Managing Themes

Object layers come with a default theme usually called Base Theme. You can create Sub Themes for every layer object with the exception of ground model and flood.

To create a new sub theme:

1. Open the Layer Theme Editor for the appropriate object.
2. Click Add () in the Sub Theme Manager Pane toolbar.
3. A blank Sub Theme Editor Pane is displayed. Enter a name for the sub theme in the Name box.
4. Choose a Field:
• The field names in the list are the names in the database.

  If the field selected is a choice list field (value selected from a dropdown list in the property sheet or grid view e.g. node type), the option to only show choices will be displayed:

  • Click Yes to only include values included in the choice list in the theme.
  • Click No to also include any invalid values or user-defined values that may have been entered for this field. This functionality can be used to allow the entry of invalid / user-defined data to be displayed thematically.

  Selecting either option:

  • Adds a #NOT row in the Ranged Themes grid.
  • Adds a "bin" for #NOT value in the Draw Style Preview.

  Selecting No will add a row in the Ranged Themes grid and a "bin" in the Draw Style Preview for each unique invalid or user-defined value available for the selected field.

  Tip

  #NOT values are explicitly assigned values that have not been selected amongst the permitted values of a dropdown list. #NOT values usually correspond to free text that has been entered by users in property sheets or grid views.

  The list will contain simulation as well as fixed parameters if the GeoPlan has been opened to view the results of a simulation. Simulation parameters are prefixed with sim. Maximum values in addition have MAX_ as the first part of the parameter name.

  This list will also contain any SQL expressions that have been previously added.

• SQL - Lets you add and edit SQL expressions. The Edit Expressions dialog is displayed. Add a new expression or choose an existing expression from the dialog and click Edit. A simplified version of the SQL Dialog - SQL Page is displayed. Select parameters by use of the Field Type and Field dropdown of the Expression dialog. Simulation parameters are prefixed with sim. If a second set of results is open for comparison in the same GeoPlan, the second set of simulation parameters are prefixed with sim2.

For example: sim.qnode - sim2.qnode can be used to compare nodal inflow results between two simulations.

Added Expressions will become available in the Field dropdown list of the Sub Theme Editor Pane.

Use the Display precision list to select the number of decimal places to be shown when displaying SQL expression results in labels.

5. Select the theme type you require. Only the theme types valid for your previous selections will be available in the Range dropdown. Select the theme type you require. Available types are:
• Continuous. Displays objects differently based on a series of ranges of a parameter. Suitable for parameters with continually variable values, such as depth or flow. 
• Individual. Displays objects differently based on individual values (rather than ranged values) of a parameter. Suitable for parameters with a small number of discrete values.
• Flag. This is a special case of the Individual settings where the discrete value being displayed is the data flag.
• Use AutoRange - With this option checked, InfoWorks ICM automatically re-scales the values if you open a different network or simulation.
• Absolute Values - Removes any sign and simply uses the absolute value of the parameter. Ideal for flow or velocity to remove the effect of direction. For example, flow will be negative if it is from the downstream to upstream end of a pipe in a simulation. This negative value would probably be misleading in a theme.
• Theme Nulls - Allows the user to set up a theme for field values that have not been explicitly assigned (NULL values).
Tip

A #NULL value is a value that has not been explicitly assigned (nothing has been set in the corresponding dropdown list), and is distinctively different from a #NOT value (see above for definition of #NOT values).

6. Specify the Visible Range over which the theme is applied. You can select the min and max zoom or scale levels from the existing levels (the visibility control type is set up in the General page of the Options dialog) or type new levels in.
7. Specify the settings for your sub theme in the Ranged Themes grid. The Draw Style Preview section provides a visual preview of what the sub theme looks like for the different parameter values.
8. To add/remove theme properties, check / uncheck the relevant Properties boxes. Selecting a property (e.g.Fill Colour) in the Properties box adds a column for that property in the Ranged Themes grid.

The following bullet points are just some pointers. See Layer Theme Editor for a detailed description of each control/property in the Sub Theme Editor Pane.

• Values automatically set up by InfoWorks ICM can be used or values can be manually typed in.
• Values can be fixed to the current values (In that case, they will not change if a scaling is performed - for example when a new network is opened in the GeoPlan), individually or all at once.
• Intermediate values can be added (or removed) using the buttons, according to a large variety of distributions that are available through the use of the Autoscale button.
• The available attributes/properties for the sub theme depend on the object layer type. The most used ones are symbol, size, colour and % visibility (transparency is supported). Some layers also allow the use of arrows or circles.
• It is possible to specify whether a sub theme is to be shown in the thematic key and printed legend.
9. Click OK or Apply to save your sub theme.

Click the image below to reveal the example.

The order of themes in the Sub Theme Manager Pane determines the order in which these are applied to the GeoPlan. Later themes may override earlier themes if they are applied to the same properties, over the same zoom/scale range. Use the Move Up ( ) or the Move Down ( ) buttons of the Sub Theme Manager Pane toolbar to respectively promote or demote a theme.

See Theme Precedence for more information.

To edit an existing sub theme:

1. Open the Layer Theme Editor for the appropriate layer object.
2. Select the sub theme to edit in the Sub Theme Manager Pane.
3. Edit the sub theme as appropriate.
4. Click OK or Apply to commit your changes.

It is possible to copy sub themes across other object layers or within a particular object layer.

To copy a sub theme from one object layer to another:

1. Open the Layers and Themes page of the GeoPlan Properties dialog.
2. Click Copy ().
3. The Copy Subthemes dialog is displayed.
4. Select the sub themes to copy.
5. Click OK.
6. The Destination Layer Selection dialog is displayed.
7. Select the appropriate destination layers.
8. Click OK.
9. The copied sub themes are added to the themes of the destination object layers.

To copy a sub theme :

1. Open the Layer Theme Editor for the appropriate layer object.
2. Select the sub theme to copy in the Sub Theme Manager Pane.
3. Click Copy ( ). A copy of the sub theme is displayed in the Sub Theme Editor Pane and given the default name is "copied sub theme (Copy)").
4. Make any appropriate edits if required.
5. Click OK to save the sub theme.

You can save themes from the GeoPlan Window and re-use them later on the same network, or any other network in the Master Database. Just like any other database item you could also copy themes between databases.

You can save themes as a database object, or you can save the current settings for the theme as the default either for the current network, or for all future networks of this type, and you can export theme settings to a GeoPlan Properties file (.iws extension).

Every saving option is available via the GeoPlan Properties - Layers and Themes page's Save button.

1. Right-click on the GeoPlan view and select Properties & Themes from the popup menu. The GeoPlan Properties dialog is displayed with the Layers and Themes page open.
2. Click Save. The Network Editing Properties - Save Options dialog is displayed.
3. Select the appropriate option. See the sections below for more detailed instructions.

Saving themes to a database object

Selecting the Save to database object option of the Save Options dialog will save the current themes and GeoPlan properties as a tree object in the Explorer Window.

You can easily apply these saved themes to other networks by dragging them onto the GeoPlan Window.

Saving themes as defaults for the current network

Selecting the Save as default for this Network option of the Network Editing Properties - Save Options dialog will make the current themes and GeoPlan properties the default for the current network, for this particular user.

These settings will then be applied every time you open this particular network. This means you can have a favourite theme or themes applied automatically every time you open this network.

Saving themes as defaults for all networks of the same type.

Selecting the Save as default for all networks of this type option of the Network Editing Properties - Save Options dialog will make the current themes and GeoPlan properties the default for all the networks of the same type, for this particular user.

These settings will then be applied every time you open a GeoPlan Window from then on. This means you can have a favourite theme or themes applied automatically every time you open a network.

A better alternative is probably to save your favourite themes in the master database, as a database tree object. You can then simply apply the themes you want quickly when you need them. Please refer to the Saving themes to a database object section of this topic for more information.

Alternatively, you can revert to GeoPlan Properties and Themes factory settings. Please refer to the Reverting to GeoPlan Properties and Theme factory settings section below for further details.

Export themes to a GeoPlan properties file

Selecting the Export to iws file option of the Network Editing Properties - Save Options dialog will allow the current themes and GeoPlan properties to be saved to an external file.

The settings will be saved to a GeoPlan Properties file (IWS extension), that you can reload at any time. See the Reloading Saved Themes section of this topic for more detailed information.

You can easily remove a theme from the GeoPlan Window.

To delete a theme that has been saved as a database object:

1. In the Explorer Window, right-click a Theme object in the database tree view.
2. Select Delete in the popup menu.

The sub theme is deleted and no longer appears in the database tree view.

All themes (except Base Themes) can be deleted from the corresponding Layer Theme Editor.

1. Open the Layer Theme Editor for the appropriate layer object.
2. Select the sub theme to delete in the Sub Theme Manager Pane.
3. Click Delete ( ).
4. Click Yes on the message prompting you for confirmation.

The sub theme is deleted and no longer appears in the Sub Theme Manager Pane.

To "hide" a theme rather than delete it, click the Enable/Disable ( ). When applied, the sub theme will not be displayed in the GeoPlan Window or the Thematic Key Window. Click again to enable and show the sub theme.

To disable an existing sub theme so that it is not displayed on the GeoPlan Window:

1. Open the Layer Theme Editor for the appropriate layer object.
2. Select the sub theme to disable in the Sub Theme Manager Pane.
3. Click Enable / Disable ().
4. Click OK or Apply to commit your changes.

When applied, the sub theme will not be displayed in the GeoPlan Window or the Thematic Key Window. Click Enable / Disable () again to enable and show the sub theme.

It is very easy to reload previously saved themes.

If the theme has been saved as a database object, all you have to do is drag the theme object from the tree view onto the GeoPlan Window.

If the theme has been exported to an iws file:

• Open the GeoPlan Properties dialog.
• Click Load. The Load Network Editor Properties dialog is displayed.
• Select the *iws file option.
• Click Browse. A Windows standard Open dialog is displayed, allowing you to browse for the relevant IWS file. Select the relevant file and click Open.
• Check the properties that are to be loaded.
• Check Overwrite themes to overwrite existing sub themes of the same name in the same layer.
• Click Load.
• Click OK on the message that informs you that the GeoPlan Properties dialog will be closed to complete the update.

When you reload a saved theme, any currently displayed themes are replaced with the loaded set of themes by default.

Holding down Ctrl when dragging a theme from the tree view into the GeoPlan window will reload the theme as an "add" operation as opposed to a "replace" operation. New themes will be added, but themes of the same name will not be removed.

To display a log listing the changes to the set of themes displayed in the GeoPlan when loading themes, check the Show list of added and replaced themes option on the GeoPlan Properties - General Page.

It is also possible to reload GeoPlan Properties and Themes from the default factory file. See below for more information.

It is possible to revert to user default settings in terms of GeoPlan Properties and Themes.

• Open the GeoPlan Properties dialog.
• Click Load. The Load Network Editor Properties dialog is displayed.
  • Select the Network type default option.
  • Check the properties to be loaded.
  • Click Load.
• Click OK on the message that informs you that the GeoPlan Properties dialog will be closed to complete the update.

The user default settings for the GeoPlan Properties and Theme have been restored.

It is possible to revert to factory settings in terms of GeoPlan Properties and Themes.

• Open the GeoPlan Properties dialog.
• Click Load. The Load Network Editor Properties dialog is displayed.
  • Select the Factory default option.
  • Check the properties to be loaded.
  • Click Load.
• Click OK on the message that informs you that the GeoPlan Properties dialog will be closed to complete the update.

The GeoPlan Properties and Themes factory settings have been restored.