Entity Properties

I am new to CC3+ but am not new to ProFantasy, as I have used CC2 many years ago. With the new software, I thought it would be pretty easy to understand as I have already gone through the learning curve with "right-click, do it" etc., but I am stumped. I cannot find entity properties. I see changing them (which shows me my current selections) but I cannot see what they currently are.
Playing with sheets (at least I think that is what did it), I have messed things all up and now am in the middle of the entity below symbol, below symbol war. I guess it is the sheets that I have messing things up, so maybe that is my problem, but I am simply lost. I used to be able to create a grassland, then add a lake on it, then decide I wanted a heavier grass area around the lake, create another poly, set the colour and send it below the lake and all would be well. I have created a forest and tried to do the same thing and it has moved copses out in front of trees that should be on top and all kinds of things. Since I am not even sure what my actual question is, I am asking how I can see the info for a particular entity or symbol. If I can see what sheet, layer, etc my poly is on, and then compare it to one of my trees, I may be able to figure this mess out before I delete it all and start over. I obviously have quite a bit of catching up to do with the sheets thing.

Comments

  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 40 images Cartographer
    I think the best thing to do is to read the section in the user manual that explains Sheets and Layers and how they are used.

    I hope it all gets straightened out for you soon :)
  • MonsenMonsen Administrator 🖼️ 81 images Cartographer
    edited March 2018
    To get the current properties of an entity, use Info -> list on it. You can also use Extract properties [KEEP] on it, as this sets the properties as default for future operations, and means you can see them on the status bar, as well as the default values int he change properties dialog.
  • Thank you Monsen so much! The Info - List did the trick. I had an area on a Grasslands sheet with a transparency attribute on it and wanted a road overtop. I laid the road but it kept going under the Grasslands. Every time I tried to bring the road forward, it took on the properties of the Grassland area (became transparent like the area). I did not realize that the sheet order has something to do with it. Once I moved the road sheet below the Grasslands sheet, it works fine, so I am assuming this has a lot to do with my forest issue as well.

    Loopysue, I did read the Sheets section, but I guess I did not glean the necessity of the order and how they would affect one another. I will reread that again, hopefully with a little better understanding now as I still do not believe I am using sheets 100% properly. I know, when all else fails, read the directions. :-)

    Thank you again very much for your actual help. I truly do appreciate you being here and being willing to simply answer the question rather than making me plow through hours of discussion postings because it might have been mentioned in a round about way once several years ago. That attitude is what makes me tend to come to forums last and it is refreshing to simply see the question answered. I will definitely be back, and when I actually have some knowledge under my belt, will also try to help out.
  • One easy way to think of sheets is the top one in the list is drawn first. The bottom one in the list is drawn last.
  • LoopysueLoopysue ProFantasy 🖼️ 40 images Cartographer
    Oh dear! I re-read what I said above and it did sound a bit like a "RTFM" comment didn't it! I am sorry about that. I didn't mean to be so blunt or rude!

    Here's a useful tip to try and make up for it: A lot of symbols and drawing tools are set up so that they will automatically appear on a certain sheet, even if you have a different sheet active when you draw/paste them. Its to help keep order in a map, but you can switch this behaviour off if you really can't get on with it by editing the tool. Another alternative is to use the more primitive shape and line tools on the right hand toolbar where that is possible. I tend to use the straight path, smooth path, and freehand drawing tool a lot - turning my paths to polygons by right clicking the Fractalize tool on the right and picking 'path to poly'.
  • JimP, that does help me visualize it a lot better.

    Loopysue, no worries at all. I actually collect ebooks and have a ton of Dummies books, because I know that quite often the answer is to learn the basics and the answers come out in the wash. Sometimes you run into something that simply takes experience though and I am not used to the sheets, so I was not thinking of them being the culprit straight away. My problem is when you know you have run across one such issue that experience teaches, you ask a forum of experts and they simply tell you to search for it because it has been answered before. I personally would rather read the manual through three times rather than go down the forum search rabbit hole. I almost never find what I need.

    Thank you again, folks.
Sign In or Register to comment.