Changing symbol setup in a Symbol Set
dagorhir
Traveler
I'm wondering if there is a to change the placement point and sheet of symbols in an existing symbols set. In my case it would be Symbol Set 4: Dungeons of Schley. There are several symbols that don't work properly.
For instance, many symbols which should have a placement point in the centre have it on the edge (i.e. columns). Which means you can't place them with snap on, making it difficult to place them in line correctly.
Another problem are torch sconces which are placed on the Symbols Walls sheet. In effect, they disappear in the glow of the walls as soon as the effects are turned on. I must manually move them to another sheet (i.e. Symbols Torches).
Comments
To change the insertion point of a symbol do the following:
If you want to change the sheet a symbol goes to automatically, select the symbol in the Symbol Manager, and click Options. It will let you change the destination sheet.
You can make the changes in the current drawing you are working on, if you want them only for that map. If you want them changed for all maps, open up the original symbol catalog they are contained in and make the same changes there.
Thanks Ralf, I will check that out. I couldn't find the option when I looked.
I've highlighted the option here.
How do I use the View -> Move Origin?
When I open the FSC file, all I see is a green background. I don't have any symbols visible. The symbols in the left bar are not related to the file I opened. If I open the symbols manager I see the correct symbols.
You need to open the Symbol Manager, pick the symbol, click the edit button, and open an edit window.
Is there a way to get the snap to align correctly with the edit window?
How do you mean?
After I open the edit window and do view->move, the grid snap in the window appears completely random compare to the symbol and there is no snap on the centre. Maybe I'm doing something wrong.
The grid snap in this particular one wasn't as bad, but still none on the centre. I've noticed that those I've edited already to have the origin on the centre have a good grid snap.
I think you mean "move origin", not the regular move tool. Just to be clear for anyone else reading the thread, the Move origin tool is in the View menu.
You can place the origin without using the snap grid - just judge the centre by eye.
There won't be an automatic snap grid point in the centre of symbols. The snap grid has it's origin in the origin point, the very point you are attempting to move, and you wanted to move it because it was at the edge and not the center of the symbol to begin width. If the origin is at the edge, there will only be a snap point in the center if it so happens that the distance to the center of the symbol aligns perfectly with the grid size which is just a luck thing. Snap grids are after all calculated as a fixed grid starting in the origin, not magically associated with the image. As Sue says, you'll have to judge by eye.
Yeah, the origin of the symbol (i.e. the point it will snap to) will normally be in the center or on the edge of the whole BITMAP (depending on how it was imported).
But since the bitmap is irregular and will probably have various transparent bits around the edges, this will not automatically align with something the user sees as the center of the symbol (e.g. in this example, the center of the statue's circular plinth or the center of the figure).
Thanks for all the help. I have all the symbols I wanted changed. That will make my future maps a little easier to create.