Tracing an existing map on paper or a image file.
Hi
I was wondering if there is a way to take a hand drawn map or a scanned map and use it to trace a map into CC3+. Maybe import it into CC3+ and then trace or copy the hand drawn map image and then delete it, leaving the CC3+ file with the identical paths?
Appreciate any Insite into this.
Comments
Yes. You can import the scanned image into your drawing using Insert File in the Draw menu.
First, make sure the image you want in your map is in the same folder as your FCW file, and keep it with the FCW file from that point on.
Second, make a new sheet and call it BITMAP, or TRACE, and pick or create a new layer by the same name. Make sure both are active in the status bar.
Then import your image. A dialog will open allowing you to browse to the file. When you have opened it you will need to click once to place the lower left corner, and a second time to place the top right corner, thereby scaling it to the size you want it.
Finally, You will need to add a Transparency sheet effect to the BITMAP sheet to control how opaque it is.
Don't forget that you can move the new BITMAP sheet up and down the list to put it in the right place to prevent it getting in the way.
Once I'm done doing this, I don't delete the image just in case I want to revisit it and not have to reimport and reposition it. However, simply hiding it where it is means that it's in the way. If you ever have to use "show all" sheets, it's back and in the way.
Instead, I move the image sheet to the bottom so it doesn't show, and it doesn't matter if it's visible. If I ever need it again, I can move it back to the top, and it will be in the same position and scale.
That’s a good idea, @KertDawg. I tend to hide the layer it’s on rather than the sheet, because I’m less likely to show all layers than I am to show all sheets. Another approach to keep it from showing inadvertently would be to add a 100% transparency.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8Fvz98lJ7Q&t=1749s
Hope this helps.
Cheers
Or, Move it to layer called <whatever> then set the layer to hide.
Note the three boxes by the layer name the first is to set the layer as the active one (the blue highlight), the middle box is to hide the layer, the third one freezes the layer.
Before you import the image file you want to trace to your CC3+ drawing, make sure you have a copy of the image file in the same folder as your CC3+ map. If you don't do this, you may well end up with a big red cross where your image file should be the next time you open it, because CC3+ can't find it any more.
There are other ways to avoid this happening, but keeping the files in the same folder is by far the easiest to tell you about quickly here.
I do this all the time, and it becomes second nature after only a short time; import, rescale, and get mapping!
Thank you everyone!