[GRASSLIST:2357] Re: How to print labels along line with v.label

[Greg Sepesi]

> Subject: [GRASSLIST:2355] How to print labels along line with v.label ?
> Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2004 08:40:46 -0800 (PST)
> From: Dave Haffner <dphaffner at yahoo.com>
> To: GRASSLIST at baylor.edu
> 
> Hello,
> 
> I'm need some gr-assistance in developing a home-grown
> map of Washington, DC for a communtiy mapping project.
> I'm using GRASS 5.0.3 to map TIGER/Line files, and I'm
> having difficulty labeling streets along the line,
> i.e. with the text parallel to the streets. The
> v.label command says it will do this, but I haven't
> been able to get it to.

. . .

> I understand the labels won't print along line on my
> monitor, and that I'll need to use ps.map to achieve
> this. Will the 'label' command in ps.map know to
> rotate the labels?

Dave,

Have you considered using SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics)?  It is very
convenient for controlling map presentation, including labels which can
follow road (or river) curves.

Although I've used TIGER/Line files with GRASS, and I've setup the
categories with road names so GRASS's interactive 'what' command
presented the names of user selected roads, I haven't tried to use GRASS
to draw labels.  Instead I use SVG ... mainly for its ability to link to
other documentation.  For my application, the convenient control of map
presentation is a bonus.

I've written a utility to create SVG maps from TIGER/Line files.  If you
would like to experiment with SVG, I could use this utility to quickly
generate a DC SVG map which you can edit to specify your road labels. 
Note that an SVG viewer is not presently built into the major Web
browsers, but Adobe offers a free SVG viewer browser plug-in at 

	http://www.adobe.com/svg/viewer/install/main.html

Greg