Using metafiles as symbols

System Architect enables you to use Windows metafiles (or bitmaps) to depict symbols on your diagrams. Using the extensibility provided through the USRPROPS file, you can assign metafiles to symbol types and then draw them on the diagram from the toolbar, as you do with all System Architect symbols.

System Architect creates a metafile of your entire diagram. This metafile is displayed in the Explorer window view used in Microsoft Word reports.

Not all metafiles are the same. Here is a summary of how System Architect and System Architect XT render the different types:

Standard metafile images contain vector commands (or records) that Windows renders on the screen. These metafiles are displayed normally by System Architect and the other tools in the suite, such as System Architect Publisher, and System Architect XT. These metafile types can be scaled without the loss of image quality.

Metafiles can contain raster (that is, bitmap images) and vector information. The metafiles with bitmap images in them do not retain their quality when scaled (the bitmap in them become jagged when enlarged and jumbled when reduced). The System Architect suite of tools usually renders these images normally – though as standard bitmaps, increasing or decreasing their size affects their quality.

Metafiles with Enhanced Metafile Records possess the same properties as the Metafiles described above, but they also contain additional records standard metafiles do not. For example, they can contain description strings, color pallet information, or records to enable image gradients, among other types. These metafiles types are typically provided by Microsoft PowerPoint and Clip Art Library or Microsoft Visio. Although System Architect and System Architect XT usually render these Metafiles correctly, occasionally, some metafiles with enhanced records are not rendered correctly.

Note When metafiles are not displayed correctly (for example they appear blank, jumbled, or incomplete) it is usually because they contain certain types of Enhanced Metafile records, as described above. This may not be the only issue, but it is the most recurring. Although creating, editing and fixing Metafiles is beyond the scope of topic, there is a technique that has been used to fix some (not all) metafile issues. That is to delete (or purge) Enhanced Records from metafiles. To purge the metafiles files of enhanced metafile records (EMRs), you can use other applications: search the web for “metafiles”.