Create a New Text Symbol
You can create quite complex text symbols with OCAD.
Choose the New command in the Symbol menu. Then, choose the Text Symbol option in the New Symbol dialog to create a new Text symbol.
The Text Symbol dialog appears. This dialog provides the following five tabs:
- General: Used to define the font color, type and size.
- Paragraph: Used to define the paragraph attributes
- Tabulator: Used to define the tab attributes
- Line Below: Used to define the underscore attributes
- Framing: Used to define the framing and combination with point symbols
General
The General tab provides adjustment options for the font, color, size etc. of text symbols. At the bottom of the dialog a preview of the text is shown.
For every text style, a separate symbol is required. If you modify the text symbol, then all text written with that symbol will change.
The error message: "Font not found" appears if a font is chosen that is not installed on the PC. The font needs to be installed on the PC or another font must be chosen. Otherwise the font Arial is used.
Symbol Number
Type a symbol number between 0.001 and 999999.999 in this field.
Symbol Description
Enter a symbol description in this field (e.g. Hiking Track Label).
Font
Choose a font for the text symbol. All TrueType fonts installed in Windows are listed in the dropdown box. You cannot use raster fonts or Adobe Type Manager fonts.
Color
Choose the color for the text. All colors from the Color Table are listed in the dropdown list.
Size
Choose the size in points for the text. As an alternative you can enter the character height in millimeters in the Character height field.
Character Height
Enter here the height of the character 'B' in millimeters. Alternatively, you can enter the size of the font in points in the Size field.
Emphasis
- Bold: Check this box for bold text.
- Italic: Check this box for italic text.
Drawing Mode
This setting is used if you drag the mouse in a specified direction when drawing or editing a text object or if you rotate the map with the Rotate Map command in the menu Map.
- Horizontal text: Choose this option if the text shall be rendered horizontal after a rotation of the map.
- Rotated text: Choose this option if the text shall rotate with the map after a rotation of the map.
Course Setting for Orienteering Options
In Course Setting for Orienteering projects you have additional options for text symbols. Check the Course setting symbol box if you want to use this text symbol for the course title, code for variant or start numbers for relay courses. Read more about this topic on the Add Course Setting Objects page.
Paragraph
Choose this page to define parameters for text paragraphs. At the bottom of the dialog a preview of the text is shown.
Character Spacing
Enter here a distance to be inserted between characters. If you enter 100%, a space character is inserted between characters. The default value is 0%. Negative values can be inserted, too.
Word Spacing
Enter here the distance between words. 100% means that a normal space character is used between words. The default value is 100%.
Alignment
Choose an alignment of the text. You have 10 options (from Bottom to Top and Left to Right, or select the Bottom justified option for left-aligned text which is Fully Justified). This last option only influences text draw as a text frame.
Line Spacing
Enter the distance from one line to the next within a paragraph in relation to the font size. The standard value is 120%.
Space after Paragraph
Enter the additional space after each paragraph.
Indent First Line
Enter the indent of the first line of each paragraph.
Indent Other Lines
Enter the indent of the other lines of each paragraph.
Tab
Choose this page to set the tabs for the text symbol. The tabs are left adjusted. A maximum of 32 tabs can be defined. If a text contains more tab characters than defined in the list, the distance to the last tab is repeated.
To add a new tab enter the position and click the Add button. The tab is added to the list.
To remove a tab select the tab to be deleted in the list. Then click the Delete button.
Line Below
On this page a line which is drawn below each paragraph can be defined. A paragraph is terminated by a hard return - the Enter key.
On
Check this box to get a line below the paragraphs.
Line Color
Choose a color for the line. The colors from the Color Table appear in this list.
Line Width
Enter a line width.
Distance from Text
Enter a distance from the baseline of the text to the upper edge of the line.
Framing
Choose this page to set the parameters for text framing. Text framing is a method to make text more readable on maps. If - for instance - you have black text on a map, it may interfere with black line objects. Text framing can also be used for decorative effects - giving the text a shadow, for instance.
For text framing you need to understand the Color Table and you should have some experience in creating new colors and new symbols.
Off
Activate this box if you don't want to use text framing.
Line
Enter here the Width (how much the framing extends outside the character) of the text framing as well as the Line style (how corners and line ends appear) and the Color at the bottom of the Mode part of the dialog (all colors from the Color Table are listed here). To get text framing, this color must be below the color of the main font in the Color Table, but above the colors of any objects which you wish to cover.
Shadow
Choose this option if a shadow to the text shall be rendered. Enter the Horizontal and Vertical offset of the shadow. Choose a Color at the bottom of the Mode part of the dialog (all colors from the Color Table are listed here). To get text framing, this color must be below the color of the main font in the Color Table, but above the colors of any objects which you wish to cover.
Rectangle
Choose this option to add a rectangular background. Enter the values Left, Right, Bottom and Top if the rectangle shall overlap the text. Choose a Color at the bottom of the Mode part of the dialog (all colors from the Color Table are listed here). To get text framing, this color must be below the color of the main font in the Color Table, but above the colors of any objects which you wish to cover.
Point Symbol
Check the On option if you want to attach a point symbol to the text symbol. Then, choose a point symbol, which are those from the Symbol Box.
Examples
Download-Links: Example_Textframing.ocd Example_TextPointsymbol.ocd
Creating a Line Text Frame
For text framing you need to understand the Color Table and you should have some experience in creating new colors and new symbols.
First you need two additional colors which are above the black color for symbols:
Then you can add the text framing to an existing text symbol:
- Right click the text symbol and choose Edit from the context menu.
- Choose the General page. Choose the Black for text item for the text color.
- Choose the Framing page. Activate the Line option.
- Enter the desired framing width.
- Choose the White for text frames item in the Color dropdown list.
Selective Text Framing
Often text framing erases only the black color, but the other colors still come through. OCAD allows selective text framing for printing the map with spot colors (PMS or Pantone colors), by defining the appropriate spot colors. However, on the screen all colors below the framing color are erased. So beware: the appearance of the map on the screen and the printed map will be different. Selective text framing is also possible for CMYK printing. In this case you have to define your own Spot Color for CMYK. You cannot use the automatic CMYK color separations.
Icon
Click the Icon button in the dialog to create an icon for the symbol. The Icon Editor appears. Read more about this editor in the Icon Editor article.
Back to the Create a New Symbol page.