[mapserver-users] Symbols in MapInfo

[Daniel Morissette]

Agnieszka ¯ak wrote:
> 
> I am new user of MapServer. I have layer in MapInfo with different symbols
> (stars). I use OGR and STYLEITEM "AUTO" but I can't read it. What should I
> have in .sym file and how should I define this layer in .map file?
> 


When you use STYLEITEM AUTO, MapServer tries to match symbol names
returned by OGR to names in your symbol file.  For a quick solution, try
using the following symbol file:

http://www2.dmsolutions.ca/msapps/yk_demo/etc/symbols_mapinfo.sym

The name of the symbols returned by OGR to MapServer depends on the file
format.  In the case of MapInfo files, it will be:

- For "old-style" symbols (default MapInfo 3.0 symbols numbered 32 to
  67) the symbol name will be 'mapinfo-sym-##' where '##' is the symbol
  number, e.g. 'mapinfo-sym-32'

- For "Font Symbols", the symbol name is also 'mapinfo-sym-##' where
  '##' is the symbol number in the font.  In this case, the name of 
  the font itself is ignored by MapServer.

- MapInfo also supports "custom symbols" (bitmap symbols)... I'm not
  sure what you would get from OGR for this, but I'm pretty sure that
  MapServer doesn't do anything useful with them.


Also note that the 'ogrinfo' utility can be used to find out exactly
which symbol names OGR will return to MapServer.  Look at the "Style"
string in the ogrinfo output for each shape that is read.

I hope that helps,
-- 
------------------------------------------------------------
 Daniel Morissette               morissette at dmsolutions.ca
 DM Solutions Group              http://www.dmsolutions.ca/
------------------------------------------------------------
  Don't put for tomorrow what you can do today, because if 
      you enjoy it today you can do it again tomorrow.