Proposed change to symbols.

[Stephen Lime]

You can already do it. Symbol files support the a fontset just like the 
main map file. You then can have TRUETYPE symbol types and use
a parameter named CHARACTER to represent the symbol (i.e. Z = something
in the .ttf file). You can always use annotation layers with symbolic .ttf files
(and a constant blank TEXT value - TEXT " ") as well.

Steve

Stephen Lime
Internet Applications Analyst

Minnesota DNR
500 Lafayette Road
St. Paul, MN 55155
651-297-2937

>>> "Doyon, Jean-Francois" <Jean-Francois.Doyon at CCRS.NRCan.gc.ca> 07/27/00 09:15AM >>>
Someone in my office had mentionned a neat feature he's seen on other
mapservers : Using TrueType Fonts for symbology ...

So basically a symbol could simply be a TrueType font character ...

Anybody thought of this before ? Is that a good idea ? Just thought I'd
throw it out there ...


Jean-Francois Doyon
Internet Service Development and Systems Support
GeoAccess Division
Natural Resources Canada
(613) 992-4902



> ----------
> From: 	Stephen Lime[SMTP:steve.lime at dnr.state.mn.us] 
> Sent: 	Wednesday, July 26, 2000 9:41 PM
> To: 	mapserver-users at lists.gis.umn.edu 
> Subject: 	Proposed change to symbols.
> 
> I'd like to propose a couple of changes to the way symbols are handled.
> This is to make symbols easier to manage and to support some additional
> functionality proposed by a couple of other users. The initial change
> would be this:
> 
> Do away with separate marker, line and shade symbol files in favor of a
> single symbol file. Also, allow symbol definitions in the map file.
> 
> Syntax would be the same and access (i.e. symbols referenced in class
> objects) would be the same. These changes allow for a simpler MapScript
> symbol interface and additional opportunities for defining symbols
> on-the-fly. Begining in 3.3.011 you can already specify a GIF/PNG file
> (relative to the location of the map file) in a class object (i.e. SYMBOL
> "graphics/marker.gif") and a symbol is dynamically created. MapScript
> method $map->getSymbolByName("graphics/marker.gif"); will also work.
> 
> Any thoughts or can I code it?
> 
> Steve
>