The Style Library

Overview

With MapServer MapManager, the styles are managed and categorised (i.e. Points, Lines and Polygons) in the Style Library so that when you want to change the style of a layer only the relevant style categories are loaded. The Style Library dialogue is available from the Main Menu under the Tools -> Style Library. In the Style Library dialogue you can view, edit and add new styles and categories.

The Concept of the Style Library

The Style Library is designed around a map file with layers and classes (mmstyles.map located in the templates directory of MapManager). Each layer represents a style category and the styles within each category/layer are exposed as classes.

User can add style categories (i.e. layers), add styles (i.e. classes) within a category and modify existing styles.

The styles configured in the Style Library can be selected for the styles of the map in the Style Properties dialogue by choosing the style category in the combo-box and selecting the style in the list right below the category combo.

When selecting a specific style, all the default properties configured within the style library are automatically applied, then you can override any of these properties using the Style Properties dialogue.

Style Library Configuration

Configuring the Style Library can be done with following activities by default:

• Adding new categories or styles
• Renaming style categories or styles
• Editing style properties
• Saving the Style Library configuration

Adding new categories or styles

We can add new categories and styles by using the button on the local toolbar or the context menu of the tree view (See images below).

Renaming style categories or styles

To rename a style category or style, right click on the node and select the 'Rename' item in the context menu. You can also modify the name of the StyleLibrary by renaming the upper level node, see below:

Editing style properties

The properties of the selected style can be edited in the Style Properties dialogue by double clicking on the style node or selecting the Properties menu item in the context menu.

Then the style properties can be edited in the dialogue below:

The dialogue contains the following parameters:

• Symbol - The symbol name defined in the symbolset file which should be rendered with this style.
• Line Pattern - Used to define a dash pattern for line symbols. Patterns should be defined as a sequence of numeric values according to the length of the dashes and gaps in layer size units, like: '10.2 0.5 4.2 0.5'
• Symbol Size - The height, in layer SIZEUNITS, of the symbol/pattern to be used. Only useful with scalable symbols. For symbols of Type HATCH, the SIZE is the distance between hatched lines.
• Angle - Specifies the angle of the symbol. For symbols of Type HATCH, this is the angle of the hatched lines.
• Line Width - Width refers to the thickness of line drawn, in layer SIZEUNITS. For symbols of Type HATCH, the width shows how thick the hatched lines are.
• Symbol Gap - Specifies the distance between symbols (centre to centre) for decorated lines and polygon fills in layer 'size units'. For polygon fills, gap specifies the distance between symbols in both the X and the Y direction. For lines, the centres of the symbols are placed on the line. For more information about this setting please refer to the MapServer STYLE documentation.
• Colour - Colour to use for drawing features. The colour can be selected with the Colour Selector control.
• Background Colour - Colour to use for non-transparent background of the symbols. The colour can be selected with the Colour Selector control.
• Outline Colour - Colour to use for outlining polygons and certain marker symbols. Line symbols do not support outline colours. The colour can be selected with the Colour Selector control.

Saving the Style Library configuration

Once the Style Library configuration is modified we can save the current version of mmstyles.map by clicking on the 'Save' button at the bottom right of the Style Library dialogue.

Using the text editor to modify the Style Library configuration

The text tab of the Style Library dialogue provides the option to edit the configuration (mmstyles.map) in the text editor.

We can locate any item in the text editor by right clicking on the item in the tree view first and select the 'Go To Layer (Text)' and 'Go To Class (Text)' menu items depending on whether a style category or a style node is selected.

Technical requirements

• Both the Style Library map file (mmstyles.map) and the map file you are currently working on must reference the same Fontset and Symbolset. You can however add inline symbols to your map file by entering the following above the Layer section:
  
  

SYMBOL
    NAME "arrow"
    TYPE SVG
    IMAGE "C:\IntraMaps\intramaps80\custom_symbols\intramaps.svg"
END

• When adding inline symbols to a map file a new category gets automatically added in the Style Properties dialogue.

• You can only configure a single style per class in the Style Library, this style is applied to the style object in the map file (not the class). If you wish to create stacked styles you can do so by adding multiple styles (using individual Style Library Styles) in MapManager. In essence the Style Library is a repository for your base styles (or simple styles)
• The class name defining the style in the Style Library must match the symbol name and must be unique across the Style Library.
  This is because when editing an existing style in MapManager, it uses the symbol name configured in the style to match it to the corresponding style (i.e class) in the Style Library:

• Consequently if you want to create 2 different styles in the Style Library using the same symbol you must copy and rename the symbol in the Symbolset file.
  This is also the reason behind why we have included symbols in the Symbolset file for each line style configured using a PATTERN, even though technically these symbols are not required when creating a style with a line pattern:
  
  

SYMBOL
    NAME 'pen-2'
    TYPE SIMPLE
END
SYMBOL
    NAME 'pen-3'
    TYPE SIMPLE
END
SYMBOL
    NAME 'pen-4'
    TYPE SIMPLE
END

etc...

Adding a Symbol to the Symbolset file

Open the Style Library and go to to the Symbolset tab. Use the text editor to add a symbol. It is recommended that symbols that will be used across many map files are added to the Symbolset. Symbols used only in one or two map files can be added as inline symbols to the map file. It is recommended that you do not add inline symbols to the Style Library file (mmstyles.map)

Adding all symbols from a TrueType font in MapManager Style Library

The Style Library allows you to automatically add all the symbols/characters from a TrueType Font, without the need to reference every single character/symbol in the Symbolset file. Instead these characters are automatically copied to the Style Library map file as inline symbols. When used in your map, MapManager also copies the required symbol as an inline symbol in your map file.

To configure this functionality, open the Style Library in MapManager, go to the Text tab and add the first symbol from the True Type font:

SYMBOL
    NAME "MapServerAnimals-33"
    TYPE TRUETYPE
    ANTIALIAS TRUE
    CHARACTER "!"
    FONT "MapServerAnimals"
END

Create a layer and add the following metadata and class, with the character-count metadata tag indicating how many symbols you want to add, start from the one you have just added above and ensure that the class name is the font name configure in the font file:

LAYER
    METADATA
        "character-count" "222"
    END # METADATA
    NAME "MapServer Animals"
    STATUS OFF
    TILEITEM "location"
    TYPE POINT
    UNITS METERS
    CLASS
        NAME "MapServerAnimals"
        STYLE
            COLOR 0 0 0
            GAP 10
            SIZE 24
            SYMBOL "MapServerAnimals-33"
        END # STYLE
    END # CLASS
    FEATURE
    END # FEATURE
END # LAYER