Creating Custom Properties for Imported Points

Create a new custom property.

1. In the Toolspace panel (enter the TOOLSPACE command if this is missing from your screen), select the Settings tab.

2. Expand the Point collection, and then User-Defined Property Classifications.

3. Right-click User-Defined Property Classifications and click New…

4. Enter a name for your new classification - we’ll use “Custom” - and click OK.

5. On the Custom classification you just created, right click and select New…

6. Use the New User-Defined Property window to define your property.

   1. With Name being what you wish to call the property.

   2. Use the Property field type drop-down to define what sort of data is to be stored in this property. Note: Set to String if this property is to contain text.

   3. Click OK.

Create a new Point File Format

These steps will walk you through creating a new format for importing points and reading data from an additional column into your custom property.

1. Under the Settings tab in the Toolspace panel, expand Point > Point File Formats.

2. Right-click a Point File Format you wish to base your custom format upon and select Copy…

3. In the Point File Format window, enter your Format Name (this will be what shows in the drop-down when importing points).

4. The second panel from the bottom shows columns with names of each property expected to be read from the points file. There will be several columns labelled <unused>. Click the first <unused> header to open a dialog window.

5. In the Point File Formats - Select Column Name window, click the Column name drop-down and find your custom User Designed Property as defined above in step 6 of Create a new custom property.

6. Click OK to save your new custom format.

This custom point file format can now be used when importing points to automatically populate your property.

This property will also be available for selection when composing point label styles, allowing this property to be added to point labels for display.