Wednesday 14 December 2016

Map 2017 - DWG export - crash with long symbol names

Map 2017 seems to crash if symbol names are too long and you export too many features of that class (export option: editable). But it might be more complicated as I couldn't reproduce this with all data sets.

After we updated to Map 2017 we got crashes when exporting certain areas using certain Display Models. Further testing unveiled, that the crashes were linked to a specific point layer (part of displaying electrical cross sections). Then we found out, that we could export cross sections - but not all of them at the same time. Lets say we had three cross sections - they could all be exported one by one - but not all together.  The layer involved comprises of more then 20 thematic rules and we used lots of dynamic expressions (for instance symbol size is calculated for each feature based on attribute  <ParameterValue>1.09375*SCALE</ParameterValue>). It took quite some time to figure out that neither the symbol itself nor any of the settings for the symbol caused the crash. At one point a new layer was created from scratch and one of the symbols from the original layer was imported from the drawing into StyleEditor again. No other settings were modified - and Map DWG Export crashed. So the conclusion was it has to be related to the symbol - or to be more precise - to the graphical representation of the symbol. At least that was what I thought. But why should this symbol crash Map? It wasn't a complex one, it was like many other used in the display model which did not cause any crash. It was very confusing - how can you find a workaround if your explanation for the issue doesn't make any sense? I thought I need to test every symbol setting step by step to find exactly the point where it causes Map to crash. So I created a  new layer from scratch - that is the default layer Maps creates when the feature class is added to the DisplayManager. I first added the symbol name, did a test export and - voilà  -  I got the crash.

So, here is a symbol name which will cause Map to crash if I export more then a few features "BWEWR2501_B35". And yes, these long symbol names mainly occur in the layer for cross section symbols.

As a workaround we shortened the symbol names in the layer file (which is easy to do) but we also had to modify the block names in our export template (which is more time consuming). With the workaround in place we still get crashes when exporting if XDATA is included in the export. I think it took  us  more then 4 days of testing and eventually applying the workaround. - and we are not sure it will cover all eventualities.... This issue still occurs with Map SP1 and HF3.


Map 2017, S1, HF3

2 comments:

  1. Interesting, thanks for sharing. We have similar problems in Map 2017 when exporting drawings with point elements. It seems the blockstyle is causing the problem. In Map 2013 the same drawings could be exported without problems. I´ll have a look again now with your recommendations.

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  2. Dear Rob!

    Thanks for Your post. I shortened all my symbols in the layer file and it solved my problem!!!
    Many thanks

    Emese

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