Managing Symbols and Catalogs (reorganizing files/folders/renaming)
I am a little frustrated with the organization of the symbol catalogs. I have CC3, SS1 and one of the Annual's and I find symbols in some of the example maps that I cant locate in the symbol catalogs. I have 344 different .FSC files, including many with identicle names (all.fsc, borders.fsc, etc.).
I would like to know more about how the files are related to each other so that I can re-organize and rename files and keep everything functioning and available. I did a forum search, but didnt find anything specific to what I need.
Anyone have information, links, tips or guidelines to share?
I would like to know more about how the files are related to each other so that I can re-organize and rename files and keep everything functioning and available. I did a forum search, but didnt find anything specific to what I need.
Anyone have information, links, tips or guidelines to share?
Comments
1. Symbol catalog settings: The symbol catalog buttons right above the main view window loads up symbols based on symbol catalog settings that match the current filter. These settings contain the path to the symbol catalog file. If you are moving symbol catalog, you must also edit the symbol catalog settings, or these buttons will stop to function properly. To edit symbol catalog settings, click the Symbol catalog Settings button
2. Raster symbols are dependent on the image files. These are usually found in a sub-folder in relation to the symbol catalog file, but DO NOT move these folder along with the symbol catalog. It is the position of this folder relative to the CC3 installation directory that is important, NOT the relative position to the symbol catalog itself.
Note that for this purpose, moving and renaming cause the exact same problems.
My advice: Don't move (or rename) the files. It will cause you far more grief than it's worth.
A better way to go about it is to create new symbol catalogs, using your own directory structure and catalog contents. These new catalogs can contain the symbols from multiple existing catalogs, or you can split existing catalogs into multiple. The symbol catalog buttons won't load these catalogs unless you edit the aforementioned symbol catalog settings though.
You can also create new symbol catalog settings to make more catalogs available through the standard toolbar buttons though. You have probably seen that sometimes you get a choice between two or more catalogs when you click on a symbol catalog button, it is easy to add more catalogs to this list by creating a symbol catalog settings, so that you do not need to browse the file system each time you wish to use it.
Also remember the Symbol Style Toggle
Also note that if you need a symbol that you found in an example map, but couldn't find the symbol catalog where it resides: Simply load the example map file into the symbol catalog. This gives you easy access to all the symbols that were used in that map. If they were raster symbols, they will only be available if you have the appropriate symbol already installed on your system though.
Don't worry, you'll get more (I have 1978 in my current install). Note that the identical names are because the symbols belong to different styles. The default CC3 style have one borders catalog, SS1 has several styles, all with it's own border catalog, and so on. This is simply because each style needs the same basic features, like borders, so it is only natural that they have the same catalogs available to them.