[mapserver-users] produce hardcopy maps

[pcreso at pcreso.com]

Hi,

I'm currently involved in developing an application using Postgis, mapserver, OpenLayers & GMT which needs to generate interactive mapserver maps as well as maps suitable for publication in a scientific journal.

The vector data is held in Postgis, with some raster backgrounds via WMS. A mapserver based application via OpenLayers allows users to plot user selected subsets of the vector data, & a GMT tab in the application allows publication quality maps to be produced with GMT, then downloaded. It is pretty basic at present, pretty much a prototype, but we are considering expanding the fuctionality so that the GMT map picks up the user selections on the mapserver tab so the GMT extent, data layers, etc, will default to those in the mapserver tab.

The main reason for this is we are working with data around Antarctica, where a polar plot is ideal, but not that easy to manage with mapserver, so a rectangular mapserver map, while distorted, is adequate for data browsing, but for cartographic output, it is not good enough. GMT can generate good quality polar plots, so we can generate those & make them available as ps or png images, (png allows preview in the browser).

Cheers,

  Brent Wood



--- On Sat, 12/20/08, Brent Fraser <bfraser at geoanalytic.com> wrote:

> From: Brent Fraser <bfraser at geoanalytic.com>
> Subject: Re: [mapserver-users] produce hardcopy maps
> To: "José María Michia" <jose.maria.michia at gmail.com>
> Cc: mapserver-users at lists.osgeo.org
> Date: Saturday, December 20, 2008, 9:14 AM
> José,
> 
>  I would agree that the current implementation of PDF
> output is not suitable for producing printed maps.  I'll
> be looking into fixing some of the open tickets (and other
> bugs I've found), and intend to add some additional
> FORMATOPTIONs to improve the setting of scale and
> resolution.  Hopefully the changes will make it into version
> 5.4 (release in first quarter of 2009?).
> 
> Brent Fraser
> 
> 
> José María Michia wrote:
> > Hi all.
> >    I have worked several days, trying to get MapServer
> maps in vector format (PDF, SVG), to produce printed maps. I
> had intended to open the maps with Inkscape, to make the
> final composition with this program.
> > 
> > But I encounter many difficulties. Especially with:
> > 
> > - scale and resolution of the map
> > - scale of the symbols
> > - style of the symbols
> > - labels (angle = follow not work; incorrect alignment
> in SVG format)
> > 
> > As my maps are relatively small, and also need to move
> forward with my work, I have decided to use the PNG format
> (with the driver AGG).
> > 
> > Is a correct decision? Or instead, should it be
> possible to get maps in PDF / SVG as these maps are seen in
> picture format?
> > 
> > Sorry for my english.
> > Thanks for any advice.
> > José María
> > 
> > PS: Later I hope to continue working towards bringing
> the maps to Inkscape.
> > 
> > 
> >
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > 
> > _______________________________________________
> > mapserver-users mailing list
> > mapserver-users at lists.osgeo.org
> >
> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/mapserver-users
> _______________________________________________
> mapserver-users mailing list
> mapserver-users at lists.osgeo.org
> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/mapserver-users