GTData version 8.0.0.3 is Available

GTData version 8.0.0.3 is available.

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08.00.00.03 - 6/17/09

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- NEW - #5595 - GTRefSort - The -dump flag has been aded to dump the contents of a .ref or .fer file.

- NEW - #5609 - GTStyleMgr - The -clean, -c, -co, and -cf options have been added to allow a filter list of style definition headers to be listed with predefined content.

- NEW - #5628 - GTQuery - Type 53 added so that a prompt list is created without the overhead checking for unique values.

- FIX - #5737 - GTFontEdit - Import DGN functionality was not handling elements well if they contained negative coordinates.

- NEW - #5804 - GTCompact - A new flag (-DropGroup) has been added to drop all groups leaving the group's sub-elements as independent elements. Linkages are preserved, and embedded data is dropped.

- NEW - #5902 - GTMergeGtg - The -tag and -tagAll options have been added to embed the source file's filename on each element.

- NEW - #5903 - GTRemoveTag - GTRemoveTag has been added to GTData.

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08.00.00.02 - 9/28/08

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- NEW - #5420 - GT2Shape - Export to Shape will allow any embedded record to be selected.

- CHG - #5421 - GT2Shape - Will now convert GT/Field Table.Attribute names to just the Attribute name when the table is the same as the attribute prefix. Export Data and Export to Shapefile are affected by this change.

- FIX - #5422 - GT2Shape - GTField encoded string are now displayed and exported correctly.

- NEW - #5424 - GT2CSV - The GT2CSV utility has been added to GTData.

- NEW - #5434 - GTCompact - New options have been added: -removeKeys flag to strip all linkages from a .gtg file, -removeData to strip all embedded data, and -removeAll to strip both keys and embedded data.

- NEW - #5440 - GTGetRecords - AdditionalValue entry added.

- NEW - #5441 - GTQuery - PromptDefaultComparisonType added for each prompt entry.

- NEW - #5464 - GTQuery - The QueryDisplayPreset entry can now be specified.

- FIX - #5468 - GT2Shape - Export to shapefile was reading elements with an embedded style as an element with embedded data.

- FIX - #5469 - GT2Shape - Export to shapefile did not export group elements if they did not have embedded data.

- FIX - #5471 - GT2Shape - Export to shapefile did not export element without embedded data (problem introduced with 5417).

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08.00.00.01 - 9/16/08

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- NEW - #5136 - GTLabelGtg - OmitAttributeValue and RequiredAttributeValue are now supported.

- FIX - #5247 - GTExtract - BackgroundColor entry in .gtm file was not recognized.

- FIX - #5248 - GTPack - BackgroundColor entry in .gtm file was not recognized.

- NEW - #5369 - GTLabelGtg - Mode 6 added to provide fixed size text at line mid-point.

GTViewer version 8.0.x.47 is Available

GTViewer version 8.0.x.47 is available.

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08.00.00.47 - 6/15/09
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- NEW - #5892 - The GTFieldPostGtgMode entry was added to allow all session graphics to export or just session graphics with embedded data.

- FIX - #5893 - Text using an extended style color would not de-color when using the Emphasize Session Graphics mode.

- NEW - #5899 - The GTFieldPostActionProcessingMode entry has been added to process all actions (default) or to process actions until success.

- NEW - #5900 - Post Copy Actions can now specify a description that will be shown in the log and Status bar.

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08.00.00.46 - 6/10/09
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- NEW - #5888 - Right Mouse menu now shows all of the details instead of just the first one.

- NEW - #5889 - AlwayMaximize setting added to the registry settings to maximize the application regardless of the session settings.

- CHG - #5890 - The Right Mouse menu will no longer show file based details if the file does not exists.

- FIX - #5891 - The 5th ToolBox entry action was not being recognized.

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08.00.00.45 - 6/09/09
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- NEW - #5887 - Display ToolBoxes now support a Command for HideShowRasterOn, HideShowRasterOff, EmphasizeSessionGraphicsOn, and EmphasizeSessionGraphicsOff.

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08.00.00.44 - 6/08/09
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- NEW - #5879 - DefaultGpsReceiverType has been added to the GpsInfo.ini file.

- NEW - #5880 - Display Preset tab now show an asteristk by any preset that is currently active.

- NEW - #5881 - Display Preset Toolbox Button will now indicate that a preset is active by changing the color.

- FIX - #5882 - ToolBox Presets and Display Toggles were not marking that session as being modified, so if they were the only change, the session was not updated.

- NEW - #5883 - Display Toolbox will now indicate a Display Toggle, DispOn, or DispOff button is active by changing the button color.

- CHG - #5884 - Display Toggles will now turn on the specified display if any part is turned off.

- NEW - #5885 - Display Strings now support a Dft() to use the default filter id for category.

- NEW - #5886 - Display Toolbox will now indicate when a Command:EmphasizeSessionGraphics, Command:HideShowRaster, or BGCol is active by changing the toolbox button color.

- NEW - #5849 - GetStyleOrigin method will now support mode 1 to return Computed coordinate values.

- NEW - #5861 - Exclude entry has been added to the ExportDgn configuration file to specify a list of features or category to exclude from the print.

- NEW - #5862 - IgnoreThresholds entry has been added ot the ExportDgn Configuration file to specify if the display threshold apply to a specific category.

- FIX - #5863 - The DefaultGPSReceiver entry was getting corrupted if the Gps Receiver dialog box were activated.

- FIX - #5864 - The Item string for ToolBox DispTog, DispOn, and Disp off was not removing the whitespace around GIS entries making it miss matches where whitespace was found in the entry.

- NEW - #5865 - The MinExportZoomLevel and MaxExportZoomLevel entries have been added to the ExportDgn.ini file to prevent an export from occurring outside a specified zoom level range.

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08.00.00.42 - 5/25/09
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- FIX - #5841 - DispOn and DispOff did not work correctly.

GTVx version 8.0.x.11 is Available

Version 8.0.x.11 of GTVx is available.

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08.00.00.11 - 06/14/09

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- FIX - #5811 - The LoadStyleDef method did not regenerate the style mappings pointers to the style unless LoadStyleMap was used too.

- NEW - #5830 - The Style Origin defined in Standard Fonts for Text Element symbols was not used in Rotation and Scaling operations.

- FIX - #5842 - Clipping Problems with Shape with Hole element have been fixed. Probably only seen when printing large Shape with hole elements that are filled and mostly out of the view.

- NEW - #5848 - GetStyleOrigin method will now support mode 1 to return Computed coordinate values.

- FIX - #5894 - Text using an extended style color would not de-color when using the Emphasize Session Graphics mode.

- NEW - #5897 - FillOffForRaster=1 can be used to disable polygon fills when a raster backdrop is drawn.

- NEW - #5898 - The Force Black and White Print Option will now disable all fills.

Easier Access to the Style Manager in GTViewer

With style-based symbologies now being more common than instance-based symbologies, the Style Manager’s usage in GTViewer has increased significantly in the last few years. As I have told users before, the Style Manager is a complicated beast, but even with its many quirks and nuances, life is much better with it than without it.

In GTViewer 8.0.x.18+, a new feature was added to streamline one of the most common sequences of operations with the Style Manager. After creating new data for GTViewer with FME or one of the GTData tools, the following workflow arises:

• View the newly converted data with the default styles
• Review a feature that you want to set the styles for
• Get the feature’s Category Id and Filter Id
• Open up the Style Manger
• On the Style Manger dialog, navigate to the Category, then to the Filter Id
• Adjust the Style
• Lather, Rinse, Repeat.

This process is not so bad until you do it a few hundred times. However, you now have the option to set a flag in the [Additional Properties] section of the .GTM file to enable a new feature:
AttributeInfoEditStyle=1

With this flag set, you review a feature as normal. On Attribute Info Dialog’s Element tab, there is a new button at the bottom right called Edit Style:

Now, with one button click, the Style Manager is opened, the Category id and Filter Id are set from the Element Tab's info, and any assigned Style Mapping and Definition are selected.

By default, this option is turned off because it is probably not very useful (and somewhat distracting) to the ordinary user. However, if you are setting or tweaking a few or a lot of styles, this option is a great time saver.

GTViewer version 8.0.1.43 is Available

GTViewer version 8.0.1.43 is available.

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08.00.00.43 - 6/03/09
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- NEW - #5849 - GetStyleOrigin method will now support mode 1 to return Computed coordinate values.

- NEW - #5861 - Exclude entry has been added to the ExportDgn configuration file to specify a list of features or category to exclude from the print.

- NEW - #5862 - IgnoreThresholds entry has been added ot the ExportDgn Configuration file to specify if the display threshold apply to a specific category.

- FIX - #5863 - The DefaultGPSReceiver entry was getting corrupted if the Gps Receiver dialog box were activated.

- FIX - #5864 - The Item string for ToolBox DispTog, DispOn, and Disp off was not removing the whitespace around GIS entries making it miss matches where whitespace was found in the entry.

- NEW - #5865 - The MinExportZoomLevel and MaxExportZoomLevel entries have been added to the ExportDgn.ini file to prevent an export from occurring outside a specified zoom level range.

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08.00.00.42 - 5/25/09
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- FIX - #5841 - DispOn and DispOff did not work correctly.

GTViewer version 8.0.x.41 is Available

GTViewer version 8.0.x.41 is available.

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08.00.00.41 - 5/25/09
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- NEW - #5829 - The Style Origin defined in Standard Fonts for Text Element symbols was not used in Rotation and Scaling operations.

- NEW - #5831 - ToolBox actions can now be a list of commands.

- NEW - #5832 - LoadStyleMap and LoadStyleDef methods have been added to the Document object.

- NEW - #5833 - ToolBox Actions now support BGColor to allow the background color to be changed.

- NEW - #5834 - ToolBox Actions now support StyleMap and StyleDef to allow the current Style Map or Definition to be changed.

- NEW - #5835 - DisplayToggle command can now be specified with the shorter DispTog in a ToolBox action.

- NEW - #5836 - DispOn and DispOff have been added as ToolBox commands to turn on or off the specified items.

- FIX - #5837 - Toolbox #5 was not closing with document or moving with the main application. Related to #5808.

- NEW - #5838 - ToolBoxEntry lines can now be greater than 255 characters when making extract files (.gtx).

- FIX - #5839 - Problem on fresh installation if a GTM file is opened, then closed, but OpenLastFile is set. Running GTViewer again would give a file invalid message.

- NEW - #5840 - The token followed by a tokenized URL is now supported by the Link Base Location property which indicates that the file attribute File value will replace a token (<%param%>) in a URL string. The <%equal%> token is also supported to specify equal signs (=) in the URL.

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08.00.00.40 - 5/24/09
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- NEW - #5826 - Scale attribute added to the DGN Export parameter file.

- NEW - #5827 - Export as DGN will now convert multi-line text string to multiple text element entries.

- NEW - #5828 - Export as DGN will now use justification attributes when placing text elements.

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08.00.00.39 - 5/20/09
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- NEW - #5820 - Updates to the Attribute Info functional to better supported Linked Document from GT/Field.

- NEW - #5821 - GTViewer will now filter the "table." out of a GT/Field Attribute name if the table is the same as the record's name.

- NEW - #5825 - FontMap entries int the ExportDgn configuration file now support non-stroked text and symbols.

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08.00.00.38 - 5/19/09
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- NEW - #5812 - GetCategoryList method added to Document object.

- FIX - #5813 - FillOffForRaster=1 was disabling polygon fill even when no raster was displayed (because of threshold, files not found, etc.)

- FIX - #5815 - Export to DGN was transposing the font and justification value for Text Node elements.

TechEd 2009 in Los Angeles

This year the TechEd Developers Conference was merged with the TechEd IT conference and happened last week in Los Angeles. While there were significantly fewer Developer oriented sessions, it was interesting to sit in some of the IT sessions. With around 700 sessions to choose from and only about 20 you can actually attend, the need to be particular about what you want to learn becomes very important. I heavily weighted my track with “Mobile”, but I also checked out SQL Server’s Spatial capabilities, and the future directions of the development environments and programming languages.

The push, I mean focus, this year was definitely the yet to be released Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2, followed by a healthy dose of Virtualization in the form of Hyper-V and Windows Virtual PC.

I did have an opportunity to run GTViewer on a beta copy of Windows 7 at the “Bring Your Own App Lab.” There were a few glitchy things with reading some values out of the registry, but overall I was very pleased with how well GTViewer worked the first time on Windows 7. I have already checked off a lot of grief on my to-do list from this experience. The free booze they were passing out was not even necessary to favorably color my opinion of Windows 7.

The focus last year was definitely LINQ, which seems to have been toned down now to is actual value. WPF and Silverlight, looked cool to try, but now they look usable. Microsoft’s creation of tools to help spawn the development of new programming languages is supposed to bring about an explosion in new languages. I along with everyone else in the Polyglot Programmer session cringed at the idea of having to learn dozens of new languages, but like LINQ, this idea may fade into a manageable and productive tool in our programming arsenal. I was hoping to see Windows Workflow (WF) be a hotter topic than it apparently is, but it may take a few iterations before it catches on.

I was pretty pleased with TechEd 2009. I will continue to process the information for a while.