FW: [UMN_MAPSERVER-USERS] Problems with Label Placement and Symbo ls Anti-Aliasing (I think)

[Doyon, Jean-Francois]

Here is a visual sample of the symbology problem:

http://atlas.gc.ca/mapserver-symbol-problem.png

Note on the left a sample of the legend.  The most obvious problem is for
the symbol for Aurora ... Though others also have issues.

This is using:

MapServer 4.8.1
GD 2.0.33
FreeType 2.1.10

Forcing ANTIALIASING OFF on the symbol definitions doesn't really seem to
help.

In the cases where symbols have overlays, playing with the sizes helps some,
but often circles insist on coming out ever so slightly distorted (i.e. a
slightly oval shape).

There's also reports that a certain symbol will have the proper shape only
with a specific size.  Res-sizing the symbol distorts it?

Anybody run into anything like this, or have any idea what's going on
here???  The cartographers are going crazy here ...

Thanks,
J.F.

-----Original Message-----
From: UMN MapServer Users List [mailto:MAPSERVER-USERS at LISTS.UMN.EDU] On
Behalf Of Doyon, Jean-Francois
Sent: March 2, 2006 11:38 AM
To: MAPSERVER-USERS at LISTS.UMN.EDU
Subject: [UMN_MAPSERVER-USERS] Problems with Label Placement and Symbols
Anti-Aliasing (I think)

Hello,

I upgraded to MapServer 4.8.1 with the latest GD and FreeType, and have
discovered some problems on our maps :(

First, diagonally placed labels seems to have moved from what they used to
be with say, 4.6.1 ... This however seems inconsistent.  Some layers have
fine looking POSITION ll labels, while some others show offsets that are
wayyy off.  For a while even th wrapping was acting strangely, adding lots
of vertical spacing between 2 lines of a label.  I've tried in vain to get
one layer's label's to appear like another's in vain.  The one that looks
"wrong" always does, no matter what we do.  We can have 2 layers with the
exact same font, font size, placement, and so on, and one will label as
expected, and one won't.  I have NO idea how/why this happens.  We've
noticed things like this before between versions of mapserver ... We use
lots of basolutely positionned labels, so this is problematic.

Also, the symbols now seem to be anti-aliased or something, in a different
way?  The symbols in the legend look blurry and deformed.  The symbols
within the map also seem to be bleeding colors ... It's all very weird.

I'm going to get some screen shots and put them up somewhere so everyone can
look at them, I'd be very interested in hearing about other's experiences
with this!

Thanks,

Jean-François Doyon
Internet Service Development and Systems Support / Spécialiste de
dèveloppements internet et soutien technique Canada Centre for Remote
Sensing/Centre Canadien de télédétection Natural Resources Canada/Ressources
Naturelles Canada http://atlas.gc.ca
Tel./Tél.: (613) 992-4902
Fax: (613) 947-2410