Profile

The Map Tools | Add to Map | Profile command allows the user to digitize a line on the map. A profile, or cross section, is created automatically from the line and a base map layer added to the existing map. Alternatively, right-click on an existing map and click Add to Map | Profile or the button to add a profile. Profiles display distance traveled from the first point to the last on the X Axis and elevation on the Y Axis.

Adding a Profile

To add a profile by drawing a new polyline on a map:

Select the map or map layer and click the Map Tools | Add to Map | Profile command. The cursor changes to .
Draw a line by clicking in the locations where the profile should be located. See the Polyline topic for more information on drawing lines.
Double-click the last point or press ENTER on the keyboard to end the drawing mode.

The profile is automatically placed below the bottom axis and the profile line is added as a new base map layer. The base map layer is named Base - Profile 1. The Base - Profile 1 will automatically assign the coordinate system from the Map coordinate system. The profile is named Profile 1. The 1 increments for both the profile name and the base layer name for each additional profile added to the map.

To add a profile using an existing polyline:

Select the polyline you wish to use for the profile. The polyline must be in a base layer in a map that also includes a grid-based layer.
Click the Map Tools | Add to Map | Profile command or right-click the polyline and select Add Profile.

The profile is automatically placed below the bottom axis. The profile number increments for each additional profile added to the map.

Editing a Profile

To make changes to the profile, click once on the profile in the Contents window or in the plot window to select it. The properties are displayed in the Properties window.

Reshaping the Profile Line

Profile lines can be altered with the reshape command. To edit the path of a profile, click on the Polyline object in the Base - Profile layer in the map to select it. Click the Features | Edit Features | Reshape command. You can then move existing points on the line by clicking and dragging the point to the desired location. Add new points to the line by holding down the CTRL key on the keyboard and clicking on the desired location. Delete points by clicking on the point and pressing the DELETE key on the keyboard. Press ESC on the keyboard when all edits are complete. The profile graph updates as the points are moved.

Moving the Profile Line

If a profile line needs to be moved on the map, click the Polyline object and move it to the desired location. The profile graph updates after the line is moved.

Resizing the Profile

Profiles can be resized by clicking on the Profile object in the Contents window. In the Properties window, click on the Scale tab. The Length of either axis can be changed.

Saving the Profile Line Coordinates

To save the coordinates of the profile line, click on the Base - Profile layer in the map to select it. In the Properties window, click on the General tab. Click the button next to the Input file option. Type a File name and click Save. Click OK in the options dialog and the .BLN file is created. The .BLN file can be used for other base maps or opened in the worksheet.

Saving the Profile Data

To save the elevations and distances along the profile, click the Profile object to select it. In the Properties window, click on the Plot tab. Click the Save to File button to save the information to a .DAT file.

Profiles with Multiple Map Layers

When multiple map layers are overlaid, a profile is created for each unique grid in the map. For example two profiles are created for a map that has three layers created from two grid files, i.e. a profile is created for each grid. Hide the display of individual profiles with the properties on the Plot page in the Properties window. Profiles are always created using the Map coordinate system.

When a new layer is added to a map with a profile, the new layer is automatically added to the profile.

Profiles and Vector Layers

Profiles are not created for vector layers. This is because the vector magnitudes are usually of a significantly different scale than the Z values in the grid file, and profiles of widely different scales cannot be reasonably plotted on the same set of axes. If you wish to create a profile of slope, gradient, or magnitude values from a vector layer, use the following process:

Use Grid Calculus Terrain Slope or Gradient Operator to create a grid of slope or gradient values if you are using a 1-grid vector layer. Use Grid Math with the function sqrt(A^2 + B^2)to create a grid of magnitudes if you are using a 2-grid vector layer with Cartesian coordinates. Use the magnitude grid directly in step 2 if you are using a 2-grid vector layer with polar coordinates.
Use Grid Slice to slice the slope, gradient, or magnitude grid created in step 1 along the profile trace. The trace line can be a loaded from a file, an existing base (vector) layer, or drawn in an empty base map. Create an Output BLN file in the Grid Slice dialog.
Create a base map from the Output BLN file. This is the profile of the slope, gradient, or magnitude along the profile trace. You will likely need to adjust the profile scale.

Profiles and 3D Maps

Profiles can only be added to maps that are not tilted and in the orthographic projection. To temporarily change a map to this orientation:

Click on the Map object in the Contents window.
In the Properties window, click on the View tab. Change the Projection to Orthographic.
Click and drag the Tilt (degrees) to 90.
Then, click the Map Tools | Add to Map | Profile command.

Once the profile is located on the map, the Projection and Tilt (degrees) properties can be changed back to their previous values.