[GRASS-dev] Re: [GRASS-user] GRASS6.3 on Windows, nviz

[Michael Barton]

Here is an example of what a state file is like for a raster surface and
vector lines map.

1
surf*1188064015
map elevation.10m at PERMANENT
0
map elevation.10m at PERMANENT
0
unset
0
unset
const 60.000000
unset
#888888
0.000000 0.000000 0.000000
3 3
2 2
poly
grid_surf
gouraud
1
vect*1188064015
roads at PERMANENT
#0000ff
2
1
surf*1188064015
0
0
400 400
34.0
1.615
6333.66
0.304 0.696
1
9480.000000 6975.000000 1453.245850

The line BEFORE the line starting surf* or vect* is where a new group of
parameters go that need to be read by a panel.

For example, panel_surf.tcl needs to read everything from the first line
(with the number 1, indicating that there is only 1 surface to deal with),
up to the line BEFORE "vect*1188064015" (another number 1), where the
information on the vector starts. This makes it hard to parse this file into
the parts that need to go to the separate panel modules.

It looks like it was doing this before by simply letting the general load
procedure and each panel load procedure generate umpteen error messages to
the terminal while picking out the stuff that each could use from the whole
file. This could get mixed up very easily.

What's needed is a way to delimit each section: surf, vect, lights, etc. A
very easy way to do this would be to begin each section with "start surf" or
"start vect" and end with "end surf" or "end vect", and so on.

But of course this means changing the format of nviz state files a little.
Old files won't be readable without adding start and stop section. On the
other hand, they're not readable now and I really wonder how well they could
be read in the past with this kind of format.

What is your opinion on this?

Michael

__________________________________________
Michael Barton, Professor of Anthropology
Director of Graduate Studies
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