1.4 Working with Maps
1.4.11 Editing Polygons, Lines, and Points
1.4.11.5 Editing a Point
To edit a point:
You can also activate the vector tools by selecting the vector layer to edit from the
- Deleting a point:
i. Click the point you want to delete. The pointer changes ( ).
ii. Right-click and select Delete from the context menu. The point is deleted.
1.4.11.6 Editing Contours, Lines, and Points Using the Context Menu
When you are editing contours, lines, and points, you can access certain commands using the context menu. To edit a vector object using the context menu:
1. Click the vector object you want to edit.
2. Right-click the vector object to display the context menu and select one of the following: - Delete: Select Delete to remove the selected contour, line, or point from the map. - Convert to Line: Select Convert to Line to convert the selected contour to a line. - Convert to Polygon: Select Convert to Polygon to convert the selected line to a contour. - Open Line: Select Open Line to remove the segment between the last and the first point. - Close Line: Select Close Line to add a segment between the last and the first point of the line.
- Insert Point: Select Insert Point to add a point to the border of the contour at the position of the pointer. - Move:
i. Select Move from the context menu to move the contour, line, or point on the map. ii. Move the contour, line, or point.
iii. Click to place the contour, line, or point.
- Quit edition: Select Quit Edition to exit editing mode.
- Properties: Select Properties to open the Properties dialogue of the selected contour, line, or point. The Proper- ties dialogue has two tabs:
- General: The General tab gives the name of the vector Layer, the Surface of the object, and any Properties of the contour, line, or point.
- Geometry: This tab gives the coordinates of each point that defines the position and shape of the contour, line, or point.
1.4.12 Exporting Coverage Prediction Results
In Atoll, you can export the coverage areas of a coverage prediction in raster or vector formats. In raster formats, you can export in BMP, TIF, JPEG 2000, ArcView© grid, or Vertical Mapper (GRD and GRC) formats. When exporting in GRD or GRC formats, Atoll allows you to export files larger than 2 GB. In vector formats, you can export in ArcView©, MapInfo©, or AGD formats. The file exported can then be imported as a vector or raster object in Atoll or in another application.
When you export a coverage prediction in vector format, the exported zone is delimited by the rectangle encompassing the coverage. When you export a coverage prediction in vector format, you can export the entire coverage prediction, or you can export a defined area of the coverage prediction.
All coverage types can be exported, however, you can not export a coverage prediction in raster format if the coverage predic- tion was made per transmitter (for example, coverage predictions with the display type set by transmitter, by a transmitter attribute, by signal level, by path loss, or by total losses). In this case, only the coverage area of a single transmitter can be exported in raster format.
Only the commands relevant to the selected contour, line, or point are displayed in the context menu.
You can export coverage predictions separately or you can export several coverage predictions at the same time. When you export more than one coverage prediction, Atoll suggests the formats that can be used for all the coverage predictions to be exported.
In this section, the following are explained:
• "Exporting an Individual Coverage Prediction in Vector Format" on page 43 • "Exporting an Individual Coverage Prediction in Raster Format" on page 43 • "Exporting Multiple Coverage Predictions" on page 44.
1.4.12.1 Exporting an Individual Coverage Prediction in Vector Format
To export a coverage prediction in vector format: 1. Select the Network tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Predictions folder.
3. Select Export the Coverage from the context menu. The Save As dialogue appears.
4. In the Save As dialogue, enter the File name and select the vector format from the Save as type list.
If you have chosen to export the prediction coverage in a vector format other than in AGD format, you can modify the coverage prediction export:
a. Coordinate Systems: You can change the reference coordinate system for the file being exported.
b. Resolution: You can change the Resolution of the exported coverage. The default resolution is the resolution of the coverage prediction results (as set in the coverage prediction Properties dialogue).
c. Filtering: You can apply a filter to the coverage prediction export to fill empty pixels with a value averaged from surrounding pixels. Define the level of filtering by moving the Filtering slider, or entering the percentage in the text box.
d. Smoothing: You can smooth the vectors exported by a set percentage by moving the Smoothing slider, or entering the percentage in the text box.
5. Click Save to export the coverage prediction results.
1.4.12.2 Exporting an Individual Coverage Prediction in Raster Format
To export a coverage prediction in raster format: 1. Select the Network tab in the Explorer window.
2. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Predictions folder.
3. You can export the entire coverage prediction, the geographic export zone, or part of the coverage prediction: To export the entire coverage prediction:
- Right-click the coverage prediction you want to export.
To export the geographic export zone, define the geographic export zone: a. Click the Geo tab in the Explorer window.
b. Click the Expand button ( ) to expand the Zones folder.
c. Right-click the Geographic Export Zone folder. The context menu appears. d. Select Draw from the context menu.
e. Draw the geographic export zone by clicking the point on the map that will be one corner of the rectangle that will define the geographic export zone and dragging to the opposite corner of the rectangle that will define the geo-
The coverage prediction must be displayed in the map window before it can be exported. For information on displaying objects in the map window, see "Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map Using the Explorer" on page 18.
The coverage prediction must be displayed in the map window before it can be exported. For information on displaying objects in the map window, see "Displaying or Hiding Objects on the Map Using the Explorer" on page 18.
5. In the Save As dialogue, enter the File name and select the raster format from the Save as type list. 6. Enter the file name and select the type and the path of the file to be exported.
7. Click Save to export the coverage prediction results. The Raster Export dialogue appears. a. Under Region, select the area to export:
- Entire covered area: to export a rectangle containing only the area covered by the study, - Computation zone: to export a rectangle containing the entire computation zone, or - Geographic export zone: to export the rectangle defined by the geographic export zone.
b. If desired, you can apply a filter to the coverage prediction export to fill empty pixels with a value averaged from surrounding pixels. Define the level of filtering by moving the Filtering slider, or entering the percentage in the text box.
c. Filtering:
d. Click OK to finish exporting the coverage prediction results.
1.4.12.3 Exporting Multiple Coverage Predictions
If you have several coverage predictions that you want to export, you can export them at the same time. To export several coverage predictions at the same time:
1. Select the Network tab in the Explorer window.
2. Right-click the the Predictions folder. The context menu appears.
3. Select Export Coverages from the context menu. The Coverage Export dialogue appears.
4. In the Coverage Export dialogue, select the check boxes corresponding to the coverage predictions you want to export. By default, Atoll selects the check boxes of all coverage predictions whose visibility check box is selected on the Network tab of the Explorer window.
5. Under Options, you can define the following parameters:
- Folder: Enter the folder you want to store the exported coverage predictions in or click the Browse button ( ) to navigate to it.
- Format: Select the vector file format you want Atoll to export the coverage predictions in.
- Time stamp: If you select the Time stamp check box, Atoll will add the date and time to the file name of each exported coverage prediction.
- Resolution in metres: You can define a resolution for the exported coverage predictions.
6. Click Export to export the selected coverage predictions. The selected coverage predictions are saved in the selected folder.
You can not export in raster format if the coverage prediction was made per transmitter (for example, coverage predictions with the display type set by transmitter, by a transmit- ter attribute, by signal level, by path loss, or by total losses). Only the coverage area of a single transmitter can be exported in raster format.
When you export several coverage predictions at the same time, Atoll does not take the geographic export zone into consideration. The geographic export zone is only taken into consideration for raster file formats.
1.4.13 Saving a Map as a Graphic Image
You can save a map as a graphic image. To save a map as a graphic image:
1. Select Edit > Select Area.
a. Click in the map on one of the four corners of the area you want to select. b. Drag to the opposite corner.
2. Select File > Save Image As. The Map Export dialogue appears.
3. In the Map Export dialogue, select the zone that you want to save as an image. You can select: - Selection: The area on the map selected in step 1.
- Geographic export zone - Printing zone
4. Click Export. The Save As dialogue appears.
5. In the Save as dialogue, select a destination folder, enter a File name, and select a file type from the Save as type list. The following file formats are supported: TIF, BIL, BMP, and ArcView Grid (TXT). If you want to use the saved file as a digital terrain model, you should select the TIF, BIL, or TXT format. When saving in BIL format, Atoll allows you to save files larger than 2 Gb.
6. Click Save. The Exported Image Size dialogue appears.
7. You can define the size of the exported image in one of two ways:
- Scale: If you want to define the size by scale, select Scale, enter a scale in the text box and a resolution. If you want to export the image with rulers, select Include Rulers.
- Pixel size: If you want to define the size by pixel size, select Pixel size, and enter a pixel size in the text box.
8. Click OK.
1.4.14 Copying a Map to Another Application
You can copy a selected area of the map into a document created using another application. To copy a selected area of the map into a document created using another application:
1. Select Edit > Select Area 2. Define the area to copy:
a. Click in the map on one of the four corners of the area you want to select. b. Drag to the opposite corner.
3. Select Edit > Copy Image. The Copy Image dialogue appears. 4. Define the resolution of the image in one of the following ways:
- Select Use screen resolution
- Select Use custom resolution and enter a resolution in metres. 5. Click OK.
6. Open the application into which you want to paste the image. 7. In the new application, select Edit > Paste Special.
8. In the Paste Special dialogue, select Picture (Enhanced Metafile).
If you want to use the exported file as a digital terrain model, you must define the size of the exported image by pixel size. Atoll then creates a geo-reference file for the exported image.
You can also select Bitmap to paste the selection without rulers, or Text to paste the upper left and lower right coordinates of the selection.
Polygon drawing pointer
transmitters, draw computation/focus/hot spot/filtering/printing/ geographic export zones, or draw vector or raster polygons on the map. To draw a polygon, click once to start, and each time you change angles on the border defining the outside of the polygon. Close the polygon by clicking twice.
Rectangle drawing pointer
The rectangle drawing pointer indicates you can draw computation/focus/hot spot/ filtering/printing/geographic export zones, or draw vector or raster rectangles on the map. To define a zone, click and drag diagonally.
Hand The hand pointer indicates you can move the visible part of the displayed map. Zoom tool The zoom pointer indicates you can click to zoom in and right-click to zoom out at
the location of the mouse pointer
Zoom area The zoom area pointer indicates you can zoom in on an area of the by clicking and dragging to define the area.
New transmitter The transmitter pointer indicates you can place a transmitter on the map where you click. You can place more than one station by pressing CTRL as you click on the map. Point analysis The point analysis pointer indicates that you have selected the Point Analysis tool
and have not yet chosen the first point. Point placed
(Receiver)
The point placed pointer indicates the position of the receiver on the map that is used for the point-to-point analysis. The results are displayed in the CW Measurements or Point Analysis window.
Pencil
The pencil pointer indicates you can create a polygonal clutter zone, by clicking once to start the polygon, once to create each corner, and by double-clicking to close the polygon.
Deletion The deletion pointer indicates that you can delete a newly created polygonal clutter zone by clicking its border.
Position indicator
The position indicator pointer indicates you can select the border of a polygon. Right-clicking the polygon border opens a context menu allowing you to add a point, delete the polygon, or centre the map on the polygon.
Select/create points
The select/create points pointer indicates you can modify the polygon in the map window. You can add a new point and modify the polygon contour by clicking on one of the edges and dragging. You can move an existing point by clicking and dragging an existing point. You can right-click to open a context menu to delete a point, delete the polygon, or centre the map on the polygon.
Placing a CW measurement
point
The first CW measurement point pointer indicates you can click a point on the map to create the first point of a CW measurement path.
Placing points in a CW measurement
path
The next CW measurement point pointer indicates the first CW measurement point has been set and you can now click other points on the map. Double-click to end the CW measurement path.
Measurements on the map
The measurement pointer indicates you can click on the map to set the start point of your measurement. As you move the pointer, the distance between the first point and the pointer is displayed in the status bar.
1.5 Working with Data Tables
Atoll stores object data (sites, transmitters, repeaters, antennas, UMTS or CDMA2000 cells, UMTS or CDMA2000 parameters, etc.) in the form of tables, containing all their parameters and characteristics. The data contained in prediction reports are also stored in the form of tables.
You can add columns to the data table and you can delete certain columns. When you create a new column, you can create a default value for a field you create. You can also create a list of options (for text fields) from which the user can choose when filling in the field.
You can filter, sort, and group the data contained in these tables, and view a statistical analysis of the data. You can also export the data or import data into the Atoll data tables. The options for working with data tables are available from the context menu or from the Table toolbar displayed above the table.
In this section, the following are explained: • "Opening a Data Table" on page 47
• "Adding, Deleting, and Editing Data Table Fields" on page 47 • "Editing the Contents of a Table" on page 49
• "Opening an Object’s Record Properties Dialogue from a Table" on page 50 • "Defining the Table Format" on page 50
• "Copying and Pasting in Tables" on page 54
• "Viewing a Statistical Analysis of Table Contents" on page 56 • "Exporting Tables to Text Files" on page 57
• "Importing Tables from Text Files" on page 58 • "Exporting Tables to XML Files" on page 59 • "Importing Tables from XML Files" on page 59.
1.5.1 Opening a Data Table
To open a data table:
1. Click the Network or Parameters tab in the Explorer window. 2. Right-click the data folder of which you want to display the data table. 3. Select Open Table from the context menu.
1.5.2 Adding, Deleting, and Editing Data Table Fields
The data for each object type is stored in the form of a data table. Every data table in Atoll is created with a default set of columns, each corresponding to a field. In this section, the following functions are explained:
• "Accessing an Object Type’s Table Fields" on page 47 • "Adding a Field to an Object Type’s Data Table" on page 48 • "Deleting a Field from an Object Type’s Data Table" on page 49
1.5.2.1 Accessing an Object Type’s Table Fields
The fields contained in an object type’s table are defined in a dialogue. To access an object type’s table fields:
1. In the Explorer window, open the data table as described in "Opening a Data Table" on page 47. 2. Right-click the table in the map window. The context menu appears.
3. Select Table Fields from the context menu. A dialogue appears where you can view the existing fields and add or delete new ones.
The dialogue displays the following information for each type of data (see Figure 1.13): Terrain section
The terrain section pointer indicates that you can create a terrain section by clicking once on the map to create the first point and once more to create the second point. The terrain profile between the two points is displayed in the Point Analysis window and stored under Terrain Sections in the Geo tab.
1.5.2.2 Adding a Field to an Object Type’s Data Table
You can add a custom field to any object type’s data table. To add a custom field to an object type’s data table:
1. Access the object type’s table fields as explained in "Accessing an Object Type’s Table Fields" on page 47. 2. Click Add. The Field Definition dialogue appears (see Figure 1.14).
3. The Field Definition dialogue has the following text boxes:
- Name: Enter the Name for the field that will appear in the database
- Group: If desired, you can define a Group that this custom field will belong to. When you open an Atoll document from a database, you can then select a specific group of custom fields to be loaded from the database, instead of loading all custom fields.
- Legend: Enter the name for the field that will appear in the Atoll document.