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(no) Display objects as symbols

Owned by Maciej Zabielski
May 26, 2023
5 min read

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Overview

This functionality can be used to display any object as symbol (icon) inside of a spot (polygon) representing it's owner.

For example, equipment contained in a room can be show as symbols in that Room polygon on drawing:

All symbols are distributed automatically. Symbols can be dragged and dropped to other "owner". 

Configuration

To enable this functionality, a system administrator must set several options first:

Assign icons to objects

Each object type (class) that should be shown as symbol must have an icon assigned in Administration panel. 

To do so, please go to Presentations → Tools Mapping → Class - Icon Mapping

General recommendation is to use icons of the same size for all classes, e.g. 16x16px or 32x32px. 

Using icons of the same size will ensure correct 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

Option

Description

Default Value

Content for object perspective set

This perspective set is used to find content (document) for given object (via other objects). Used for objects that do not have direct spot links, e.g. Room equipment, Rental Units, etc.

Example: When an object is selected in a grid view, e.g. "Equipment", this perspective will be used to determine if this object can be shown on the drawing.

Id Equipment is linked to Room, perspective should be:

  • Equipment ← Room (reversed link)

In that case, a Room has a spot (polygon on drawing) and it will be used to find and display a correct drawing.

(see sample configuration below)

NONE

Linked objects perspective

Perspective to determine what objects should be shown as icons under drawing spots.

This is different setting than viewer perspective. Viewer perspective is used to instruct viewer how to show specific objects using drawing elements (polygons). For example, Rental Units group Rooms and they use Room polygons to display.

Linked objects on the other hand determine what objects should be shown inside a given polygon (e.g. Room) as symbols.

If we would like to display Equipment that is linked under Room, please use perspective:

  • Room → Equipment

(see sample configuration below)

NONE

Icon Size Percentage

Size percentage of the original icon.

This parameter should be set based on user preference and "trial and error" approach.

Please note that Icons of identical size should be used for all object classes in order to achieve good results and uniform size.

50

Icon align to

How the object icon should be aligned to relative to center point

Center

Set fixed image size

If checked, icon will maintain a fixed size during zoom

YES

Allow change owner link

If allowed, object icon can be drag and dropped to another object to change parent link (owner). For example, you can drag equipment from one space (room) to another.

This operation will unlink Equipment from 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 Child objects perspective that can be later on set in Symbols settings.

This perspective describes what child objects should be shown for object that is represented on a drawing. 

This example assumes Room (Rum) object type has polygons on drawing and Equipment, Bed, Chair and Desk objects should be shown 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.

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.Â