HDMapper™ Route Maps
Q: How can I show the routes of my point to point paths in HDMapper?
A: With TAP6.0.2296 or later and a Maintenance Subscription date of March 31, 2009, or later, you can create a shapefile layer of path route maps.
Note that all values in this example are for demonstration purposes only. You should determine appropriate settings for your application.
With TAP6.0.2423 or later and a Maintenance Subscription date of November 30, 2011, or later, this function includes additional functionality.
For example, suppose you want to draw the routes of a couple of the demo paths. Start with a map of the Denver and Colorado Springs area:
You can click the Path Routes button,
Or you can select from the Custom Layers menu and click on the Route Map Layer item:
You will be prompted for a shapefile name. Select or enter a file name for the shapefile.
The default folder is the “Link Route Files” folder below the directory where TAP is installed. Once the shapefile has been created it can be loaded into other maps as well.
After the shapefile has been selected, the “Paths to Write” form is displayed. This form enables you to create multiple paths to add to the shapefile layer. Click the Add button to create a new path record.
A form will be displayed to enter the end point information about a path. You can enter the description and coordinates manually, or you can lookup records from the TAP Fixed Facility Database. Click the Fixed Facility Lookup button to open the database.
Use the Fixed Facility interface to select the record you want (you can also create a new record from this interface). When you have the record you want selected, click the Continue button.
The facility description and site information will be added to the form.
Enter or lookup the other end point for the path. When both endpoints of the path are displayed, you can enter a description of the path.
Click the continue button when you have the desired path information.
The path will be added to the list of paths to write to the shapefile.
You can add multiple paths to the list. The paths may or may not be connected to each other.
Since all these paths will be added to the same shapefile layer, all the paths will have the same graphic properties (color, line width, etc.) If you want to add paths and then be able to show them in different colors or other distinctions you can create multiple layer shapefiles containing different paths.
When you have the paths you want, click the continue button. The new layer will be added to the map:
Since the route map is a normal shapefile layer you can change the color and line style, add labels, adjust the layer order, etc., as with any other shapefile layer.
If you want to add more paths you can click the Path Route button (or menu) again.
If you want to add the new routes to the same shapefile you can select that file.
However, note that if the file where you want to add the path routes is already open as a layer in the map, the following message is displayed.
You can click OK and the program will automatically remove the layer and close the file so you can add more records.
If you select a shapefile that already exists, you will be prompted with a warning that new paths will be added to the same file.
You can also select another existing shapefile:
The existing file warning will be displayed:
Generally, only shapefiles created with the Path Route function can be used to add routes. If you select another existing shapefile from some other source, the following message will be displayed.
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