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MapInfo Monday: Having Map Windows side by side

  • 1.  MapInfo Monday: Having Map Windows side by side

    Employee
    Posted 05-29-2023 10:25

    Happy #MapInfoMonday!

    In today's article, I will cover a feature of MapInfo Pro that I always have taken for granted because it has always been part of MapInfo Pro: Working in multiple map windows side by side.

    However, it seems this isn't standard in all GIS products - or at least it hasn't always been.

    MapInfo Pro has always been looking at how the Office products from Microsoft work, and we have tried adopting this to make it as easy to work with MapInfo Pro as it is with MS Word, MS Excel, or MS PowerPoint. One thing we have adopted is window management allowing you to work in multiple windows at a time.

    This means you can start with one map in MapInfo Pro


    You easily create a copy of your map or clone it as we say. This can be done from the context menu on the tab for the window, from the context menu in the Window List, by copying and pasting the window (click on the window tab first to ensure that's what's in focus), or you can use the Drag Map tool from the Map tab to do so.

    Now with two maps open, you can start working with these. Switch between the two maps using the tabs or click on the map in the Layer List to switch between the maps.

    You can also arrange the two maps so that you see them both. Right-click on the tab for one of the map windows and select New Vertical Tab Group to move that map to a separate tab group.

    Now you see your maps side by side. This allows you to see your two maps with different backgrounds or turn on separate layers in one map.

    Next, let's keep the two windows in sync so that they always have the same center and zoom. This makes it easier to compare the two maps.

    From the Tools window, make sure the tool Sync Windows has been loaded.

    Now select Sync from Sync Windows on the Map tab.

    In the dialog Synchronize Map Window, check Synchronize Map Center and Synchronize Map Zoom to keep your map windows in sync. Note that this will affect all open map windows.

    As you now zoom and pan in one of your maps, the other maps will follow and move to the same center/zoom as the one that got changed.

    I have just shown you have to do this with two map windows, but you can also do it with 4, 6, or more map windows if needed.


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    Peter Horsbøll Møller
    Principal Presales Consultant | Distinguished Engineer
    Precisely | Trust in Data
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