Unsupported Label and Style Settings

MapInfo Pro has some label and style settings that are not supported or do not translate readily to Spectrum Spatial. You can continue without the layer or cancel the operation. If you require a layer with stacked styles in your named map, however, you will need to create multiple layers (see Using Layers with Stacked Styles). If you require a layer with translucency, you will instead need to use OpenLayers or the transparency settings in Spectrum Spatial Analyst, for example.

Unsupported Label Effects

The list below describes the labeling effects available in MapInfo Pro that are not supported in Spectrum Spatial. When any of these features are used in a map in MapInfo Pro the resulting map created in Spectrum Spatial will look different. In most cases the map will still have the labels but they will appear without these features applied.
  • Allow abbreviated labels. If these are used in a MapInfo Pro map the primary label column will be used instead in a Spectrum Spatial map. The label placement, which items are labeled and label count may be different in a map in Spectrum Spatial.
  • Label callout lines. These will not appear and the label placement may be different in a map in Spectrum Spatial
  • Try other positions. The label placement, which items are labeled and label count may be different in a map in Spectrum Spatial.
  • For line object labels certain Curved Label Options are not supported: Auto position along line, Allow rotated as fallback and Overhang. The label placement and appearance, which items are labeled and label count may be different in a map in Spectrum Spatial.
  • For region object labels certain effects are not supported: Label at centroid, Auto positions within region, Allow font reduction for fit, Confine labels to region boundary, Place outside if necessary. The label placement and appearance, which items are labeled and label count may be different in a map in Spectrum Spatial.
  • A map in MapInfo Pro that has label priority adjustments will most likely not look the same in Spectrum Spatial because label priority is not supported. Which items are labeled and label count may be different in a map in Spectrum Spatial.
  • When a map has had the MapBasic command "Set Map Layer layerId Label Max number_of_labels" applied in order to limit the number of labels displayed all the labels still appear in the map created in Spectrum Spatial.

Custom Labels

MapInfo Pro allows users to create custom labels. These are labels that are placed manually placed somewhere other than where auto-labeling rules place them. Spectrum Spatial does not support custom labels and therefore they will be lost.

Custom Symbols

Any custom bitmap symbols (that is, your own images that do not ship with MapInfo Pro or Spectrum Spatial), need to be uploaded to the server outside of the map upload. Place the images in a jar file in this directory: install_dir/server/modules/spatial/lib. MapInfo Pro users can easily create custom symbols by adding any image file to their "Custom Symbols" directory then applying these symbols to a map. The Map Uploader does see that custom symbols are being used, however it has no way of knowing if it is one of the symbols that is shipped with MapInfo Pro and therefore included with Spatial, or if it is a new custom symbol. The Map Uploader therefore creates all the expected named resources; however, when accessing the named map in Spectrum Spatial Manager, nothing is seen in the preview map window, nor are any errors displayed.

Unsupported Symbol Styles

The below list includes some known MapInfo Pro point symbols that will not appear the same in Spectrum Spatial Manager maps due to support limitations. This is not an exhaustive list and some symbols within the folders may appear properly or appear the same:

  • Bookshelf Symbol 7
  • Custom Symbols PinPoints
  • ERS v2 Incidents
  • All ERS V2 sets (see screen grab below)
  • Marlett
  • MS Outlook

Unsupported Fonts

Some fonts used by MapInfo Pro are not supported by Spectrum Spatial or may not be available from the server. In this scenario you may see in the Spectrum Spatial map either a font that is similar but not exactly the same as in MapInfo Pro or the text may get changed.

When using double byte or other languages that contains characters not provided by a font that you are using in Spectrum Spatial, you will see the text change.

When the font Arial Unicode MS is used for the labels then the map in Spectrum Spatial appears correctly. If you encounter label problems with a map in Spectrum Spatial, it may be necessary to change the font used in the map in MapInfo Pro to one that displays correctly in Spectrum Spatial. If a font appears in the character map (charmap in Windows), then it will appear correctly in Spectrum Spatial.

Unsupported Label Expressions

Some theme expressions used in MapInfo Pro are not supported by Spectrum Spatial. When a map is created in Spectrum Spatial using a non-supported theme expression from MapInfo Pro that theme will not be displayed in the map. The layer with the theme will be displayed as if it did not have a theme. Unsupported expressions include ObjectGeography ( object, attribute ), ObjectInfo( object, attribute ), Maximum( num_expr, num_expr ), Str$( expression ), and Val( string_expr ).