[GRASS-user] ps.map dilemma

[Dylan Beaudette]

On Wednesday 02 July 2008, Christian Ferreira wrote:
> Hi all,
>
>
> I come here with a question/dilemma...
>
> Why ps.map lacks so much user support?

Good question.

> A lot of people know about GRASS all over the world, but nearly nobody
> use it, since nearly any software in the world is less difficult to
> produce maps.
>
> GRASS is a wonderful tool for analysis, but it fails to produce the
> ultimate result: a map.

Partially by design, GRASS is primarily geared toward data processing and 
analysis.

> Even GMT is widely used, because a lot of people SHARE the scripts,
> and there is the "GMT cookbook" on the official website.

Glad you mention GMT. It could potentially become what ps.map isn't quite once 
the python bindings for both GMT and GRASS are a little more mature.

> But for GRASS everybody can see some good examples here:
>
> http://grass.itc.it/screenshots/cartography.php
>
> But nearly nobody share the scripts to make these wonderful maps...
> and you know, a lot of people will never "lose" their time trying to
> figure out how ps.map works just using the man page.
>
> Ps.map also needs a "cookbook" in the future.
>
> And at: http://grass.osgeo.org/wiki/Ps.map_scripts
>
> Ok, we have finally a few scripts, but poorly documented.

A ps.map cookbook would be nice- would you like to start it? I imagine that 
you will get a couple good ones after posting this. Once you have them, along 
with a screen shot, you could post the annotated examples on the wiki.

> I use GRASS since 2001, it is nearly a complete solution for GIS (in
> my opinion), but ps.map was always the weak point (in my opinion
> too)... normally I need to export all my region/data to
> GMT/ArcView/Surfer to make the final map.
>
> For example, my latest work was two pages for an atlas for National
> Geographic Brasil/Brazil, with a work that I started developing with
> GRASS since 2001... but guess if GRASS was used for the final map?
>
> This is a shame for me. :-(

It is a shame. GMT is usually my map-making favorite. Alternatively GRASS + 
GMT + Inkscape / Illustrator.

> I am aware of g-ps.map (the alternate GUI for ps.map), but will take
> sometime until it became truth.
>
> So... If there someone who wants to share his knowlegde, I can at
> least help to compile and document the material to prepare a real
> "ps.map cookbook" on the GRASS-Wiki.
>
> Who will join me, and share some material?
>
> Best regards,
> Christian

Good luck,

Dylan


> --
> Christian dos Santos Ferreira
> Oceanographer
> Coordinator of Poseidon Linux
> QGIS translator (EN to Brazilian Portuguese)
> GRASS user since 2001 and "philosopher" for features ;-)
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-- 
Dylan Beaudette
Soil Resource Laboratory
http://casoilresource.lawr.ucdavis.edu/
University of California at Davis
530.754.7341