Tutorial: Create a Point Map

Estimated time: 5 minutes.

If this is the first lesson you’ve done, please be sure you have (1) opened the Soil_Properties_01.RwDat data file and (2) set the output dimensions.

1. First, let's define the default font style you want to use for your 2D maps and diagrams.
   1. Click on the Setup menu at the very top of the main RockWorks program window (right side). Choose the Preferences menu option.
   2. Click the RockPlot tab along the left.
   3. Locate the RockPlot2D Default Font item, and you'll see the current font style to the right (probably Arial). If you would like to choose a different font, click on the current name and choose another from the pop-up list. This tells RockWorks to use the selected font for map labels, contour line labels, cross section labels, etc. Once a map or diagram is displayed, you can edit individual labels as you like.
   4. You are welcome to look at some of the other program preferences you can establish here.
   5. Click the Continue button at the bottom of the window to close the Preferences window.
      
2. Locate the Utilities program grouping in the main menu ribbon. Click on the Maps menu and select the Point Symbols option.
   

   

3. Symbol Options | XY Columns: Be sure the following columns are selected. This tells RockWorks which columns contain the input data. (If the wrong column title is displayed, just click on the down-arrow and scroll up or down to the correct column title.)
   1. X (Easting): Easting
   2. Y (Northing): Northing
      
4. Check the Symbols option and click on the tab to set up the map symbols.
   1. Uniform: Uncheck this.
   2. Column-Based: Check this option. This tells the program to use symbols stored in a column in the datasheet to represent the map locations. Click on the Column-Based tab to see its settings.
      • Symbol Column: Choose the datasheet column named Symbol which, as you might guess, tells the program where to read the symbols from. You may need to scroll upward to find the Symbol column name in the list.
      • Dimensions: Choose Uniform, and enter a Size of 1.0. These dimensions represent a percent of the map width. In your own work, should you wish to increase the size of the symbols, just set the Size to a greater percentage.
   3. Circles: Uncheck this. (This is used to create scaled "bubble map" symbols.)
   4. Table-Based: Uncheck this. (This is used to plot specific symbols at specific colors and sizes based on measured values.)
   5. Images: Uncheck this. (This is used to plot small images at the map locations.)
      
5. Symbol Labels: Check this option to include labels with the symbols, and click on the tab to access the options.
   1. Content: Use this tab to choose label location and content.
      • Plot Label: Northeast: Check this. Set the Data Column to ID. This tells the program to plot sample ID labels to the northeast of the symbols. Set the Text color to black and the Background color to yellow.
      • Plot Label: Southeast: Check this. Set the Data Column to the Elevation column. This tells the program to plot the elevations to the southeast of the symbols. Set the Text color to black and the Background color to light blue.
      • Plot South Label, Plot Southwest Label, etc: The remaining Plot Label check-boxes should be cleared.
   2. Dimensions: Click on this tab.
      • Automatic Offset: Uncheck this. (Note, though, that this is a very nifty tool to use in your own work. It prevents overplotting in crowded maps.)
      • Font Size: 1.0
      • Initial Offset: 1.0
      • The remaining default label options should work well. (horizontal orientation with frames and leader lines.)
      • 
        
6. Next, set up the other map layers which are listed to the left.
   1. Background Image: Uncheck.
   2. Labeled Axes: Check this and click on the tab to view the options (axis text, etc.).
      1. Dimensions: Choose Project Dimensions.
      2. The remaining defaults should be fine.
   3. Map Overlays: Uncheck this.
   4. Other 2D Files: Uncheck.
   5. Peripherals: Uncheck.
   6. Border: Uncheck.
      
7. Click the Output Options tab. Be sure the Display option is checked so that the map which is generated will be displayed on the screen. (In your own work, you might disable the display if this is part of a long playlist.) The Save and Export options can be unchecked.
   
8. Click the Continue button at the bottom of the window.

   RockWorks will create a simple point map. The symbols which are listed in the datasheet will be plotted at the X,Y coordinates specified for the sample sites. Each symbol will contain an ID and elevation label. The map borders will include tick-marks, coordinate labels, and titles.

   The completed map will be displayed in a RockPlot2D tab, where 2-dimensional maps and diagrams are displayed. RockPlot2D contains printing, exporting, screen-digitizing and measuring tools, it allows you to combine images, and more. These are covered in the separate RockPlot2D tutorial.

9. Maximize the window if necessary (using the Windows Maximize button in the upper right corner of the window).
   
10. Move the cursor around the map window, and note that the X and Y coordinates listed at the bottom of the window are updated as you move. Use this feature to view the coordinates for any point on the map.
    
11. Locate the Layers pane to the right of the map. You can use the small X button to hide this pane, and the + button to re-display it.
    
12. Save this map :
    1. Click on the RockPlot2D File menu, and choose the Save option.
    2. In the File Name prompt, type in: point map   and click the Save button. RockPlot will save the map image under that name, with an ".Rw2D" file name extension.
       
13. Close this window using the X in the upper-right corner.
    

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