Find Objects
The Search Bar on the toolbar is used to find objects in the active layer. Type in a search term and Ortelius will find and select any matching objects. Objects are searched by default based on: 1. visible text, such as text boxes or labels, and 2. the “searchable text” of objects, which may include their attribute values.
For example, open the Australia template map by choosing File > New From Template from the main menu and choosing Countries > Australia from the template chooser. Click onto “States/Provinces” in the layer list to make it the active layer. Now type “New South Wales” in the Search Bar and hit Enter. New South Wales is selected on the map.
Operators
Operators available from a drop-down list are used to define the search. Operators are context sensitive depending on the data type being used in the search.
Hint: The “sounds similar to” operator finds text that sounds similar when pronounced in English – for example searching for “Fosfer” will find “Phosphor.” All other searches find an exact (but case-insensitive) match based on the actual characters.
Advanced Find
Click onto the drop-down menu on the Search Bar and choose Advanced Find to open the Advanced Find window. Advanced Find presents a drop-down list of the fields that are available for searching. These include object and style properties, such as style name and any available attribute identifiers. By default, the active layer is searched. As needed, check the option to search all layers. A search can be saved as a Smart Search for later use.
Building Complex Searches in Advanced Find
New search rows can be added to build complex search queries. In this example, counties in the state of Nevada whose area is greater than 8,000 (square miles) were selected. Searches can be saved as a Smart Search for later use.
