Style Polygon dialog box

Use this dialog box to create styles for polygon geometry.

Size Context

Select Device to specify label widths and heights in screen units. Available units are Points, Inches, Millimeters, or Centimeters. Select Map to specify label widths and heights in Mapping Coordinate System (MCS) units. Available units are Inches, Feet, Yards, Miles, Millimeters, Centimeters, Meters, and Kilometers.

The Size Context and Unit settings apply to all items in the dialog box, not only to selected items.

Unit

Select the type of units of measurement to use.

Note: Units are not part of the style, and are not permanently associated with the style. Every time you display this dialog box, it converts your settings to the current units.

Symbol and Style

Click Add Fill or Add Border to add elements to the style. You can include multiple fills and borders in a single style.

Note: Each line pattern consists of a symbol (for example, a dash) and a space. For a solid line, the space is equal to zero. The repeat interval determines how wide the space is between symbols.

For a compound symbol, click + to see the simple symbols that comprise it. You can format each simple symbol. You can reposition compound symbols, but not the simple symbols within them. Once you create a compound symbol, you cannot change it back into a set of simple symbols. You must remove it and add the individual symbols again.

The elements are displayed in their z-order, with the element lowest in the z-order at the bottom. Select an element in the graphical area to change its position, appearance, and content. Use the arrow keys to change the position of the selected item. To delete an item, select it and click X.

Line Style Settings

Use the style options below the graphical area to specify the polygon outline attributes.

Note: You can use an expression to specify most styling options. If you use an expression to specify width, height, or repeat interval, a scaling factor is included in the expression. This scaling value converts your expression to a value that can be used as width, height, offset, or interval. The factor is calculated and inserted automatically. Do not change or delete it in the expression.

Fill Settings

When a fill element is selected, use the style options below the graphical area to specify a pattern or solid fill. If you select a pattern, you can construct the pattern using symbols. Select any graphical symbol to use and its size and rotation. You can specify fill color and transparency for both solid and pattern fills. If you use a symbol graphic that includes text, text styling options are also available.

Select Symbol

Use the style options below the graphical area to specify the graphical symbol to use and its fill, outline style, line color, size, and rotation. If the symbol graphic includes text, text styling options are also available. You can specify whether to maintain the aspect ratio when changing the height or width of symbols.

You can import blocks in DWG files, symbols contained in layer files (*.layer) or symbol files (*.xml), or raster images (*.gif, *.jpg, *.bmp, *.png) to the symbol repository. To load such symbols, scroll to the bottom of the Select Symbol list and click Load. This opens the Select a Symbol in the Repository dialog box.

Note: You can use an expression to specify most styling options. If you use an expression to specify width or height, and then change a related parameter (such as Units), a scaling factor is included in the expression. This scaling value converts your expression to a value that can be used as width or height. The factor is calculated and inserted automatically. Do not change or delete it in the expression.

Color

Specify the color of the polygon border. Clicking the arrow displays a color picker where you can choose from standard or themed colors, indicate no color, open a palette of more colors, or set the color by means of an expression.

Line Thickness

The thickness of the polygon border can be adjusted by choosing from one of the five line weight settings. You can also set the line thickness by means of an expression.

Join Style

Width

Specify the Width of a selected symbol by entering a value in the field. Clicking the arrow gives you the option to use an expression to set the width.

Height

Specify the Height of a selected symbol by entering a value in the field. Clicking the arrow gives you the option to use an expression to set the height.

Lock Aspect Ratio

When active, Lock Aspect Ration links the Width and Height settings so the symbol maintains its original proportions. For example, if you change the Width and then click another setting, the Height value automatically adjusts so the proportions of the symbol remain intact.

When the option is disabled, Width and Height settings are completely independent and symbols can be stretched.

Changing the Width and Height of compound symbols does not affect the proportions of the elements that make up the symbol. However, if symbol elements have different scales, the Width and Height settings are not available.

If a symbol is referenced and the scale property is parameterized, you can set the Width and Height as you would for an embedded symbol. If the scale property is not parameterized, the Width and Height can only be set if you have permissions to write to the folder that contains the symbol definition.

Tip: If altering the Width and Height of a drawing created in AutoCAD Map 3D 2012, any changes are maintained if the drawing is re-opened in the older release.

Advanced

Options vary, depending on whether a fill or a border is selected.

Origin Control

(Fill) For polygons on this layer, specify whether the symbols align on a grid that covers the entire map (Global, which is the default), whether that grid is specific to each polygon (Local), or whether the grid is anchored at the polygon centroid (Centroid) .

Origin

(Fill) If you set the Origin Control to Local or Centroid, you can offset the symbol grid by specifying x and y coordinates for the offset. By default, this is 0.

Angle Control

(Fill and Border) Specify whether symbol orientation is determined by the feature geometry or by the angle you specify.

Symbol Repeat

(Fill) Specify the horizontal and vertical separation between symbols. By default, this is 0.

Repeat Interval

(Border) Every symbol has a defined width, but its repeat interval may not be included in the symbol definition. Along linear dimensions (for example, polygon edges or fills), when the repeat interval is equal to or smaller than the symbol width, there will be no gaps between symbols. The symbol then displays as a continuous line, unless the symbol itself contains gaps. When you specify the symbol width first, the ratio between the symbol width and the repeat interval defined by the symbol are maintained. When no repeat interval is defined, the ratio is 1:1. If you then modify the repeat interval, the symbol width is unchanged and the new repeat interval creates a new ratio between width and interval. To go back to the original ratio, re-add the same symbol.