My original Question:
Does anyone have any recommendations as to how to create
non-transparent symbols from a Font.  We use fontographer to

create the font, which I then "Create Markers" from in
ArcView 3.2a.  But the result is a transparent symbol.  The
result I am after is that the the symbol "blanks out" any
features of themes which are drawn underneath it.

I've messed around Avenue a bit but without success.  Any
help is appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
-Joe Partlow
(207)623-3521 x2114


Solution:
The solution is listed in Oliver Raskop's Avenue code listed
below.  Thank you Oliver.  This was extremely useful
information, I was previously using the wrong value for
SetStyle and not using SetColorLock(true) statement.


Hi Joseph,

What  you need is a composite marker, which consists of at
least two
Symbols: the non transparent Background and the "picture"
you want to show.
For example:      your Background          your
"picture"         composite
Marker

_____                                            _____
                    |     |
\|/                    | \|/ |
                    |     |                   o
o                    | o o |
                    |_____|
-                     |__-__|

You can not do this with "Create Markers" but have to use
Avenue:

'First get and open the Symbol-window, and the
Marker-Palette
asymwin = av.GetSymbolWin
asymwin.Open
apal = asymwin.GetPalette
plm = apal.GetList(#PALETTE_LIST_MARKER)

' Create the first marker, which should be your "picture",
from then Font
you made ("myFont")
' myFrontSymNum is the number of the "picture"-symbol in
your font
bm1 = BasicMarker.Make
bm1.SetStyle(#BASICMARKER_STYLE_PATTERN)
bm1.SetFont(Font.Make("myFont","normal"))
bm1.SetCharacter(myFrontSymNum)
bm1.SetSize(16)

' Set the Color (e.g. black, but you can use any other
color)
bm1.SetColor(Color.Getblack)
bm1.SetColorLock(true)


' Create the second marker, which should be your background
' myBackSymNum is the number of the background-symbol in
your font
bm2 = BasicMarker.Make
bm2.SetStyle(#BASICMARKER_STYLE_PATTERN)
bm2.SetFont(Font.Make("myFont","normal"))
bm2.SetCharacter(myBackSymNum)
bm2.SetSize(16)
bm2.SetColor(Color.Getwhite)


' Now build the CompositeMarker from the Basic markers
cm = CompositeMarker.Make (SymbolList.FromList({bm2,bm1}))

' at last add the Composite Marker to the markerpalette in
your symbolwindow
plm.add (cm)





If you want to rearrange the palette or delete all but the
new Symbol (to
save it as a palette) I recommend the Vedit-extension
(http://www.pierssen.com/arcview/old_30.htm).

I hope this helps you. There is one limitation to composite
markers you
should know: You can not rotate them!
If you need rotated symbols you must rotate the BasicMarkers
with
bm1.SetAngle(anAngle) before you build the composite marker.



Oliver Raskop



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