CUBIZEN: Global Mapper, CityEngine & Creative Tech

In this guide, we will explore how to style the appearance of each element. Topics not directly related to styling will be covered in future tutorials.

Creating and Styling Area Features

Step 1: Creating an Area Feature

First, please create an Area on the main screen. Once you finish drawing it, the Modify Feature Info window will appear as shown below.

• Name: Set the name of the object.
• Feature Style: You can apply a pre-defined style or create and save a new one.

Pre-defined Area Feature Styles

Using Pre-defined Styles

Pre-defined styles can be selected from the "Feature Type" dropdown list. You can choose from various categories like Cropland, Golf Course, Lake, etc.

Simply select the desired item from the listbox shown above.

Creating and Saving Your Own Style

If you want to create a custom style and save it for future use, click on "Create New Type...".

In the Area Type Information Setup window, you can define your custom style.

• Type Name: Enter the name of the style you want to save.
• Fill Pattern: Set the internal hatch style. "Color" determines the color of the hatch lines.

Hatch Patterns and Border Configuration

Types of Hatch Patterns

There are many options available, such as Solid Fill, Cross-Hatch, Diagonal Cross-Hatch, Sand Pattern, etc. Choose the one that fits your needs.

• Border Style: Choose the style of the outer boundary line (Solid, Dash, Dot, Railroad, etc.).

• Width: This sets the thickness of the boundary line. You can specify the units. "Color" sets the border color.
• Transparency: Sets the opacity of the hatch. Note that this does not apply to the border line. Use the slider to adjust.
• Show Label for Areas of this Type: Choose whether to display the label. We will cover labels in detail later.

After making your selections, click OK to close the style creation window. Then click OK in the Modify Feature Info window.

As you can see, the appearance has changed according to the settings selected.

Temporary Style Customization

If you don't need to register a style permanently in the list, you can use the "Specify Style to Use When Rendering Feature" option and click "Customize Style...".

This opens the Select Area Style window. Unlike the "Create New Type" window, there is no field to enter a name because this is for temporary use.

Streamlining the Process: Auto-Apply Settings

If you draw an additional feature and want to apply the same style used for the previous one, you can click "Apply Settings from Previous Feature" in the Modify Feature Info window.

The new feature will be drawn with the exact same style as the first one.

If you want to skip clicking "OK" every time and have the style applied automatically as you draw, check the "Automatically apply these settings to new features of the same type" box.

A "Tip" window will appear. Check "Don't Show This Again" and click OK. From then on, the Modify Feature Info window won't pop up, and features will be drawn automatically with the selected style. Note that this is separate for Areas, Lines, and Points.

Disabling Auto-Apply Feature Creation Settings

How to Disable Auto-Apply

If you wish to disable this option, right-click on the main screen and navigate to Options -> Feature Creation Options....

Simply uncheck "Area Features" (or Line/Point features if applicable) and click OK.

Summary and Best Practices

Style settings in Global Mapper are almost overly simple. You just set the hatch, border, thickness, color, and transparency. The advantage is that you don't have to overthink how to make it look "pretty." The remaining aspects have both advantages and limitations depending on the workflow.

Next time, we will cover Line styling followed by Point styling. I will address everything regarding Labels once we finish with the basic styles.

That's it for today! This concludes a concise overview of Area styling in Global Mapper.