Using trace on coastline

vroomfogle

I've got a problem using the trace function. I'm trying to create a new entity over a portion of my land mass by tracing the coastline. However, when I trace the entity it doesn't follow the coastline exactly, it only traces a handful of nodes along the coastline. I've attached a screenshot showing the problem.

JimP

In order to get detail in the trace, you have to make many clicks close together, in order to follow the detail.

However, using polygon, rather than smooth polygon, will help.

vroomfogle

I must be doing something else wrong, because even close together I still don't get the trace actually following the coast.

Bidmaron

Could you have snap to grid enabled? That can cause problems tracing.

vroomfogle

No, Snap is off. And I could use trace fine in one of the Annual example maps, but not with any of the tools in my map. They all do the same thing.

Joachim de Ravenbel

Just to be sure, your coast line is a single entity, yes ?

I generally prefer to duplicate the entity rather than using trace... The I use explode, node edit etc...

vroomfogle

Yes, the coastline is a single entity.

I'm wondering if it has anything to do with the number of nodes in my coastline, which was sketched and has a few thousand nodes. It's almost as if the trace function has a minimum distance between nodes and mine are too close together.

I think I may have to go the duplication route, although since I want to trace areas that are much smaller then the entire continent I don't think it is ideal.

Joachim de Ravenbel

Take care to put each duplicate on a new en empty sheet. Hide all over sheets. Explode duplicate. Erasing all unwanted part takes a few seconds. LTP (line to path) with what's left after optionnal trimming.
Now if you have a lot of duplicates to make, I agree that it's time consumming.

vroomfogle

Joachim, thanks, I hope that will work..but my first time copying to a new sheet caused a crash and now my file seems to be corrupt. Right clicking doesn't bring up a menu, and trying to access sheets causes a crash. I even deleted the sheet I copied to via command line and it still crashes. I've got a tech support ticket in now, so hopefully it can be fixed and I'll give this a try again.

My suspicion with trace is that it has a hardwired minimum node resolution, and anything higher than that resolution causes it to skip nodes....although just a guess.

JimP

My suggestion on future maps is to do a 'save as' filenameo1, make some changes, save as filename02, etc. That way if you want to back up 30 or 40 changes, or the map crashes, you have a backup.

If I were working on a new city, I would save as cityname01_001 Which means cityname version 1, map 001. I have gotten out to map 120, and decided to start over. So I went with cityname01b_001, etc.

That has prevented me from hair pulling more than once.

vroomfogle

JimP - I hear that....I actually had been saving as separate filenames but wouldn't you know it - I had done a ton of work before my last archive.

Monsen

Check the autosave.fcw file in your CC3 directory. It might contain a more recent copy, if it hasn't already been overwritten by another later autosave.

vroomfogle

My crashing problem, and the tracing problem, have been solved thanks to Linda and appear to be related.

I had too many smooth polys in my map. In addition, my coastline was a smooth poly which evidently doesn't work so well when you try to trace it. In other words - the trace function does not work as intended when tracing a smooth poly. I went back and tested this with a small polygon shape and confirmed.