>it is not possible to do it using map offsets. Currently the only way would be to use 'map-image' in layout, which >has some limitations (positioning relative to particular passage is not possible). We plan to add new point symbol >'picture' which would make it possible to insert external pictures into any scrap, but I am not sure how long it >takes to implement it

I like this proposal.  I would dearly like to be able to “offset and enlarge”.

A ‘point picture’ entity would open up a way to achieve this, along the lines of my example below.

Andrew, below is an example of how I have created two maps in the same thconfig file and then inserted one into the other.

I think it would work well for creating locality plans, ie cave @1:1000 and locality at 1:10,000, blacked out and with surface image enabled, but as Martin pointed out, it is too clumsy for local enlargements in a dataset where active extension of the cave survey is ongoing.

#Make elevation first so that it's pdf can be added to the plan                         

export map   -projection [elevation 270 deg] \

  -layout LayoutMapBulmer_System             \

  -layout LayoutMapBulmer_SystemElev       \   

  -output ./Output/MapBeautifulBulmerSystem_Elev.pdf 

#then make the plan with the elevation inserted 

 export map -projection plan          \

  -layout LayoutMapBulmer_System     \

  -layout LayoutMapBulmer_SystemPlan \

  -output ./Output/MapBeautifulBulmerSystem_Plan.pdf

The file LayoutMapBulmer_SystemPlan.thc contains the line;

  map-image 0.8 103 sw "./Output/MapBeautifulBulmerSystem_Elev.pdf" #0.8 needed to align plan & elev vertically

to insert the elevation into the map.

Keep up the good work

Bruce