[mapserver-users] Labeling Rules -- spatial priority

[woodbri at swoodbridge.com]

On 7 Jul 2002 at 11:01, S&K Lehr wrote:

> Good morning. I've got somedata exported from InfoCad which is 
> point information with text and an angle (specifically its a parcel 
> dimension layer). The data seems to be triplicated (three records of 
> the same data--though sometime moreor less), unfortunately the data 
> is not directly ontop of one another but slightly off set. 
> 
> The data in the .dbf file is notsequential, so its not realistic to 
> just null out the text label in sequential passess of the data.

There is a shpsort utility floating about that might let you sort the 
data based on an attribute, but I don't remember where I saw it.

> Does mapserver have anyway to use a first come first label, so that 
> it wont look triple typed. i.e. if a label already occupies the 
> space, it will only get one label?

Yes, if you set MINDISTANCE <pixels> in your LABEL definition then it 
will not place another label with the same name within <pixels> 
distance of the first one placed.

-Steve