20020104: how to use the new MAP outline files in 7.8

>From: "Paul L. Sirvatka" <address@hidden>
>Organization: COD
>Keywords: 200201042259.g04MxBN21657 McIDAS-X MAP

Paul,

>Thanks for helping with the mcidas upgrade.

No worries.

>I understand that there are
>more road maps available. I just do not know how to use them. Any help?

Perhaps the best help would be some examples that you can use and build
on.

Here goes:

1) draw a map of the continental US in CONformal projection and overlay
   it with US Interstate Highways

   a) two step method

   SF 1
   ERASE
   MAP USACONF 1
   MAP SAT 7 FILE=OUTUSINT

   b) single step method

   SF 1
   ERASE
   MAP USACONF FILE=OUTLUSAM OUTUSINT MCOLOR=1 7

2) draw a map of IL in magenta and overlay it with interstates, US highways,
   and state roads all in different colors

   a) multistep method

   SF 2
   ERASE
   MAP IL PRO=CONF
   MAP SAT 7 FILE=OUTUSINT
   MAP SAT 4 FILE=OUTUSHIW
   MAP SAT 5 FILE=OUTSTRD

   b) single step method

   SF 2
   ERASE
   MAP IL PRO=CONF FILE=OUTLUSAM OUTUSINT OUTUSHIW OUTSTRD MCOLOR=1 7 4 5

3) much like the other examples, put up a map of FL counties and overlay
   it with a map of state outlines, but have the line width of the
   state outlines be 2

   SF 3
   ERASE
   MAP FL PRO=CONF FILE=OUTLCNTY MCOLOR=5
   MAP SAT 1 ST=FL WIDTH=2

4) Also try:

   SF 3
   ERASE
   MAP FL PRO=CONF ST=FL COU=ALL MCOLOR=5

   And:

   SF 3
   ERASE
   MAP FL PRO=CONF ST=FL COU=ALL MCOLOR=5 DOMAIN=YES
   MAP SAT FILE=OUTUSINT MCOLOR=7

Now, any map you can generate can be put into your MAP.USER file and
assigned a mnemonic so you can easily plot it.  Add the following to
your MAP.USER file:

ROADS  OUTLINEFILE=OUTUSHIW OUTUSINT OUTSTRD \
       PROJECTION=SAT \
       MCOLOR = 5 3 2

And then plot ROADS on top of another map:

SF 1
ERASE
MAP IL 1 PRO=CONF
MAP ROADS

Notice that you have to have some navigation in the frame before you can
plot the ROADS.  To illustrate the point, try putting up a satellite
image and plotting ROADS on top of it.

The new MAP outline files in the distribution go well beyond roads.
Here is the list:


OUTline file  Contents
-------------+---------------------------
OUTCANAL      US canals (NEW)
OUTLCNTY      US counties (reworked)
OUTRAIL1      US major railways (NEW)
OUTRAIL2      US secondary railways (NEW)
OUTRAIL3      US tertiary railways (NEW)
OUTSTRD       US state highways (NEW)
OUTTECTN      WORLD tectonic plates (NEW)
OUTUSHIW      US highways (NEW)
OUTUSINT      US interstate highways (NEW)
OUTUSRIV      US rivers (NEW)
OUTWOLAK      WORLD lakes (NEW)
OUTWORIV      WORLD rivers (NEW)


Tom