Creating symbols and "Symbol Definition"

Ciel

I am just non-stop questions today...

Okay so, for my rail system map, I'm creating new custom symbols as I go, by just putting together lines and polys to get what I need, and then - if it's something I know I will use repeatedly - using "Define Symbol." Now, the mapping guide for this Annual style recommends doing exactly this, but says to move your objects to the "COMMON" sheet before using "Define Symbol" on them.

For the first symbol I made, I forgot to do this; for the second symbol I made, I DID move it to the common sheet first. Both symbols seem to work fine as far as I can tell. Is moving the objects to the Common sheet before using "Define Symbol" important?

Secondly, I noticed at one point then when I hide the "Symbol Definition" layer, all the symbols that came with the annual style disappear... but my custom symbols stay visible. Is this a problem? Shouldn't ALL symbols disappear if the sym. def. layer is hidden? Did I do something wrong during the creation process?

Finally: if I want to save my custom symbols alongside some of the default symbols from this annual style, I can just pick multiple symbols from the list in Symbol Manager and then "Save as Catalog", right? And also save my custom symbols into a catalog by themselves to add to other maps made in different mapping styles (and then I could also save these custom symbols to catalogs alongside the default symbols from those styles). Does that all sound right?

Thanks!

Monsen

Symbols keep their layer when defined, and the entities should normally be put on the SYMBOL DEFINITION layer before you define them, this won't happen automatically. As for the Common sheet, that doesn't really matter that much, since sheet information is lost when defining the symbols, but having all entities on the same sheet is a good way of seeing that things look right, otherwise the actual entity order in the finished symbol may not be as you percive it since sheet ordering trumps entity ordering. Using Common is a good practice, because Common isn't a sheet at all, it is just all the entities that doesn't actually have a sheet, which is exactly the situation for a symbol definition.

For the catalog, yes. A good way to build a custom catalog wich includes existing symbols is to first make a catalog with your symbols, using save as catalog from the symbol manager. Then, open this new catalog up as a map (as opposed to in the symbol catalog window), and then open up the catalog with the symbols you want to insert in the symbol catalog window, clicking on each symbol once to import it into your own catalog. Then simply save it (using the normal save button this time, no need to to the symbol manager route every time).

Ciel

Thanks Monsen for that rundown! I should be all set regarding creating custom symbols for this map. It's something I hadn't done much of before, but I really wanted to use a different set of symbols than what came with the abstract style for station stops, so it was time to figure it out!