[mapserver-dev] Development of new functions "combine symbols" and "displace symbols"

[Olaf Knopp]

  Hello everybody,

for a project we need some software development to be done. We think 
these new features will become more important to provide modern and 
elegant maps and therefore would be a great add-on for MapServer. As 
working titles we call these functions "combine symbols" and "displace 
symbols".
Here follows a rough concept for the functions.

1. Combine symbols
This function combines symbols of the same layer (or class) to one 
symbol containing the number of combined symbols if viewed in a certain 
scale.
For this you have to mark a layer/class e.g. by "COMBINESYMBOLS TRUE", 
give a distance between the symbols (COMBINEDISTANCE xy, COMBINEUNITS 
…), perhaps a MAXCOUNT etc. You will also have to define a symbol and 
the label for the combination. It would be best no to lose the 
FeatureInfo and get a list of templates after clicking on the combined 
symbol. You will find a nice example of combined symbols here: 
http://www.verbeterdebuurt.nl/ (zoom to the Netherlands).
By configuring a zoom range (e.g. COMBINEMAXSCALEDENOM, 
COMBINEMINSCALEDENOM) you define in which scales the symbols should be 
combined.

2. Displace Symbols
This function should relocate symbols of objects with same or similar 
coordinates so they don't conceal each other or overlap.
For this you have to mark the mapfile e.g. by "DISPLACESYMBOLS YES" and 
give a distance between symbols that should be displaced 
(DISPLACEDISTANCE xy, DISPLACEUNITS …). Then you have to configure every 
layer similar to a label by giving a priority, a displace distance and 
an displace angle.
You will also have to give a zoom range similar to the combine function 
described above. FeatureInfo should still work by clicking on the moved 
symbols.

Who can develop this functions until the end of February? Is there 
anybody else interested in these functions?
Please conctact us to discuss further details and to calculate a proposal.

Greetings
Olaf Knopp

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Olaf Knopp
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Fax: +49 (0)228 / 90 90 38 - 11

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vertreten durch:
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