We have eventually made it ! Beta versions (V1 21.1) has been around for a long time now, and we are happy to release VA 22.1.
As any major release, this version updates the major components of ViSit Anywhere. Updating the Cad engine (VectorDraw) ou the User interface (DevExpress) should not impact the overall behavior of the application, but the upgrade of the Open Source PROJ library was a major change.
We strongly recommand to deploy this version on all workstations and servers simultaneously, to prevent problems with new features on older versions.
This article describes mostly new features, and does not list every bug fix or minor enhancement contained in this version. Several subjects will quickly have their own article in this blog.
Upgrade of Components
DevExpress 20.2
VectorDraw 9.9003.1
Proj 8.1
npgsql V4.1, to support Postgres versions 12 and higher
Proj
We have integrated version 8.1 of the Open source library Proj, for a better support of changes in the definition of Coordinate Reference Systems (CRS).
It is now possible to specify a SRS with a simple EPSG or IGNF code, for instance EPSG:2154. VA still accepts the old syntax (+init=EPSG:2154) in order to limit the impact on existing projects.
Network Topology
The network model of VA now allows equipment on service pipes. Another exclusion condition has been added on service pipes (for instance to exclude abandoned services from the network topology).
Temporary files (symbols)
VA & VAX do not use temporary symbol librairies in the TEMP directory, to prevent fatal errors during synchronizations, when another process (or the operating system) purge temporary files.
Transparency
It is now possible to assign a transparency to a raster or vector activity (through the 'My Map' panel). So far, vector data was only affected by fading. Try it on an as-built plan.
My Tools
New Drag&Drop operations in the 'My Tools' panel :
- Drop A reference table storage, to edit the content of the table
- Drop a Spotlight, and then the 'Review Attributes' tool, to show attributes directly in a spotlight
- Drop a table, and the the 'Load Records' tool of the Kizeo snap-in, to access the pending Kizeo records
You can now export the content of the 'My Tools' panel to the collaboration server, for yourself or for sharing. In a similar way, you can import a panel from the server.
Import Tools
Import tools (Import Geometry, Import Equipment, Import Service) now handle data in detail/scondary tables on the source object.
Labelling
A new tool is available for mass labelling. The tool is not present in the ribbon, but you can add it to your quick access bar (search for Labelling in the command pane). The tool works on the content of the current horizontal grid (like a query result). An option allows to remove existing labels instead of adding new ones.
Switch Secondary Table
A secondary table is a specialized detail table relative to a given type of object ; so far, VA was not able to switch from a secondary table to another when the type of the object changed, forcing us to lock the type (as a readonly column). VA now detects a change on the type and adjusts the secondary tables automatically. We have also added a 'refresh' button in the form, to update expression columns.
Several levels of secondary/detail tables
You can now set up several levels of detail/seconday tables under a spatial table, for instance set up a secondary table to specialize a parent secondary table.
Numeric Input
Entering a numeric value, most notably in the vertical grid, now properly handles the decimal separator of the current culture and the '.' key of the digital pad of the keyboard.
Rotation of photos
When you import an image in a vertical grid, you can rotate the image before saving the attributes in VA.
Unlocking a readonly project
To prevent multiple sesssions on the same local project, VA creates a .lock file when it opens a local project, and removes it when the project closes. When VA detects the presence of the lock file before opening the project, an alarm is issued and the project is opened in. In that situation, You can click on the lock icon in the alarm dialog to try and remove the lock file and reopen the project in write mode. This is the right thing to do when VA has terminated abruptly ; if the lock file is present because of another live VA session on the same local project, removing the file will fail with an error message.
Grouping in a grid
When you group rows in an horizontal grid, VA automatically displays a 'Total' in the group summary.
Scale Bar
In this version, we have enhanced the logic of the scale bar present in a plot border. It should now proposed properly rounded values for each tick mark.
Merged Network Segment
The version proposes a new Network tool ('Complex Segment in the Telecom Network tools), to merge connected network segments. It is useful for building a single segment connecting 2 chambers in a Telecom network.
VA-Maps
You can now group base web layers, for instance OpenStreetMap and Cadastre.
We have added another type of web layer ; a Dynamic Web Layer allows the VA-Maps client to load images directly from an external web mapping service (WMS).
We have enhanced the logic used to mark web tiles as 'dirty' when a revision is synchronized, in order to optimize the nightly maintenance of VA-Maps publication.
We have added a new 'Basic Gazetteer' type, to provide additional navigation options in the VA-Maps client. A basic gazetteer uses a simple search on a spatial table, based on a single text (example : contract number). Please contact us to finalize the setup of such a gazetteer.
Web services (WMS / WMTS)
We have enhanced the download performances during the initialization of the local cache based on a spatial filter (polygon).
VAAS - Auto-synchronization
When you setup an auto-synchronization service towards PostGIS, you can now specify a target schema independant of the postgres user. Previously, you had to create a dedicated connection profile in Postgres for each VAAS publication.
Forced Scale
The user interface now emphasizes the fact that the display scale is forced in the current composition (as it is in a paper composition for instance). The item in the quick access bar displays a negative value when the scale is forced.
Contexts for Labels
We have added a new 'Width Limit' property in contex ob jects (in the 'Text' category). Any text longer than this number of characters will be automatically wrapped into several lines in the map.
External Data Source
You can specify a connection string in the Data Source of a module. When the source is a postgres database, VA now encrypts the password supplied in the connection string.
Guichet Unique
The process of files has been enhanced, whether from a directory or from a mailbox.dossier.
GPS
VA has a better management of GPS information about quality (GST sentences). We have also added a threshold on the altimetric accuracy.
VA now support network detectors of the RD8000 brand.
Shape Export
VA now proposed a tool for exporting spatial data in Shape format. The tool is not present in the ribbon, but you can easily add it to your quick access bar or to the 'My Tools' panel.
The tool exports the content of the current horizontal grid, and ignore any hidden column. The grid must contains vigis_el_id and vigis_site_id values to give access to the geometries (you can hide these columns if you do not want to export site or element ids). You can specify another target SRS and let VA reproject the coordinates, or use the SRS of the VA project (default behavior). So far, the Shape Export tool does not generate the SRS definition file (with the .prj extension).
The Shape format stores attribute values as character string. The export tool uses predefined lengths for these strings, depending on a type of the column: 254 characters for a System.String column, 16 characters for a numeric column (System.Double for instance), and 10 characters for an integer or a date. You can specify the length of System.string columns, and the number of decimal digits for a numeric column (please use the "fn" format string). It is highly recommanded to base your export on a spotlight in order to control the process : specify column names (the column Id is used), use descriptions or codes for reference values), string lengths, number of digits...
An option allows to export the orientation of symbols, in a vigis_ang column, expressed in degrees from the X axis.
Removing Network Node
The network topology of VA lets you delete a node without deleting connected segments. However, removing a node actually disconnects the segments and breaks the network continuity. With this version, VA detects these disconnections and asks the user for confirmation.
Table Shortcut
Table shortcuts are available for a while, but were not easy to use. The container for table shortcuts (a Shortcut Set) is by default a valid child of Module, just like a regular Table Set. And it is now possible to directly add a table shortcut in its parent, where you previously had to drag and drop a table.
Table shortcuts are a good way to group spotlights in different place in the schema. We arealso providing hints about the path of a spotlight, in various place of the user interface.