[GRASS-dev] WxPython front-end to ps.map

[Dylan Beaudette]

On Thursday 08 February 2007 03:48, Glynn Clements wrote:
> Moritz Lennert wrote:
> > > As soon as new map display class will be defined in wxPython, I would
> > > like to build georectifing, ps.map and digitizing tool on top of it.
> >
> > Is there any possibility of changing the display system so that vector
> > data is displayed as such in the display or at least the content of the
> > display could be directly exported to ps or pdf as vector ?
>
> No. At least, not in the short/medium term.
>
> You're talking about a completely new display architecture. The
> current architecture is entirely unsuitable for writing a
> PostScript/PDF/SVG/etc "driver".
>
> Note that any display architecture which *was* suitable for generating
> PostScript/etc output would be rule out the use of G_plot_polygon()
> etc for rendering, so d.vect would need to be fixed.

Having specialized output drivers seems like it might help retain CLI 
functionality _and_ potential to create high quality output. Using R as an 
example:

# plot something to the screen, low res but functional
x11()
plot(x, y, ...)

# plot something to a PDF file: nice crisp lines, etc.
pdf(file='new.pdf', width=6, height=10)
plot(x, y, ...
# close the file
dev.off()

This approach allows the same commands to draw on the screen or out to any 
number of files:
png() , postscript(), pdf(), fig(), ... you get the idea

Generalizing the d.* commands sufficiently would be the challenge... it would 
be a great improvement to just output an Xmon to PDF - with real vector 
representation of lines, etc.

Just some thoughts,

Cheers,

-- 
Dylan Beaudette
Soils and Biogeochemistry Graduate Group
University of California at Davis
530.754.7341