Create a New Map

OCAD provides predefined symbol sets to help you begin drawing your map immediately.

To create a new map:

1. Select New in the File menu. The New Map dialog box appears.
2. Select one of the predefined symbol sets from the Load colors and symbols from field and press OK.

You can add, change or delete symbols in the symbol box at any time.

To add your own set of symbols to the list of predefined symbol sets, simply copy the OCD file to the OCAD subdirectory "Symbol" (usually "C:\program files\OCAD\OCAD10\Symbol").

Creating a new map

Setting the Map Scale

Select Set Scale and Coordinate System from the Map menu. The Set Scale and Coordinate System dialog box appears.

1. Enter a scale and click OK.

Do not use this menu to change the scale after entering the initial values. To increase or decrease the size of the map subsequently, use the Change Scale function in the Map menu.

• Coordinate system: Choose here the desired coordinate system. UTM (Universal Transverse Mercator) is divided into 60 zones limited by meridians and defined worldwide.

• Zone: Depending on selected coordinate system you must select a zone.

If the coordinate system UTM is selected you can click the Find button to find the correct UTM zone. The dialog box Find UTM zone appears.

• Map datum: This field displays the map datum for the desired coordinate system.

• Ellipsoid: The field displays the ellipsoid from the map datum.

• Location: The field displays the location, where the coordinate system can be used.

• Remove: Press the button Remove to reset the coordinate system to 'undefined'.

• Find UTM Zone: In this dialog box you can find the UTM zone based on geographical coordinate (degree of longitude and degree of latitude)

Example: Coordinate from Baar (Switzerland): 47° 12 North (Latitude), 8° 31' East (Longitude). This is in the UTM zone 32 North.

• Latitude: Enter in this field the degrees of latitude.

N (North): Click this button if the position is northern of the equator.

S (South): Click this button if the position is southern of the equator.

• Longitude: Enter in this field the degrees of longitude.

W (West): Click this button if the position is western of Prime Meridian (London Greenwich).

E (East): Click this button if the position is eastern of Prime Meridian (London Greenwich).

Press the button OK to calculate the UTM zone. The UTM zone appears in the Coordinate system dialog box.

Georeference the Map

Before loading a georeferenced raster map, work with GPS data or import spatial base data, we recommend that you first georeference the map. You should contact your data supplier, national surveying office or cartographic institute to find out which coordinate system will best suit your needs.

Select SetScale and Coordinate System from the Map menu. The Set Scale and Coordinate System dialog box appears.

1. Click Choose and then select a coordinate system. Depending on the selected coordinate system, it may be necessary to define a zone.
2. In the Horizontal offset and Vertical offset fields, enter the coordinate values for the center of your map.
3. The coordinate system can be rotated by entering a value in the Angle field (optional).
4. In the Grid distance field, enter the desired value for the coordinate grid and click OK.

Enter the coordinate values for the center of your map in the horizontal and vertical offset fields. This is important since the drawing area of OCAD is limited to 4 x 4 m in the Standard Edition and 80 x 80 m in the Professional Edition. This option is used to ensure that imported spatial base data, georeferenced raster maps and GPS measurements do not lie outside the drawing area.

File Type

Normal map: Choose this option if you want to start a new map.

Orienteering map

• Course setting project for orienteering: Choose this option if you want to start a course setting project.
• Load colors and symbols from: Choose a map from which the symbols should be copied to the new map. Click on a map to see the file information. Double click on the desired map to create a new map. The box lists all OCAD maps in the SYMBOL subdirectory. You may add your own symbol files to this directory. Symbol files are just normal OCAD maps, usually without any objects.
• File information: Here you see the file information of the selected symbol file. If you create your own symbol files you can enter the file information by choosing Map Info from the Map menu.
• Browse: Click this button to copy the symbols for the new map from a map other than those listed.

Previous Chapter: Chapter 3: Graphical User Interface

Next Chapter: Chapter 5: Colors

Back to Help:Contents