This is an excerpt from Exercise 10, Scaled Output and the Layout Window, of the course manual provided

for the McElhanney course MapInfo Professional and Encom Discover Mineral Exploration Module 1. Scaled Map Output
What is Scaled Output? In order to create a scaled plot you will need to first create a Layout window. Scaled Output is a Discover utility that allows you to generate a MapInfo layout window through the use of a wizard. The wizard allows you to specify the map scale, layout frame size, map grid parameters and map title-block details, before the layout is created. An option exists to have a scale bar created automatically. In this exercise you will create 1:100,000 scale layout of the map window with the RGS_92G, Minfile_92G and other layers. The legend will be added to the layout window after the layout has been created 1. Set the map window to be the active window. 2. On the main menu click Discover > Scaled Output. The first Scaled Output Step 3 Step 4 window will open. 3. Set the Map Scale to 1:100000. 4. Set the Frame Setup to ANSI C Landscape. 5. Check the box for Draw Grid. Step 8 6. Select Titleblk from the TitleBlock list. 7. Select ScaleBar 1 from the Scalebar list. 8. Click the Configure button. In the configuration window you will see an area where you can set Max Window Dimensions. This controls the maximum size of the map window that will be Step 9 created in the next step of the scaled output process. If you are using a laptop, set the max window size to 150 mm for both width and height. If you are using a large monitor, you can set these values to higher numbers (250 is the suggested maximum). The Scaled Output configuration window can also be used to set custom layout frame sizes (Frame Height and Frame Width). Click OK to close the Configuration window.

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9. In the main Scaled Output window, click the Preview button. This will place a rectangular frame object (the MapSize table a temporary file) in the map window. This area corresponds to the area that will be plotted, according to the current paper-size and scale settings. (It is possible to create your own rectangle before running scaled output. If the rectangle is selected before scaled output is started, it will be assumed that the rectangle corresponds to the area that you wish to print. This is handy when you have to plot maps of the same area many times). Do not be concerned about the position of the MapSize object yet you can quantitatively set the position of this object using the Set Map Position button, or you can manually adjust the position of the rectangle in the next step. If the MapSize object is too large or too small, adjust the scale and paper-size if (if you make any changes at this point, click the preview button again to update the map window). 10. Click OK. 11. If required, use the select tool to move the MapSize rectangle. The area of the map that appears within the rectangle is the area that will appear later in the layout. Do not adjust the size of the rectangle, as this will MapSize preview alter the scale and dimensions of the printed rectangle. Move this to outline the map.
area you want to plot.

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At this point, if the MapSize object is too large or too small (related to the scale and frame size that were chosen earlier), you can change it by going to the main menu and clicking Scaled Output > Respecify Parameters. If the MapSize rectangle is satisfactory click Scaled Output > Accept Map Position. At this point, Discover will fit the map window to the extent of the MapSize rectangle (which is now closed). The size of the fitted map window corresponds to the Max Window Dimensions that were set earlier in the configuration window, in step 8. Adding a Map Coordinate Grid At this stage of the Scaled Output process, the Overlay Map Grid window will appear. The coordinate system (Map Projection) of the map window is displayed at the top of the window. If you choose the Auto option, a grid in this coordinate system will be created. You can create a grid for another system by choosing User Defined. The Custom Coordsys option allows you to create a grid in a local (property grid) system, but you will need a table of control points for this (explained in the next course).

Step 12

12. Set the following parameters. Grid Spacing = 10,000 m, Grid Style = lines, Label size = 8, change the line style to a Step 13 solid dark-blue line. Check the box for Place labels in mask polygon outside Step 14 map frame. This will place labels in a frame outside of the map area, preventing labels from overlapping map objects. 13. Click the Other Label Options button. Set the Label every grid line to 1. If you want to only label every second grid line (every 20,000 m), set select 2 instead of 1. Step 13 Click OK to return to the Overlay Map Grid window. 14. On the Overlay Map Grid window click the Save As button and save the grid as (for example) MapGrid_UTM83_10km.TAB. Save the new file to the Layout folder. If you skip this step, MapInfo will create a temporary file for the grid, resulting in problems down the road. As in the first step of the Scaled Output process, you can click the Preview button to view the results in the map window, and make changes to the grid settings if required.

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15. Click OK to create the map grid. If you chose the option to place the labels in mask polygon outside map frame, a MapGrid_UTM83_10km_mask.TAB file will also be created. This table consists only of a rectangular frame. The function of the frame is to isolate grid labels from map objects that would otherwise conflict with them. Creating a Map Title Block The last step before the layout is created is to fill out the details of the title block (A title block can be created at any time Step 1 outside of Scaled Output through Discover > Map Making Create Custom Step 2 title Block) 1. Enter an appropriate title for the map and fill out the details for Author, Office and Drawing. The coordinate system, scale and date information will automatically be added to the title block. 2. Click the Save As button and save the file as TTL_Squamish_Cu.tab, in the Layout folder. 3. Set the position to Bottom Right Inside and set the TitleBlock Scale to 1:1. (See section on Title Block Scales below). 4. Set the option for Show ScaleBar in Titleblock. There is also an option at the bottom of the window that will allow you to display a list of layers (tables) use to make the map. 5. Click OK. After creating the title block, Discover will create a layout window with the scaled map frame and the title block frame. 6. Save a Workspace file now; call it Exercise10.WOR.

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Layout Frames How Are They Linked to Other Windows?

The layout window consists of layout frames. Each layout frame is linked to another window in MapInfo. The frame with the map is linked to the original map window that was used when Scaled Output was started. The frame with the title block is linked to a minimized title block map window. Any changes that you make to these map windows will show up in the layout frames, including changes involving zooming and panning (which may ruin the composition of your layout). If you need to edit anything in any window linked to a layout, you will avoid problems in the layout if you clone the map or title block windows first. The layout frames will not be linked to the cloned windows, but edits made to tables in the cloned windows will also show up in the original map windows and the layout window.

Restore Map Window

The Scaled Output menu has a function called Restore Map Window. Clicking this option restores the size, center and geographic extent of the map window that were present at the time the layout was created. This function is useful if you inadvertently change a map window that is linked to a frame in a layout window. This function is only available when Scaled Output is running. Saving a workspace file is the only thing that will save your layout and map window state for future use.

Saving and Restoring a Standard Map View

Though not part of the Scaled Output wizard, Discover has a very useful function call Standard Views, which allows you to restore the size and geographic position of a map window. This performs the same function as Restore Map Window, but it can be called at anytime (for example, when Scaled Output is not running, and Restore Map Window is not available). To use Standard Views: 1. Select the map window for which you would like to save a view. 2. Click Discover > Map Window > Standard Views. 3. Click the Add button and enter a name for the view. When you need to restore a view, open the Standard Views window, select the view you need to restore, and then click Restore View and Size. If you save a standard view for a window linked to a layout frame, you can quickly restore the view in the layout frame by restoring the view in the map window. Editing Map Grids When a map grid is created, some of the labels may need to be edited, or deleted if they are not necessary. If the grid is displayed within a layout window, zooming into the map window to edit the grid labels will ruin the composition of the Layout frame. To avoid problems like this, clone the map window (right click within the map window and then select clone view) and edit the labels within the cloned window, the layout will not be affected. Once the changes have been made you can close the cloned window. Alternatively, if you have saved a standard view (see above) that

Step 3

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corresponds to the map window as it was when the layout was created, you dont need to clone the map window; just restore the standard view after editing the grid. Adding Additional Layout Frames Any open window (browsers, legends, maps window etc.) can be added to the Layout window with the use of the MapInfo Add Frames tool. To use the Add frames tool, in the area of the layout that you would like to add an object to (for example, a legend) drag the mouse diagonally while holding down the left mouse button. When the rectangle has been drawn, the Frame Object window will automatically appear. You can load any open window into the frame, using the Window dropdown list in the Frame Object window. 1. Click the Add Frames tool and draw a rectangle in the upper right of the layout map window frame. Add the Geology_Legend to the layout. Place the legend above the title block.
Frame added for geology legend.

You will need to add a separate frame in order to display any thematic legends that may be present. When adding a thematic legend to a layout it is helpful to first make note of the window title of the thematic legend, and the name of the map it is associated with. You will need to know the window title of the legend when adding the legend to the layout. This is easiest done in the Layer Control, where the map window titles are displayed. Note that if you use the Layer Control to rename a map window, the name of the thematic legend associated with that window will also change. This can be used to great advantage when adding frames to a layout, where you will be required to pick map and legend names from the window list on the Frame Object window. The matter is greatly simplified when the Map window is named Squamish Copper Map and the thematic legend window is name Legend of Squamish Copper Map 1. Create another frame in the Layout window and add the thematic legend.

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How to Fit a Window into a Layout Frame Unless the layout frame you create has exactly the same width to height ratio as the window you are adding to it, the contents of the layout frame will not look the same as the contents of the window. For example, all objects in the legend window may be visible, but the legend in the layout appears cut off or too small. One way to fix this problem is to create the layout frame exactly how you want it to look, and then vary the width or height (no need to do both, changing one is enough to change the ratio) of the linked window (legend, map etc) until the contents of that window properly fit the frame. You can also use Discover > Map Making > Add Scaled Frame to Layout.

Another frame was added for thematic layers legend.

Layout Frame Properties

Layout properties can be accessed and changed by right clicking the within the layout. Properties of a specific frame can be changed by double clicking the frame, and also by selecting the frame then right clicking it. If you want to, for example, create a bold border for a frame, select the frame and click the region style tool; the styles of frames can be set in the same manner that you would set polygon styles. In the image of the layout above you will notice that the thematic legend has an invisible border (to create a seamless appearance with the geology legend); this was created by setting the border style of the thematic frame to N (for null). If you just need to move a frame, you can select it and drag it. Frames cane be resized by dragging their corners. However, this will alter the scale of scaled frames. McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd. 2012

Applies to entire layout

Applies to selected frames

Always show frame contents makes fitting windows to layout frames much easier.