Display objects as symbols
- Maciej Zabielski
- Agnieszka Siemiatycka
Overview
This functionality allows the display of any object as a symbol (icon) within a spot (polygon) representing its owner.
For instance, equipment contained in a room can be shown as symbols within that room's polygon on the drawing:
All symbols are distributed automatically, and they can be dragged and dropped to another "owner".
Configuration
To enable this functionality, a system administrator must first set several options:
Assign icons to objects
To display an object type (class) as a symbol, an icon must be assigned in the Administration panel.
To do this, navigate to Presentations → Tools Mapping → Class - Icon Mapping.
It is generally recommended to use icons of uniform size for all classes, such as 16x16px or 32x32px. This ensures consistent behavior and sizing across all object types.
Set Object / Icon settings
There are number of settings that can be altered for automatic symbols. Icon size can be adjusted here in order to properly display selected icons.
Available options include:
Option | Description | Default Value |
|---|---|---|
Content for object perspective set | This perspective set is utilized to discover content (documents) for a given object (via other objects). It is employed for objects that lack direct spot links, such as Room equipment, Rental Units, etc. For instance, when an object like "Equipment" is chosen in a grid view, this perspective will ascertain whether this object can be displayed on the drawing. If Equipment is linked to Room, the perspective should be:
In this scenario, a Room possesses a spot (polygon on the drawing) and it will be utilized to locate and showcase the correct drawing. (see sample configuration below) | NONE |
Linked objects perspective | Perspective is used to determine the objects that should be displayed as icons under drawing spots. This is distinct from the viewer perspective, which instructs viewers on how to display specific objects using drawing elements such as polygons. For instance, when Rental Units group Rooms and use Room polygons to display them. Linked objects, on the other hand, dictate which objects should be shown inside a given polygon (e.g., Room) as symbols. If you wish to display Equipment linked under a Room, please use the following perspective:
(see sample configuration below) | NONE |
Icon Size Percentage | Size percentage of the original icon. This parameter should be set based on user preference and a "trial and error" approach. It's important to use icons of identical size for all object classes to achieve consistent and uniform results. | 50 |
Icon align to | How to Align the Object Icon Relative to the Center Point | Center |
Set fixed image size | If checked, icon will maintain a fixed size during zoom | YES |
Allow change owner link | If allowed, the object icon can be dragged and dropped onto another object to change its parent link (owner). For instance, you can drag equipment from one space (room) to another. This action will unlink the equipment from the original room and link it to a new room. | YES |
Allow change owner class | If allowed, owner of the object can have any class. If not allowed, object can only be moved between owners of the same class. For example, if you drag equipment form Room, it can only be dropped on another Room if change of owner class is not allowed. | NO |
Options panel:
Create Object Perspectives
Create a child objects perspective that can later be set in Symbols settings.
This perspective describes which child objects should be shown for an object represented on a drawing.
For instance, if the Room (Rum) object type has polygons on the drawing, Equipment, Bed, Chair, and Desk objects should be displayed as symbols in corresponding rooms.
Create a Content for object perspective
In this example we describe how to find a display location for objects on the left. For example, Bed will be shown on the drawing where it linked Room (Rum) is located.
When ready, set this perspective in System Settings.
Indirect Perspective to show Equipment in Rooms on Floor level
Optionally, perspective Set used in Grid View can take advantage of indirect perspectives.
This will allow to display equipment that is linked to Rooms when user selects Floor.
Object classes marked in red, are not linked directly to floor, but for convenience can be displayed when user selects Floor object.
System will automatically extract all objects from all Rooms and display them as a complete list:
Read on how to configure indirect perspective: Perspective sets
Usage
When properly configured, objects as symbols can be activated under document menu - "Show child objects".
Internal symbols behave similar to spots, when left clicked - object properties will be shown:
(note: auto object properties must be enabled)
When right clicked, a symbol context menu is shown:
Symbol selection
Symbols are located on a specific layer. It might be the case that symbols end up on a layer that is hidden blow another layer.
In that case, they will not be selectable. Please disable other layers in order to access symbols.
Layer used for symbols is selected using the same rules as for presentation filters (system preferred layer is used or first visible layer).
Change object location
Object location (and original object links) can be changed by drag and drop of the icon/symbol.
Turn off popup properties so they do not interfere with this process. Make sure you are working in a Read Write version and that you have permissions to all objects involved.
Select a symbol and start dragging. The source object will be highlighted in blue:
When object is dragged to a new owner - the source object (spot) is highlighted in red and new, destination object is highlighted in green.
Drop the object to complete the move.
Display location of object by its owner
Objects that have spots linked (a polygon representing that object) will be shown by locating their corresponding drawing.
What about equipment that is in those rooms? Now it's possible to to show these objects on drawings as well, based on the location of their parent "owner" object like room.
The decision on how to locate these objects is made based on Content for object perspective that can be set in system settings.