How to Build a Physical Map

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To generate a physical map:

1.Rightclick on the active NE or on any NE in any association area, and
2.Select Create a Physical Map.
3.A dialog box will ask you to "Select an NE Distribution Method". There are three options:
•None [Leave them lined up in rows] - all NEs in a direct or indirect relation to the selected NE will appear on the physical map. All NEs in the model will be lined up at the bottom of the map and you will be able to construct the physical component of your map from scratch. All contributions and affinities built in the DNE are retained.
•New [Start with this NE only] - only the active NE will be presented on a new physical map. None of the directly or indirectly related NEs will appear on the physical map.
•Linear [Draw from left to right] - the DNE will arrange the NEs from left to right, following contribution relations. For a complex model this will not automatically generate a perfect, finalized map, but it does a lot of the work and will provide a good rough draft from which you can make the final moves.
4.Set other preferences. These include:
•Line Style
•Background
•NE Size
•Paper Size

 

To change spatial relations between NEs:

•Drag any NE anywhere on the map. All connecting lines will be kept.

 

To add a new NE to a map:

•Drag any visible NE in the DNE onto the map.

To add a background to a map:

•Drag an image tile Tile Image Lt onto the map.

 

Toolbar functions:

Click icon or topic for step-by-step instructions

 

physical maps - default cursor Default selection cursor.

physical maps - zoom in zoom out To zoom:

•To zoom out and make objects smaller, click the physical maps - zoom in zoom out
•To zoom in and make objects larger, rightclick the physical maps - zoom in zoom out

physical maps - text - add or edit To add or edit text:

1.Click the physical maps - text - add or edit,
2.Use the text editor to set text, text size, font, color, etc.

physical maps - insert image To add an image to the map:

1.Click the physical maps - insert image. A dialogue box will open.
2.Find the image you want and doubleclick it.

physical maps - NE name or object model info To show NE names or object model information:

1.Click the physical maps - NE name or object model info
2.Select the desired display.

You can also change text color:

1.Click the physical maps - NE name or object model info
2.Select the desired color.

i_blueText color for all NEs will be updated. If you want to update text color for a single NE, click physical maps - text - add or edit.

physical maps - activate NE To activate an NE from the physical map in the DNE:

•Click physical maps - activate NE.

physical maps - 4 arrows To connect two NEs:

1.Click the NE that you want the connecting line to come from,
2.Click the appropriate connecting line from the options physical maps - 4 arrows, then
3.Click the NE that you want the connecting line to go to.

physical maps - set grid lines To change the grid lines:

1.Click the physical maps - set grid lines,
2.Select the desired grid size, or select None to remove the grid entirely.

physical maps - background on off To turn background on or off, or move background:

1.Click physical maps - background on off
2.Select Background

i_blueNote that you can only turn off a personalized background that you added by dragging an image tile onto the map. The default background for maps cannot be turned off.

To move the background:

1.Click physical maps - background on off,
2.Select from the options stretched, top left, tiled or centered.

i_blueBackgrounds cannot be moved manually.

physical maps - lock-unlock connecting lines - lockedphysical maps - lock-unlock connecting lines - unlocked To lock/unlock connecting lines (allows you to detach:

1.Click the physical maps - lock-unlock connecting lines - locked to unlock the connecting lines. The physical maps - lock-unlock connecting lines - locked will become a physical maps - lock-unlock connecting lines - unlocked.
2.Select the connecting line, and
3.Drag it wherever you want it:
•Drag the line from anywhere on its body to move the entire line, keeping its size and direction, and/or
•Drag an end point to rotate the line around the other end point, changing its size and direction.
•Connect any line to any NE by dropping the end point of the line onto the center of the NE. The drop zone will be indicated on the center of the target NE.
4.When you are done, click the physical maps - lock-unlock connecting lines - unlocked to lock the connecting lines again. The physical maps - lock-unlock connecting lines - unlocked will become a physical maps - lock-unlock connecting lines - locked.

physical maps - bring to front To put the selected object or line on top of other objects in the map:

1.Select the object or line you want to put on top, and
2.Click the physical maps - bring to front.

physical maps - bring to back To put the selected object or line beneath all other objects in the map:

1.Select the object or line you want to put on top, and
2.Click the physical maps - bring to back.

physical maps - set line style preferences To select line style preference:

To set preference for lines to be added:

1.Click physical maps - set line style preferences, and
2.Select Straight or Angled.

To change straight lines to angled lines, or vice versa:

1.Click line to be changed, and
2.Click physical maps - set line style preferences.

physical maps - print map To print or export the map:

1.Click physical maps - print map.
2.A dialogue box will appear:
3.physical maps - export options dialogue box
4.Select the output format,
5.Select whether or not to include a border and/or the background, and
6.Click OK.

physical maps - change paper size To changes paper size:

•Click physical maps - change paper size. A dialogue box will appear.
•In the dialogue box, insert desired paper size, and
•Click OK.

physical maps - create physical map tile To create a tile of the physical map:

•Click the physical maps - create physical map tile.

The Tile Physical Maptile will be attached to the active NE.

physical maps - update physical map tile To update the physical map tile:

•Click physical maps - update physical map tile.

physical maps - get map statistics To display map statistics, including the number of NEs and tiles on the map:

•Click physical maps - get map statistics.

physical maps - show-hide NEs Shows or hides NEs on the map:

•If NEs are displayed, then click physical maps - show-hide NEsto hide them, or
•If NEs are hidden, then click physical maps - show-hide NEsto display them.

i_blueNote that NEs are the only objects hidden. Everything else remains visible.

physical maps - delete selected objects Deletes an object (NE or line) from the map:

1.Select the object or line to be deleted (or shift + click for multiple deletions), and
2.Click the physical maps - delete selected objects.