[mapserver-users] Shapefiles

[Richard Ford]

Thanks a lot.

That saves me two days as I waited for the install CD's of ArcView.

BTW - what would or can one do to show RASTER files.  Again I know nothing
of GIS to well.  I know that Raster is a format and that ArcIMS does not
display raster images.  Does Mapserver display or can it display RASTER
images.

And if so - is a ratser image a very common type of file used in most GIS
applications?  ArcView applications (models)?

Cheers,
Richard.



> Shape files only hold vector data: points, lines, polygons. So that
> should clear up one problem there :) Your test layer was declared as a
> raster (an image).
> Go to the ESRI web site (www.esri.com) and download their free tool,
> ArcExplorer. This program lets you view and query shape files
> interactively. You can use it to figure out what you're dealing with
> before trying to shoehorn them into mapserver.
>
> Best of luck,
> Paul
>
> Richard Ford wrote:
> >
> > G'Day All,
> >
> > Ok, I have been experimenting with Mapserver and I have a moderate grasp
on
> > the various files and configuration system.  Not good enough to make a
> > polished site - but good enough to test appropriateness of technology.
:)
> >
> > Now I have a whole heap of shapefiles make in ESRI ArcView.
> >
> > How do I load them!  :)
> >
> > I have made my own .map files and templates - heavily based on the
MS_DEMO
> > download.
> >
> > I have the shapefiles ready and shapepath set.
> >
> > Do I need to have the exact type set like raster, line, polygon, etc...
As
> > I have tried various shapefiles and colour options and all I get is a
blank
> > square were I was expecting some sort of image?
> >
> > ***********************************************************
> >
> > #
> > # Start of map file
> > #
> > NAME LANCE
> > STATUS ON
> > SIZE 1200 1200
> > #SHADESET symbols/shade.sym
> > #MARKERSET symbols/marker.sym
> > #LINESET symbols/line.sym
> > EXTENT 388107.634400379 5203120.88405952 500896.339019834
5310243.30613897
> > #UNITS METERS
> > SHAPEPATH "/usr/local/apache/htdcos/lance/risk_data"
> > #IMAGECOLOR 255 255 255
> >
> > #
> > # Start of web interface definition
> > #
> > WEB
> >   HEADER demo_header.html
> >   TEMPLATE demo.html
> >   FOOTER demo_footer.html
> >   MINSCALE 1000
> >   MAXSCALE 1550000
> >   IMAGEPATH "/usr/local/apache/htdocs/tmp/"
> >   IMAGEURL "/tmp/"
> >   # LOG "demo.log"
> > END
> >
> > QUERYMAP
> >   SIZE 200 200
> >   STATUS ON
> >   STYLE HILITE
> >   COLOR 255 0 0
> > END
> >
> > #
> > # Start of reference map
> > #
> > #REFERENCE
> > #  IMAGE graphics/reference.tif
> > #  EXTENT 393234.393701263 5205405.16440722 495769.579718949
> > 5307959.02579127
> > #  SIZE 120 120
> > #  STATUS ON
> > #  COLOR -1 -1 -1
> > #  OUTLINECOLOR 255 0 0
> > #END
> >
> > #
> > # Start of legend
> >
> > LEGEND
> >   KEYSIZE 18 12
> >   LABEL
> >     TYPE BITMAP
> >     SIZE MEDIUM
> >     COLOR 0 0 89
> >   END
> >   STATUS ON
> > END
> >
> > #
> > # Start of scalebar
> > #
> > SCALEBAR
> >   IMAGECOLOR 255 255 255
> >   LABEL
> >     COLOR 255 255 255
> >     SIZE tiny
> >   END
> >   STYLE 1
> >   SIZE 50 2
> >   COLOR 255 255 255
> >   UNITS MILES
> >   INTERVALS 1
> >   TRANSPARENT TRUE
> >   STATUS TRUE
> > END
> >
> > #
> > # Start of layer definitions
> > #
> >
> > ##################################
> > LAYER
> >   NAME "test"
> >   TYPE RASTER
> >   STATUS DEFAULT
> >   DATA disslv1
> >
> >   CLASS
> >  COLOR 250 140 250
> >   END
> >
> > END
> > ####################################
> >
> > END # Map File
> >
> > *************************************************
> >
> > disslv1 is a shapefile (well the 3 files, .shp, .shx, .dbf) and nothing
> > loads?
> >
> > I even changed the data to a known shapefile in the ms_demo directory
and
> > copied the same layer definition and I still got a blank box (But always
> > with a working navigation system).
> >
> > Demo_init.html is set to load 'test' as a default layer....  clicking on
the
> > "re-display/query button still shows an empty square?
> >
> > I will not be meeting the creator of the shapefiles until Friday and I
guess
> > I will need more info about what is inside them to be able to define a
layer
> > to display them?  I guess what I really wanted to do was to have a
working
> > system - though that just shows a basic map with 1 layer so he can see
it.
> > Proof of technology - to prove that mapserver is what we want to use and
not
> > ArcIMS - urghhh!.
> >
> > Many Thanks as I find my feet..... GIS expert - I am not.  :)
> >
> > Richard Ford.
> > richard at cubok.com   www.cubok.com
> >
> > The views expressed here are solely my own and do not necessarily
represent
> > those of my employer.
>