Inserting an IDL Shapefile

IDL comes with several shapefiles that you can insert in the iMap tool or in another iTool that has a map projection already applied. These files originated from the ESRI Data and Maps CD-ROM data set (1999, 2000, 2002) and can be found, along with their associated database (.dbx) and index (.shx) files, in the resource/maps/shape directory of the IDL installation. Also see Overview of ESRI Shapefiles (IDL Reference Guide) for more detailed information on shapefiles.

Inserting the Continents

The Insert → Map → Continents operation loads the continents.shp file and displays the continents as a single ShapePolygon (Figure 16-8) in the current dataspace, using the current projection. If no projection is active, then IDL uses geographic coordinates.

Inserting the Countries (Low Resolution)

The Insert → Map → Countries (low res) operation loads the country.shp file and displays the countries (boundaries as of 2002) as separate ShapePolygons (Figure 16-9) in the current dataspace, using the current projection. If no projection is active, then IDL uses geographic coordinates. The ShapePolygons exist in a Countries (low res) visualization container.

Inserting the Countries (High Resolution)

The Insert → Map → Countries (high res) operation loads the cntry02.shp file and displays the countries (boundaries as of 2002) as separate ShapePolygons (Figure 16-10) in the current dataspace, using the current projection. If no projection is active, then IDL uses geographic coordinates. The ShapePolygons exist in a Countries (high res) visualization container.

Inserting the Rivers

The Insert → Map → Rivers operation loads the rivers.shp file and displays the rivers as separate ShapePolylines (Figure 16-11) in the current dataspace, using the current projection. If no projection is active, then IDL uses geographic coordinates. The ShapePolylines exist in a Rivers visualization container.

Inserting the Lakes

The Insert → Map → Lakes operation loads the lakes.shp file and displays the lakes as separate ShapePolygons (Figure 16-12) in the current dataspace, using the current projection. If no projection is active, then IDL uses geographic coordinates. The ShapePolygons exist in a Lakes visualization container.

Inserting the United States

The Insert → Map → United States operation loads the states.shp file and displays the states as separate ShapePolygons (Figure 16-13) in the current dataspace, using the current projection. If no projection is active, then IDL uses geographic coordinates. The ShapePolygons exist in a United States visualization container.

Inserting the Canadian Provinces

The Insert → Map → Canadian Provinces operation loads the canadaprovince.shp file and displays the provinces as separate ShapePolygons (Figure 16-14) in the current dataspace, using the current projection. If no projection is active, then IDL uses default longitude-latitude coordinates. The ShapePolygons exist in a Canadian Provinces visualization container.