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This video will go over some of the new and updated features in MapInfo Professional version 12.
These include the new scalebar options, the cartographic scale options, the new way to align
layout objects, and the new features in the Legend Designer, as well as the new Universal
Translator. The common theme of these capabilities is that they all improve the ease with which
you can create high-quality output from MapInfo Professional. Version 12.0
also includes extensive improvements to the labeling capabilities. Those changes are
quite significant so we have created a separate video tutorial which covers them in
detail. For more information on any of these new features, please see the MapInfo
Professional version 12 help documentation.
MapInfo Professional version 12 features a new “smarter” scale bar. When creating a scalebar
you now have the option to Use Automatic Sizing. In previous versions of MapInfo
Professional, the scale bar was set at a fixed length and it displayed the map scale
associated with that length. This often resulted in odd scale numbers being displayed (for
example, 272.7). This option will automatically adjust the size of the scale bar to display
a more pleasing number (for example, 250). Also note that MapInfo Professional is smarter
about when to use decimal points and when not to.
In addition, for a better overall appearance, the size of the scalebar on the map will now
change depending on whether the option Add Cartographic Scale is checked. Previously the
scalebar remained the same size whether this option was used or not. This resulted in unused
space and an uneven appearance.
Also in MapInfo Professional version 12, when running on Windows 7 and Windows 8, the
scalebar background can be made transparent. You can adjust the fill and border styles when
drawing the scalebar or viewing its properties. And because the scalebar may be hard to see when
it is transparent, the cursor now looks different when you hover over the scalebar.
The new features for transparency and automatic sizing are now part of the
default settings that can be controlled from the Map Preferences dialog box.
Workspaces that include scalebars created with earlier versions of MapInfo Professional
will not automatically change to use the automatic sizing. However, you can adopt the new
settings by going into the Scale Bar Properties dialog box and choosing them as needed.
It is now easier to see and specify the cartographic scale of your maps throughout MapInfo
Professional. The cartographic scale is available by default without the need for setting a
preference. For example, the option to show the map’s cartographic scale in the Status
Bar can be chosen directly from the Status bar or in the Map Options dialog box.
You will now also find an option for displaying the cartographic scale in other dialog boxes as
well. These include the Change View dialog box, the Frame Object dialog box, and the Map
Print Options dialog box. All of these options no longer require setting a preference, as
they are all available by default. You will see the cartographic scale along with
the map scale.
There are new menu items to more easily align objects in the Layout window. If you need to
align layout objects on their left, right, top or bottom edges you can now select the objects
and choose these commands directly from the Layout menu or by right-clicking in the Layout
window.
The Legend Designer, first introduced in MapInfo Professional v11.5, has some
significant improvements in version 12.
For legend frames consisting of multiple elements, such as this layer of points representing
different points of interest, it is now possible to control the order of each of the individual
elements within the frame. You can also turn off the display of any items in the frame if
desired.
With version 12 you also now have more control over swatch sample sizes in legends. You
can specify the size in a variety of different units of measurement. You can also
specify whether you want the swatch size to change when you change the font size. Also, the
swatch sizes can now be set to different sizes for different layers. One way to use this
option is to emphasize some layers over other layers. It also means different maps might
employ different swatch sizes.
Another improvement deals with wrapping text. When you have long labels in your legend
frame, the text will automatically wrap in both the Legend Designer window, as well
as in the Legend Frame Properties dialog box.
The last change in the Legend Designer allows you to add free-standing text to the legend.
Right-click in the Legend Designer window and choose Add Text Frame. Type the text you
would like, change the font style if necessary and click OK.
The Universal Translator tool has been replaced with the FME Quick Translator (though it is
still called Universal Translator in the Tools menu). It also has a new user
interface, but the functions remain the same.
In the FME Quick Translator window you can click Translate Data to open the Set Translation
Parameters dialog box. This should look familiar to users of the previous version of
Universal Translator. To translate a file, you will still need to pick the source format
and file, as well as the destination format and location. You can also drag-and-drop a
file to be translated into the FME Quick Translator.
New formats are now supported: ESRI ArcSDE, ESRI Geodatabase, and Google Earth KML. When you
do translate a file, the progress and status will be displayed within the dialog box.