RockWorks | Utilities | Maps | Polyline Maps | Multiple (Advanced)
Use this program to read a listing of separate polyline files, each containing XY point coordinates, and display the polylines in a 2D map using a selected line style and color. Smoothing, labels, symbols, and hatchures are available. The map is displayed in RockPlot2D, where you can append it to other maps, etc.
See also:
Plotting Multiple Polylines - Simple if you need fewer display options.
Google Earth Polyline Maps for polyline maps output to Google Earth.
Menu Options
Step-by-Step Summary
Menu Options
- Input Columns: The prompts along the left side of the window tell RockWorks which columns in the input datasheet contain what data.
Click on an existing name to select a different name from the drop-down list. See a sample data layout below.
- Polyline Title: Select the column that contains the name for each polyline; this can be used as a label for the line, below.
- File Name: Column that contains the names of the external .rwDat files containing the polyline vertices.
Tip: use the File | Import | Create File List program to quickly create a list of specified file names.
- Line Style
- Fixed (Same for all Polylines): Choose this option to plot all of the lines in the same line style and color.
- Fixed Line Type & Color: Click to the right to select the line style, thickness, and color for all of the polylines.
- Defined by a designated column: Choose this option for each polyline to be plotted using the line style and color listed in the datasheet.
- Line Type Column: Click to the right to select the name of the column that contains the line type/color.
- Smoothing Factor: Enter 0 for no smoothing, 1 for slight smoothing, 2 for more smoothing.
- Label Polyline: Insert a check here to include labels along the length of the polyline, like a contour label.
- Polyline Title: Click to the right to type in the text to be shown as the label.
- Font Color: Click to the right to choose a color for the label text.
- Opaque Background: Check this box to plot the label against a colored background; expand this heading to choose the color.
- Spacing: Type in the spacing of the labels along the polyline, as a percent of the map width. The greater the value, the fewer the labels (the wider the spacing of the labels).
- Plot Symbols along Polylines: Insert a check here to include symbols along the length of the polyline.
- Type of Symbol: Choose the type of symbol by clicking in the appropriate radio button.
- Symbol Size: Click to the right to type in a size for the symbol, as a percent of map size.
- Symbol Spacing: Click to the right to type in the spacing for the symbols along the polyline as a percent of map size.
- Border: Check this to include a border around the polyline map which shows the coordinate range of the axes. Expand this heading to establish the border options.
Step-by-Step Summary
- Access the RockWorks Utilities program tab.
- Create a new datasheet and enter or import your X and Y coordinates into the datasheet.
Or, open one of the sample files and replace that data with your own. (In this example, the sample file = "RockWorks17 Data\ Samples\Polylines_Advanced_01.rwDat".)
You can use the Columns | Column Properties menu option to establish the file-name column (such as "Polyline XYZ File" shown above) as containing linked data, specifically another .rwDat file. Doing so allows you to double-click in one of the cells to display the contents of the linked file.
Each of the .RwDat files listed here needs to list the X and Y coordinates for the vertices of a single polyline:
Longitude and latitude coordinates must be in decimal format. If you're using another coordinate system, be sure you've specified the Units and the Projection Settings as appropriate.
- Select the Map | Polyline Maps | Multiple Polylines (Advanced) menu option.
- Enter the menu settings as described above.
- Click the Process button to continue.
The program will construct line segments between the coordinate pairs in each listing, in the line color, style, and thickness you specified. The completed map will be displayed in a RockPlot2D tab in the Options window.
- You can adjust any of the settings in the Options window and then click the Process button again to regenerate the map.
! Each time you click the Process button, the existing display will be replaced.
- View / save / manipulate / export / print the map in the RockPlot2D window.
Back to Map Menu Summary
RockWare home page