Edit Map Dialog

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When you select New, Insert, or Edit from Set Up Maps, the Edit Map dialog will appear. This is where you select the map name and image file, and position all of the site status elements.

This dialog only has a two entry fields -- Map name and Image File. The dialog will automatically be sized to match the program main window, and rest of the dialog is used to show the map and edit the site indicators.


Map Name

If this is a new map, enter a name for the map (the way you want it to appear in the list of maps on the Map tab view). This should be limited to the size of the entry box to avoid truncation. If editing a map, you can change the name as needed. Each map should have a unique name for identification.


Image File

This is the file name of the map image. No path should be entered, only the file name. All map images must reside in the same folder as the database (and must be present on each computer if using the program on multiple computers or a network). A Browse function is available for convenience in selecting a file instead of typing in the name. If the map image is currently in a different folder than your database, you will be given the option to copy it into the correct location automatically.

Important: The map image is not included in backups of the database, so be sure you have a copy of all image files in a safe place!


Site Indicators (Map Elements)

Don't forget that the image you load is just used as a background -- you must still add the site indicator elements which will show the status of each site and allow you to interact with the map in the Map tab view. Adding the site indicators is as simple as right-clicking on each site in the map. This is described in detail further below.


Image File Format

The image file must be in a specific format for Campground Master to read it:

   Windows Bitmap (.BMP) with RGB encoding, in either 16 or 256 colors

Note: The 16 above refers to colors, not "bits" -- a 16-bit format will not work. In terms of "bits", it must be 4-bit or 8-bit format.

If the image is not in this format, an error will be shown when attempting to load the image. Note that an RLE-encoded (run length encoded) bitmap cannot be used, it must be RGB encoded. If your image is not in this format, use an image editing program to change the format, such as the Windows "Paint" program. When saving the file, be sure to change the File Type to "256 color Windows BMP" (wording depends on the specific application, but look for "256" and "BMP" or "bitmap"). In some image programs, like Paint Shop Pro, you need to use the "Decrease # of colors" option to make it a 256-color image, and then save as a Windows BMP file.


Changing an image to the correct format

If you can't find a way to save it in the proper format using your image program, then save it as a JPEG. Then use the Windows "Paint" program (see Start / Programs / Accessories for the Paint program). Open the JPEG file, then use File / Save As, and before saving it change the File Type to "256 color Windows BMP".


Image Size

The image size is also important, since it must fit in the tab view window. It cannot be scrolled in Campground Master -- if you find it impossible to fit your entire map in this area, then you can create multiple maps with each one showing part of the overall map.

Note that the area of the map visible in the Edit Map dialog is the maximum that can be shown with the current program window size, but that assumes that the Toolbar and Status Bar settings will always be the same as they are currently. We recommend making sure that both the toolbar and status bar are on when editing the map (see the View menu), so it will show the minimum size available.

The chart below shows typical image sizes for various display resolutions. Note that if you're on a network, keep in mind the smallest display resolution of all of your workstations. These sizes assume that the toolbar and status bar are both on, and that the Windows Taskbar is visible at the top or bottom of the screen. Also, the window settings can affect how much area is actually visible (font size, border widths, etc.). So before going too far with map editing, be sure to check the Map tab view and make sure the map is sized appropriately (make sure you can see all of the map).

Screen Resolution Map Image Maximum Size 640 x 480 630 x 290 800 x 600 790 x 410 1024 x 768 1014 x 578 1280 x 1024 1270 x 834

To find your Screen Resolution:

In Windows XP and earlier: Right-click on the desktop and select Properties (or go to Start, Settings, Control Panel, Display), and click on the Settings tab.

In Windows Vista: From the Start button go to Control Panel, Appearance and Personalization, Personalization, Display Settings, Resolution.


Scanning maps or photos

If you already have a map in hard-copy format (or even an aerial photo), you can use a scanner and appropriate software to digitize that image for use in Campground Master. You will probably want to scan it at a higher resolution for clarity, then use a good image editing software package to clean up, trim and resize the image as needed. Don't forget to save the image file in the correct format (see above).


Other image considerations

Try to avoid using an image with colors close to the site status colors (the bright yellow, green, red, etc.), to avoid confusion. The best map image would have a light (but not white) background, light colors for features like trees, buildings, etc., and black or dark colors for site borders. A white background is actually not recommended since the default "available" site status is white -- if the background is white, it's not as easy to notice available sites. However if a white background is all that's available, the status color for an available site could be changed to something else -- perhaps a very light blue color.

Whether the image already has site numbers on it, or whether the sites already have some shading or color indication of the type of site, may determine the kind of status indicators that are suitable -- conversely, you may decide to use an image with or without site numbers or shading based on the type of indicators you prefer to use. This is all very subjective, and Campground Master offers different indicator choices so that just about any type of map can be used. Most likely you will want to experiment with the different possibilities before setting up the entire map.

If you intend to use the "Fill" indicator type (nice for odd-shaped sites, but slower to display), there are a couple very important prerequisites -- the Fill indicator will flood-fill an area that is exactly the same color as the starting point of the fill indicator. This not only means that the boundaries of the site must be complete and in a different color than the interior (e.g. a complete rectangle), but it also means that a solid color must be used for the interior. If you are scanning an image from a hard copy, this is rarely the case due to minor color variations, and photo editing software may need to be used to clean up the image.

If your park is large, you will probably need to split the map up into separate map pages. The map page can be changed with the controls on the map display and with page up/down keys, but you can also put "hotspots" on the images to change maps with a mouse click -- this is especially handy for an overview map, where clicking on a section can switch to another map showing that section in detail (see below).


Adding and Editing Map Elements

Once you have the map image loaded, you need to add the "elements" that will appear on the map. An element is basically an object that indicates the status of a site, or a clickable hotspot to change maps. You can place any number of elements on a map, and more than one element can indicate the same site if necessary, either on the same map or separate maps.

All of the Element functions are accessed through the right-click menu. When you right-click anywhere on the map image, a right-click menu will appear with appropriate choices -- either to edit/delete an existing element or to add a new element. Note that the exact point you click on will be used for placing site elements, so careful clicking will avoid having to edit the element later. Also note that the point you click on means something different for each type of indicator (described later).

When you're done adding elements (or want to check the map in the real tab view at any time), click Close on the Edit Map and Set Up Maps dialogs. All changes are saved automatically.


Element Types

There are two basic types of elements -- Site Indicators and Hotspots.

Site indicators are placed on the map to show the status of each site. This can be on top of a site on the map image, next to it, or anywhere you like, and can be any size needed. There are three types to choose from -- Rectangles, Circles, or Fills (which automatically become the shape of the object you place it in. You could even start with a blank map and just arrange the site indicators to create the layout of your park (of course it's nicer to show roads and landmarks as points of reference, but that's entirely up to you.) Site indicators are interactive in the Map View. Besides changing color to indicate the status of the site, they will show the occupant or site name when the mouse is over them, and also have double-click and right-click menu functions very similar to the Rack.

Hotspots are invisible on the map, but perform a function when the user clicks on that area -- in this case, it will switch to a specified map. Of course these are only useful if you have more than one map image. A hotspot can be any size, but can only be a rectangle. Hotspots are used to make "buttons" on a map that will change map pages. The actual buttons need to be part of the map image and you define the area of the button with a Change-Map Hotspot, so you can make the buttons look like anything you want. You can also set up one page to be an overview of the whole park, and set up "hotspots" such that when a section of the overview is clicked on, it switches to the zoomed-in map for that section with the actual site status indicators (and you can add "Overview" buttons on the zoomed-in sections to make it easy to get back to the overview).


Adding Elements

To add an Element, you must right-click on an area of the map that doesn't already have an Element (they shouldn't overlap). Then select one of the "Add" options for a site indicator or other element.

An appropriate Add/Edit Element dialog will appear, where you can specify the details like which site the indicator should show, the size and position, and text if needed. (See the section below for details on this dialog.) Click Save, and you will immediately see the indicator appear on the map. While you're in this setup mode, the color of site indicators will be green, similar to the "site occupied" indicator, regardless of the current status of the site. (This color can be changed through the Maps Color Key.) Hotspot elements will simply be a black border (since they are normally invisible).


Double-click to add more of the same element

Once you have added one site indicator, you can use double-click as a shortcut to add more. Just double-click the left mouse button to add the same type of indicator as the previous one. The next site in the list will be selected automatically, and the size will be the same. So in many cases, all you have to do is click Save on the Add dialog and go on to the next one. The Save button is the default button on the Add dialog, so you could also just press the Enter key -- use two hands, one on the mouse and one on the Enter key, for quickly adding many sites. Just be sure to start with the "first" site and go in the order they appear in the site selection list (which is the same order as on the Rack).

Note that other than for this convenience of adding many in a row, there is no need to add site indicator elements in any particular order.


Editing Elements

To edit an existing element, for instance to adjust the position of an element just added, right-click on the element and select "Edit Element". You can also double-click on an element to edit it. The same Add/Edit dialog will appear and you can change the X and Y values to adjust the position. You can also change the size or the text. (Click near the "center" of the element for the best results -- if you click near the edge, it may not know that you're trying to select that element.) If you're adjusting the position, keep in mind that the X and Y values are in pixels (screen dots), and 0,0 is in the upper left corner (rather than the lower left as in traditional math class graphs). So for instance you need to increase the Y value to move an element down.

Note that there is no way to change the element type, so for instance if you want to change from a circle to a rectangle then you must delete the circle element and add a new rectangle one.


Deleting Elements

As with editing, just right-click on an existing element and select Delete element. A confirmation prompt will be shown, which is the only chance to change your mind -- once an element is deleted, it cannot be recovered and would have to be added again if you make a mistake. Note that if you want to completely delete a map, there is no need to delete its elements first -- just use Delete Map from the Maps Setup Dialog.


X, Y Positions

An mentioned earlier, the "position" of an element means different things for each element:

·	Site Indicator Rectangle -- the position is the upper left corner of the element.

·	Site Indicator Circle -- the position is the center of the circle.

·	Site Indicator Fill -- the position is the "start" position of the flood-fill operation, and also the center of an imaginary rectangle for detecting mouse clicks (the rectangle size is determined by the Height and Width values).

·	Hotspot -- the position is the upper left corner of the element.

Since there is no drag-and-drop support for map editing, you must use the Edit function to change an element's position manually.


Element Borders

Rectangle and circle site indicators will have a border that can be a different color than the interior of the indicator. The colors are configured through the Color Key. If you choose to show text in the indicator, the text will also use the same color as the border (therefore if you want text to show up, the border will also have to be visible).

Fill indicators have no border (since the shape can be irregular), but they can have text.

Hotspot elements have no border since they are normally invisible, but will have a black border when editing so you can properly set its size and position over the image.


Element Text

Any of the site indicator elements can have text added to the indicator by the program. The text can be specified for each element -- you can default the text to the site's abbreviation for convenience when adding elements, but keep in mind that once the element is added the text won't change automatically if the site abbreviation is changed. Whether you use text on the elements is up to you -- obviously if the sites are already numbered on the map (and the indicator doesn't cover that number up), there is no reason to add the number on the indicator. Also, the site indicators may be too small on the map for the text to fit, in which case the map graphic should include the site numbers.

If text is used, the text will be positioned in the center of the indicator. For rectangles and circles, the center is visually obvious. For fill elements, the center is determined by the position and size chosen for the element. In many cases this allows you to adjust the text position of a fill element for the best position within the area being filled. Also note that the text will be limited to the "size" of the element -- if the text is too large for the size, it will be cropped. For circle elements, the "size" assumes it's a square so the text can appear slightly outside the actual circle. For fill elements, the Height and Width of the element is used for the size of the text area.


Text Font

The font for the text defaults to "MS Sans Serif", which is the same font that's used throughout the program on the grids, dialogs, etc. This provides the most crisp results for readability. You can choose a different font type if you prefer, and/or change the size of the font or make it bold.

As long as you don't close Campground Master, the last font selected will be used for the next element added. This makes it easy to add a number of sites in a row with the same font (and orientation, below), especially if using the double-click shortcut to add the next site. Any time you want to reset it to the default font, just click the Reset to default button.

Note: If using Campground Master on multiple workstations, be careful about selecting an unusual font -- the other workstations may not have the same fonts installed. In this case, the text would be shown as some default font like Arial.


Text Angle

You can also change the orientation Angle of the text, for instance to fit the text in a vertically oriented site or a diagonal site. Note that the default "MS Sans Serif" font cannot be used for angled text, so you'll need to choose a different font like Arial (you can use the Select Font button or just type in the font name). An angle of 0 is the default horizontal orientation. The angle can range from 0 to 360 degrees, and increases counter-clockwise. So an angle of 90 is vertical reading up, 270 is vertical reading down, 45 is diagonal going up, 315 is diagonal going down, and so forth. Regardless of the angle chosen, the text will still be centered in the indicator as described before, and would also be cropped if it extends beyond the indicator's size.


Change-Map Hotspot Map Name

The target map name must be set for hotspot elements to change maps. Note that this must be the "Map name" you give a map, not its image file name. It must also match exactly, including case ("Map" is not the same as "map"). This also means that if you change the name of a map, any associated hotspots must also be changed.


Raw Data Tables

The raw data tables for the maps and map elements can be viewed and edited (see Maintenance / Raw Data Tables), but as always please use extreme care when doing this. The primary reason to use the raw data tables would be to make some adjustment to a large number of elements at once, such as slight adjustments to positions or sizes, or perhaps to change the text for all of them.


Further Topics:

   Maps Setup Overview

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