Timestamped Map

[Stephen Woodbridge]

Charlie,

Well, one thing the comes to mind is to write a bug on this so
[current_data], [current_time] are variables in the mapfile that are set
appropriately by mapserver in a future rev.

To your immediate problem, you could write a simple shell script wrapper
that your url hits and have it append the map_timestamp_feature_text in
the url along with the current data/time as text, then have it exec
mapserver. This would allow you to do it transparently on the server
using the existing mechanisms.

-Steve W.

IMD Listuser wrote:
>
> Hi Brent
>
> Thanks for the reply.
>
> I understand what you are saying about having to pass in the
> map_timestamp_feature_text in the url.
>
> Id like to avoid that and have the server set the time on the image. Is
> there anything that I can use to allow me to do so? Seems like there
> ought to be....
>
> Cheers
>
> Charlie
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: UMN MapServer Users List [mailto:MAPSERVER-USERS at LISTS.UMN.EDU] On
> Behalf Of Brent Fraser
> Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 12:31
> To: MAPSERVER-USERS at LISTS.UMN.EDU
> Subject: Re: [UMN_MAPSERVER-USERS] Timestamped Map
>
> Charlie,
>
>   While the [imagedate] "variable" looks like MapServer CGI variable,
> it's not.  It's just something I invented (well, borrowed) for a
> particular implementation.  The Mapserver CGI variable you will be using
> for the map file snippet below is map_TimeStamp_feature_text.  You set
> it in the URL the client passes to the server.  It won't work to set
> [imagedate] in the URL as Mapserver has no clue about that variable, and
> has no way to set text in the mapfile.  It DOES have a way to substitute
> the entire contents of a map file object using the map_ syntax. See the
> bottom of http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu/doc42/cgi-reference.html
> ("Changing map file
> parameters...")
>
>   What does your URL look like?
>
> Brent
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "IMD Listuser" <imd_listuser at COMCAST.NET>
> To: <MAPSERVER-USERS at LISTS.UMN.EDU>
> Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 9:44 AM
> Subject: Re: [UMN_MAPSERVER-USERS] Timestamped Map
>
>
> Hi
>
> Thanks for the reply.
>
> Unfortunately when I try to duplicate your code, the only thing that
> appears on the map is "Terra MODIS [imagedate] [imagetime] UT". Even if
> I substitute a known cgi variable like [mapext], it does not get
> evaluated prior to being drawn on the map.
>
> Hmmm. Any Ideas
>
> Charlie
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: UMN MapServer Users List [mailto:MAPSERVER-USERS at LISTS.UMN.EDU] On
> Behalf Of Brent Fraser
> Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 10:46
> To: MAPSERVER-USERS at LISTS.UMN.EDU
> Subject: Re: [UMN_MAPSERVER-USERS] Timestamped Map
>
> Charlie,
>
>  I'm not sure if this is the best way but we did something similar a
> couple of years ago using the following layer definition:
>
> LAYER
>   NAME "TimeStamp"
>   TYPE ANNOTATION
>   STATUS DEFAULT
>   TRANSFORM FALSE
>   FEATURE
>     POINTS 20 20 END # Text in Upper-left
>     TEXT "Terra MODIS [imagedate] [imagetime] UT"
>   END
>   CLASS
>         LABEL
>           COLOR 255 255 255
>           OUTLINECOLOR 0 0 0
>           TYPE TRUETYPE
>           FONT comic
>           SIZE 16
>           POSITION AUTO
>           FORCE TRUE
>           OFFSET 10 10
>           PARTIALS FALSE
>           WRAP ","
>         END # Label
>      END  # CLASS
> END
>
>
> In our case we pre-processed the map file to substitute the "[imagedate]
> [imagetime]" with the date the data was aquired (not the date the map
> graphic was generated) by using some purpose-built software on the
> server.
>
> I think you would be able to use a CGI variable to change the text, but
> I haven't tried it.  I think the CGI syntax would be something like:
>
> ...&map_TimeStamp_feature_text=Terra+Modis+20041025&...
>
> and you'll likely need URL encoding for characters other than
> alphanumerics.
>
> Brent Fraser
> GeoAnalytic Inc.
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "IMD Listuser" <imd_listuser at COMCAST.NET>
> To: <MAPSERVER-USERS at LISTS.UMN.EDU>
> Sent: Monday, October 25, 2004 7:38 AM
> Subject: [UMN_MAPSERVER-USERS] Timestamped Map
>
>
> Greetings,
>
> Id like to place a timestamp on each map that is created.
>
> What is the bext way to do this? Im using mapserver cgi version 4.2 and
> Id prefer to not change this configuration. If possible Id like to do so
> using the map file or dhtml.
>
> TIA
>
> Charlie
>