To manipulate an Information Layer
A set of objects which have basic common characteristics makes an Information
Layer (IL). In a project each IL is associated to a Category and
consequently it is referred to single data model (thematic, numeric,
image, cadastral, or network). The IL representations are
differentiated as a function of the data model they belong; for instance, an IL
of the numeric category can have as representations: samples (points and
lines), regular grid, triangular grid (TIN) or contour lines.
An IL has to belong to a single category and, thus, to a single data model; it
has to have an bounding box less or equal to the project bounding box,
and has to have a scale (for the thematic, cadastral and network
categories) and spatial pixel size (for numeric and image category)
compatible with the data.
The options for an IL manipulation are:
Each Information Layer can have different representations, depending on the
model to which it belongs. Next the possible representations and the code used
in the "Control Panel" (see
about IL's visualization) are presented:
THEMATIC
Points (P) - show all 2D points; Lines (L)
- show all lines defining a polygon or not; Matrix (M) - vectors
formatted as a matrix; Classes (C) - presents points/lines/polygons that
are associated to classes, with its corresponding visual aspects; Text (T)
- toponimy automatically generated or edited.
NUMERIC
Samples (A) - spot heights and imported contour
lines or edited; Grid (G) - rectangular grid; TIN (Ti) -
triangular grid "Triangular Irregular Network"; Contour Lines (I) -
contour lines generated from a grid; Image (Im) - gray level image of
the grid; Text (T) - toponimy automatically generated or edited.
IMAGE
M (M) - monochromatic channel, R (R) -
red channel, G (G) - green channel, B (B) - blue channel; Text
(T) - edited toponimy over the image; Synthetic (S) - three band coding
into a single image; Classified (C) - image created by a classification
process; Labeled (R) - lines created by image segmentation.
NETWORK
Lines (L) - show all lines; Objects (O) -
show lines/nodes that are associated to objects, with its corresponding visual
aspects; Text (T) - toponimy automatically generated or edited.
CADASTRAL
Points (P) - show all 2D points; Lines (L)
- show all lines defining a polygon or not; Objects (O) - presents
points/lines/polygons that are associated to the objects, with the
corresponding visual aspects; Text (T) - toponimy automatically
generated or edited.
See below how to
create,
change and
remove an information layer.
See also:
SPRING Conceptual Model
Modeling Processes
Creating an
Information Layer
In order to create an IL do not forget that the database has to have a category
corresponding to the model where the IL will be created. In case the procedure
to create an IL while importing a data is used or when executing a LEGAL
program, it is required also to define a category in the active database.
Creating an Information Layer:
-
click on Edit
- Infolayer... in the main menu or in
, to open the "Infolayer"
window;
-
select in the Category
list, the category that will be used to create an information layer. Notice
that in the Model field the model associated to a category is
presented;
-
type the Information
Layer
name. The IL name can have at most 32 characters , including blank
spaces.
-
click on Bounding
Box... if the IL has an area smaller than the project. Attention, because the default
option is to use the same area of the active IL (
see details about how to handle this window);
-
click on Apply to
confirm the new coordinates;
-
in Scale: type a
value (for instance : 100000 - without a decimal point or a blank
space). Only for the information layer of the thematic, cadastral
and networks categories. The scale value will be useful mainly
when the lines simplification function is used (see
details about simplification) in or during the continuous mode digitization
(see
editing details);
-
Pixel Size: has to be provided for
the information layer of the numeric, thematic, and image
categories to specify the grid cell size in meters;
-
click on Create
after providing all the required information.
NOTE: When the "Information Layer" window is opened, the active
IL will be available in this window for any action about the IL; for instance,
remove the IL. In case the user try to create an IL without changing the
corresponding field, it will be informed that the IL already exists, requesting
the removal of the representations of this layer.
NOTICE:
click on
Representations... to verify the information related to the selected information
layer (active). When an IL is created, because there is no data, no
representation will be available.
NOTICE: Click on
Visual... to change the visualization characteristics of the active IL. Each IL can
have different visualization characteristics for the points, lines, grids,
sample, contour lines and labeled images entities. Changing the IL
visual aspects allow that its entities can be seen with different colors, even
if there is no association to classes or objects.
For example, it is possible to change the visual aspects of lines of a labeled
image from a segmentation resulting process, or the number size in a
rectangular grid, or even, the size and color of the associated texts in an IL.
HINT: For samples of the numeric model
(contour lines) can be useful that each contour line is presented using a
different color. This facilitates the error identification in the contour line
height. This resource depends on the IL scale to generate the colors range,
and, to enable it, the visual aspects has to be changed to the EMPTY type.
See
also:
How to create a Project.
How to create a Database.
Information Layer Manipulation
Changing an
Information Layer
The option to change an IL will allow the user to redefine the IL name, the
pixel size and the scale.
-
Change the name is
allowed to any data model, as far as it is not of the same category as
the project. Different categories in the same project can have ILs with
the same name.
-
Change the pixel size
of the ILs numeric, thematic or image model is allowed, only if there is
no data associated, that is, a grid, matrix or image respectively.
-
Change the scale is
allowed for all categories that work with vector data, but the category
for the image model.
NOTICE: Remember that when changing a scale in an IL, the parameters used
for lines simplification or digitization will be changing too.
The table below presents the changing possibilities for name, pixel size or
scale, as a function of the data model
|
Name
|
Pixel Size
(meters)
|
Scale
|
Thematic
|
YES
|
YES
(if there is no matrix associated yet)
|
YES
|
Numerical
|
YES
|
YES
(if there is no grid associated yet)
|
YES
|
Image
|
YES
|
YES
(if there is no image associated yet)
|
NO
|
Cadastral
|
YES
|
NO
|
YES
|
Networks
|
YES
|
NO
|
YES
|
Changing an Information Layer:
-
active an IL in the "Control
Panel"
;
-
click on Edit
- Infolayer... in the main menu or
;
-
change the active IL name,
pixel size and/or scale, depending on the permissions
presented in the table above;
-
click on Change to
make the changes.
NOTE: Remember that any change in this window, it will always be
executed on the active IL in the "Control Panel".
See also:
How to change a Project.
Information Layer Manipulation.
Activating an
Information Layer
Activating an IL means that this IL will be available for any operation through
the main menu. An active IL does not need, necessarily, to be visible in a
drawing area.
Activating an Information Layer:
-
click on the Category list and next on
the Infolayer
in the "Control Panel";
-
notice that the name of the active
IL is presented in the footnote in the main window and also in the "Infolayer"
window with the respective representations already created.
See also:
How to activate a Project.
How to activate a Database.
Information Layer Manipulation.
Removing an
Information Layer
Removing an IL means to erase all or some of the available representations in
the information layer. The system allows to delete only the vector
representation of a thematic IL, for instance.
WARNING-
As a "default" it will be eliminated all the representations, if a
specific representation is not informed.
Depending on the model that the IL belongs to, there are the following
representations to select:
-
* IL for the thematic category:
Matrix, Vector and Text.
-
* IL for the image
category: Matrix and Text.
-
* IL for the cadastral or
network category: Vector and Text.
-
* IL for the numeric
category: Samples (contour lines and points), Grid, TIN, Contour Lines
(resulting from the grid interpolation) and Text.
Removing an IL:
-
active an IL in the "Control
Panel"
;
-
click on Edit
- Infolayer... in the main menu or
;
-
click on Remove to
remove the information layer and all its representation of the active
project, or selecting one of the representations before removing it.
NOTE: If the IL is unique for a given category, the IL name and
corresponding category will disappear from the "Control Panel". However,
the category will be kept in its active Database.
See also:
How to remove a Project.
How to remove a Database.
Information Layer Manipulation
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