Adding Text Layers To The Map
You can add multiple text layers to the Spatial Explorer map, with each layer containing as many text entries as you need. You can format each text entry individually, including font, font size and color, bold and italics, background color, text alignment, and text angle.
Text layers do not have a legend.
To add a text layer to the map
- Click Add new data source.
- Select Add Editable Text Layer from the list.
- Type the name of the layer in the Display field, and then click Add Layer.
- Select the new text layer in the Layers list.
- Click
on the map toolbar. - Double-click on the map where you want to add text. Optionally, you can click
and then click once on the map where you want to add text. The Insert Text window opens. - Type the text you want in the Text field.
- Specify the alignment and style options you want for the text.
- If needed, specify an angle for the text (the angle is the deviation of the text from 0 degrees on the X axis).
- If needed, specify a background color for the text (the default is a transparent background).
- Click Apply.
- If you need to reposition the text, click once to select it, click
or 
on the text editing toolbar, then drag and/or rotate the text to position it where you need it on the map.
You can add as many text entries to a text layer as you want, and you can have multiple text layers. Once you add a text entry to a layer you can edit the entry by double-clicking the text on the map. Be sure you have selected the text layer in the Layers list and then selected on the map toolbar before you double-click a text entry.
To delete a text entry on a text layer, click the entry to select it and then press the Delete key.
Text editing toolbar
The following icons are available on the text editing toolbar.
| Icon | Function |
|---|---|
|
|
Insert new text block. |
|
Text display properties (text, color, font, style, angle, background color). |
|
|
Rotate text block. |
|
|
Move text block. |
|
Exit text editing mode. |
|
|
Undo previous action. |
|
Redo previous action. |
|
|
Delete text block. |
|
|
Copy text block. |
|
|
Paste text block. |
Understanding text alignment
At first, it might appear that the text alignment properties work opposite to what you select. This behavior is the result of the reference point that Spatial Explorer uses for alignment. Rather than using page margins or the boundaries of a text box (neither of which are available), Spatial Explorer uses the point on the map where you double-clicked to begin adding text. By default, text is centered on this point horizontally and the vertical alignment places the bottom of the text on this point. That is why if you select right alignment after adding text using the defaults, the text moves left to right-align the text on the point where you double-clicked. In the same way, if you select a vertical alignment of Top after adding text using the defaults, the text moves down to place the top of the text on the point where you double-clicked.