♥ Hands-on exercises. See Ortelius File > New From Template > Exercises & Demos > 5-Symbols Exercise.
Symbols
Symbols represent points and other features on your map.
A symbol is a graphic object that is named and stored in a Library. Symbols help you streamline the creation and update of repetitive features across your maps. You can place multiple instances of a symbol throughout your drawing.
To place a symbol, click onto the Symbol Stamp tool and then choose a symbol from the Symbols Palette. Symbols are shown as available in the palette when the Symbol Stamp tool is active – line and area styles will be grayed-out as these are unavailable when using the Symbol Stamp tool. Click onto the map area with the Symbol Stamp tool to place the symbol.
To replace multiple symbols at one time, select the point (symbol) features to be replaced, then choose a new symbol in the Symbols Palette.
Manually Scale Symbol
Individual symbols can be resized, or scaled, directly by grabbing the lower-right sizing handle on the symbol and dragging inward or outward.
Note, symbols in the Library are "master symbols." When you place a symbol on your map with the Symbol Stamp tool, you place a copy, or instance, of the master on your map. When you make changes to that instance, such as changing the scale of a symbol, the master symbol is unaffected by the change.
Set Scale Factor Using the Object Inspector
Select one or more symbol and adjust the scale factor from the Object Inspector – Features pane. Scale can be adjusted via the slider bar or by entering a percent scale factor. Multiple symbols can be scale at one time.
Pre-scale Map Symbols
On occasion, mappers may work with a symbol set that is based on exacting symbol specifications. For example, symbols for the International Specification for Orienteering Maps are sized according to exact specifications for viewing at a particular scale (1:15,000). Their specification allows symbols to be rendered at 150% for viewing on 1:10,000 maps. Ortelius makes it easy to pre-scale all map symbols to before they are even placed on your map. Choose File > Drawing Setup in the main menu to set the pre-scale factor. Note, under most circumstances this setting should remain at the default 100%.
