When you add drawing objects to a map, you use a query to specify the objects you want. In this lesson, you add objects from multiple source drawings to a single map. You use three types of queries:
- Quick View — Displays all data in the attached drawings, but does not retrieve any objects. When you refresh the screen, the objects disappear.
- Preview query mode — Displays objects in the attached drawings that match criteria you specify, but does not retrieve them. When you refresh the screen, the objects disappear.
- Draw query mode — Retrieves objects that match criteria you specify (copies the objects into the current drawing). You can manipulate, edit, and save the objects (to their attached drawings, to the current drawing, or to a new drawing).
Attach multiple source drawings
Attaching a drawing to a map does not add any objects to the map. It makes the drawing data available to the map. You can then preview or add the objects.
Preview drawing objects
Use Quick View or a Preview mode query to display objects in an attached drawing temporarily. For example, you can use a location preview query to see all objects that fall within the radius of a circle that you draw.
These objects cross a circle in a location query.
Use queries to add objects
Use Draw mode queries to retrieve information in attached drawing files and add them to your drawing. In this lesson, you use two types of Draw mode queries:
- Property queries — Retrieve objects based on properties such as color, linetype, or layer.
- Location queries — Retrieve objects based on location conditions such as boundaries and buffer distances.
Alter object properties with a query
A special type of query allows you to alter the properties of the objects as you add them to the map. For example, you can break out objects into layers, changing the layer property for the objects as you add them to your map.