Symbology Questions

[Stephen Woodbridge]

Hi all,

I have some question on symbology that are not address by the current 
documentation. I'm using mapserver 4.10.1

1) I have truetype font with symbols in it. Some of the symbols I can 
trying to use show nicely in Windows Character Map as a solid filled 
pictograph, but when I create a mapserver symbol it is just an outline.

SYMBOL
   NAME "building"
   TYPE TRUETYPE
   FONT "cartogra"
   CHARACTER "F"
   FILLED TRUE
END

2) I need to make a dashed line with some additional symbols along it, like:

----(.)----  ----  ----  ----(.)----  ----

Where the (.) is a circle with a dot. I have a truetype symbol for the 
(.), but the (.) needs to fall in what would otherwise be a gap. So I am 
trying something like this:

SYMBOL
   NAME "a_cable_dot"
   TYPE TRUETYPE
   FONT "cartogra"
   CHARACTER "J"
   GAP 100
END

SYMBOL
   NAME "a_cable_dash"
   TYPE ELLIPSE
   POINTS 1 1 END
   FILLED TRUE
   STYLE 0 5 20 5 20 5 20 5 20 END
END

then overlaying the two of these with two styles.
Is there a better way of doing this?
How can I control the placement of the circle-dot.

Thanks,
   -Steve W