Symbols and houses are created in different ways, and have some layer differences, but it’s not that hard to use the HOUSE command to make a symbol that you can use again. Most of the work has been done for you.
Creating a symbol from a new house
1 Start a drawing based on the blank template in the Cities/Symbols directory.
2 Set the current layer to STRUCTURES (COLOR)
3 Draw the house, adding extensions. Select Insert > Ungroup, ungroup the house.
4 Add any frills that you want. Edit > Explode them.
5 Select Symbols > Change to SymColor. Select by layer, STRUCTURES (COLOR). This adds the demographic information.
Creating a symbol from an existing house.
1 Copy the house to the clipboard. Paste it into a new drawing based on the blank template in the Cities/Symbols directory.
2 Select Insert > Ungroup, ungroup the house. Do this again. (The house may be grouped twice because you have inserted it from the clipboard.
3 Select Info > List and choose the edge of the house. The first thing listed must be changed to the STRUCTURES (COLOR) layer. Usually, it can be selected by layer.
4 Select Symbols > Change to SymColor. Select by layer, STRUCTURES (COLOR). This adds the demographic information.
1 Rotate the building so that the side that would face the road is facing down the screen.
2 Select Symbols > Control Points. Add Control Points. Select a point in the bottom left corner of the symbol’s extents, then the bottom right corner of the symbol’s extents (You can work out the symbol’s extents by imagining a box drawn round the symbol that just encloses it.
3 Select Align on Insertion, Keep DynTrack Scale, and Offset from Place point. The other options should be unchecked.
4 Select Symbols > Define Symbol. Type a name then select an origin point in the mid point of the control point you just added.