Automated Custom Artwork Installation
Monsen
Administrator 🖼️ 46 images Cartographer
I've found that I have collected a lot of custom artwork I use with CC3, and it has become a chore to copy all of it to the correct locations on each computer, and updating menu files, symbol catalog settings and such. Since CC3 maps only references the artwork, and doesn't embed it in the map, it is important that it is in the same location on each computer. Copying it to the CC3 directory is the best solution, because then you can use a relative location instead of an absolute one. I also like to create toolbar buttons for the various symbol packages, and like to have the same toolbar setup on all my computers.
So, I wrote an automatic artwork installer to handle this for me. I'm attaching it here if anyone else needs such a thing.
What this installer does is to copy all my custom artwork to the CC3 directory, configures my menu files and import required registry files. If I make a change to my desired config, I can just simply run it again on each computer and it will update the CC3 menus and stuff.
It is configured via an XML file, and should be reasonably flexible. You can specify exactly what to copy, and where to copy it, and which buttons you wish to add to your toolbar. Configuring it the first time is a bit of a job, but after that I find it quite helpful.
It does require .net 4.5 to run. If you don't have it, it should pop up a dialog pointing you to the download location. This is the first version, so if you find a bug, let me know.
So, I wrote an automatic artwork installer to handle this for me. I'm attaching it here if anyone else needs such a thing.
What this installer does is to copy all my custom artwork to the CC3 directory, configures my menu files and import required registry files. If I make a change to my desired config, I can just simply run it again on each computer and it will update the CC3 menus and stuff.
It is configured via an XML file, and should be reasonably flexible. You can specify exactly what to copy, and where to copy it, and which buttons you wish to add to your toolbar. Configuring it the first time is a bit of a job, but after that I find it quite helpful.
It does require .net 4.5 to run. If you don't have it, it should pop up a dialog pointing you to the download location. This is the first version, so if you find a bug, let me know.
Comments
Thus, the command "subst A: C:\Users\Eddie\MapArtCollection" could be executed to map the A: drive to the "C:\Users\Eddie\MapArtCollection" directory. Then the path to your art is "A:\NameOfFile.png". This command can be put into a batch file and run automatically at startup. Putting the art onto a new computer is a matter of copying the MapArtCollection directory to a new computer and creating an appropriate drive letter substitution.
This solution won't work for copying over config files or CC3 settings, though.
Your solution should be perfectly fine for most users though, and WAY simpler than using my tool, since that requires an initial detailed configuration.
Been a while since I've seen someone use the subst command though...
~Dogtag