MapViewer
6 FAQ Version
History
This page covers frequently asked questions about
MapViewer Version 6.
Q1. How can I get the latest
version of MapViewer?
Q2. Which versions of Windows
are supported by MapViewer?
Q3. When I open MapViewer, I
am prompted to enter a serial number. Where do I find my serial number?
Q4. I cannot uninstall
MapViewer 6.
Q5. Is Technical Support
free?
Q6. My pin map labels are
overlapping, how can I move some of the labels?
Q7. How do I change the map's
data file?
Q8. My symbols are running
together in my symbol maps. What can I do about this?
Q9. When I print my map, the
patterns appear as grayscale. How do I fix this?
Q10. I do not like how my
[pie chart, bar map, symbol, line graph, posted data] is positioned
relative to its boundary. How do I move it?
Q11. How do I utilize the
georeferencing information associated with a georeferenced bitmap?
Q12. I would like to use
international characters in my text strings in MapViewer.
Q13. How can I create custom
symbols for MapViewer?
Q14. I have invested in
Adobe typefaces. How do I use these typefaces with Golden Software
products?
Q15. I have a lot of
information in my data files for my maps. Is there any way to speed up the
processing of the information when making the map?
Q16. When I import a map
onto an existing map, the imported map is not in its proper position. What
am I doing wrong?
Q17. When I select an area
and try to crop a bitmap with it, the Image | Crop Bitmap command
is inactive. What am I doing wrong?
Q18. I want to use two
different map types (e.g., a density map with a hatch map) and display
them on the same map, but MapViewer only lets me select one map type at a
time. How can I display more than one type of map?
Q19. How do I change the
name of a Primary ID on my map?
Q20. I have a map of the
United States counties, how do I show the state boundaries around them?
Q21. How do I create custom
boundaries?
Q22. How do I limit a map
using an ellipse, circle, rectangle, or rounded rectangle?
Q23. I have a bitmap in the
map window that is not part of the map itself (such as a company logo).
When I change the projection of the map, the bitmap behaves as if it is
part of the map and turns to nonsense. How can I change a map's projection
without altering the bitmap?
Q24. When I try to create a
map, MapViewer says "There is no valid numeric data (within limits)
in column __, or PID is invalid." What causes this?
Q25. How do I create an
Encapsulated PostScript file with MapViewer?
Q26. How do I create a PDF
file with MapViewer?
Q27. I have sent a GSB file
to a colleague. When they try to use the GSB file, they get an error
message stating that the file "does not appear to be in the correct
format."
Q28. I have pasted my
MapViewer map into another program and part of the map is missing.
Q29. I have added graticules
to my map and have checked the Place graticules under map option,
but my graticules still appear on top of the map. How can I place the
graticules behind the map?
Q30. I want to show my map
to someone without MapViewer. Do you have a viewer this person can
download?
Q31. Where can I find
boundary files?
Q32. I have pasted a map
into Word and the bottom and right side of the graphic is slightly cut
off.
Q33. I am having a problem
printing ("Out of global memory" error, only a portion of the
map prints, etc.).
Q1. How can I get the
latest version of MapViewer?
A. Minor updates (e.g., version 6.00 to 6.01) may be downloaded for free
if your serial number is registered. Connect your computer to the
Internet, then click the Help | Check for Update command in
MapViewer. This will download the latest patch and install it on your
machine. Information about the latest version is listed on the Version
History page.
If you experience any problems with this
command or would like to download the full version of the updated
software, please email your registered MapViewer 6 serial number to mapviewersupport@goldensoftware.com.
Once your serial number is verified, we will send you download
instructions.
Major upgrades (e.g. version 5 to version
6) cost US$79 plus shipping. Refer to the order
form for more information.
Q2. Which versions of
Windows are supported by MapViewer?
A. MapViewer works with Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP or higher. Windows NT
Version 4 with Service Pack 6 or higher is not specifically disallowed,
but is no longer supported. MapViewer 6 will not allow installation on
Windows 95.
Q3. When I open
MapViewer, I am prompted to enter a serial number. Where do I find my
serial number?
A. Your serial number is located on the inside front cover of your
MapViewer 6 Getting Started Guide. Enter the serial number exactly as it
appears on the card. Beginning with version 4 of MapViewer, once a serial
number has been entered, you can also find your serial number by using the
Help | About MapViewer command.
Q4. I cannot uninstall
MapViewer 6.
A. When MapViewer is installed, several original source files are copied
to a directory on your hard drive. These files are necessary to uninstall
the software. If these files are deleted, the software cannot be
uninstalled. To uninstall MapViewer, reinstall the previous version, then
go through the uninstall process using the Control Panel.
Q5. Is Technical
Support free?
A. Yes, Technical Support is free to all users for as long as you own the
product. You must register
your product in order to receive technical support. You can reach
technical support by phone,
fax, or email.
Q6. My pin map labels
are overlapping, how can I move some of the labels?
A. You can click on the label and drag it to a new location in MapViewer 5
or 6.
Q7. How do I change the
map's data file?
A. Use the change file button 
and select a new data file. If you have any user-defined settings (e.g., a
hatch map with user-defined classes), you may need to reset them if the
data ranges are different.
Q8. My symbols are
running together in my symbol maps. What can I do about this?
A. Make sure the symbol line color is different from the symbol fill
color. Open the symbol map properties, click the button in the symbol
group, and then check the line and fill colors in the symbol properties
dialog box. It can also be useful to make sure that boundary objects with
small data values are arranged to the top of the drawing order, so that a
small symbol isn't obscured by a larger one. Use Arrange | Sort Objects
to sort objects by the linked data value.
Q9. When I print my
map, the patterns appear as grayscale. How do I fix this?
A. In the pattern dialog box, the pattern name is listed at the top of the
box followed by the pattern type. Use Stock patterns with Simulate
stock hatch patterns checked in Tools | Options | General, or
use Vector patterns and adjust the Scale Factor until the pattern prints
properly. Do not use Bitmap patterns when printing to high-resolution
printers or plotters as they will appear as grayscale rather than as
patterns.
Q10. I do not like how
my [pie chart, bar map, symbol, line graph, posted data] is positioned
relative to its boundary. How do I move it?
A. These map items are positioned relative to the boundary object's
centroid. To move them:
- Select the area or curve for the map
item you want to move.
- Select Boundary | Move Centroids.
- The cursor changes into a four arrow
cursor and a cross appears on the area or curve. Click the cross and
drag it to the desired location. The related map item will be placed
on the new location.
Q11. How do I utilize
the georeferencing information associated with a georeferenced bitmap?
A. To import a georeferenced bitmap, use the Map | Base Map command
to open the Import Boundary File dialog. In this dialog, check the Specify
import options check box and then choose your bitmap file. In the
following Bitmap Import Options dialog, choose the bitmap
georeferencing source from the Spatial Reference list. Click OK
and the bitmap is loaded with georeferenced coordinates.
REMEMBER! The Specify import options check
box must be enabled to utilize georeferencing information.
Q12. I would like to
use international characters in my text strings in MapViewer.
A. MapViewer was designed to use English characters. Double-byte and
16-bit Unicode international characters are not supported in Golden
Software products.
Q13. How can I create
custom symbols for MapViewer?
A. Since MapViewer can use any TrueType font on your system for symbols, a
TrueType font editor will let you create your own symbol sets. There are
numerous font editors available. Two that we have heard of people using
are:
Softy
(shareware), and
TypeTool from Pyrus (commercial)
You can also use the Altersym
editor from the DOS versions of Surfer and Grapher to create symbols.
Q14. I have invested
in Adobe typefaces. How do I use these typefaces with Golden Software
products?
A. Since Golden Software's applications are 32-bit, we only support the
TrueType scalable typeface technology. If you have a significant
investment in Adobe Type 1 faces (i.e., you are using ATM under Windows),
we recommend converting them to TrueType format so they may be used with
Golden Software products. Not only will you be able to use them with our
software, you will be able to use them with any Windows program. We
recommend TypeTool by Pyrus for this
purpose.
Q15. I have a lot of
information in my data files for my maps. Is there any way to speed up the
processing of the information when making the map?
A. There are two ways you can improve the processing speed when making a
map with a lot of data.
- To optimize the speed of the worksheet
data searching and calculation, one should sort the worksheet
according to the PID column in ascending order before creating a map.
The sorted worksheet helps MapViewer find a cell much faster. If the
data are used repeatedly, it is a good idea to save the data after it
is sorted. All worksheet files distributed with MapViewer are already
sorted according to the first column.
- Another factor that affects the speed of
worksheet data searching and calculation is having unlinked data. You
can remove the data rows not linked with the map (except the column
header row) from the worksheet by using the Edit | Delete Unlinked
Data command in the worksheet window. If possible, also remove the
boundaries not linked to worksheet data.
Q16. When I import a
map onto an existing map, the imported map is not in its proper position.
What am I doing wrong?
A. When you import a map into an existing map window, make sure that the Append
image check box is checked in the Import Boundary File dialog
box. This will align the coordinates of the maps.
Q17. When I select an
area and try to crop a bitmap with it, the Image | Crop Bitmap command is
inactive. What am I doing wrong?
A. To crop a bitmap with an area object, you need to select both the area
object and the bitmap you wish to crop. To select multiple objects, hold
down the Shift key while clicking on each object in the map window or hold
down the Ctrl key while clicking in the Object Manager. Once both objects
are selected, the Image | Crop Bitmap command should be available.
Q18. I want to use two
different map types (e.g., a density map with a hatch map) and display
them on the same map, but MapViewer only lets me select one map type at a
time. How can I display more than one type of map?
A. MapViewer lets you combine as many map types as you want. However, you
can only have one map type per layer. Create one map type on the existing
layer. Then, click the New Layer toolbar icon or use the Map |
Layers command to open the Layers dialog. In the Layers
dialog, click the New Layer button, then OK. You can then
create the second map type on the new layer.
Q19. How do I change
the name of a Primary ID on my map?
A. Changing a Primary ID is simple to do in MapViewer.
- Import the base map that you would like
to change.
- Click on the area to be renamed.
- Enter the new Primary ID in the Object
Manager PID field or click on the object to select it and enter the
PID in the Object Descriptions section of the Property Inspector.
You will have to manually edit the primary
ID in all worksheets associated with the map as well.
Q20. I have a map of
the United States counties. How do I show the state boundaries around
them?
A. StCounty.gsm in the MapViewer Samples folder is an example showing
counties and state outlines for several contiguous states. To create a map
like this:
- Create or import your county map(s).
Counties2000.gsb contains all the counties in the U.S.; Ak2000.gsb
through Wy2000.gsb contain counties for the individual states.
- Create a new map layer (Right-click and
choose Create New Layer from the popup menu or use the New Layer
toolbar icon.)
- Import a map of the U.S. into this new
layer. US50ll.gsb is a map of the 50 states.
- Change the line color and thickness of
the state outlines, and make sure the color fill pattern is set to None.
Q21. How do I create
custom boundaries?
A. If your base map needs are not met by any digital map you have found in
MapViewer or elsewhere, then you will need to create your own base map.
There are several ways of doing this in MapViewer. Let's say you have
areas defined by several counties, and you want to combine them into one
area.
- Select multiple counties by holding down
the SHIFT key while you click on each county.
- Once you have selected the all the
applicable counties, go to Boundary | New Boundaries | Union of
Areas. This command creates a new boundary that shows only the
outer edges of the county boundaries you selected. Please refer to the
online help for more information on Union of Areas options.
- Once you have created the new area,
assign it a Primary ID using either the Property Inspector or the
Object Manager.
New areas can also be developed using the
Draw | Area command. If you have some sort of base map to go on, you can
simply draw areas on your screen free hand. If your areas follow along
objects already in the map, you can trace the line exactly by holding down
the CTRL key and dragging the pointer along that line.
If you have a paper map with the boundaries
or if you have a lot of digitizing to do, we recommend using Didger
to accomplish this task.
Q22. How do I limit a
map using an ellipse, circle, rectangle, or rounded rectangle?
A. To use a symmetric shape object (rectangle, circle, ellipse, etc) for
defining map limits, you must first convert the symmetric shape to an
area. To do this, select the symmetric object and use the Boundary |
Change Boundary Type | Symmetric Shape to Area command to convert it
to an area object. Now you can select the area object and use the Map |
Limits command to limit the map to the extents of the object.
Q23. I have a bitmap
in the map window that is not part of the map itself (such as a company
logo). When I change the projection of the map, the bitmap behaves as if
it is part of the map and turns to nonsense. How can I change a map's
projection without altering the bitmap?
A. Use the Tools | Options command to open the Options
dialog. Check the Do not project bitmaps option to exclude bitmaps
from projection conversions.
Q24. When I try to
create a map, MapViewer says "There is no valid numeric data (within
limits) in column __, or PID is invalid." What causes this?
A. This error is usually an indication that the data file and boundary
file are mismatched, or that the data are text instead of numbers. Check
the Primary IDs for the base map in the Object Manager, then go to File
| Worksheet and check the Primary IDs in the data file. If the Primary
IDs do not match, then the map cannot be created.
If the Primary IDs do match, check the data
column used to create the map. If the data column is formatted as text, it
will be left justified. Text cannot be used to create a map. To easily
reformat the text in the data file as numbers, save the data file in an
ASCII format, such as comma-separated-value (CSV), and use this file to
create the map instead.
Q25. How do I create
an Encapsulated PostScript file with MapViewer?
A. Beginning with MapViewer 6, you can export a map directly to EPS format
using the File | Export command. The map is stored in the EPS file
as a bitmap.
An alternative way to generate an EPS file
is to print the map to a PostScript printer driver setup to print to a
file. Follow these steps:
- Click the Windows Start button.
- Select Settings then Printers.
- If you do not have a PostScript driver
installed, click the Add Printer icon. Follow the directions and add
any PostScript printer (usually PS appears in the printer driver's
title).
- Select FILE for the printer port.
- Open the printer properties by right
clicking on the printer and choosing Properties from the menu. Under
PostScript output format on the PostScript tab choose Encapsulated
PostScript (EPS).
- To create an EPS file from MapViewer,
choose File | Print and select the PostScript printer.
- Next, the Print to File dialog
box will be displayed. Enter the path and file name to use for the EPS
file. Make sure to use the .EPS extension on the file. Click OK
to write the map to an EPS file.
An EPS file produced in this manner does
not contain a bitmap preview. Some software applications, including
MapViewer, need this bitmap to display the image. If this is the case, use
another export format in MapViewer, such as the Windows Enhanced Metafile
(EMF), to generate the graphic to use in other software applications.
Q26. How do I create a
PDF file with MapViewer?
A. Beginning with MapViewer 6, you can export a map directly to PDF format
using the File | Export command. The map is stored in the PDF file
as a bitmap.
If you Adobe Acrobat installed, you can
also use it to create a PDF file. In that case, the PDF file is created
using the File | Print command. In the Print dialog box,
click the Name list down arrow and then choose Acrobat Distiller
or Acrobat PDFWriter from the list of printer drivers. Click OK
in the Print dialog box to create the file.
Q27. I have sent a GSB
file to a colleague. When they try to use the GSB file, they get an error
message stating that the file "does not appear to be in the correct
format."
A. The GSB file was created in a newer format than your colleague's
software supports. If you need to share GSB files with someone using older
versions of Golden Software products, export the file with the GSB Version
4 option.
Q28. I have pasted my
MapViewer map into another program and part of the map is missing.
A. If you have a multi-layer map, be sure to use the Edit | Copy All
Layers command to copy all the layers. If you have used Copy All
Layers and part of the map is still missing, you may need to edit the
map or change a setting in the map.ini file. If you are using Windows 98
or ME, this problem can occur when an area or curve has over 5000 vertices
(points). Use Boundary | Thin Boundary to thin out the number of
vertices to a number less than 5000. Alternatively, open the map.ini file
in the MapViewer folder and remove the semicolon from this line:
DecomposeMetafilePolygonThreshold=4000
Save the map.ini file and restart
MapViewer. Try the copy and paste again. If parts of the pasted map are
still missing, set DecomposeMetafilePolygonThreshold=1, save the map.ini
file, restart MapViewer and copy and paste again. If that does not help,
contact technical support.
Q29. I have added
graticules to my map and have checked the Place graticules under map
option, but my graticules still appear on top of the map. How can I place
the graticules behind the map?
A. If the map contains only polylines or unfilled polygons, you will be
able to "see through" the map to the graticules. Give the
polygons a fill color and pattern to obscure the graticule behind them.
Q30. I want to show my
map to someone without MapViewer. Do you have a viewer this person can
download?
A. The demo version of MapViewer can be used to view the map. The demo is
available at http://www.goldensoftware.com/demo.shtml
. All output capabilities have been disabled in the demo so the maps
cannot be altered. Alternatively, you can send them your map as a metafile
(EMF) or bitmap (TIFF, JPEG, etc.) since many programs read those file
types.
Q31. Where can I find
boundary files?
A. MapViewer boundary files and data files are located in the MapViewer
Samples folder, on the MapViewer CD-ROM, and are available for download
from our web site. If you do not find what you need on the CD-ROM, we
suggest searching the web for boundary files. Try starting with our Useful
Links page. The best formats for thematic mapping are Atlas Boundary
(BNA), ESRI Shapefiles (SHP+DBF), or ESRI ArcInfo Export Format (E00).
These formats carry Primary IDs, so you can create a thematic map with
them directly. Other formats such as AutoCAD DXF, metafiles, and bitmaps
can be used as reference maps, though they would have to be edited if you
need to make thematic maps from them.
Q32. I have pasted a
map into Word and the bottom and right side of the graphic is slightly cut
off.
A. Usually, these graphics print fine although they do not appear complete
in Word. To show the complete graphic in Word, add a white symbol at the
lower right corner of your map before copying it.
Q33. I am having a
problem printing ("Out of global memory" error, only a portion
of the map prints, etc.).
A. These symptoms indicate that the printer has insufficient memory. You
may be able to work around the problem by changing some of the printer
settings. Different printer drivers have different settings, but here is a
list of the most common remedies:
- Turn off print spooling.
- Change the print mode to
"raster" or "bitmap" to reduce the printer memory
requirements.
- Change the printer driver to use the
computer's memory instead of the printer's memory.
- PostScript drivers often require more
memory than non-PostScript drivers for the same printer. Change
drivers if possible and test the print results.
- Check for other compatible printer
drivers in your printer documentation. For example, the HP LaserJet 4
driver could be used with the LaserJet 5 printer.
- Enable the Page Protect mode if
available.
- Verify the version of your printer
driver and possibly update it. For example, the HP DesignJet 750C
driver version 4.33 requires 80% less memory than version 4.11.
- Turn off View | Auto Redraw to
free up additional memory.
- Resample the bitmaps in a graphics
program (Corel Draw, Paint Shop Pro, PhotoShop) to reduce the number
of pixels and color depth in the bitmaps.
If the remedies above do not help, please
contact technical support with the exact nature of the problem, your
operating system (i.e. Windows 98), the printer model, and the print
driver version number.
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