This is part four of a long-term series that will cover many features of the cave survey application, Walls Project Editor. To start at part one, click here.

What do I need for this tutorial?

• Windows PC (macOS users can try running Walls using Boot Camp or an application such as Wine).

• Walls Project Editor, available for free, here.

• A survey project to print as created in part one of this series, here.

• A Laser printer and waterproof paper such as the 5 Mil Waterproof Copy Paper from Terraslate.

Walls Tutorial:
PRINTING YOUR SURVEY

• by Rory O’Keefe, February 17, 2021

A note on sketching scales.

It has been my experience that it is better to sketch at a consistent scale, rather than adjusting your scale to fit an entire section onto a single page each time you print.

As you get used to a scale, you begin to draw faster and more accurately. The passage shapes become more natural, and you will have a consistent level of detail throughout the map.

Step 1: Add a grid.

1. To start, open Walls and compile the project that you would like to print.

2. Working in the Map tab, check the Grid option, and select Grid to adjust the grid size.

   • Change the grid size by adjusting the East Interval (m) value to 2. This will create a 2m x 2m square grid.

   • If you prefer to sketch using the imperial system, set the East Interval to 2.44 m which will be equal to an 8ft x 8ft grid.

   • Optional: You can also change the north/east ratio if you would prefer a rectangular grid. For example, entering 2 here would give you a 2m x 4m grid.

   • The Vert Interval (m) number adjusts profile-view grids.

3. Select OK.

Step 2: Mark the stations.

1. Select Mark under the Stations column to add a symbol at each tie-off.

   • Do not select Label unless your stations are actually labeled underwater.

2. Next, navigate to the Page Layout tab of the Review box.

Step 3: The Page Layout tab.

Working in the Page Layout tab, you will see a print preview of your entire project over a grid that represents letter-sized sheets of paper. (You can change the page size in the Print Settings).

Walls has divided your entire project to be printed onto as many pages as necessary so that the finished sketches can be taped together for a continuous survey once the borders are removed.

The Page Layout tab also contains a tool to adjust the print scale of your map, in addition to basic formatting options for the font and symbol sizes, etc.

Take a moment to read the below image for an introduction to using the Page Layout tab.

Step 4: Adjust the scale.

1. Working in the Page Layout tab, select Scale and Position.

2. Under the column, Scale of Printed or Exported Maps, change the scale to 1:500.

   • 1:500 is my preferred sketching scale. It is a good balance between sketching size and how much survey can be printed onto a page. Feel free to experiment based on your personal mapping style as you progress.

3. Next, under the View Frame Dimensions column, change the dimensions to 25.5 cm x 19 cm (10 in x 7.5 in) to set the printing area of your page.

   • Most waterproof papers are available as a standard letter size sheet and these dimensions will leave a reasonable space to tape your map to a sketching slate or clipboard.

   • Note: Reverse the dimensions if you prefer to print as a portrait.

4. Select OK

Step 5: Reposition the map.

This step is optional, depending on the size of your project and whether or not you want to have a final draft of your original sketches.

Repositioning a large survey to use the least amount of paper while preserving the ability to have a perfectly-aligned final draft is usually a hopeless endeavor.

For smaller projects, you can often rotate the map or move the survey to fit onto fewer pages.

It is important to keep in mind that you must leave space to sketch the cave as the survey nears the edge of the page. You may also want to draw in a symbol legend, titles, a north arrow, etc. on your hand-drawn draft which will make use of any leftover space.

Also note that rotating the survey to fit onto fewer pages will rotate the direction of north on your map, which may be undesirable.

Follow the below steps to rotate the line survey:

1. Working in the Page Layout tab, select Scale and Position.

2. Change the Azimuth Degrees number under the View Direction column to rotate the survey.

   • 75 degrees will rotate the survey of Nohoch Nah Chich used in this tutorial to be centered horizontally across the page.

3. Select OK.

Follow the below steps to reposition the line survey:

1. Return to the Map tab, and right-click on the display to drag the line survey to an estimated position of where want to position it.

   • Note: Do not scroll/zoom in or out while working in the Map tab as this will change the scale.

2. Go back to the Page Layout tab to view the result and repeat as necessary.

   • I have not found a way to easily adjust the survey position within the Page Layout tab – if anyone knows of a way to do this, please share!

Step 6: Select Pages to Print.

1. Right-click each page that you want to print on the Page Layout display to select it for printing.

   • You can alternatively click Select All to select every page that contains survey.

   • The number of selected pages is displayed under the Page Grid column.

Step 7: Add color.

If you do not have a color laser printer, I strongly recommend dotting all of the station markers on your printed survey with a colorful permanent marker before diving. This makes the tie-off locations significantly easier to see underwater.

If you have a color laser printer, follow the steps below:

Part 1: Disable Monochrome Output.

1. Working in the Page Layout tab, select Format Opts...

2. Deselect Monochrome Output, and then select OK.

Part 2: The Segments tab.

1. Navigate to the Segments tab of the Review box.

2. Change the Markers color to something bright such as red.

3. Change the Background color to white.

4. Select your book title (in this case Nohoch Nah Chich) and change the line color to your preference.

   • Note that you can expand the book and change the line color of individual survey files.

5. Select Grid Lines to change the grid color to your preference.

   • I prefer the default grid lines which are dashed, gray lines.

6. Return to the Page Layout tab.

Step 8: Print.

1. Working in the Page Layout tab, confirm that your settings are correct and all of the pages you want to print are selected.

2. Select Print Preview to view your prints with the enabled grid from Step 1.

3. If everything looks good, place your waterproof paper into your printer tray and select Print Map...

   • I test print large projects using regular copy paper as waterproof paper can be expensive…

Step 9: Ready to dive.

1. Mount your printed survey to a custom-made sketching slate or a clipboard and go make a map.

   • I often use electrical tape to secure my page to the slate, but hose retainers, bungee loops, and binder clips will also work. Experiment a little.