Problems with Positioning Names from MapInfo TAB file

[Daniel Morissette]

Bob Bruce wrote:
> Hi:
>     I am trying to use a TAB file that has names positioned on blockfaces.
> In the MapInfo ProViewer (a free viewer from MapInfo) I can view the file
> and see the street annotation positioned at the various angles that they run
> along the streets. But when I try and display this in MapServer I only get
> them positioned horizontally. I tried using the LABEL object but it wouldn't
> display them at all so I reverted to the STYLEITEM "AUTO" command and it put
> the labels out but only horizontally.
>

You get the right labels but they show up horizontally? That sounds very
much like a bitmap font is being used instead of a TTF.

As documented in the OGR HOWTO, OGR's STYLEITEM AUTO follows the
following rules to chose the font to use for a label:

-----
   1. If TTF fonts are supported:
       a. If the native font name (e.g. "Arial") is found in your
fontset then this font will be used.
       b. If 1a. failed and a font called "default" is present in your
fontset then this "default" font will be used.
   2. If TTF fonts are not supported or if all above cases failed, then
BITMAP MEDIUM font will be used.
-----

So it seems that you may be falling in the "BITMAP MEDIUM" case above.
Looking at the OGRINFO output that you sent, it seems that your labels
use font "Arial", so try defining an Arial font in your fontset. You
might also want to define a "default" font in your fontset in case some
labels use a different font from Arial.

Daniel
--
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  Daniel Morissette               dmorissette at dmsolutions.ca
  DM Solutions Group              http://www.dmsolutions.ca/
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