[Carto] Students: Get Paid to work on thisproject(isthisstillthethread about high resolution printing??)

Tue Apr 13 17:58:29 EDT 2010

Thanks for the suggestion Alex. It has been a couple years since I
looked at Blender. I remember the user interface being sort of
difficult, but maybe that has changed.

I'm really focused on finding a good 3d-model/3d map viewer, more than I
am on a 3D authoring tool.

Maybe I need to give Blender another look. I am hopefully going to get
some feedback on Blender from Tyler.

Landon
Office Phone Number: (209) 946-0268
Cell Phone Number: (209) 992-0658

-----Original Message-----
From: carto-bounces at lists.osgeo.org
[mailto:carto-bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of Alex Mandel
Sent: Monday, April 12, 2010 5:51 PM
To: carto at lists.osgeo.org
Subject: Re: [Carto] Students: Get Paid to work on
thisproject(isthisstillthethread about high resolution printing??)

Blender is and open source option that can do some similar things as
Sketchup and has potential to integrate with OSSIM(Both use
Openscenegraph). I looked into it a couple of years back but didn't have
time to pursue. Lot's of possibilities since it's python scriptable and
is used for 3D animation, walkthroughs, video games etc.

Alex

Landon Blake wrote:
> Bob,
> 
> I just started looking into this myself the last few weeks. I'm really
interested in learning how to use SketchUp to produce 3D models from our
survey and engineering data. I did check out a 3D PDF generator plug-in
for SketchUp. It worked, but it was a little crude. I almost think the
viewer for Sketch-Up made by Google might be a better way to go.
> 
> I'm going to work on an OBJ importer for SketchUp. Then I hope to
write some AutoLISP code that will export simple drawing entities in OBJ
format. I'll keep you posted as things develop.
> 
> I'm still interested in open source alternatives for a 3D model
viewer. Maybe World Wind might do the trick. I need to look into this
more.
> 
> Landon
> Office Phone Number: (209) 946-0268
> Cell Phone Number: (209) 992-0658
>  
>  
> ________________________________________
> From: Bob Basques [mailto:Bob.Basques at ci.stpaul.mn.us] 
> Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2010 12:43 PM
> To: Dane Springmeyer; Landon Blake; Tyler Mitchell (OSGeo)
> Cc: carto at lists.osgeo.org
> Subject: RE: [Carto] Students: Get Paid to work on
thisproject(isthisstillthe thread about high resolution printing??)
> 
> Landon, 
> 
> Didn't think it pertinent here, but I'm the CAD Manager at the City
(85+ seats) for AutoDesk Products,  Lot and lots (and lots) of
experience there.  Bit AutoLISP guy, lot's and lot's of Web service
integration for our can users with respect to importing of data, raster
and vector. 
> 
> Question, you got any experience with 3D-PDF generation, this is my
new obsession recently. 
> 
> bobb 
> 
> 
> 
>>>> "Landon Blake" <lblake at ksninc.com> wrote:
> I suppose I should throw my capabilities out on the list as well. This
may help us start to form teams as things get cooking.
> 
> I'm pretty good with Java, OK with Python and Ruby, could learn C, and
I am scared to death of C++. I can code CSS and XHTML.
> I would like to learn Perl and Javascript. I've got some pretty
extensive experience writing parsers. I work regularly with Inkscape and
AutoCAD. I'm pretty familiar with those file formats. I've also know how
to use some common Java libraries for working with DXF, SHP, and PDF.
> 
> I'm certainly interested in cooking up at least part of the rendering
engine as a desktop application in Java. I could use another language,
but I've got a chunk of code in Java already.
> 
> Landon
> Office Phone Number: (209) 946-0268
> Cell Phone Number: (209) 992-0658
> 
> 
> ________________________________________
> From: Bob Basques [mailto:Bob.Basques at ci.stpaul.mn.us]
> Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2010 11:58 AM
> To: Dane Springmeyer; Landon Blake; Tyler Mitchell (OSGeo)
> Cc: carto at lists.osgeo.org
> Subject: RE: [Carto] Students: Get Paid to work on this
project(isthisstill the thread about high resolution printing??)
> 
> Landon (an others),
> 
> I suppose I should throw out my personal preferences and  competencies
here . . .
> 
> I really like the idea of the print-canvas approach whether Web based
(my preference initially) or desktop based.  Keep in mind that even the
web based approach will require an "element" handler of some sort, which
for the most part would likely end up inside of a desktop app.  My
preference towards the Web route is mostly based on the notion that
chunks of the process need to be separated out based on their respective
functions, which makes things easier to hand off to the next guy, and to
build components that are standalone(ish) in nature.
> 
> I'm pretty good with PERL on the server side, along with lots or time
spent in Databases of all sorts.  I'm basic on the web side, other than
knowing where to look for the answers when I need them.  I'm no expert
in JS for example, but have written my fair share, I'm better at finding
and integrating the experts to make the whole work.  I'm also interested
in other forms of client side interfaces like Flash for example.
> 
> bobb
> 
> 
> 
>>>> "Landon Blake" <lblake at ksninc.com> wrote:
> Bob,
> 
> I'm not a web developer by any stretch of the term, so I didn't get
everything in your message. I did however like the concept of a canvas
where the user can assemble common layout elements. This sounds like a
way to make map layout a no brainer. Whether this component of the
map-making project was on the web or in a desktop app, I like it!
> 
> I sort of think your white board or canvas component could almost be
the visual editor for the input file that would specify the conversion
parameters needed by the rendering engine.
> 
> It sounds like one of our challenges will be finding common ground
among our diverse group. We will have some web guys, some desktop guys,
some Java guys, some Python guys...
> 
> It sounds like we could at least get started on a spec. I wonder if we
could create two "modules" in our project. One for a web app, and one
for a desktop app. As we worked on the apps we could start talking about
what each app would need the spec to look like. That would ensure a
well-rounded spec.
> 
> This is just a suggestion, of course.
> 
> Landon
> Office Phone Number: (209) 946-0268
> Cell Phone Number: (209) 992-0658
> 
> 
> ________________________________________
> From: Bob Basques [mailto:Bob.Basques at ci.stpaul.mn.us]
> Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2010 11:42 AM
> To: Dane Springmeyer; Landon Blake; Tyler Mitchell (OSGeo)
> Cc: carto at lists.osgeo.org
> Subject: RE: [Carto] Students: Get Paid to work on this project
(isthisstill the thread about high resolution printing??)
> 
> All,
> 
> Well, basically, I've always thought along the lines of a Web app
(engine) for the processing.  I'm a bit biased in this regard, but it
shouldn't preclude building out a standalone version of some sort of
engine either.
> 
> Anyway on to the ideas.
> 
> My thought was to use a print canvas sort of approach, where an online
interface was used to assemble a print layout (could this be the
specification side of the conversation so far) and send that to the
engine for printing.  The reason I think  this user interface is
important is more for the sales side of things, but I'm a big proponent
of usability, and push/drag system on a web based whiteborad sort of
interface seems like the right way to go.
> 
> Using a URL based (raster images would be a good start) approach to
collecting print elements seems like a no brainer, where a separate web
based engine could handle URL collection duties for display in the Print
canvas, and the user has all the tools needed in the interface to push,
drag, scale, etc, and in a visual form.  Using the Print Canvas
approarch will allow for a very strict method of pushing the elements to
the rendering engine as well.  It will act as a sort of pre-rendering
filter of sorts.
> 
> It may sound like I'm trying to jump to the end before doing the
middle, but I've been thinking about this a for a few years and even did
some early concept work once upon a time.
> 
> The bigger benefit I see to this approach (and still keeping inside of
the ideas discussed) is that things can be implemented in phases, raster
first, vector (3D??), and the input and rendering are completely
separated with regard to development streams.  If a project want to use
the print canvas engine to render directly, they can, or let the users
interact with the layout instead, either will work just fine.
> 
> I don't believe that this things need to get hung up on the
specification side too much either, most elements would/could be
collected via a URL resource for example, and already be in some sort of
standard form.   The new stuff for layout, can be integrated into this
new print canvas / render engine and stay project specific, right?
> 
> So, am I rambling, or does any of this make sense?
> 
> bobb
> 
> 
> 
>>>> "Landon Blake" <lblake at ksninc.com> wrote:
> I shared my ideas Bob. Let's hear about your approach.
> 
> Landon
> Office Phone Number: (209) 946-0268
> Cell Phone Number: (209) 992-0658
> 
> 
> ________________________________________
> From: carto-bounces at lists.osgeo.org
[mailto:carto-bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of Bob Basques
> Sent: Tuesday, April 06, 2010 11:24 AM
> To: Dane Springmeyer; Tyler Mitchell (OSGeo)
> Cc: carto at lists.osgeo.org
> Subject: Re: [Carto] Students: Get Paid to work on this project
(isthis still the thread about high resolution printing??)
> 
> All,
> 
> Is this still the thread about high resolution printing?
> 
> If so, I have a different approach that might be worth offering. . . .
> 
> bobb
> 
> 
> 
>>>> "Tyler Mitchell (OSGeo)" <tmitchell at osgeo.org> wrote:
> Dane Springmeyer wrote:
>> Because there is not a third student focusing on the OSGEO side I
think
>> was is not being addressed is the interoperability/standards
>> specification piece. Big picture this is likely better addressed
outside
>> of a code-based GSOC project and rather by the wider community.
> 
> I think you're hitting the nail on the head here.  With my "user of
> several apps" hat on, I mainly care about the specifications side of
> things.  Knowing that any "engine" app is already going to be focused
on
> improving quality, features, etc. the question from a larger, OSGeo
> ecosystem perspective does really fall into the standards doesn't it?
> 
> What I would like to avoid is inventing a new spec, only to find that
> another app already has a well thought out model in place.  I'd much
> rather clone an existing model, API, whatever and then see what is
> missing from our overall needs.  I'm most familiar with MapServer's
> model, but was able to get a good glimpse into Mapnik when playing
with
> Quantumnik.  That kind of interoperability in a client app is quite
> encouraging to see.
> 
> In the end, I'd like to take Application X and transform its config
> files into the engine's model.  Thereby making this project also a bit
> of a universal translator.. but I think I'm getting ahead of myself.
:)
> 
> So, how do we get a good handle on potential specs to work from?  I
> broke it down into three components:
> * rendering stuff
> * map layout details
> * output formats/resolution etc.
> 
> 
> Tyler
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