I asked a similar question regarding the importing of custom symbols into MapInfo a couple of weeks ago. Here is a summary of the responses I received. I have not had a chance to test any of them to see which works best. >From reading the responses, it looks like the creation of a True Type Font may be the most reliable work around, if it is not fixed in MI 6.0. I was able to do about ten minutes of web hunting and it looks like you should be able to find a free utility that will allow you to create true type fonts based on bitmaps you already have. Thanks to all who responded to my original question.
The responses,
In addition to this (or in place of, depending on your success
rate), make sure you click the Refresh button on the custom Symbols drop
down list after adding any new BMP's to the CUSTSYMB directory.
maybe another solution, it's not with bitmap, but you can try to make a true type font.
If you have also sized your image to 32x32 pixels, reduces the number of colors, and you still can't get it to work, I have sometimes opened a pre-existing MI custom symbol, pasted my desired image to it, then saved the symbol to the desired new name. This will force a reformat of your image to the required. Not the best method but a workaround.
If you are running Win2000 you can add as many as 6,400 new characters to your fonts using a utility (comes with Win2000) called eudcedit - just type it in at the run prompt.
I have had the same problem I'm using windows NT 4.0 an mapinfo seem to
think this may cause the problem. They even created a bitmap that worked
on there system sent it to me and it didn't work. If you get any work
arounds I'd be interested.
The only I could achieve what your trying to do was to rename one of the
BMP's that I was sure I was not going to use then my custom bmp showed up.
I.e. you have to get rid of one to add one.
I make my own symbols on a regular basis and the only difference
being is that mine are 16 or 32 bit. The only time I have your problem is
when they are too large.
Aaron Queheillalt
Visual/Mapping Analyst
The Sacramento Bee
916-321-1596
