Tutorial: Export the Map and Insert it into a Document

Estimated time: 2 minutes.

You may export any image displayed in a RockPlot2D window to a different graphic format for opening into another software program or inserting into document or report. RockPlot2D offers a number of graphic expor formats. In this lesson, we will export the map from the previous lesson to a PNG format. The PNG file will then be inserted into a document using your regular word processor.

! It is necessary that you have completed the previous lessons before continuing. Click here to return to the beginning of this section.

1. Be sure the combined, edited point + contour map is displayed in the active RockPlot window. This window should have the name map with border.Rw2D. (If you need to re-open this map, go to the Project Manager tab or pane, expand the 2-D Diagrams heading, and double-click on this map name.)
   
2. Select the File | Export command and select the Raster option from the pop-up menu.
   
3. Click in the PNG option to choose this output format, and click on the tab to establish the output settings.
   
4. Enter the requested information:
   1. Output File Name: Enter map with border.png.
   2. Compression: Change this to Low. This causes the output file to be slightly bigger in size, but with less resolution loss.
   3. Dimensions Defined By: Choose Image Size where you will define the total number of pixels for the width of the image. Enter 1200.
   4. Show Output in Default Viewer: Uncheck this.
      
5. Click Continue to proceed. RockPlot2D will save the exported map in the project folder.
   
6. Insert the map into a document.
   1. If you have a word processor of any kind installed on your computer, launch it at this time.
      You can leave RockWorks running, with the map still displayed on the screen. If necessary, you can minimize both the RockPlot and RockWorks windows to access your word processor.
   2. If necessary, create a new document in the word processor using its File | New command. (Some will launch and open a new file automatically.)
   3. At the top of the new document, type in some introductory text, such as "This is my RockWorks map". Press the Enter key at the end of that line to advance to the next line in the document.

      Now, you can insert the PNG version of the RockWorks map into the document. The instructions below correspond to the commands in Microsoft Word; if you are running a different program, you'll need to modify the selections accordingly.

   4. In Microsoft Word click on the Insert menu and select Pictures. You may see an Insert Picture From This Device prompt - choose that.
   5. Browse to the RockWorks "Samples" folder, which is in your "Documents\RockWorks Data\" folder, and look for the file you just exported, named map with border.png.
   6. Click on that file name, and then click Insert to insert the picture into the document.

   Voila! The raster version of your RockWorks map is now displayed in your report to your client.

7. You may save the document using the word processor's File | Save.
   
8. Close the word processor and return to RockWorks for the next lesson, exporting the map to RockPlot3D.
   

Exporting 2D Plot Files

  Back to RockPlot2D menu     |     Next (export to Google Earth) 

RockWare home page