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Work Modes: International and Extended Symbol Sets
map.army offers its symbols in two Work Modes: International, which follows MIL-STD-2525, and Extended, which adds the country-specific symbols used in Switzerland, including a set of civil symbols.
Overview
You choose the mode under Options › General › Work Mode — see General Options. International is the default.
- International — the MIL-STD-2525 symbols and modifiers, plus a few map.army additions such as Generic Graphics.
- Extended — adds the Swiss military symbols and modifiers and a separate area of Civil Symbols.
The two modes are not one inside the other. Each gallery is put together for its mode, and International has groups that Extended does not show — so switching to Extended is not simply “International plus more”.
What the gallery shows in each mode
| Gallery area | International | Extended |
|---|---|---|
| Formations | … Engineer … | … Engineer and Rescue … — otherwise the same groups |
| Equipment and Installations | Installations, Weapons, Aircraft, Drone (RPV / UAV), Ground Vehicle, Sea Surface (Ships), Subservice (Submarines) | Installations, Persons, Weapons, Aircraft, Armored Vehicles, Soft-Skinned Vehicles |
| Tactical Graphics | Tasks, Commando Points, … | Tasks, Points, … plus Movements and Electronic warfare |
| Function-Specific Symbols | Generic Graphics, Symbol with Emoji Support, Emergency Management Symbols (EMS), Stability Operations (SO), Mine Warfare (Bottom Descriptors) | Generic Graphics, EMS, Environment Analysis, Intelligence Service, Movement and Obstacle Guidance, Artillery and FUOF, Logistics, Radio, Air Defense Concept, Protection Sign, T+T, Symbol with Emoji Support, Shipping Signs, Traffic Signals |
| Civil Symbols | — | Existing Situation, Mission - Symbols, Mission - Graphics, Damage Situation, Escape and Attack Routes, Risks, Hazard structure UNO, Other |
| My Favorites, Metoc | the same in both modes |
Groups in bold exist in that mode only. The Only Search in list of the Symbol Search follows the mode as well. When you switch, the gallery opens on its first area again.
Switching modes and your existing symbols
The Work Mode is a setting of your browser, not of a file: a MilX layer does not record which mode it was drawn in, and it opens in either mode.
- In International, a symbol that exists only in Extended is drawn in its nearest international form — or as its base symbol — so it may look different or more generic. Its own data is kept; switch back to Extended to see it as drawn.
- The Symbol Editor offers only the modifiers of the current mode. Extended-only modifier texts are therefore not shown while you are in International.
- A layer’s Override Symbol Format setting cannot change the Work Mode — the mode always applies to the whole app.
.milxlyz first (see Export Overlays), and change symbols that use Swiss modifiers only while Extended is active.Sharing and exporting Extended symbols
- Sharing and MilX files carry every symbol in full, whatever the mode. A recipient who works in International sees Extended-only symbols in their international form, as described above.
- NVG export turns Extended-only symbols into a standard MIL-STD-2525C symbol and reports each case — see NVG interoperability.