[GRASS5] gis.m limitation

[Michael Barton]

Thanks for the ideas Hamish. See below.

Michael
__________________________________________
Michael Barton, Professor of Anthropology
School of Human Evolution & Social Change
Center for Social Dynamics & Complexity
Arizona State University

phone: 480-965-6213
fax: 480-965-7671
www: http://www.public.asu.edu/~cmbarton



> From: Hamish <hamish_nospam at yahoo.com>
> Date: Thu, 4 May 2006 17:15:46 +1200
> To: Trevor Wiens <twiens at interbaun.com>
> Cc: <cedricgrass at shockfamily.net>, <grass5 at grass.itc.it>,
> <michael.barton at asu.edu>
> Subject: Re: [GRASS5] gis.m limitation
> 
>> I think a better solution would have been to have both buttons present
>> and possibly two more to zoom to a file.
> 
> Hi. Some ideas,
> 
> 
> Perhaps all we need better labels.

Agreed

> 
> A clear "monitor 1" title bar at the top of the command list in the
> "GIS Manager" window would make it clear which window you are currently
> working with. Actually this seems like a perfect place to use tabs.

This might be a help. But see the effects of the Cedric's new changes to the
GIS Manager and see if this helps. The layer tree now changes depending on
which display window your mouse is hovering over.

I tried tabs and 1) it is much more difficult than simply switching the
layer tree like now; 2) the user would have to pick the right tab but the
correct layer tree is automatically displayed currently.

> 
> 
> Clearer labeling could help the confused zoom to region buttons too,
> we have:
> 
> Zoom to current region and redraw all layers
> Return to previous zoom
> Zoom to saved region
> Zoom to default region
> 
> "Zoom to current region" => "Return to original zoom settings"
>  (return/revert ?)
> "Zoom to current region" is unclear about which "current" we are talking
> about*. Try not to use ambiguous words if possible.

I agree that this can seem  ambiguous. Return to original zoom settings is
not right either. I'm assuming that you've been displaying maps. Then you to
go g.region and change the region. Really, you are zooming to the
system-wide region setting, but that is a lot of verbage for mouse-over
help. I haven't seen anything any better than wyat we already have. Perhaps
you or someone else can think of a better, non-technical term.

> 
> [*] Similar on the GUI startup screen: "Path to location" could be read
> as "Road to destination". As that page isn't translated**, I can imagine
> someone new to the program/jargon trying to figure out what it means
> using a dictionary and becoming rather confused...

But it's better than 'select GRASS database'. If I had my druthers, we'd
call locations "projection folders". But the term "location" permeates many
things GRASS. I've tried to improve this a bit by calling it "projection
location". But I really wanted something easier. Just couldn't think of
something better in the time I've had. Suggestions?

> 
> [**] what are the translation possibilities for TclTk menus and shell
> scripts?
> 
I guess I don't know.

> 
> but back to gis.m,
> 
> I'm not sure what happened to a "set GIS region from current zoom"
> button, or if that is wanted?

What did this do?

> 
> The monitors should all start up with the GIS region settings, which
> initially would be what's in the current WIND.
> Only Config->Region->Manage Region should be able to modify that, both
> for new monitors and the main mapset setting.

This is the way it is now. I simply saved monitor settings to a saved region
file. Cedric's new method saves it to a TclTk variable.

> 
> Please double check 'g.region nsres= ewres= -a' has been used where
> needed so after zoom/pan in the Map window the region settings are
> not left in a fractional state; and that the Map display zoom has not
> affected the mapset's WIND file.

I can look at the -a option. The map display does not change WIND.

> 
> 
> Michael: your tooltips are tiny? Mine come out double size.  ?!
> Arrow, Zoom in/out, pan, query, ruler, and Save don't have tooltips
> on the Map Display windows.

We are now trying to set these in the options database.So I'm not sure why
the size difference.

The lack of tooltips for several buttons is because they are radio buttons
and radio buttons don't allow for tooltips.
> 
> 
> 
> Hamish