MPSuperShape Walkthrough: How to combine two shapes
This walkthrough shows you how to combine two shapes using MPSuperShape's Union operation. If you are new to Microsoft® MapPoint®, it is recommended that you spend some time experimenting with MapPoint and working through the tutorials provided by Microsoft. You should also download and install MPSuperShape before starting the walkthrough.
There is a screenshot of MapPoint for each step of the walkthrough. Click on the small thumbnail to open a new window with a full size version of the screenshot.
Start Microsoft MapPoint with the example data
This walkthrough uses a sample map with two drive time zones set at 20 minutes from two depots (blue, yellow).
These are combined using the Union operation to produce a shape that encloses the entire area that is within
20 minutes drive time of one of these depots. The example file, example_NA.ptm, can be found in the
MPSuperShape examples file.
The example is based in the Baltimore area and requires MapPoint North America. European users can use the
similar example_EU.ptm file which is based in the Coventry / Leicester area of the UK.
Load the map file in MapPoint. For clarity, the map has been set to a terrain map with the smallest font size. The two depots are marked with flag pushpins. 20 minute drive time zones have been created around each depot. These have been colored to match the flag pushpins.
Activate MPSuperShape to Display the Popup Menu
Select the MPSuperShape: Activate item on the MapPoint Tools menu. This activates MPSuperShape's popup menu. (Note: this will be replaced by an item that says MPSuperShape: De-Activate if MPSuperShape is already active)
Right click on the map to display the MPSuperShape popup menu (see right).
Select the Shapes in MPSuperShape
Most of the menu items are disabled because no shapes have been selected in MapPoint or MPSuperShape. Click the Add All menu item. This will select all shapes in MPSuperShape (see screenshot).
MPSuperShape changes colors of shapes to indicate that they have been selected. These screenshots have the MPSuperShape selection colors set to cyan fill and red outline. The defaults are black and white. These can be changed according to your personal preference.
Perform the Union Operation
Right click on the map again to display the popup menu. Select Union to perform the Union operation. MPSuperShape will then combine the selected shapes into one shape. The (selected) end result is shown in the screenshot on the right.
Final Result
De-select the shape by right clicking on the map and selecting Drop All from the popup menu. The end result shows one shape that covers all areas within 20 minutes of one of the depots.
Congratulations! You have manipulated your first shapes with MPSuperShape!
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