Spatial Manager Desktop™ - FAQs: Layer management

Objective of this section
- To handle new or existing layers and to manage layer storage. To review application automation systems and to try to locate sources not found for map layers

Topics in this section
- Making of layers: new layer from a features selection and editing the structure of the data table
- Adding features to layers: over new layers
- Exporting new layers: definition of the target and its parameters
- Saving modified layers: manually or by closing maps or the application
- Automating source locations: changing data source locations of a map
- Data sources properties: differential icons and properties

In a Map of Spatial Manager Desktop™ you can find these types of Layer

Grouped by its source (you can view this property in the 'Properties' panel when you select a Layer)
- 'External Layer': when it is a Layer loaded from a external source (a table from a file, data server, data store, etc.)
- 'Embedded in the Map': when the Layer contents it is located inside the Map (SPM) file. You may note this type of Layer is italicized in the list of the ribbon 'Layers'
Grouped by its status (you can view this property in the 'Properties' panel when you select a Layer)
- 'Saved': when the Layer contents it is currently saved
  - For 'External Layers' that means that the Layer contents it is the same that the contents in the external data source
  - For 'Embedded in the Map' Layers that means that the Layer contents it is the same that the contents in the Map (SPM) file

You can edit Features or Layers in Spatial Manager Desktop™ as follow:

In 'editable' Layers
- You can 'Delete' selected Features
- You can modify values in any field, directly or using:
  - 'Find and replace' function, to find and replace values in the Data grid for a Layer
  - 'Multiple Edition' function, to modify the value for a Field only for a Layer. This function may be applied to all Features in the Layer or only to selected Features (if any)
In 'new' Layers
- All the above (because a 'new' Layer is an 'editable' Layer also), and
- You can 'Delete' or 'Rename' Fields
- You can add a copy of the selected Features (if any) to the Layer
In 'not editable' Layers
- There is no way to edit a 'not editable Layer' or his Features. You can 'Disconnect' a 'not editable' Layer from his read-only source, or you can select all Features in the Layer and 'Make' a new Layer including a copy of the selected objects

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