use data field for building a combined / dynamic symbol?

[karsten vennemann]

Thanks Gregor,

Setting the label to center above the symbol worked fine for me ... great.
For reference here is how that looks in the map file

	STYLE
		SYMBOL "Square"
		SIZE 16
		COLOR 115 223 255
		OUTLINECOLOR 0 0 0
	END
      LABEL
		TYPE TRUETYPE
		FONT "verdana"
		ANGLE AUTO
		PARTIALS FALSE
		POSITION CC
		SIZE 6
            FORCE TRUE
            COLOR 0 0 0
		OUTLINECOLOR 255 255 255
      END	

Karsten

-----Original Message-----
From: Gregor Mosheh [mailto:gregor at hostgis.com] 
Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2007 14:17
To: karsten vennemann
Cc: MAPSERVER-USERS at LISTS.UMN.EDU
Subject: Re: [UMN_MAPSERVER-USERS] use data field for building a combined /
dynamic symbol?

Hey, Karsten.

Using pure Mapserver, you may be able to fudge something using a label 
and setting the label's position. If the label is centered, and the icon 
is big enough, and you tweak the label's font and size, it may look good 
enough for your needs.

Other than that, I think you're out of luck. Mapserver uses predefined 
symbols and predefined classes. Using Mapscript, you get a lot of wiggle 
room as far as, for example, dynamically defining coordinates to define 
a new symbol on the fly.


-- 
Gregor Mosheh / Greg Allensworth
System Administrator, HostGIS cartographic development & hosting services
http://www.HostGIS.com/

"Remember that no one cares if you can back up,
  only if you can restore." - AMANDA