[Qgis-developer] Cad-Input for QGIS prototype

[Antonio Locandro]

Hi Oliver, thanks for copying me in this email
 
Let me tell you that I have installed your prototype and tested it. I do think something like this is needed and I do like the fact that it works with other tools directly. I like the fact it gives you guidelines of what it will do like in CAD software. I think it would be nice to add also the possibility to use right clicks for actions
 
To address your points
 
1) yes this feature is needed in QGIS, other COTS software have this functionality as Advanced Editing and I do rely heavily daily on this type of things for my job and is amongst several reasons why we cant switch for QGIS. I know the main user base of QGIS probably use it only for analysis but for some of us we need to digitize precisely coordinates based on field data or to create specific features.
 
I would vote to keep to make it part of core as Advanced Tools or something, I also think it would be quite nice to merge the different CAD-like tools into one and have all this contributors who made this individual plugins work as a team. Resources are not always available and to join forces to me seems a better approach
 
2) I would leave that for developers
 
3) I cant code, at least I am not at that level. I am just learning python and it might take some time to achieve a level to make something useful. I can however test the plugin and suggest features. I think the best way is to add issues in the github repository of bugs, improvements etc.
 
4) Some ideas to start with, I will add them to github so you have them there also. I understand it is a prototype to see if it gathers traction but I feel it will
 
- snap to midpoint (snapping options to behave like in CAD software)
- Add trim line
- Add extend line
- Add ability to create arcs e.g. Tan Tan Radius; select center and add radius
- Add the ability to draw by deflection angle apart from perpendicular and parallel
- Maybe add the possibility to add x,y in DMS, DM, DD when working in WGS84
- The plugin already adds the function to calculate within fields. I think one useful thing in length is that by default it is m (or the epsg default unit I guess ft might be for some) and that you can add different units by adding the appropriate abbreviation like in other COTS e.g.
 
18 ft
1 NM
1 SM
 
 
From: olivier.dalang at gmail.com
Date: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 03:08:27 +0100
Subject: Cad-Input for QGIS prototype
To: qgis-developer at lists.osgeo.org
CC: diego.gnesi at gmail.com; Stefan.Ziegler at bd.so.ch; bernhard.stroebl at jena.de; antoniolocandro at hotmail.com

Dear list,
Some times ago, on this list, we discussed[1] about real CAD-like input for QGIS, and since I do myself long for such a feature very much, I'd like to reopen that discussion by proposing a python prototype.



I know there are already a few plugins aiming in that direction (CadTools, ImprovedPolygonCapturing, NumericalInput and a few other).They provide the functionality, but not the ease of use you can find in CAD packages.

One key aspect is that they are all specific tools, and do not work with other tools directly.

The prototype is inspired from Archicad's input method which allows to combine numeric input with mouse input in a very efficient and flexible manner, to get the best of both.

It is currently very raw and not well tested at all... It also relies on a lot of dirty hacks, since the python API is not well suited for this type of plugins (have a look at the README on the github page for more details).


DEMO (video) : https://vimeo.com/85052231GITHUB (readme, download...) : https://github.com/olivierdalang/CadInput



Please, tell me what you think :
1) Concept
- Does this kind of input seem interesting to you ?- How does it fit in a GIS-environment ? Since it comes from a CAD environment, maybe it's more suited to designing than digitizing.


2) API/Core modifications (read https://github.com/olivierdalang/CadInput#technical-notes )
- How do you see the suggested improvements ? Are they feasible ?

- Does developing this as a python plugin make sense, or does it have to be in the core from the start ? (I'm not familiar with core developing)
3) Collaboration...- Is anyone of you currently working on the same topic ?

- Would anyone have some time/interest in collaborating on this feature ? 
4) Other ideas are welcome !

Thanks for your attention,


Olivier



[1]:  http://osgeo-org.1560.x6.nabble.com/Make-QGIS-interact-with-LibreCAD-td5048565.html 

(To those from this discussion I cc'ed, I though you may be interested, I hope you don't mind)
 		 	   		  
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