Cadcorp SIS Workspace Definition (SWD)

SWD is short for SIS Workspace Definition.

The list of overlays in a view (including any overrides or filters) is a SIS Workspace Definition (SWD).

When you save this view or definition, it automatically becomes an SWD file with the extension .swd.

TIP: An SWD file simply represents the last saved view of your data.

  1. The SWD links to datasets by remembering their file names and relative paths. This link could be broken if either dataset or SWD is moved.
  2. To avoid this ensure you store the SWD in the same folder structure as the referenced datasets. If SWD and datasets are moved (or a different drive letter is used to refer to them) the broken link will be automatically restored.
  3. SWDs can be used across the entire Cadcorp SIS Desktop product range including the ActiveX Control and GeognoSIS Desktop 9.
  4. When building an SWD for use with GeognoSIS, we recommend using UNC pathnames for networked file connections. Mapped drives are unlikely to be recognised by the user who runs the GeognoSIS service.
  5. The SWD saves all overlay settings including styles, scale dependencies and themes.
  • Use File > Open to select and open a Recent Map or click the Computer folder button and navigate to the location of an existing SWD. (OR)
  • Drag and drop the SWD into the Map Window.
  • To add new overlays to the SWD, select Add Overlay (Home > Map).
  • Use the Maps Control Bar to quickly hide and show overlays; simply click on their image icon.
  • To filter graphical items on some overlays, expand the tree and click on filter tree icons. The Maps Control Bar also has additional commands (on the local right-mouse button menu) to change SWD appearance.
  • Use the Overlays command to change the appearance of a SWD without modifying any of the items or any of the datasets it contains.
  • The overlay Pen, Brush, colour and font can be overridden using the Styles tab.
  • To turn overlays automatically invisible at certain scales, use the Scale Threshold controls in the Include tab. This works by overriding the scale threshold properties of all items in that overlay.
  • To filter out items within each overlay, use the Filter and Spatial Filter controls. Use Spatial Filter (Create > Miscellaneous) to set an overlay Spatial Filter.
  • Use the Copy and Paste buttons in the dialog to insert multiple copies of the same datasets in a single SWD. Then by using different filters, overrides and scale settings for the different copies you can completely change the appearance of the SWD.

If there are no editable user datasets in the SWD

If there is no user dataset in the SWD, an internal dataset called (Untitled) is automatically created when you start to construct data. This internal dataset can be renamed later.

If there is one editable user dataset in the SWD

If there is only one editable user dataset in the SWD, any data you construct or import is held in this dataset (whether it is an internal dataset or a BDS).

If there is more than one editable user dataset in the Overlays dialog

If one of the user datasets is the current overlay, any data you construct is held here (the current overlay is highlighted in the Overlays dialog and indicated in bold in the Maps Control Bar).

If none of the user datasets is the current overlay, the new data is held on the first editable user dataset listed.

Note: The order of overlays in the list can be changed. See also Order of the overlays.