[mapserver-users] TRANSPARENCY

[Martin, Daniel]

I don't know what the proper behavior is supposed to be.  But, I can simply
confirm that you aren't missing anything.  From my trials, this is the way
MapServer works today.  Transparency on a layer does not affect the label.
I think it would be possible to have transparent text using a truetype
symbol (not a label), but I honestly haven't tried it.  At any rate, it
isn't much help to you since a truetype symbol is not dynamic.

To be honest, I feel in an ideal world that transparency would not be on the
LAYER object.  It would be both on the CLASS object and on the LABEL object.
I may want one class within a LAYER to be transparent and not the others.
For the same reason, I wouldn't like if a LAYER transparency forced the
label to be transparent without option.

Since I'm not as knowledgable as the MS developers, I can only assume there
is a technical reason it is on the LAYER object.  Even with the limitations,
I must say that in playing around with transparent layers I have produced
some of the most stunning maps I've seen on a web application.  So, don't
think for 1 second I am complaining. :)

-Dan

P.S.  Is it just me, or did you ask the same question twice?

-----Original Message-----
From: Peter.Bruton at ccrs.nrcan.gc.ca
[mailto:Peter.Bruton at ccrs.nrcan.gc.ca]
Sent: Monday, October 07, 2002 1:27 PM
To: mapserver-users at lists.gis.umn.edu
Subject: [mapserver-users] TRANSPARENCY


Hello;

I am attempting to use the layer object's transparency property and have a
few questions about its behavior.

1) I have a layer with 1 class.  The colour assigned to the class is 255 0
0.  Transparency is set to 20.  The colour of the class in the map is
affected by the transparency setting.  However, the colour of that class in
the legend is not affected (i.e.; it is still sold red - 255 0 0).  Is this
the proper behavior or have I missed something?  I am using the HTML legend
in my application.
2) I have a layer with 1 class.  The colour assigned to the class is 255 0
0.  Transparency is set to 20.  I have added a label object to the class
object.  Since transparency is set at the layer level, I expected annotation
to be affected.  However, this is not the case.  The annotation is still
solid red (255 0 0).  Is this the proper behavior or have I missed
something?

Thank-you in advance for any suggestions.

Peter Bruton
GeoAccess Division
Canada Centre for Remote Sensing
615 Booth Street, Room 650
Ottawa, Ontario, K1A 0E9, Canada
telephone 1-613-947-0465
fax 1-613-947-2410