[Qgis-developer] Request for Enhancement: PDF export for post-processing

[Dane Springmeyer]

Thanks again to Milo for raising this issue.

I just noticed the OpenStreetMap project has better print listed as an  
idea, and I've commented there (making sure to note use-its good wiki  
write up of the post-processing problems that need addressed):

See: http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/GSoC_Project_Ideas_2010#Paper_Output_Projects

Dane

On Mar 3, 2010, at 2:05 PM, Tyler Mitchell (OSGeo) wrote:

> Hi Milo, I just missed you in IRC.  I'm not a QGIS developer but I've
> been trying to clarify an idea a few folks started a couple years  
> back.
> Specifically, establishing a standard way of doing high quality,
> vector/raster output which would do pretty much what you are  
> describing.
>
> Standing back as a user, I think many projects have this challenge and
> could work together if the approach was abstracted and some common
> underlying tools agreed on or tested.
>
> Without writing it all out, my thoughts are here and might be
> interesting to you.  Dane's work on Quantumnik are encouraging and, in
> my little world, are pushing the envelope of what's described here  
> too:
>
> http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/OSGeo_Cartographic_Library  See the first  
> two
> sections for clarity.  The rest is a brainstorm that's not well  
> organised.
>
>
>
> Milo van der Linden wrote:
>> Hello People!
>> I have a question.
>>
>> This summer I met someone of use-it http://www.use-it.be/ belgium  
>> at the
>> OpenStreetMap State of the Map.
>>
>> Use-IT creates free paper maps for youth-hostels targeting a specific
>> audience. Currently they are using the tool chain:
>> OpenStreetMap website -> export svg -> import in Illustrator ->  
>> lots and
>> lots of manual labour and finally produce eye candy like this:
>> http://www.use-it.be/_files/inlineuploads/pages/MAP_O_Brussels.pdf
>>
>> Recently, the contact reached out to me. He could not find a  
>> solution within
>> the OpenStreetMap community or it's related technology partners.  
>> Now I am
>> helping him out looking at new ways to speed up their labour process.
>>
>> I am investigating the qGIS pdf export and it looks promising in  
>> combination
>> with the OpenStreetMap plugin but texts come out as letter-outlines  
>> instead
>> of fonts and the PDF layers structure is hard to work with. I would  
>> like to
>> know if the developers of the layouter/export would be interested  
>> in about 2
>> weeks of work to enhance the layout manager to something that  
>> creates pdf
>> that is perfectly fit for post-processing.
>>
>> *****************1. PROCESSING PROBLEM*
>> This remains almost impossible - only supercomputers are able to
>> deliver an svg-file of a city of reasonable size, and even that is
>> still only a 50% shot. It took us a full night to render a city, and
>> were able to get there only with one of about ten available
>> xml-rulesheets (called z12). How could this be tackled?
>>
>> This one is tackled with the OSM plugin in combination with the PDF  
>> export.
>> As far as I can see, the way osm data is presented in qGIS is  
>> simplified,
>> but this is good! We don't need shading, outlines and a whole lot  
>> of fencies
>> in this fase. The eye-candy will be created in Illustrator. So, as  
>> far as I
>> can see; qGIS tackles this issue.
>>
>> *****************2. LAYER PROBLEM*
>> The svg does not contain separate layers with a clear content (like
>> 'parks', 'roads', 'rivers'). Only the layers 'Map' and 'Map
>> Decoration' appear, but all the information is thrown together in
>> the layer 'Map'. You say it's a matter of someone finding the time
>> to improve this - but who is the best person to address?
>>
>> In the OpenStreetMap data format, there are basically 3 layers:  
>> points,
>> lines and polygons. The "real" layering is organised in attributes  
>> called
>> tags. To be more generic; It would be good to push elements to a  
>> pdf layer
>> based upon grouping by attribute. In case of openstreetmap data, it  
>> would
>> mean applying some rules to strip out the tags into the required  
>> attributes
>> and then in the layout manager tell the pdf export to "group by  
>> attribute
>> column A"
>>
>>
>> *****************3. TYPOGRAPHICAL PROBLEM*
>> Layouters prefer to work with Adobe Illustrator to make maps. It's
>> what they know best, and Inkscape is just not as good yet.
>> Osmarender renders svg files. It is possible to open an svg-file in
>> Illustrator, but then you get typographical problems, illustrated
>> below. Our question: could Osmarender be made to deliver an eps-file
>> (always works in Inkscape AND Illustrator) instead of an svg?
>>
>> This is what happened to a small part of Antwerp (Belgium):
>>
>> SVG IN INKSCAPE
>>> opens fine
>>> text is fully editable
>>> see image 'svg_inkscape'
>>
>> SVG IN ILLUSTRATOR
>>> opens upside down and with mistakes
>>> text is still editable as text (so it's not flattened), but does
>> not appear on a horizontal path in the street. Furthermore, every
>> letter is on a different path, so it's impossible to select an
>> entire word.
>>> see images 'svg_illustrator' and 'svg_illustrator_detail'
>>
>> SVG SAVED AS EPS IN INKSCAPE AND THEN OPENED IN ILLUSTRATOR
>>> opens fine
>>> text is flattened and not editable anymore, and therefore useless
>> for layout
>>> see images 'eps_illustrator' and 'eps_illustrator_detail'
>>
>> **************
>> Again; as far as I can see, it is qGIS to the rescue! The whole  
>> process of
>> going from svg through inkscape to Adobe Illustrator is greatly  
>> smartened by
>> using PDF export instead. Only one thing is needed here: to export  
>> fonts as
>> text and not as letter contours. Horizontal text would be excelent.  
>> In that
>> way, the designers can throw away what they do not need and use  
>> Illustrators
>> smart tools to make text follow lines and so on.
>>
>> Now, what I would like to know (my contact has some funds to spend  
>> on this
>> topic):
>>
>> - Who can I address with my enhancement questions?
>> - Who would be willing to spend about 40 hours on this and at what  
>> rate?
>> - Would this fit the roadmap of qGIS development?
>> - Would others like to join up and provide extra funding for this?
>>
>> I am curious to see what responses will be coming!
>>
>> Kind regards,
>>
>> Milo van der Linden
>> +31616598808
>
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