S52 Raster Symbol Editor: New Feature in
Version 2012
By Roy Goyette
A new editor has been added to HYPACK® in version 2012 called the S52 RASTER
SYMBOL EDITOR. This editor allows you to create your own simple symbolsand saves them
in the \HYPACK\Bin\Symbols folder. You can then use them in the DG2 EDITOR and the
TARGET EDITOR. It's fun and simple to use. Let's give it a try.
To open the editor, select PREPARATION-EDITORS-S52 RASTER EDITOR and the editor
will open on your screen.
FIGURE 1. S52 RASTER EDITOR
The Editor consists of a design area, which defaults to 32 pixels square, and various tools to
help you create your symbol.
The Select Pen and Set Pen Color options allow you to choose one of ten separate pens
with which to draw. You can use the predefined color or change the color using the Set Pen
Color drop-down menu
FIGURE 2. Select Pen and Set Pen Color
The tools for your use are:
The Pencil for free hand lines.
The Line tool allows you to draw straight lines in any
direction.
• A Hollow Square tool, creates a hollow square or rectangle. Just click and drag your
cursor from one corner to the opposite corner of the rectangle.
•
•
August / 2012
1
The Filled Square tool, creates a square by the same method as the Hollow Square
Tool, and fill it with the color of your selected pen.
• The Hollow Circle tool creates a circle with nothing inside it. Click where you want the
center of the circle, then drag your cursor outward.
• The Circle Filled tool creates a circle filled with the color of your selected pen, using the
same method as the Hollow Circle Too.
• The Flood Fill tool (FF) fills an area with the color of the selected pen by clicking in the
area.
That leaves the Pivots X and Y.
These are the coordinates for the
point, measured in pixels, that
positions the symbol on your specified
location on the chart.
•
The Name field, where you name your
symbol, must be exactly 8 characters long—nothing more, nothing less.
A Description field for addition description information about your custom symbol
The Width and Height fields are used for giving dimensions, in pixels, to the design area.
FIGURE 3.
In the following example, I'm going to create a strange buoy for my targets.
To create a symbol:
Open the editor.
2. Enter a name and, optionally, some description for your symbol .
1.
2
Set the pivot point. I want this symbol centered so I entered 15 X and 15 Y in the Pivot
fields and click [Apply]. You can see the little red box, which represents the pivot point,
moves to my specified location.
4. Draw the first shape in the symbol.
a. Select the tool. I select the rectangle tool.
b. Select the pen. I use the C pen, which is black.
c. Draw the shape. Starting where I want the top left corner of my rectangle, I drag my
cursor downward to the bottom, right-hand corner of my rectangle. The shape is
created in the design area of the editor.
Tip: Since the editor does not have an “Undo” function, if you are creating a complex symbol,
it may be useful to save your work in stages. If you make a mistake later in the process, you
can always come back to the last saved point instead of recreating the shape from the
beginning.
3.
Save the shape. Select FILE-SAVE, give my symbol file a name and click [Save].
6. Draw the second shape.
a. Select the tool. I select the filled circle tool
b. Select the pen. I change my pen to the F pen which is Red.
c. Draw the shape. Starting where I want the center of my circle to appear I click and
drag my cursor outward from the center until I have the correct size for my circle.
7. Save the shape. I save my file again, this time overwriting my existing file since I'm
satisfied with this result. Thus I have a new starting point should I make a mistake from
this point onward.
5.
FIGURE 4. The S52 Symbol After the First Two Shapes
Finally, I'm going to fill in the rectangle and the background by using my Flood Fill tool.
Fill the rectangle with green.
a. Select the FF tool.
b. Select the pen. I change my color to green by using Pen G.
c. Click in the center of the rectangle and this paints the inside of the rectangle green.
9. Fill the area around the shapes blue.
8.
August / 2012
3
Select the tool. (The Flood Fill tool is already selected from the previous step.)
Select the pen. I change to the (blue) E pen.
c. Click outside the rectangle in the background area.
a.
b.
FIGURE 5. Symbol Surrounded by Blue
Save the symbol. I'm done I have my "Bar Open" symbol. I, again, select FILE-SAVE
and overwrite my existing file.
Now I just need to add it to my chart so the crew doesn't miss the bars along the survey route.
10.
FIGURE 6. Applying the Symbol to
Targets in the TARGET EDITOR
In my project I have a target file.
Open the target file in the
TARGET EDITOR.
2. Click on the target for which
you wish to display this
symbol.
3. Click on the Display button
and select your symbol from
the drop-down.
4. Click [OK].
1.
FIGURE 7. The “Bar Open” Symbol
Displayed at Select Target Locations
I'm going to change them all to my new
symbol.
4