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Oopsie! Symbol Catalog Turns to Red Xs...

ScottAScottA Surveyor
in Mapping with ProFantasy's Software
I understand the basic reasons for the red Xs you sometimes encounter. My issue is that I decided to change the file name of one of the symbol catalogs I recently created and now all I read are the dreaded red Xs when I try to load it up to edit the catalog. I even tried changing the name back to its original but still get the red Xs. How do I repair this and what is the proper way to change the name of a symbol catalog? I did it in the Windows file menu, but apparently, that is a no-no.
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Comments

  • DogtagDogtag Moderator, Betatester Traveler
    edited January 2018
    Strange. The name of the catalog should be immaterial. Changing a catalog name should not affect the symbols, though it will affect any catalog filters that point to the catalog. For example, if you click the Mountains button but changed the name of the related catalog, it won't load the catalog).

    You get the red X's when the path to the symbol bitmaps no longer matches the path stored in the catalog. Did you make the catalog via importing PNGs? Did you move the catalog or the PNGs at all? Keep in mind that when you create the catalog you can choose to store the paths absolutely (that is, with a full path) or relatively (to CC3+ or to the current drawing). You should use a path relative to CC3+ but, if you used an absolute path and then moved things, the paths will break — even if you kept everything the same relatively. You can also get red X's if the symbols use bitmap fills that are not saved in/related to the current map or template. Again this is due to CC3+ being unable to reconcile paths.
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  • ScottAScottA Surveyor
    I created the catalogs with the import png command and applied the relative path setting.
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  • RalfRalf Administrator, ProFantasy 🖼️ 18 images Mapmaker
    edited January 2018
    Did you perhaps accidentally rename the folder path to the catalog and the PNGs at the same time? That would cause the red Xs.

    Load the catalog ion CC3+ and from the Symbol Manager "Edit" one of the symbols showing a red X. Use LIST on the red X to show the path CC3+ is looking for. Does that match you current location of the PNG files?
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  • ScottAScottA Surveyor
    No, I always save the catalog file after editing the names or order of the symbols. I'll try LIST and see what I get. I'm sure its something I did wrong...
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  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 40 images Cartographer
    Oh Scott you poor thing! You are having a bit of a time of it aren't you!

    I think I've probably avoided most of the pitfalls by deciding on my naming conventions before I even started with making my own catalogues, and never changing it at all.
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  • ScottAScottA Surveyor
    Yes, Sue, I've had some dreadful luck the past week with this stuff. I think what I'll do going forward is that if I want to change a file name I'll just create a new one under the new name instead of trying to change the name. I ended up just deleting the two catalogs of red Xs and made them again. One was big but I hadn't done any editing to it, so no loss, and the other I was finished with but it is pretty small, so not much work to re-do.
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  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 81 images Cartographer
    Posted By: ScottAf I want to change a file name I'll just create a new one under the new name instead of trying to change the name.
    That's basically the way to do it. Renaming symbols themselves are easy, but changing the file name they refer to is more tricky, and not really recommended. If you change the file names, just recreate the symbol catalog.
    Do remember that symbol names and file names are not connected, so in most cases, there are normally no reason to change the file names, people won't normally see those anyway.
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