Any chance to add buffers to polylines / new layer

sktse

Hi,

Currently loving using your program. I like using it for design better than CAD because of the useful GIS coordinate support.

I'm curious though, currently the functionality of the buffer is that it creates a polygon and puts it in the User Created Features layer.

Since I need to use the buffer tool A LOT in my sculpting of contour lines, I was wondering if it was easy to have an option to:
- make the buffer as a line instead of polygon
- to put the final buffer lines/polygons in the layer of your choice (including a new layer), instead of always putting it in the User Created Features layer

That would be absolutely fantastic. And keep up the good work.

Mykle

While I am not at a computer with GM available, you MAY be able to select a layer while you are creating the buffer.  Or, you can use the digitizer tool to select your polygon, right-click and select EDIT, then specify an existing layer or to create a new layer for the area feature.  Also, you CAN convert a polygon to lines along the boundary.   Note that you can select a set of buffer polygons (especially if they are in a layer of their own) and convert all of them to lines in one step.  Maybe not perfect, but you can get to where you want to be with minimal effort. 

bmg_bob

Hello,

sktse said:

- make the buffer as a line instead of polygon

To clarify, do you want the buffer to be a closed line feature?  That is, the buffer feature would look the same as it does now, but would be a line instead of an area.

Cheers,
Bob

bmg_bob

sktse said:

- to put the final buffer lines/polygons in the layer of your choice (including a new layer), instead of always putting it in the User Created Features layer

We have an open feature request to standardize how we handle assigning new features to a layer.  The intent is to allow the user to choose an existing layer, create a new one, or use the User Created Layers any time he or she adds a new feature.  I have added your information to to this feature request, and we will post a message on this thread when the status of the request changes.

The comment from @Mykle is also on point.  You can change the area features to line features, and move new features out of the User Created Features layer pretty easily, but we should definitely have a consistent approach to the way that Global Mapper assigns new features to layers.  You should not have to perform additional work to get your features into the correct layer.

Cheers,
Bob