In PlanTest, maps are dynamic - responding to the specific analysis, test or tool employed by the examiner. The association of different thematic views of the data or results is highly customizable. Maps in PlanTest organize fabric and other data into specific classes that are displayed as layers in the Table of Contents Control. Each layer can have any number of possible views, each specifying dynamic symbology, annotation and filters to show specific aspects of the data. A theme is a collection of these views, each for a different layer. Your site will have a standard theme that is applied when PlanTest loads a fabric and opens the main map.
Themes are a collection of presentation aspects of a map. Views are a specific presentation for one map layer only.
PlanTest maps are composed of layers, each representing a group of similar features ( parcels, lines, buildings, ect...) These groupings are extracted from the data model specific to each jurisdiction. Each layer can be viewed many different ways, through changes in symbology based on different attributes, on selection of only the features of interest, and by numerous options in how the features are annotated by dynamic labeling. PlanTest uses the ESRI ArcMap control for it's maps because of its flexibility and excellent cartography. The basis of PlanTest Views and Themes is a layer file created in ArcMap.
Themes can be selected from the list shown in the Theme comboBox drop-down list. Both themes and views are in the list, with themes sorted to the top. Mostly you will select views during investigation - to get a different set of information than given by a test.
Themes and views will have been created by Seaconis, your site, or by you, and should have meaningful names, like "Reference Marks Theme". When selected, all views in the theme will be applied to the Main and Inset maps.
You can add themes and views to the Themes UI list by copying the corresponding file to the folder identified in the PlanTest XflowConfiguration.xml file. <themesPath>C:\SI\Themes</themesPath> It may be a shared folder on your network, or on your machine. On startup, PlanTest reads the contents of this folder and creates the list dynamically, any theme or view in the folder is added to the list.
Workflows are defined in special XML files. Creation of workflows is discussed elsewhere. To change or add a view associated with a specific workflow step, you simply edit the appropriate workflow file for the step.
<Views> collection as needed. <Step>
<Name>7.9 Keep Outer Boundary</Name>
<Tip>Check that outer boundary of submission agrees with previous plans.</Tip>
<Description>
Validates the subject plan data agrees with the previous plan, when plans are a series in a development project.
</Description>
<Test>KeepOuterBoundary</Test>
<Auto>true</Auto>
<Views>
<View>Parcels_OIDs.lyr</View>
<View>Lines_OuterBounds.lyr</View>
<View>Points_OIDs.lyr</View>
<View>Control_Standard_smaller.lyr</View>
</Views>
<Children />
</Step>
Views that are used in Workflows MUST be in the layers folder! There can be only one view per map layer in a step's <Views> collection, and there does not need to be a view for every map layer.
You can easily create a theme by modifying an existing theme XML file to add your new theme. Or you can create a new XML file following the same schema. Then add the file to the themes folder.
[step by step for adding to existing theme file]
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<PlanTestThemes xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
<Name>Seaconis Development</Name>
<Site>SI</Site>
<DataSchemaVersion>SI 3.2</DataSchemaVersion>
<Themes>
<!-- Example custom theme.-->
<Theme>
<Name>Development View - Hull</Name>
<Purpose>Used for investigation of hull analysis.</Purpose>
<Views>
<View>
<FileName>Points_OIDs.lyr</FileName>
</View>
<View>
<FileName>Lines_smaller_labels.lyr</FileName>
</View>
<View>
<FileName>Control_Standard.lyr</FileName>
</View>
<View>
<FileName>Parcels_OIDs.lyr</FileName>
</View>
</Views>
</Theme>
<!-- Theme may have fewer views. When used, this will only affect parcels.-->
<Theme>
<Name>Isolation View</Name>
<Purpose>isolation for testing</Purpose>
<Views>
<View>
<FileName>Parcels_Standard.lyr</FileName>
</View>
</Views>
</Theme>
<!-- Any number of themes.-->
</Themes>
</PlanTestThemes>
For PlanTest desktop, maps use the ArcGIS MapControl. To create a new view, you save a PlanTest map, and open it in an ESRI desktop application that can create layer files, these will have the extension ".lyr". These files are then copied to the themes or layers folders, or both.
Warning: If your site uses the Fabric Controls to visualize point data specific to individual plans in the fabric, you must first use the special tool to copy attribution from the lines to the points before you save the PlanTest map to use for creating new views from ArcMap layer files.