed-in view. You can repeat this procedure
until you have the desired level of enlargement.
• Draw a marquee around the area by dragging the mouse diagonally across it. MapInfo Pro
then enlarges the selected area to fill the Map window. The area enclosed by the dotted rectangle
is the area that is being zoomed in on.
When you are done, the area enclosed by the Zoom In marquee occupies the entire map. However,
the aspect ratio is not changed, so if you choose an area that has a very different shape from the
window, you will end up seeing a much wider or taller area of the map than you selected.
See Also:
• Re-Center and Specify a Zoom Level for the Layout Window in the MapInfo Pro: Preparing Maps
for Publishing Guide.
The Zoom Out marquee shows the area that will be occupied by the current map image when the
zoom out is complete. That is, the current map image is reduced to that size, and more of the map
displays.
See Also:
• Re-Center and Specify a Zoom Level for the Layout Window in the MapInfo Pro: Preparing Maps
for Publishing Guide.
A zoom range layer override is a set of display properties that replace the default properties of
objects or labels in a single map layer. Each layer override has a unique zoom range in which its
properties are applied to the layer.
At different zoom levels information on the map may be difficult to view. Changing (overriding) the
display style for specific zoom levels can help. As an example, to make the map easier to read, you
may want roadways to display using a thick line when zoomed in to the map, but a very thin line
when zoomed out of the map.
Right-clicking on a layer name in the Maps window list and clicking the Add Display Override option
creates a display override for that layer. The first display override defaults to the zoom range of the
layer. Adding subsequent display overrides splits the zoom range of the first display override. You
can then customize the display style for the layer at each specific zoom level.
When you first create an override none of its properties are set. It has the same properties as the
layer. Setting a property for the override, such as changing the font color for labels, does not affect
the layer. If you select the layer and open the Properties dialog box for it, it shows the original font
color is still set for the layer.
You cannot apply style overrides to raster type maps, such as bitmap (*.bmp) images, JPG images,
or tile server images.
Changing Override Style Properties already set for Different Zoom Levels
To add and change the properties for a display override:
1. In the Layers list, double-click the display override name to open the Zoom Ranged Label
Override dialog box. Or, right-click on the display override name and select Display Override
Properties.
2. Make any of the following settings for the display override for the layer:
• Style Override - To override the default style of a layer, select the Style Override check box.
• Style buttons - One or more buttons display, depending on what is in the layer. For example,
if a layer contains points and lines, there will be two buttons, allowing you to set Symbol Style
and Line Style. Click the button to display the appropriate style dialog box.
• Apply within zoom range - Check to activate zoom layering.
• Min Zoom - The minimum distance at which a layer is visible.
• Max Zoom - The maximum distance at which a layer is visible.
You can set the layer zoom range that determines which layers in your Map window are
displayed at any one time. Zoom Layering allows you to set the minimum and maximum
distances at which a layer is visible. This is particularly useful if you have an open table of
street-level data for an entire state. It is not effective to see this map with all local streets
displayed. Set the zoom layer to display the streets only when the map zoom level is within a
particular range.
For instance, if you want your streets to be visible only when you are zoomed in closer than
three miles, set the minimum zoom to 0 and the maximum zoom to 3.
• Translucency - Use the Translucency slide bar to adjust the translucency for the image.
Translucency can be set between 0-100%. An image with 0% translucency is completely opaque
(or cannot be seen through). An image with 100% translucency is completely transparent (or
completely invisible).
• Show Line Direction - To show the direction of line objects, select the Show Line Direction
check box. This is particularly helpful on a street layer when you need to determine which side
of the street is the FromLeft, ToLeft and FromRight, ToRight for proper addressing.
• Show Nodes - Select the Show Nodes check box if you plan to edit objects in a layer and need
to see the object's nodes.
• Show Centroids - To show the centroid of an object, select the Show Centroids check box.
1. On the HOME tab, in the Windows group, click Tool Windows, and click Explorer from the list,
to open the Explorer window.
2. To see a list of overrides for a layer, expand the layer in the Layers window by clicking the
expand/collapse icon to the left of the layer name.
3. Right-click the override for a layer and select Split from the list.
The override zoom range is split evenly. You can now customize the style for the layer at each
specific zoom level, see Changing Override Style Properties already set for Different Zoom
Levels.
• Zooming In on a Map
• Zooming Out on a Map
You can stack styles for a layer, so that they become a list of styles drawn on top of each other, to
create a more complex or interesting looking map feature. You can stack styles for points, polylines,
and polygon features. This is especially useful for polyline styles.
Figure A shows a sample line using one of MapInfo's interleaved line styles. Figure B shows the
same sample using a stacked line style.
Stacked styles create more meaningful display styles for your application without having to add your
data as multiple layers in a map. You can define as many styles in a stacked style as you want.
However, the more styles you define the more you will impact the map's rendering performance.
Typically, most cartographic maps would use two or three styles in a stacked style to draw features.
object in the layer. Stacked styles are not stored as part of a TAB file; instead, they are saved in a
workspace, because they are part of a layer's display settings. This means that you can apply
stacked styles even if the TAB files you are working with are read-only.
How Ranged Themes and Individual Value Themes apply to Stacked Styles
When applying a ranged theme or an individual value theme to a layer that has stacked display
styles, the stacked styles are modified by the theme.
If the theme modifies:
• color, then the color for each style in the stack are modified.
• size, such as symbol size or line width, then the largest style in the stack is modified and all other
styles are scaled according to it. This ensures that symbols, and lines, do not obscure one another.
Themes work across all styles in a stack, you cannot apply a theme to an individual style in a stack.
8. Repeat the previous step to modify styles settings for the other style swatches in the Style list.
9. Optionally, reorder styles in the style list by clicking the Move Up and Move Down buttons.
10. Click OK to close the stacked styles dialog box and apply your settings. Your settings display on
the map for the layer.
Once you have set up a stacked style, you can modify the style by clicking the layer swatch in the
Layers list.
Label Size
Label size does not change with zoom or scale changes. Labels display at the size you specify at
all zoom levels as well as on printed output. Labels are never hidden behind other geographic objects
because they are always the last objects drawn on the map.
The Layer Properties dialog box allows you to display line directions, nodes, and object centroids.
Select the Show Line Direction check box when you want to show the direction in which line objects
are drawn. Check the Show Nodes check box to display the nodes in a layer.
The Show Centroids box displays the centroids of each object in a layer. In MapInfo Pro, a region's
centroid does not represent its center of mass. Instead, the centroid represents the location used
for automatic labeling, geocoding, and placement of thematic pie and bar charts. If you edit a map
in Reshape mode, you can reposition region centroids by dragging them. You can work in reshape
mode on the SPATIAL tab, in the Edit group, by clicking Reshape.
For instructions on inserting table-based style in the Layers window, see Inserting Styles into
Tables.
objects drawn in this region. However, autolabels, and geocoded point objects drawn prior to changing
an object's centroid remain unchanged.
To move a region's centroids:
1. On the HOME tab, in the Windows group, click Tool Windows, and click Explorer from the list,
to open the Explorer window.
2. In the Maps list, double-click the layer name to open the Layer Properties dialog box.
3. On the Layer Display tab, check the Show Centroids check box.
4. Click OK.
5. On the MAP tab, in the Selection group, click Select from the drop-down list.
6. Select the object on the map whose centroid you want to move.
7. On the SPATIAL tab, in the Edit group, click Nodes, and Reshape.
If this option is not available, then check that the layer you selected is set as editable. In the
Layers list, click beside the layer name to turn on editing.
8. Click the centroid and drag it to another location within the object.
See Also:
Drawing Autolabels
The Layer Properties dialog box lets you to customize the automatic labeling for each layer.
To change the label options of a layer:
1. On the HOME tab, in the Windows group, click Tool Windows, and click Explorer from the list,
to open the Explorer window.
2. In the Maps list, double-click the layer name to open the Layer Properties dialog box.
3. Select the Label Display tab, and make any changes.
• You can select a new labeling column or labeling expression for this layer from the Label with
drop-down list. (You can only set a Label with expression on a single layer. After selecting
multiple layers in the Layers list, the Label with list disables and shows a message that says
Mixed.)
• You can set the label styles by clicking Aa and translucency using the Translucency slider.
5. Click OK.
Drawing Autolabels
You activate automatic labeling for a label from the Layers window.
To automatically label a layer in a map using information from that layer:
• Click the Automatic Labels icon beside the layer name that you want to turn labeling on for.
The map redraws, so that labels for this layer are visible.
Labels are from the table column set in Layer Properties dialog box from the Label with list on the
Label Display tab. To open this dialog box and see the label settings, double-click the layer name.
You can change visibility, content, font, text color, line style, and position of labels.
Note: You can only set a Label with expression on a single layer. After selecting multiple layers in
the Layer list, the Label with list disables and shows a message that says Mixed.
You can add text to a Map window to add labels or to annotate your map in some way. MapInfo Pro
treats the text you enter as an object.
Entering Text
To enter text into the current Map window:
1. From the Explorer window, click the Editable icon for the layer you want to add the text to.
2. On the SPATIAL tab, in the Create group, click Insert and Text.
3. Click the mouse button to place the cursor where you want the text to display. Do not worry about
the precise location, you can drag the text to another location later, if necessary.
4. Type the text you want to display.
5. Click elsewhere on the map to save this entry.
If you want to change the text or text properties, double-click the text object to display the Text
Object dialog box. Here you can change the content, the font size and style, the line spacing, the
justification, the rotation, and the label line.
The selected text or object is deleted. You can use the Undo command immediately after using Cut
to reverse the action.
The Clear command clears the selection, not the object or text.
1. In the Explorer window click the Editable icon for the layer where the text resides.
If you are changing text objects, make the Cosmetic Layer editable.
2. Select the text or text objects you want to change.
3. On the SPATIAL tab, choose Text Style from the list in the Create group. The Text Style dialog
box opens.
4. Choose a font, size, and color.
5. Choose OK. The text's font, size, and color change according to your selections.
6. To make your changes permanent, save your table.
3. Create and select the erasing object (or use objects from the same or another layer). The erasing
object must be closed.
4. On the SPATIAL tab, in the Edit group, click Erase Target.
5. At the Data Disaggregation dialog box, set the field functions to be either blank, value or area
proportion.
6. Click OK.
The target object is erased where the erasing object was.
The Undo feature is affected by the number of undo objects specified in the System Preferences
dialog box (on the PRO tab, click Options, and System Settings).
Note: You cannot undo the following: Revert, Save, Save As, or Modify Table, or any operations
whose effects are primarily cosmetic.
Every Map window in MapInfo Pro has a Cosmetic Layer. Think of the Cosmetic Layer as the blank
transparency that lies on top of the other map layers (transparencies). It can store map titles and
other graphic objects you create during a work session. The Cosmetic Layer is always the top layer
of the map. You cannot remove or reorder the Cosmetic Layer.
You can only make the Cosmetic Layer editable or selectable. Other layer options (labeling, zoom
layering, display mode) are not available for the Cosmetic Layer. To select fill patterns, line types,
symbols, and text font for the Cosmetic Layer, use the Line Style, RRegion Style, Symbol Style and
Text Style commands on the SPATIAL tab, in the Create group, from the Style list.
The contents of the Cosmetic Layer are linked proportionally to the map. Map objects (except for
symbols) and text in the Cosmetic Layer are proportionally linked to the zoom level of the map. If
you draw objects in the Cosmetic Layer and then change the map's zoom from 30 to 100 miles, the
size of the objects will appear smaller.
• To save the objects to an existing table, choose the table to which you want to transfer the
cosmetic objects from the list.
• To save the objects to a new table, choose the New option in the dialog box. Select the path
for the new table and enter the name in the Save Objects to Table dialog box. Click Save.
To make changes to the graphic objects in a layer, you must make the layer editable. You can draw
objects on that layer, add text, combine, or delete objects. You can only make one layer editable at
a time.
To make a layer editable:
1. On the HOME tab, in the Windows group, click Tool Windows, and click Explorer from the list,
to open the Explorer window.
2. Click the Editable icon to make the layer editable.
You can also control whether the layer is editable via the Status Bar at the bottom of your screen.
To change the editable layer from the Status Bar:
1. Click the Editing box to display a list of the layers used in the Map window.
2. Choose the layer you want to make editable. Its name displays in the Status Bar.
3. To deactivate the ability to edit all the layers, choose None.
If you are working with tables that were opened from Excel, Lotus, or ASCII files, you may have
noticed that they come in as read-only tables. Because the files are not in native MapInfo Pro formats
or standard DBF format, MapInfo Pro is unable to edit the tabular information contained in these
tables.
If you wish to modify the table information, you must save a copy of the table. You can do this when
you open the table in MapInfo Pro by selecting the Create copy in MapInfo format for read/write
check box before selecting Open in the Open dialog box.
To make read-only tables (layers) editable:
1. Open the read-only table you want to make editable.
2. In the Open dialog box, select the Create copy in MapInfo format for read/write check box before
selecting Open.
OR, continue with the following steps.
1. On the HOMEtab under the File group, click Save Copy As.
2. Choose a new name for the file.
3. Click Save. There is now a copy of the Excel file saved in MapInfo Pro native format. Open the
new file, and you will have full edit capabilities.
See Also:
• Drawing Autolabels
You can use the Info command to get information pertaining to the map layer.
To get information about an object in a particular layer:
1. Make sure the layer you want information about is the selectable layer.
2. On the MAP tab, in the Options group, click Map Tools, and click Info to open the Info window.
3. Click on the object that you want information about.
Note: If the information that displays is not what you were looking for, check to see that the
layer you are interested in getting data for is selected.
Press the Ctrl key while clicking on objects to toggle through all selectable layers and access
overlapping objects.
When you click a map location using the Info command where two or more selectable map objects
overlap, the data tied to the objects on each layer display in the Info window. If you do not want the
information for all layers to display, turn off Selectable for those layers in the Layers window.
You can also view an object's label expression in an InfoTip when you use the Select, Info, or Label
commands. InfoTips work very much like ToolTips. Using one of these commands, place your cursor
over an object. An InfoTip displays the label expression for the object in the topmost selectable
layer. To set InfoTips for a particular layer, adjust the Selectable attribute in the Layers window so
that the tips display for the layer you want. InfoTips are active by default, but you can turn them off
in the Map window preferences (on the PRO tab, click Options, and Map Window).
See Also:
• Drawing Autolabels
If you only want to select objects for further analysis rather than edit the objects, make the layer
selectable. More than one layer can be selectable at a time. If a layer is editable, it is also selectable.
Many MapInfo Pro functions require that map objects be selected before performing the particular
operation. To use Select, Label, or Info you must first make the layer selectable. Unlike the editable
feature, more than one layer may be selectable at the same time. You may, however, only select
from one layer at a time.
The Select command selects objects from the topmost Selectable layer. To select an object that is
not in the top Selectable layer, you can turn off the Selectable option in the Layers window for every
layer above the layer you want to select from by selecting a layer's Selectable icon to deactivate
it. Alternatively, you can leave all layers Selectable and use the Ctrl key in combination with the
Select button to cycle through each Selectable layer.
Note: The instructions for making a layer editable are the same, except that you select
Editable On/Off instead.
A raster image is a type of computerized image that consists of row after row of tiny dots (pixels).
If you have a scanner and scanner software, you can create a raster image by scanning a paper
map. After you scan a map image and store the image in a file, you can display the file using MapInfo
Pro.
In contrast, vector images contain coordinate-based data structures represented by x and y
coordinates (most of MapInfo Pro's data is in vector format).
The Help System contains these related topics:
• Registering the Coordinates of a Raster Image
• Working with Raster Images
Raster images can also be layers in MapInfo Pro. They appear in the Layers window just like any
other layer. You can change the display style of a raster layer within the Layers window.
To change the display of a raster layer:
1. On the Layers window, double-click the raster layer name. The Layer Properties dialog box
displays.
2. On the Layer Display tab, select the Style Override check box and click a Style button. The Adjust
Image Styles dialog box displays, where you can make changes to the transparency, brightness,
contrast, and translucency settings.
3. Click OK to save your changes.
In MapInfo Pro, raster images are used as display layers only. They cannot have any data attached
to them like vector map images. Raster images are particularly well-suited for use as a backdrop
for vector map layers because they provide a much greater level of detail than vector maps.
You can display additional map layers, such as StreetPro street maps, on top of a raster image.
However, when you overlay raster and vector data in this manner, you may find it hard to tell which
lines are part of the raster image and which lines are part of the vector data. Adjusting the display
style of the raster image can make it easier to differentiate the separate layers. For example, if you
set the image Contrast to a low setting, such as 30%, and set the image Brightness to a high setting,
such as 70%, MapInfo Pro displays the image in a subdued style, which is appropriate if you want
the raster layer to act as a backdrop.
If your raster image was scanned in and the resulting image is too dark or light, use the controls in
the Adjust Image Styles dialog box to correct the display of the image.
You can adjust the percentage that layers show through raster images. A translucent image allows
you to partially see through the image. Translucent images can be layered on top of other layers
so that the lower layers are partially visible through the image.
To adjust translucency of a Raster Image:
1. Open a raster image table.
2. On the TABLE tab, in the Maintenance group, click Raster, and Adjust Image Styles.
3. If the Choose Raster Table dialog box opens, select the raster file to adjust and click OK.
4. In the Adjust Image Styles dialog box. Use the Translucency slider control to adjust the
percentage that layers show through the raster image.
Translucency can be set between 0-100%. An image with 0% translucency is completely opaque
(or cannot be seen through). An image with 100% translucency is completely transparent (or
completely invisible).
5. Click OK.
This setting becomes your default setting for the raster table (TAB file). You can override the default
setting by adjusting translucency per layer on a map.
Use or create a seamless map layer to treat a group of base tables as if they were one. A seamless
layer allows you to change display attributes, apply or change labeling or use the Layers window
for an entire group of tables at once. You can also retrieve information using the Info command,
and select or browse any one of the layer's base tables. A base table can be any regular MapInfo
Pro table. Grid layers cannot be made seamless.
This feature is especially useful when you want to display a vector or raster backdrop for your maps
such as joining street or boundary maps. For example, you may have a seamless layer of county
boundaries made up of several individual county tables.
When zooming in on a seamless layer, MapInfo Pro only opens data for displaying the map at the
specific zoom level-only those component tables on display open. If you change the zoom level,
then MapInfo Pro analyzes which tiles to open and which tiles to close, and does not cache the
data. Specific raster handlers open raster images, which are usually slower than vector tables.
Since a seamless layer is actually made up of several base tables, MapInfo Pro does treat it a little
differently than a regular MapInfo Pro table. You can use the following MapInfo Pro features with a
seamless map layer:
• Layer control - Use any of the functions except thematic mapping from the Layers window on
your seamless layer. Add, remove, or reorder layers or set display, zoom layering or label options
for the seamless layer (all base tables) at one time. However, you cannot make a seamless layer
editable.
• Info Command - Retrieve information about a particular object in a base table.
• Select commands - Select objects from the seamless layer. You can only select a group of objects
if they reside in the same base table. Press the Shift key while using the Select command to do
so. If you attempt to select several objects that reside in different base tables, MapInfo Pro will
only select objects in one base table. If you use the Marquee Selection or Radius Selection
commands and the selected area spreads across two different base tables, MapInfo Pro selects
the table in either the center of the circle or polygon.
• Browse table - Display a Browser window of a particular seamless table. You are prompted to
select a base table.
If you need to edit the structure of your seamless layer, you will need to turn your seamless layer
off.
To turn your seamless layer off:
1. On the HOME tab, in the Windows group, click Tool Windows, and click MapBasic from the list,
to open the MapBasic window.
2. Type set table "tablename" seamless off. MapInfo Pro turns off the seamless layer.
3. Display the table in a Browser to view or edit its table structure. If you edit the table structure,
you will need to recompile the seamless layer.
MapInfo Pro turns off the seamless layer. Display the table in a Browser to view or edit its table
structure. Use the Seamless Table Manager to add or create seamless tables.
To turn the seamless layer on:
1. On the HOME tab, in the Windows group, click Tool Windows, and click MapBasic from the list,
to open the MapBasic window.
2. Type set table "tablename" seamless on. MapInfo Pro turns the seamless layer on again.
MapInfo Pro includes sample seamless maps or you can create your own. Some of these data files
are available on the Pitney Bowes Inc. web site in the MapInfo Pro Tutorial data. We recommend
you download this data for use with these examples.
From the mapinfo\tutorial\tut-usa\usa\dc\seamless directory, choose dcmetrow. A seamless map
layer of water areas in Washington DC displays. Notice at first glance that the seamless layer looks
like any other MapInfo Pro table. However, the Dcmetrow seamless map layer is made up of the
following base tables:
• VAARLIW.TAB (Arlington Virginia water areas)
• VAALEXW.TAB (Alexandria Virginia water areas)
• DCWASHW.TAB (Washington DC water areas)
To display a sample seamless map:
1. On the HOME tab, in the File group, from the Open list, click Open.
2. From the data directory, choose a seamless layer.
The following is an example of a map layer of water areas in Washington DC.
The structure of each seamless layer includes the path name of each base table plus a description
that defaults to the table name (alias). To view the table structure, turn the seamless layer off and
display the seamless table in a Browser. Refer to Turning Seamless Layers On and Off.
Since a seamless layer is actually made up of several base tables, MapInfo Pro does treat it a little
differently than a regular MapInfo Pro table. You can use the following MapInfo Pro features with a
seamless map layer:
• Layers. Use any of the functions except Thematic Mapping from the Layers window on your
seamless layer. Add, remove, or reorder layers or set display, zoom layering or label options for
the seamless layer (all base tables) at one time. However, you cannot make a seamless layer
editable.
• Info. Retrieve information about a particular object in a base table.
• Select Commands. Select objects from the seamless layer. You can only select a group of objects
if they reside in the same base table. Press the Shift key while clicking the Select button to do so.
If you attempt to select several objects that reside in different base tables, MapInfo Pro will only
select objects in one base table. If you use the Marquee or Radius select buttons and the selected
area spreads across two different base tables, MapInfo Pro selects the objects in the center of
the circle or polygon.
• Browser Table. Display a Browser window of a particular seamless table. You will be prompted
to select a base table.
To create your own seamless layer, run the Seamless Table Manager. Your seamless layer will be
most useful if you use homogeneous tables that ideally have the same projection and the same
number of columns. For example, you may want your seamless layer to contain several counties,
each stored in a separate base table, or an interstate highway that runs between several states,
each stored in a separate base table. If your tables are not homogeneous, maps and labels will not
display correctly and map items will not be selectable. Grid tables cannot be made seamless.
To use the Seamless Manager:
1. On the HOME tab, click Tool Extensions in the Tools group, to open the Tools Manager.
2. On the Registered tab, check the Autoload check box alongside Seamless Manager if you wish
to have it load when MapInfo Pro starts. See Loading a Tool in the Help System.
3. Click the Load Tool (Run) command that displays alongside the Seamless Manager entry.
4. Under the Running tab, double-click on Seamless Manager to start the tool. Click on the Help
icon to learn more about the tool.
You use the tools of the Seamless Manager to create and compile a seamless layer.
In the Layers window, you can add, remove, or reorder seamless layers as if they were conventional
MapInfo Pro layers. You can also set Label and Display options for all the tables in the seamless
layer as if they were one table. Notice the editable option for a seamless layer is grayed.
Choose your seamless layer and experiment with order, display, and labeling options.
To retrieve information from a seamless layer:
1. On the MAP tab, in the Options group, click Map Tools, and click Info.
2. Click the object on the map for which you want information, which displays in the Info window.
This information includes the name of the base table in which the object is stored.
To browse the seamless layer:
1. On the HOME tab, in the Windows group, click New Document, and click Browser from the list,
to open the Browse Table window.
2. Select a layer (table) from the list and click OK to open the Select Base Table dialog box.
3. Type the name of the base table you want to browse. We typed XX to indicate an unknown table.
A Browser window with the base table you selected displays. If a base table matching your
description is not found, a list of possibilities displays.
Keep in mind, base tables are treated like any other MapInfo Pro tables. Once a base table from
a seamless table is browsed, it will be opened as any other regular MapInfo Pro table.
4. To select a base table from the list, highlight it and click OK.
You can set search paths to look for the component tables of a seamless layer.
To set the search path for the component tables of a seamless layer:
1. On the PRO tab, click Options, and Directories to open the Directory Preferences dialog box.
2. In the Search Directories for Tables group, click Add.
3. Specify a drive and directory in the Choose Directory dialog box and click OK.
You can set up to four paths. Use the Up and Down keys to change the search order and use
the Add and Remove buttons to add or remove paths from the list.
4. Click OK to close the dialog box.
See Also:
• Turning Seamless Layers On and Off
• Using the Tools in the Tools Manager
The Library Service lets you access the metadata records published in MapInfo Manager. You can
access Library Services on the PRO tab, by clicking Options, and Web Services. Settings are on
the Library Services tab.
For enabling the Library Services, refer to Setting the Library Services Preferences in the Help
System.
After setting the Library Services preferences to Catalogs and Library, the Tables window shows
the status of the tables and if they are managed or not by the MapInfo Manager library.
• If the table list shows against a particular table, it means the table is managed by the MapInfo
Manager.
• If the table list shows against a particular table, it means the table is not managed by the MapInfo
Manager.
• If the table list shows no icon against a particular table, it means that the table is not manageable,
such as a selection table, query table, or seamless table.
To manage a table, on the TABLE tab, in the Maintenance group, click Library, and Add to Library.
Add to Library
Preserving your work is an important part of being productive. MapInfo Pro has a wide variety of
ways you can save what you are working on, depending upon what needs to be saved and how
you need to retrieve it.
If you work with the same tables repeatedly, you know that opening each one individually every time
you use it can be tedious. With MapInfo Pro's workspace feature, you can automate this process
so you can get back to the business of creating maps and analyzing data sooner.
When you work with MapInfo Pro you generally use many different tables and windows. A Map
window, for instance, is likely to be built of several layers. MapInfo Pro uses workspaces to save
your work setup from session to session. Workspaces prevent you from having to reassemble all
the pieces of your earlier setup from scratch. So, you do not have to reopen tables, re-create maps
or layouts, resize windows, or do anything else just to duplicate what was on your desktop the last
time you were using MapInfo Pro.
CAUTION: Saving a workspace will not save edits you have made to tables in the workspace.
If you close a window or table and you have thematic maps, graphs, label settings or label edits, or
cosmetic objects pending, MapInfo Pro will prompt you to save the session to a workspace.
To save your current work setup:
1. On the HOME tab, in the File group, click Save Workspace, and select Save Workspace As from
the drop-down list.
2. In the Save Workspace dialog box, type a name for the workspace and select the directory
location to save it to.
There are two MapInfo workspace formats, WOR and MWS. A .wor file is written using MapBasic
and a .mws file is written using XML. The MWS format contains more information about the data
sources than the WOR format does. Depending on the MapInfo product you are working with
you may open and/or save to one or both formats.
3. Click Save.
When you start your next session, you can open this workspace right from the Quick Start dialog
box and continue where you left off.
You can change the directory path that MapInfo Pro uses for opening or saving workspaces as a
directory preference: on the PRO tab, click Options, and Directories.
Note: If MapInfo Pro cannot create registration points for the window image, an error message
displays. This might happen if you pan outside the bounds of the map.
To specify advanced export options from the Save Window As dialog box, click the Advanced
button to open the Advanced Exporting Options dialog box.
See Advanced Exporting Options Dialog Box in the Help System.
1. Specify the settings you want to use for exporting a window.
2. Click Save.
4. Click Save.
• Range themes;
• Pie themes;
• Grid themes as MapXtreme grid layers with a style override;
• Themes and label expressions based upon a single attribute column;
• Zoom-ranged overrides.
• Queries are saved when the Save Queries to Workspace option is selected in the Startup
Preferences
Note: There is label and thematic expression support for the MWS (XML-based) workspace files
in MapInfo Pro. When saving themes and label expressions to a MWS file, we translate the
expressions into the MapInfo SQL language supported by MapXtreme.
• Export options;
• Hot links for labels and objects;
• Group layers;
• Whether object nodes, centroids or line direction is displayed.
To save changes to map objects or data, you must save the table. (On the TABLE tab, in the Content
group, click Save, and Save Table.) A dialog box displays asking you to choose which table you
want to save.
You can also save a copy of the table under a new name, using the Save Copy Ascommand. This,
in essence, creates a new table. This is helpful in several instances, as when you want to:
• Retain any changes while preserving the original table.
• Save a table with a temporary column (from Update Column).
• Create a new table before you make editing changes to the original table.
• Save spreadsheet files that you wish to modify in MapInfo Pro.
• Save a table in a different projection.
To save a copy of the table:
1. On on the TABLE tab, in the Content group, click Save, and Save Copy As to open the Save
Copy of Table dialog box.
2. Choose the file to save and click OK.
3. Give the file a new name.
The original table remains unchanged and open for all further changes. The new table does not
open immediately after its creation, but can be opened for use at any time. When choosing a name
for your new table that begins with a number, MapInfo Pro adds an underscore to the beginning of
the table name. For instance, your table 1STREETS.TAB will become _1STREETS.TAB.
Saving a copy of a raster table only saves a copy of the *.tab file, not the image. You cannot change
the projection of a raster or grid table using Save Copy As. To do this, on the TABLE tab, in the
Maintenance group, click Raster, and Modify Image Registration. Click the Projection button and
then save the file from there.
Since MapInfo Pro supports long filenames, it is easier to give the new table a name that is descriptive
and at the same time distinguishes it from the original file.
See also:
• Using Data Files in Any Language or Character Set
• Saving Changes Made to a DBMS Table in the Help System
5. Click Save.
The new table does not open immediately after it is created, but it can be opened for use at any
time using the Open commands on the HOME.
2. Type the name of your new table in the File Name box of the dialog box.
3. Specify the drive and directory where the new file is to be saved.
4. Click the Projection button to open the Choose Projection dialog box.
5. Choose a projection category and choose one of the projections in the category.
6. Click OK; MapInfo Pro returns you to the Save Copy of Table As dialog box.
7. Click Save.
MapInfo Pro creates the new table, but it is not open. When you want to work with the new table,
you must first open it on the HOME tab, in the Open list, click Table.
2. Type the name of your new table in the File Name box of the dialog box.
3. Specify the drive and directory where the new file is to be saved.
4. Select the file type from the Save as type list to save to.
You can only use Unicode character sets, UTF-8 and UTF-16, with the MapInfo Extended (*.tab)
file type.
5. Click the Charset button to open Select a Charset dialog box.
6. Choose a character set from the list of those available.
7. Click OK; MapInfo Pro returns you to the Save Copy of Table As dialog box.
8. Click Save.
MapInfo Pro creates the new table, but it is not open. When you want to work with the new table,
you must first open it on the HOME tab, in the Open list, click Table.
See also:
• Using Data Files in Any Language or Character Set
• Setting Your Language Preferences in the Help System
Select Columns: *
From Tables: City_1K
Order By Columns: State, Population desc
Closing a Table
Closing a table removes it from active use in your current session. To close tables, on the HOME
tab, in the File group, click Close Table. When you close a table, you automatically close all views
of that table. If you close a table that is displayed in a Map window with other tables, MapInfo Pro
removes that table from the window, but the Map window remains open.
In addition, any subset tables of the original table (known as query tables) also close. You can use
the Close command for any table, whether or not it is displayed in a window. Opening and closing
tables is different from opening and closing windows in which you view your tables. You can open
a table without opening any views of the data. Similarly, closing a window does not close the table
(or tables) you are viewing in the window. They are still open and available for use. To close a
window, click the Ctrl-menu box in the upper-left corner of any window and select Close.
If you have made changes to a table but have not yet saved those changes, MapInfo Pro will ask
you if you want to save them before closing the table. To save your changes, on the HOME tab, in
the File group, click Save, and Save Table, or Save Copy As from the list.
3. Click OK.
• When closing a table that you are currently editing, you are prompted to save the changes.
The table is closed along with any windows associated with it.
• When closing a window but not the associated table, click the Ctrl-menu box [Close box] in the
upper-left corner of the window.
2. To deselect tables, hold the Ctrl key and click on the tables.
3. When you have selected the tables you want to close, click Close.
You must open a table before you can use it. The Open command activates a dialog box for opening
tables, (opening a table is described below). Choose the appropriate table by double-clicking on it
in the dialog box.
Most programs require you to import files created in some other programs. MapInfo Pro allows you
to work directly with files created in other programs. When you have a file in one of the following
non-MapInfo Pro formats, you do not have to import it:
• dBase DBF
• Delimited ASCII
• Lotus 1-2-3
• Microsoft Access Database
• Microsoft Excel
By not importing data you save time; opening a file is quicker than importing it. You also save disk
space. When you import a file, you make a copy of it. Since MapInfo Pro works directly with files
from other programs, it does not have to make a copy.
When MapInfo Pro opens a file from some other program, it creates a file with a .TAB extension.
This file describes the format of the file that actually contains the data. When you have opened a
non-MapInfo Pro file, such as a Lotus file, in a previous session and attempt to open it again, the
following prompt appears:
The table definition referred to is the .TAB file. It does not hurt anything if you continue. MapInfo
Pro overwrites the .TAB file and opens the file.
When importing files, you cannot select a character set for MapInfo (*.tab) and MapInfo Extended
(*.tab) file formats. MapInfo Pro uses the local system character set when creating MapInfo and
MapInfo Extended tables.
Note: When importing GML files, you can specify a character set within the file itself, but MapInfo
Pro does not use it. Instead, the resulting MapInfo or MapInfo Extended table uses the
system character set. When importing MIF/MID files, the resulting MapInfo or MapInfo
Extended table use the character set from the file header. If "Charset" is not in the file header,
then the system character set is used. If the file header has a UTF byte order mark at the
start of the file, then the UTF character set is used instead.
You can export your Map window to other file formats with the Save Window As command (on the
HOME tab, in the Output group, click Save Image). This enables you to use your map in another
application, such as word processing, presentation, or computer publishing packages.
If exporting to CSV or TXT, your column type must be set to Decimal with specified precision (number
of digits in the number). Other data formats, such as Float, cause your data to truncate and generates
an error message that displays after processing the table.
To export a single table:
1. On the TABLE tab, in the Content group, click Export to open the Export Table to File dialog
box.
2. Choose a directory for your exported file. The path and directory that the file is exported to displays
in the Save In box.
3. Type a name for the file in the box under File Name.
4. Click the Save as type drop-down list and choose the file format you want the file saved in.
5. Click OK. If the format chosen was the MapInfo Pro Interchange Format (*.mif), then the file was
exported. If the format you chose was .TXT, .DXF, .DBF, .MIF, or .CSV a dialog box pertaining
to each format displays.
Exporting a Window
To export a window:
1. On the HOME tab, in the Output group, click Save to open the Save Window to File dialog box.
2. Type a name for this file and select the file format you want to export to in the Save as type
drop-down list. Click Save to open the Save Window As dialog box.
3. Specify the image size settings. You can keep the image the same size as the window or choose
a custom size. If you choose Custom, also make any desired changes to the width and height
of the image. You can make these changes in inches or in pixels.
If you are exporting a simple map or layout that does not contain raster or grid images, or any
transparent fill patterns, you may be able to bypass the advanced settings.
Note: If you are saving the window to a raster format, select a resolution for the image. Metafile
formats do not use the resolution option (WMF, EMF files).
4. Click the Advanced button to open the Advanced Exporting Options dialog box. See
Understanding the Advanced Exporting Options for these details.
To include a border for your exported file, to select the Export Border check box.
5. Complete the dialog box according to information in the following section, and click OK.
6. To specify the file format, choose the desired format from the File Format box.
The Advanced Exporting Options dialog box settings allow you to apply the color, transparency,
and border handling that are available for printed maps to your exported files.
Note: Borders are not exported from layout windows.
The settings are the same as in the Advanced Printing dialog box.
Export Border
Select this check box to include a black border on images you are exporting. Clear this check box
to export the image without a border. This check box is selected by default.
Internal Handling for Transparent Vector Fills and Symbols
Special programming has been added to handle transparent fill patterns and bitmaps for vector
images when exporting. Select this check box to use this functionality or clear it to let the printer or
Windows export functions to handle this. This check box is selected by default.
Use ROP Method to Display Transparent Raster
Select this check box to allow the internal ROP (Raster Overlay by Pixel) to manage the transparent
pixel display in raster images. Since the ROP Method is largely a display method, not all export
programs can use it. We recommend that you either check with the manufacturer before using this
option or try a few test exports to get the results you want. This check box is cleared by default.
Export Raster in True Color When Possible
Select this check box to print and export your 24-bit raster or grid file images in true color (make
sure your printer settings are set to greater than 256 colors). Clear this check box if you are not
working with a color printer. This check box is selected by default.
Note: You can select dither method options in the Display, Printing, and Exporting dialog boxes.
• Overriding the default settings also works the same way. As with the advanced printing options,
the options that are selected when you initially display the Advanced Exporting Options dialog
box are the default settings, which are set in the Output Preferences. The Advanced Exporting
Options dialog box enables you to override the default export settings for individual file export
operations. To actually change the default export settings, you must go to the Output preferences
(on the PRO tab, click Options, and Output Settings) and change the settings there.
Because CAD packages represent drawings in non-earth coordinates, all drawings imported or
exported between MapInfo Pro and CAD suffer some distortion. This comes from trying to display
non-earth information on a spherical coordinate system (like the globe). Coordinate conversions
are used to assign longitude/latitude coordinates to CAD drawings that were created using non-earth
coordinates. Conversions near the equator are more exact than conversions at the extremes of the
hemispheres. To minimize distortion, import and export with no coordinate conversions and avoid
translating maps that cover large areas.
10. Click the Options button to display DXF data storing options. Make your selections and click OK
to continue.
11. Click OK to display the Import into Table dialog box.
12. Type a file name in the File name field and select the file type to save to: native MapInfo (*.tab)
format, or nativeX MapInfo Extended (*.tab) format. Use the extended format for data that is
larger than 2GB.
13. Click Save.
Pipes: WIDTH
TYPE (sewer, water, storm sewer, etc.)
MATERIAL
Streets: NAME
ADDRESS_RANGE
When MapInfo Pro creates a tabular database from a DXF file, it must decide on a database structure.
All the records in a Table contain the same fields. MapInfo Pro builds a database structure by
scanning the entire DXF file for all attributes in the layers that are being imported, and creating a
union of these fields. The data type of each field is determined by the contents of the attributes.
For example, when all attributes with a given name contain a number, the resulting MapInfo Pro
field is a numeric data type.
Continuing the examples above, when pipes and streets are both imported into the same DXF file,
the database structure is as follows:
1. ADDRESS_RANGE
2. MATERIAL
3. NAME
4. TYPE
5. WIDTH
Most well-designed DXF files put objects of different types in different layers. The above DXF file
probably contains 2 layers: pipes (which holds all the pipes of the map) and streets (which hold all
the streets of the map). Run DXF Import twice, importing a different layer each time. You would
create two MapInfo Pro tables, one with the correct pipe structure, and one with the correct street
structure.
When you load both layers of our sample DXF file into one MapInfo Pro table, the records for the
pipes have blank or zero values for the NAME and ADDRESS_RANGE fields. Likewise, WIDTH,
TYPE, and MATERIAL are blank for the street records.
Note: It takes much longer to import attributes from a DXF file into MapInfo Pro than it does to
import files with no attributes. The entities section of the DXF file must be read twice. We
recommend that you run the import several times, checking to make sure that you are loading
the correct layers and using the correct coordinate transformation, before importing the data
attributes.
Block A
Line
Attribute STREETNAME = "Broadway"
Block B
Point
Attribute ADDRESS = "200"
Block C
Polygon
Attribute BUILDING_NAME = "Hendrick Hudson Building"
This block consists of a line, an attribute, and two blocks. One of these blocks is a point with the
address of a building; the other is a polygon with the name of the building. If all of these blocks were
on the same layer (and they do not have to be), the database structure would be as follows:
ADDRESS
1. BUILDING_NAME
2. STREETNAME
Objects get the value of all attributes in their current block, and inherit attributes from their parent
blocks. In this case, our database is created as follows:
As you can see, it is better to put objects of different types in different layers. The problem is figuring
out which layer names correspond to which type of objects.
Cropping Images
When MapInfo Pro exports a window, it does not clip objects that extend beyond the edges of the
windows, but it does export information about where the clipping is.
Other programs always honor the clipping of bitmap files. As for other formats, the behavior varies
depending on the program that is used to display and print the file. Many programs, such as drawing
programs, "explode" the file into individual objects. A file containing several country boundaries
would explode into several polygon objects, one for each country. Programs like these usually ignore
the clipping information that MapInfo Pro stores in the file.
Other programs, such as word processing programs and spreadsheets, typically open files as one
compound object, without trying to explode them into component objects. These programs usually
honor the clipping information and clip the contents appropriately.
For example, if you are exporting a Map window that displays part of Germany, but not all of it, the
exported file contains the entire image of Germany. It also contains information about where MapInfo
Pro clipped that image in its Map window. But when you open the exported window in your target
application, a drawing package for example, the image of Germany may not be clipped.
MapInfo Pro also allows you to export your tabular data to a delimited ASCII file. This file can later
be edited with a text editor or imported into another package. When you export to ASCII, MapInfo
Pro displays the Delimited ASCII Information dialog box, where you choose your delimiter character.
You can also choose to have the first row of the ASCII file become column titles.
MapInfo Pro also displays a dialog box that you use to indicate the character set for the exported
ASCII file. Different platforms use different character sets. MapInfo Pro must know the platform
where you are going to use the exported file in order to provide the appropriate character set. No
graphical data is exported to ASCII.
MapInfo Pro can export tabular data into dBASE DBF format. Exporting to DBF creates only the
.DBF file. No graphical data is exported to dBASE. When you save your table in DBF format, you
create a .DBF file, as well as some other files. These other files contain graphic information (for
example, MapInfo Pro indices and other information that MapInfo Pro uses).
MapInfo Pro also displays the dBASE DBF Information dialog box that you use to indicate the
character set for the exported DBF file. Different platforms use different character sets. MapInfo Pro
must know the platform where you are going to use the exported file in order to provide the
appropriate character set.
You can anti-alias a table during the export process to give you more control over your map images.
This is particularly important when you are saving maps created in MapInfo Pro for use in other
Windows-based applications, in particular in slide presentations or for web pages.
Anti-aliasing allows you to smooth images in all types of windows such as Map windows, layouts,
and legends.
Note: You cannot anti-alias images you are exporting to .EMF or .WMF format, because these are
not true raster formats.
There are three smoothing options you can use to customize your raster image:
1. Smooth using a Filter value: You can set a flag that selects one of six filters that allow you to
choose the direction the filter is applied to the image from.
2. Smooth using a Mask value: You can select a value that indicates the size of the area you want
to smooth. For example, to create a 3x3 pixel mask value, you would enter a 3 in this field. This
would limit the amount of change in the color of the pixels. Typically mask sizes would be 2-3
pixels when exporting at screen resolution. If you are exporting at a higher resolution, a larger
mask might be appropriate.
3. Smooth using a Threshold value: You can select a threshold value to indicate which pixels to
smooth. Each pixel in an image has a value based on its color. The smaller the pixel value, the
darker the color. Select this option to smooth all of the pixels above the threshold you enter in
this field. When you set this value to 0, MapInfo Pro will smooth all of the pixels.
You must either set a global preference for these anti-aliasing options or set them locally during the
export process (using the Advanced button).
To set the anti-aliasing preference for exporting images:
1. On the PRO tab, in the Options group, click Output Settings to open the Output Preferences
dialog box.
2. Click the Exporting tab to display the anti-aliasing options.
3. To use anti-aliasing automatically, select the Use Anti-aliasing check box and select from these
options:
Smooth using a Filter value
Choose a filter for the smoothing you want to use. Select from these filters:
- Vertically and Horizontally (Smooths the image vertically and horizontally)
- All Directions (1) (Smooths the image in all directions)
- All Directions (2) (Smooths the image in all directions using a different algorithm)
The next few figures should give you an idea of the types of results you can expect using the
different options.
Smoothing a Polyline
To smooth a polyline:
1. Select a polyline in an editable layer.
2. On the SPATIAL tab, in the Edit group, click Fix/Clean, and Smooth Lines.
The polyline becomes a continuous curved line.
Unsmoothing a Polyline
To unsmooth a polyline:
1. Select a smoothed polyline in an editable layer.
2. On the SPATIAL tab, in the Edit group, click Fix/Clean, and Unsmooth Lines.
The polyline is redrawn to its original form.
In this section
Working with MapInfo Tables 237
Putting Your Data on the Map 262
Selecting and Querying Data 350
Working with Data in a DBMS 454
Registering Raster Images 521
Registering SPOT Images 537
Digitizing Maps 542
Working with Data
After you have brought your data into MapInfo and created .TAB files, you can manage them within
MapInfo Pro. You can view any database table in MapInfo Pro, once you have converted it to MapInfo
format. Additionally you can add or remove fields, change the order, name, type, width, or index of
any field. You can also specify or determine the projection of the table from this dialog box. You can
also check if the table is mappable (contains map objects). To make these types of changes, see
Editing a Table's Structure.
Keep in mind that you can only view the structure of a spreadsheet or database file that you convert
into MapInfo Pro's table structure. See How Do I Get My Data on the Map? for these instructions.
To view the structure of a table, on the TABLE tab, in the Sort and Filter group, click the Table
command list and choose Modify Structure. The View/Modify Table Structure dialog box displays.
Now that you can display your data, you may want to display it on an existing map that has streets,
hospitals, highways, and other landmarks to give your data relevance. Our premier data product,
StreetPro contains all of this and more. There are actually two versions of StreetPro, StreetPro
Display and StreetPro with Enhanced Address Layer. See which of these products is right for your
needs.
StreetPro Display contains 30 layers of county-level display streets, highways and shields, railways,
administrative boundaries, point locations, and water features. In addition, we have included several
utilities (Autoloader, Shield Manager, Street Append tools) to help make StreetPro easy to work
with. You can purchase this product by county, by state, by 6 state packs or the entire United States.
StreetPro with Enhanced Address Layer includes all the layers and tools in StreetPro Display, plus
an address layer of streets and address ranges that you can use to more precisely geocode your
data.
Adding to a Table
One important operation in maintaining tables is the ability to update the data contained in the table.
MapInfo Pro's Update Column feature allows you to:
• Add a temporary column or update an existing column with data from another table
• Update a table
• Place graphic information into visible columns
Update Column command is located on the TABLE tab in the Edit group.
To illustrate the Update Column command, we have created the following example. In this example
we have a company which maintains two tables, a table of states (STATES) and a table of customers'
order amounts (US_CUSTG). You can use these files and the Update Column command to calculate
the sum of your customers' order amounts and report that information by state. Update Column
creates a temporary column in the STATES2 table to store the information from the Order_amt
table. During the operation MapInfo Pro calculates each customer's order amount with the order
amounts of other customers from the same state. A browser of the STATES2 table shows the sum
of order amount by state.
You can follow along with similar tables of your own.
If you edit your objects, the information in the visible columns must be updated to reflect the changes
you have made.
2. On the TABLE tab, click Update Column and fill in the Update Column dialog box:
3. At the Calculate list box, choose Sum for purposes of this example. You can also select: Value,
Avg, Count, Min, Max, Sum, WtAvg, Proportion Sum, Proportion Avg, or Proportion WtAvg from
this list. (For a discussion of these functions, see Aggregating Data.)
At the Of list box, MapInfo Pro automatically defaults to the first numeric field in the table when
you choose any function other than Value. You can select another column, as appropriate.
4. Click OK to begin the update. MapInfo Pro updates the STATES2 table and reports the order
amount by state in a Browser or in the table you selected.
When the order amount of a customer changes, you can simply make the change in the Order_amt
table. MapInfo Pro automatically updates the sum of the order amount for that state in the
STATES2 table.
5. To save the temporary column, on the TABLE tab, click Save Copy As.
If saved in a workspace, MapInfo Pro recomputes the column whenever you open the workspace.
Also, the Update Column dialog box defaults to the last column that was updated and the last
expression that was used for updating the column, whenever you run the command. For additional
details about saving a table, see Saving a Table or a Copy of a Table.