[Mapserver-users] Displaying an Elevation Profile

[blaise]

 >> Hi,
 >> My data is a grid file (latitude, longitude, elevation). I would 
like to
 >> display the map on the web and by clicking the mouse in two points, be
 >> able to display the elevation profile between those two points.
 >> Any help will be appreciated.
Tzipi,

very interesting !
I would like to have time to work on it but I think this can be done 
with Php-MapScript (or other mapserver scripting languages).

I see it this way :
The graph will be drawn on a special layer (let's call it "graph").
You will draw the lines of the graph by creating new line shapes in the 
"graph" layer.
You can draw the X axis by making a line between your two mouse points.
You can draw two Y axis, one at each mouse points, orthogonal to the X axis.
To draw the profile between the two Y axis, you will have to pick the 
elevation value in the appropriate grid elements (and make a few 2D 
computations).
Tell me if that sounds strange to you !

I think that buildind such interactive graphics could increase MapServer 
interactivity, by the means of very simple programming (no java, cgi, or 
whatever, just basic mapserver).
worth a try ?
Blaise