Control window base maps
The control window base maps displays all base maps from the selected and displayed directory. The maps are displayed grouped in a tree view. The respective groups can be opened and closed as usual in the tree view.
Which maps are available?
- The main group are the standard maps delivered with easymap. They are sorted alphabetically by country and content. If different time periods are installed for a base map, they are displayed separately (see figure).
- If the selected directory also contains files in other file formats than the easymap standard format LTG (e.g. Shapefiles, project files from previous TerritoryManager versions, Refx files), they are each listed in a separate group.
- The group Demo maps contains all maps that can already be used with the demo version of the software. Some of them are also used in Tutorial.
- Another point are the background maps . These comprise two categories: grid maps and internet map services. raster maps are georeferenced images in the file format GeoTIFF (examples: height reliefs, shaded maps). To use the integrated Internet map services (e.g. Germany, background maps > Internet map services > BKG TopPlusOpen (D)) you need an internet connection. If you do not have an easymap standard map on the sheet, but only a background map, only analyses based on geographical coordinates are available.
- If the demo or full version of the road map add-on is installed, the group road maps (PTV) lists the available road maps.
- The group Other contains all *.LTGs that could not be clearly assigned to another group.
map catalogue
In our map catalogue you will find all available maps, which you can order directly from us. Just open the map catalogue by clicking. A new window will open Install maps and data. There you can go through our offer and directly call up the corresponding order form . If you have further questions about the product, please click on Inquiry. You will receive the contact details of your contact person.
The standard path of digital maps
The directory Default path of the digital maps is available, which displays the pre-installed maps and is defined during the installation. The path can be changed via the menu Extras > Options in the tab General to an alternative path.
The base maps can be inserted via Drag&Drop onto the sheet in the middle of the program window.
Selection of the base map
- First select a structure (e.g. Germany, postal), the time level and the details of the map (e.g. postal code areas) from the set path and the base maps offered to you.
- To insert a complete base map (consisting of an area level including complete topography), click on the heading above the individual content levels (e.g. "8205 postal code areas") and drag it with the mouse from the base map window onto the sheet in the map window (Drag&Drop).
- You can gradually add more layers. To insert a single layer (e.g. federal states - borders) drag it by Drag&Drop from the base maps window onto the sheet in the map window.
Insert via context menu or Insert menu
Further options for creating a new map and inserting base maps can be found in the context menu of the control window base maps and in the menu Insert.
If the sheet already contains a map, the new layers can be inserted either as additional layers in the existing map or as a new map on the sheet:
- base maps are inserted as additional layers into the existing map if the mouse button is released while the mouse is pointing at the map.
- base maps are inserted as a new map on the sheet if you release the mouse button outside the existing maps or if you release the mouse button on a map while inserting the map, but simultaneously press the Ctrl key on the keyboard.
Excel tables for base maps
For each base map (LTG) an Excel spreadsheet with important information about the base map is supplied as standard. The tables contain numbers and names of all areas of the respective base map. In addition, some other useful information is provided in these tables. For the postal code areas, for example, the assignment to the delivery postal code and a history of the area changes are contained. The table can be accessed via the control window base maps. Right-click on the map layer you want, and then click More Information. The appropriate table then opens. The Excel tables are saved by default in the standard path of the digital maps for the respective base maps.
Separation of topography and base map
Starting with edition 2014 the base maps, which are part of the easymap scope of delivery, only contain areas, boundaries and the labeling of the areas. The topographic contents (cities, highways, federal roads, rivers and lakes) have been removed and stored in separate base map files. This separation of the map contents allows optimal presettings for the scale dependent visibility of the objects. In the control window base maps this separation can be recognized by the fact that the topography is no longer listed with the areas.
In order to offer unchanged comfort despite the extraction of the topography, the new base maps files contain cross references to the corresponding topography files. When inserting a new base map, easymap asks you if you want to insert the corresponding topography. If you later insert further base maps that refer to the same topography, easymap will not ask you again. This prevents that the same topographic content is inserted unnecessarily multiple times.
For base maps that contain area levels, labels, boundaries and areas can be inserted separately starting with issue 2014. This can be useful, for example, if the circle borders, which are also country borders at the same time, are highlighted as country borders and you therefore only want to insert the labelling of the federal states.
All topographic content can be found in the control window base maps under Germany, topographic.
