Global Mapper v25.0

wmf and dxf symbols

DGriffith
DGriffith Global Mapper UserTrusted User
edited July 2013 in Technical Support
I am having trouble importing symbols drawn in AutoCAD into Global Mapper. Despite what it says in the Help Manual under Point Styles REFERENCE GUIDE ALERT, GM doesn't read the .dxf files properly when they have solid fills. When loaded as symbols they are also upside down. Although I can also export these symbol drawings in .wmf format from AutoCAD, GM doesn't read .wmf files, only .emf files.

Is there a way to load .wmf files as symbols? If not is there another way to get my symbols from AutoCAD into GM? I realize I could use raster images, but I need the symbols to be sharp at various scales. I am using GM Ver. 14.2.3 and AutoCAD 2014.

I posted this earlier but it had several typos and perhaps wasn't as clear as it should have been.

Thanks in advance,
David

Comments

  • global_mapper
    global_mapper Administrator
    edited July 2013
    David,

    I think I responded to your earlier post, but what you can do is load the DXF directly into Global Mapper, then export to a Simple ASCII Text File using File->.Export->Export Vector Data. On export provide a Y scale factor of -1 to flip the Y direction if the DXF is flipped. Name the saved file with a .gm_sym extension, then add that as a custom vector symbol. This format will also be the easiest to understand and edit in a text editor.

    Thanks,

    Mike
    Global Mapper Guru
    geohelp@bluemarblegeo.com
    Blue Marble Geographics for Coordinate Conversion, Image Reprojection and Vector Translation
  • DGriffith
    DGriffith Global Mapper User Trusted User
    edited July 2013
    Mike,

    I can resolve the problem with the symbols being upside down, but the solid fills don't make it into the symbol.

    Attached is one of the .dxf symbols I am trying to use. Although I originally drew it in AutoCAD I cleaned it up in GM and the fills are now areas which are filled with a solid color. When I load it as a custom symbol the solid fill is missing. If I increase the line widths in GM of the perimeters of the areas that doesn't get shown when imported as a symbol either. I tried using the .gm_sym file extension but the results were the same.

    As always, thanks in advance for your help.
    David
  • global_mapper
    global_mapper Administrator
    edited July 2013
    David,

    What you can do is load it and flip it in Global Mapper, then edit the features with the Digitizer Tool and get the styles how you want, then save out a new simple ASCII text file. If they come in as lines you can convert them to area features.

    Thanks,

    Mike
    Global Mapper Guru
    geohelp@bluemarblegeo.com
    Blue Marble Geographics for Coordinate Conversion, Image Reprojection and Vector Translation
  • DGriffith
    DGriffith Global Mapper User Trusted User
    edited July 2013
    Mike,

    It is still not working the way I think it should. The problem is primarily with the solid fills which GM appears not to handle properly in a .dxf file. From the .dxf I exported a Simple ASCII Text file and edited it to make sure it was correct. When I open the Simple ASCII Text file in GM the graphic I want is correctly shown, including the solid fills. When I export it as a .dxf file and then open it in GM the solid fills are gone. When I add the .dxf file as a symbol the solid fills are gone. If I try to add the Simple ASCII Text file as a symbol all I get is a black dot.

    Since the graphic is correct when opened from the Simple ASCII Text file the problem appears to be that GM is not properly reading solid fills from .dxf files, both when opening them and when reading them as symbols.

    Attached are the Simple ASCII Text file and the .dxf file as produced by GM from the Simple ASCII Text file. If it can't be fixed is there a possible work around using vectors as I need scalable symbols.

    Thanks for all your help.
    David
  • global_mapper
    global_mapper Administrator
    edited July 2013
    David,

    Most area styles don't go to and from DXF very well as the DXF files out in the field use a bunch of different assumptions for area filling, so Global Mapper just brings them in as borders. What you need to do is just avoid DXF. After you have it converted to Simple ASCII Text with the style that you want, add the custom symbol from that text file rather than the DXF. Name your simple ASCII text file with a .gm_sym extension. Then all styles are supported since the simple ASCII text format can store everything in a way that Global Mapper understands.

    I think the part missing may be the file extension. Did you make the text file have a .gm_sym extension? That tells GM that it is the default simple ASCII text format for use as a symbol.

    Thanks,

    Mike
    Global Mapper Guru
    geohelp@bluemarblegeo.com
    Blue Marble Geographics for Coordinate Conversion, Image Reprojection and Vector Translation
  • DGriffith
    DGriffith Global Mapper User Trusted User
    edited July 2013
    Thanks Mike. That was it. When I changed the file extension on the .xyz file to .gm_sym it worked like a charm.

    You had mentioned that earlier but I misunderstood you then and thought that I had to change the .dxf file extension, which of course did not work.

    Many thanks for your great support.
    David