Getting Oriented

Introduction

The screenshot below shows the main PlantManager dialog. This window lets you create and edit plant or finish lists. The associated options tab includes controls to set global and list specific options.

Most list editing tools available within this interface are also available from the palette described on the Getting Started page.

Open the dialog from the command line by typing ‘pp’ (and Enter) or ‘pd’ (and Enter), or by using the button on the palette.

The dialog appearance varies depending on the type of data being displayed.

In the example below, a plant is given a spacing value and will be defined by an area object (either a hatch or polyline). Hatch patterns and linetypes can be specified to distinguish each plant area.

When a plant is specified without a spacing value, it will be defined by a symbol, and the dialog formatted with controls to display, select and edit symbols – see screenshot below.

You can stretch the inner window at each side of the list entries as needed. Resize the dialog by dragging outer borders of the window.

Details about each element of the dialog are described in the sections below.

Editable fields

Key

Specify the key name of an item.  Changing this value after labels or blocks have been created will update the drawing. A key name is the minimum requirement for a list. Each key name within a list must be unique though the same item (with the same key name) can be included in a different list.

Botanic Name

Enter details to identify the item. By default, the field is titled ‘Botanic Name’ however this can be changed with a custom field name. In the case of a finish list the default field is titled ‘Description’.

Spacing

Enter a spacing value to represent the item as a boundary area or leave empty to represent as a symbol. Check the appropriate units are set on the Options tab. You can define spacing as a dimension or by numbers of plants per unit area.

When units are selected, enter a spacing value appropriate to the units in which the drawing is created. A spacing of 1 metre would be represented as 1000 if one drawing unit represents 1 millimetre and 1.0 if a drawing unit represents 1 metre.

Changing spacing in the edit box after labels have been generated, will update label quantities throughout the drawing.

Pot / Container Size

Select a pot or container size from the drop down list or enter any text to specify a value.  You can customise the contents of this list by clicking the ‘Container Sizes’ button on the ‘Options’ tab.

Other editable fields

You can include up to 12 fields for each item in a list. In addition to the fields described above, default fields include Common Name, Size, Habit, Origin and Description. These can be redefined or removed depending on the list type.

Unit Rate

Enter any value to specify the unit cost of the item.  When multiple selections are made, the specified rate is applied to all those selected. You can choose to include a Rate and Total column in the schedule output.

Property controls

Block / Hatch

The screenshot above shows the main dialog after a symbol has been assigned.

You associate a symbol with a plant entry by clicking the ‘Assign Block’ button  which is visible in the block display panel before a symbol is defined. Alternativley you can specify a symbol at the command prompt while in ‘Create’ mode.

This button is visible when there is no spacing value for the selected entry. The ‘Boundary’ button is disabled in this case.

The Assign Block window is used to set parameters including symbol type, size and attribute.

To edit an assigned symbol, double click on the block view. You can change the symbol type, it’s size, and attribute setting.

An entry can be defined by a symbol or a labeled plant boundary. You can use a unique key name for the same species if plants (perhaps with different container sizes), are represented by symbols and areas.

If an entry is defined by a boundary or area object, a checkbox allowing the option for a hatch swatch will be visible as shown in the uppermost screenshot. The Hatch checkbox activates the Hatch Pattern window where a pattern, background colour, transparency, scale, angle and layer can be specified.

Image Display

Click the image panel (even without a displayed image) to open a data browser displaying information and images about the selected entry. Multiple images will be displayed if found in the image search path as set in the Image Locations dialog.  This control can be accessed from the Options tab.

Colour Swatch

Associate a plant with a colour. The specified colour will be applied ByLayer when separate layers are set for the list – and for each object when a single layer is set for the list.

List Management Buttons

 Add New Entry

Add a new entry by manually filling in each field. Click the button to clear the edit boxes and prompt for a key name.  Use the tab key to cycle between each edit box to enter details.  At minimum you need to include a key name.

 Add Plants

This button will open the ‘Plants‘ window from which you can access plant lists in stand-alone files and drawings. You can make a selection of entries from the source file and add them to the current palette.

 Delete

This button allows deletion of single or multiple entries.

 New List

Click to create a new, empty list for populating by manually entering data, or retrieving from an earlier project file.

 Move or Copy

This button opens a dialog to specify a destination location for selected entries to be moved or copied.  First make a selection and then click the Move / Copy button. The properties of labels, boundaries and symbols in the drawing will be updated to those of the new list if moved.

Optionally you can choose to create a new list by clicking on *NEW LIST*.

Other Controls

File…

Click the button to access the Manage Lists dialog or, if no lists are set up, open the File dialog to import data from an external file. The Manage Lists dialog allows you to rename and delete lists as well as import or save lists as a copy within the drawing or to an external file.

Field Names

This button opens the Field Names dialog where fields can be created or edited to match the requirements of the current list.

Click the ‘Save as Default’ button to save names and their order as a default for new lists.

Default fields will be applied only for the current list type.

Use the ‘Reset’ button to set fields to the last saved default configuration.

Add and delete fields using the Add and Delete buttons at the top right of the dialog.

Keywords can be used as Field Names to generate specific output in the schedule. These include Easting, Northing, Elevation and Image.

Show 1st Field

This check box enables display of both the key name and the second field – the default layout.

Boundary

Click the ‘Boundary’ button to draw a boundary of the current plant or plant mix and create a label in one operation.

Schedule

Opens the schedule window

Show all

Checking Show all combines all lists together. In this mode you can edit items from all list types in the one dialog however you can only select one item at a time to make changes.

Depending on the type of list, different controls will become visible as selections are made in the list. As list items are selected, the parent list is displayed in the list control at the top of the dialog (in a disabled state)

Note that changes made to list items are effected in associated drawing elements as you move from selection to selection, unlike the single list edit mode where changes occur after closing the dialog or switching to another list.