Element Templates control HOW items are drawn. What level, what color, etc.
RECOMMENDATION
If setting up preferences from scratch, I would recommend you generate known element templates all at once PRIOR to creating any Feature Symbologies/Definitions. This is because the Element Templates are required for the Symbologies and Definitions.
Element Templates are used by Feature Definitions/Feature Symbologies and other items within Openrail to control how items are drawn.
Several items that can be contained within an Element Template are listed below.
- Level
- Color
- Line Style
- Weight
- Class
- Priority
- Cells
- Fill/Hatching
- Text Styles
WARNING
When using cells, the properties of a graphic cell will not be overridden by what is contained within the element template. Levels, colors, etc. are controlled by the Cell itself.
TIP
If you are attempting to Levelize items within Openrail, you will most likely need to create a significant number of Element Templates. One method to simplify the creation process is to utilize the Migration Utilities to generate an Element Template for EVERY level that is created.
To utilize the Migration Utilities, simply download the ZIP file and extract the contents. Open the appropriate folder and follow the directions of the ReadMe file. This particular tool is VBA code that must be loaded within Openrail.
Once the element templates are created, you can modify the organization of the Templates within the Element Template
