[mapserver-users] Rendering Challenges - Polygon labeling

[Brent Fraser]

   I've been thinking about the polygon label challenge.  The difficulty 
is the view (the extent of the rendered map image) may be completely 
inside the polygon-to-be-labeled (and so no polygon edges are visible), 
partially overlap the polygon, or completely enclose the polygon.

Here's my thought on how to handle the various cases:

1. if View completely within Poly, then
     place Label at top left of View
     (but be careful, there could be multiple layers of polygons putting 
labels there
      so maybe the user should specify X,Y, location in pixels?)

2. else if Poly partially overlaps View
     place Label at inside edge (POSITION FollowEdgeInside?) of Poly

3. else (polygon is completely within view)
     3.1 if Label fits within Poly
             place Label within (allow: CC, FollowEdgeInside, 
FollowEdgeOutside)
     3.2 else if rotated text fits within Poly
             rotate Label and place within
     3.3 else
             place Label beside Poly (allow the eight positions similar 
to point labeling?)

Might be a big effort to implement, and I have no clue how to make it 
configurable via the map file....

-- 
Best Regards,
Brent Fraser