MensorGIS Open Carto Database Tutorial


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This Tutorial shows Cartographic Visualizing. You learn about


Open Carto Database is a Data Format which was created for MensorGIS. It can be edited by a Text Editor or an XML Editor and can also be used for other perposes. Up to now two different areas of Scale are designed:

The Import Routine for the Open Carto Database automatically transforms all Coordinates into the Geographic System (only here you don't need to set the Import/Export System). Also automatically the Display Information is set by an Attribute:

e.g. cities and settlement get red, waterlines and waterareas get blue, traffic lines get different Line Types and Point Featues get different Symbols. See Functionality Description and User Manual in MensorGIS Help for more details.

The so far 10 defined Object Classes are created when importing the first File of this type (* means Point, - means Line, o means Area Feature):

  1. * cities

  2. * peaks

  3. * sanctuaries

  4. - traffic

  5. - waterlines

  6. - boundaries

  7. o settlement

  8. o waterareas

  9. o vegetation

  10. * gridline



Now to our tasks:

Import the World Data Set „openCartoDBworld.xml“
  1. Menu „File - Import - openCartoDB“

  2. select „openCartoDBworld.xml“

  3. answer the Question on Identity Check with „No“

  4. -> 10 Object Classes get created, 3 of them are used (Points *):

    Remark: You may turn the Icons On / Off by using Menus „Cartography - Icons On“ / „Cartography - Icons Off“


Change the Size of the Point Icons
  1. Menu „Cartography - Icon Manager“ -> Window „Icon Manager“ is shown:

  2. in GroupBox „Icon Geometry“ select the Object Class/Theme „peaks“ or „sanctuaries“

  3. -> current Values for Scaling and Orientation are displayed

  4. then change the Icon Size by selecting a different Scaling Factor

  5. -> pressing the Button „Save“ changes the Icon Size for the selected Theme


Create a new Layer
  1. Menu „Edit - Layers - New Layer“

  2. type „Texts“ into the InputBox and press „OK“

  3. -> a Layer named „Texts“ gets created


Visualize the Peaks' Heights
  1. Menu „Edit - Texts - Generate from Object Class“ -> Window „Create Text“:

  2. select Object Class „* OCDB_peaks“

  3. select Attribute „height“

  4. select Color „Black“

  5. select Size „3“

  6. select Layer „Texts“

  7. press „Create Texts“

  8. close the Window (OK)


Query the Capitals of the World with more than 1000000 Inhabitants
  1. Menu „Data - Query - by Attribute (attributive)“ -> Window „attributive Query“:

  2. at first select Object Class „OCDB_cities“ (from clause)

  3. then select Attribute „name“ (select clause)

  4. for the first WHERE clause:

  5. for the second WHERE clause:

  6. press the „Query“

  7. Capitals get highlighted (violett circles)

  8. press „Redraw“ to redraw the Highlights

  9. in Project's /bin/Debug Directory open „Select.html“ to see the Query's result

  10. close the Window (OK)

OpenCartoDBTutorial_AttibutiveQuery.jpg (19 kByte)


Import the Regional Data Set „openCartoDBLinBGL.xml“
  1. Menu „File - Import - openCartoDB“

  2. select „openCartoDBLinBGL.xml“

  3. answer the Question on Identity Check with „No“

  4. 3 Object Classes are used (Lines -):


Import the Regional Data Set „openCartoDBAreBGL.xml“
  1. Menu „File - Import - openCartoDB“

  2. select „openCartoDBAreBGL.xml“

  3. answer the Question on Identity Check with „No“

  4. 3 Object Classes are used (Areas o):


Set Graphic Plot's Limits to Extent of the Regional Data Set
  1. Menu „View - Limits - Fit Subset“ -> Window „Set Limits“ is shown:

  2. choose the Name of the Regional Data Set just imported

  3. -> the Limits get displayed

  4. press „Save“

  5. -> the Region around „Koenigssee“ in Bavaria gets displayed

  6. -> the Peak with Height 2713 is from the World Data Set


View Object Information
  1. right click with the Mouse within the Graphics Plot -> Cursor Menu is shown:

  2. select „Show Attr“

  3. select any Graphic Object (e.g. the peak) to get Object Information:



Remarks on Cartographic Functionality:

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MensorGIS Version 1.1.1, 2012/03/29