[Graphics] Re: [Carto] SVG Symbology

[Robert Szczepanek]

Alex Mandel pisze:
> My first question, reading the ticket that created the Graphics list,
> could you clarify why the carto list wasn't appropriate for discussion
> of all things related to cartography?

Carto list was my first idea, but I realised that design of interfaces
(eg. toolbar icons) has not much to do with cartography and this list
goals. Carto goes into broad framework definition and implementation,
while Graphics should be concentrated only on graphical aspects and
drawing, drawing, drawing....
Carto - C, Python, Java, PHP, etc.
Graphics - Inkscape, GIMP, ...
Close cooperation is a need of course.

> 2nd question, could we work on defining some goals and guidelines for
> creating a symbology library for use in FOSS4G applications.
> ie: Licensing, themes for sorting/folder structure, procedure to approve
> new symbol sets (this would be useless if we let in too many duplicates
> and don't check quality)

>From my point of view the first goal should be common naming dictionary.
There are some good examples [1] and I try to order it somehow in icons
field [2], but it is hard as every project using my icons starts from
renaming icons for internal coding. I understand that, but it definitely
complicates such set usability.
If we will have common naming conventions, this will help define
sorting/folder structure.
And I'm not afraid of too many icon sets, but of chaos in naming.

> I was discussing with some other QGIS and Mapserver users and a common
> library in svn(that means we'd need an svn somewhere) that could be
> pulled at compile time seems like a good option for inclusion in projects.

+1, but first we must overcome program specific naming conventions

> As a start I as working on converting the NPS icon set to individual svg
> icons. http://www.nps.gov/hfc/carto/map-symbols.htm
> 
> I also came across the OSM icon set which has some good icons but also
> has a lot of unusable pixel mashes.
> http://svn.openstreetmap.org/applications/rendering/
> 
> And then this ticket came up on QGIS which has a start on geology stuff
> https://trac.osgeo.org/qgis/ticket/1694
> 
> Thanks,
> Alex

All sources you have listed are very valuable and we should use them as
start point.
What symbols or which group should be done in your opinion first?
I will try to describe more in-details every icon (usability range) in
my set [2] for public discussion.
I'm ready to join common symbols creation efforts.

Robert

[1]
http://standards.freedesktop.org/icon-naming-spec/icon-naming-spec-latest.html
[2] http://robert.szczepanek.pl/gis-icons-0.1/