Contour Map Options

Window allows you to select the variable parameters for the contour map, which you can start in several ways:

• Annotate Map from the Map Window Toolbar to put contour overlays over any map with an associated DEM

• Right click on the map and

  • pick "Contours" under "Display parameter"

  • Pick "Contour inverval" to change the contour interval and the contour line colors.

• Maps tab of the options form, brought up from the Options menu selection, which lets you make a contour map the default when opening a DEM.

Options available include:

Contour interval: distance between contour lines. Regular:  no effect if ChromaDepth colors are selected. Contours not otherwise colored will be in this color. Overlay: when overlaying contour lines on a map or satellite image, only one color will be used. High index: the highest index contour line can be a distinctive color. Index: every fifth contour line can be a different color. Low index: the lowest index contour line can be a distinctive color. Zero: if present in the area, the zero contour line (often sea level) can be a different color. Contour colors: Specified: different colors for the 5 categories on the right Single: only one color. ChromaDepth: if selected, the contour lines will be colored from highest to lowest on the map with a rainbow range of colors from blue (lowest) to red (highest). Because of the black background, this option is not recommended if you want to print the image. Terrain: Contour line width: Label contours: only label contours for small maps. It can take forever on large maps because of the need to connect the contour line segments. Index contour width. Export contour lines in shape file:

Selecting OK will draw the contour map with the selected parameters; cancel will abort the contour operation.

For overlaying contours on another map, only the contour interval and the Overlay contour line color are available.

Last revised  4/16/2021