[Qgis-user] An idea/wish for QGIS

[Jorge Tornero]

Hi all,

well, I've been experiencing lately with QGis diagram overlay feature
and I have to say that is still not enough for what I need. Plots are
not very customizable, adding categories is a matter of patience when
you have a relatively large amount of fields to plot (in my case, in
anchovy length distribution, about 25 of them) and normalization of the
diagrams is a little confusing. Anyway, it is a big feature but
unfortunately at last I have had to make my maps with gvSIG what really
disappoints me because map tools in gvSIG are (for me) a little bit
poor.

But I'have been messing with qgis new simbology and I have found very
interesting the option "RULE BASED" (I guess this is the correct
translation for the spanish "Basado en reglas"). Because I can define
individual marker for different values (based in that rules), I've done
the following:

1) I've created an bar chart with matplotlib as I want it to be (scale,
ticks..., colors)
2) I've saved it to a folder in my computer as SVG graphic, say
so /home/Figures
3) I've created a soft link to that folder in /usr/local/share/qgis/svg

Following this steps, what I get is the chance to choose my graph as the
marker of my point and I have to say that is really, really cool for me
because the look of the maps is great!!

But there is one problem... You can choose the graph but you don't have
any clue to tell which graph is what you want, because all you get in
the dialog of selection are the thumbnails of the SVG's in that
folder!!! So with, let's say 20 micro-pictures to choose is not very
useful...

So my idea/suggestion/wish is: To add to the symbol properties dialog
the possibility of loading a concrete SVG as marker, apart from the list
of default markers. It will not be a feature like automatic diagram
overlay but I think it is a very simple improvement that provides a
solution and eases the work of overlaying charts in maps (not only pie
and bar charts)

I don't really know if this is of any use for you but in my case, it has
been the big prize in days, because I feared of having to say goodbye to
Qgis until the diagram feature is improved.

Also I apologize if what I've said is just a obviousness... Maybe this
is a feature everybody knows and here I am thinking that I've discovered
the Philosopher's stone... :)

Best regards

Jorge Tornero


-- 
-----------------------------------------
Jorge Tornero Núñez
Centro Oceanográfico de Cádiz
Instituto Español de Oceanografía
Puerto Pesquero - Muelle de Levante, s/n
11006 Cádiz - España
Tel. +34 956294189
Fax. +34 956294232
www.ieo.es
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