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Object Appearance

The command Appearance on the Options menu offers numerous features to define the graphic representation of the CadnaA-specific objects. By default, all objects of a certain type are displayed in the same way. Just the object „Auxiliary Polygon“ can be defined individually via its edit dialog regarding its appearance (see Auxiliary Polygon).

Dialog Appearance (Options menu)

By default, the following properties exist, depending on the object type:

  • for point objects: the type and the color of the symbol used,
  • for line and area objects: the type, thickness and color of the line or the limiting line, and
  • for area objects: the type, thickness and color of the filling.

In addition, the representation for each object type may consist of several layers enabling - for example - to display for point sources a symbol and the object‘s ID at the same time.

Dialog Ranges

List „Object Type“

Select the object type from the list using the mouse.

Show Object Type

This option enables to suppress the display of all objects of an object type globally. Alternatively, this checkbox can be toggled with a double click on the object type (see list above). This setting is saved when quitting CadnaA. Thus, upon a restart, upon a restart not all kinds of objects may be displayed.

List „Type of Layer“

The list shows at least one type of layer for each object type, but may also show several layers. Via the context menu of this list further layers can be inserted or deleted. When several layer types are defined, they will be displayed centered above of each other respecting the list‘s sequence.

Copy / Insert

In the "Type of Layer" list existing entries can be copied and pasted with the buttons. To create a duplicate of an existing layer, a new entry must be created beforehand using Right-click | Insert after.

Preview

The preview shows either „All Layers“ or just the „Current Layer“ selected.

List box „Layer“

The following types of layers can be selected:

Note

Regarding the options on each „Layer Type“ tab see below.

  • Symbol: The representation of the object based on a library symbol (e.g. a cross or a rectangle) or on a text symbol (e.g. letter/s and/or object attribute/s). This type of layer is useful for point-like objects.
  • Simple: The representation of the object is based on the definition of a line and/or a type of filling.
  • Line: The representation of the object based on the definition of a type of line. This layer type is useful for line-like objects.
  • Line of Symbols: This representation of the object uses - besides a line - symbols which can be placed at the polygon‘s points or at the polygon‘s segments.
  • Fill: The representation of the object is based on the definition of a type of filling. This layer type is useful for area-like objects.
  • Fill with Symbols: This representation of the object makes use of a library or text symbol filling the object‘s area at a definable angle and spacing. Consequently, this type of layer type applies primarily to area-like objects.
  • Fill with Hatch: The representation of the object uses a line to fill the object‘s area at a definable angle and spacing. This type of layer is, therefore, primarily useful for area-like objects.
  • 3D: settings used for 3D display of this object type

Former appearance of objects in CadnaA

The former appearance of objects in CadnaA was based on an object type dependent combination of symbols, lines and fillings. By default, the current object appearance corresponds with the formerly applied appearance.

Save/Open Object Appearance

An altered appearance is saved with the CadnaA file. Use the buttons „Save“ and „Open“ to save modified appearance settings and to load them for future projects (file extension *.cnd).

Example

Path: Examples\Graphic\Object Appearance


Point sources and their ID
(NOTE - The text is not a label, but part of the object‘s appearance settings)
Parking lot using a symbol to display the type of parking lot accord. to Parking Lot Study LfU 2007.

Building Evaluation Symbols using cross symbols and the object‘s name
Building Evaluation Symbols using a cross, a frame and the object‘s name

Examples for Object Appearance

Tabs

Depending on the selected object type and the current layer type several tabs with additional settings are available.

Example: „General, Symbol, Line, Fill“ for Layer Type „Symbol“

The following table shows the available tabs depending on the selected type of layer.

Tab General Line of Symbols Fill with Symbols Fill with Hatch Symbol Line Fill
Layer Type
Symbol + - - - + + +
Simple + - - - - + +
Line + - - - - + -
Line of Symbols + + - - + + +
Fill + - - - - - +
Fill with Symbols + - + - + + +
Fill with Hatch + - - + - + -

Legend: + = available, - = not available

The following chapters describe the options on each tab (see General Tab to 3D Tab).

Layer Type „Simple“

The layer type „Simple“ is the simplest type of appearance for line-like and area-like objects, just using the tabs „General“, „Line“ and „Fill“ (see table above). Excluding point-like objects, this is the default layer type for line and area objects in CadnaA. With the layer type „Simple“ selected no other line or fill type than „Simple“ can be selected (e.g. no cartographic line type). This layer type corresponds, therefore, to the object appearance in former releases of CadnaA.

The other layer types (Symbol, Line, Line of Symbols, Fill, Fill with Symbols, Fill with Hatch) enable to define more complex types of object appearance (e.g. consisting of several layers or using a cartographic appearance).

Note that displaying objects based on the layer type „Simple“ on the screen, provides the fastest way because these objects consist only of lines and fillings. For all other types of layers - especially when using the cartographic appearance - it may take substantially more time to display the objects on the screen, depending on the PC performance and the project size (i.e. number of objects).

Buttons

Available buttons and their functions:

  • All: Activate „Show object type“ for all object types
  • None: Deactivate „Show object type“ for all object types
  • Open: opens a file with object appearance settings (type „CadnaA Draw“, file extension *.cnd).
  • Save: saves a file with object appearance settings.
  • Default: switches to the default appearance settings after a safety prompt.
  • OK: The dialog is closed applying the modifications.
  • Cancel: closes the dialog and ignores the modifications.
  • Apply: Clicking this button directly displays the modified object appearance settings in the CadnaA main window, without requiring to close the dialog.

Special Objects

The subsequent special objects are located at the bottom of the list „Object Type“. Basically, all types of layer can also be used with these object types.

Grid: Line

The object type „Grid: Line“ enables to define the type of display for lines of equal sound level (see Grid Appearance).

With layer type „Line of Symbols“ the following attributes are available for text type symbols:

VAL level on grid
VAL_HI, VAL_LO lower/upper limit of the labeled grid level range
VAL_MIN, VAL_MAX largest/smallest value on the grid
RGB_LINE refers in expression to the actual line color (grid)
RGB_FILL refers in expression to the actual fill color (grid)

Example

Path: Examples\Graphic\Object Appearance\Grid Line-Area

Examples:

Appearance / Display Comments
object type „Grid: Line“ using the following layer types and settings:
  • „Simple“: black separation line between grid areas
  • „Line of Symbols“: showing the level as integer value use text symbol {VAL,,,,0} with a distance of 200 m apart.

    • Coding {VAL,,,,0}: see Modifying Strings in the manual „Attributes, Variables, and Keywords“
    as before, but level range for grid restricted to 70 dB maximum

    Grid: Area

    The object type „Grid: Area“ enables to define the type of display for areas of equal sound level (see Grid Appearance).

    Example

    Path: Examples\Graphic\Object Appearance\Grid Line-Area

    With layer types „Fill of Symbols“ and „Line of Symbols“ and for text type symbols the attributes listed in section „Grid: Line“ can also be used. Examples:

    Appearance / Display Comments
    object type „Grid: Area“ using the following layer types and settings:
  • Fill: using a formula for color with attribute RGB_FILL (i.e. use color from color palette), option „Layer Group“ ON (see General Tab,General Tab)
  • Fill with Symbols: using a text symbol with text {VAL_LO,,,,0}-{VAL_HI,,,,0}, distance 100x100 m
  • Line: black separation line between grid areas
  • Line of Symbols: showing the level as integer value as text symbol {VAL,,,,0} with a distance of 200 m apart and a restriction for display VAL >= VAL_MIN
    		•
    as before, but
    without layer Fill of Symbols“,
    layer „Fill“ uses Pattern type,
    level range for grid restricted to 70 dB maximum

    Overlay Display if Iso-Lines

    For the object type „Grid: Area“ the option „Overlay Display if Iso-Lines“ available. This enables the labeling of iso-lines while simultaneously displaying grid areas.

    Note

    Since labeling at the object type „Grid: Area“ always occurs along the entire area‘s perimeter - thus ignoring its possible limitation e.g. by a calculation area - the labels will overlap each other there, which is unpleasant. An active option enables to display „Grid: Line“ in parallel avoiding this effect.

    Deactivated Objects

    On the dialog Appearance also the display options for deactivated objects are set (object type „(inactive)“ at the bottom of the list „Object Type“.

    By deactivating the option „Show Object Type“ for inactive objects, these objects will no longer be visible on the screen and, therefore, can not be selected or edited. If, however, inactive objects are visible (e.g. as a dashed gray line) they can be selected and edited.