[Qgis-developer] Cad-Input for QGIS prototype

Mon Jan 27 08:18:08 PST 2014

Auto-trace plugin might be of your interest as well. It's ready and should appear in QGIS plugin repo soon.
Cheers,
Saber

-----Original Message-----
From: qgis-developer-bounces at lists.osgeo.org [mailto:qgis-developer-bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of Andreas Neumann
Sent: 27 January 2014 15:35
To: qgis-developer at lists.osgeo.org
Subject: Re: [Qgis-developer] Cad-Input for QGIS prototype

Hi,

It looks very useful.

I also think this should be in the core of QGIS - or before that it would be nice if it could be integrated in Bernhards Ströbl DigitizingTools plugin.

I hate it when I have to enable 5 different plugins to get a decent digitizing environment. And when I teach QGIS to new users it is most confusing if functionality is spread among too many plugins.

So if possible - please integrate such functionality in existing plugins or into QGIS core rather than starting a new plugin.

Thanks a lot for your efforts.

Andreas

Am 27.01.2014 10:52, schrieb Bernhard Ströbl:
> Hi Antonio and Olivier,
> 
> I will comment below.
> Olivier, thanks for the move.
> 
> Am 26.01.2014 06:05, schrieb 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
> 
> I have not tried your plugin but watched the video. Looking at 
> defining an angle it should be definable relative to a) the last 
> segment b) North
> c) another (helper) point
> 
>>
>> 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.
> 
> would be useful here, too
> Although I think most CAD functions for which currently nothing 
> similar is available in QGIS are for construction I still think, it 
> would be great to have them. (Of course not those to create 3D screws 
> :)
> 
> 
>>
>> 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
> 
> The digitizingTools plugin is trying a similar approach, namely to 
> combine efforts and present _one_ plugin.
> 
>>
>> 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.
> 
> I am working more or less continuely on digitzingTools (if need arises).
> I can support in Python coding.
> 
>>
>> 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)
> 
> more easy control over snapping in general: currently snapping has to 
> be set for each individual layer seperately: switch snapping on/off 
> completely, set snapping behaviour for all layers at once (segment, 
> node), additional snapping options needed: snap to middle of line, 
> snap perpendicularly
> 
>> - Add trim line
> 
> +1
> trim two lines so they form a corner
> 
>> - Add extend line
> 
> digitizingTools already offers continuing digitizing of a line (though 
> not CAD like in prolonging the line in the direction of its last 
> segment) would be great to extend several lines until they meet
> 
>> - Add ability to create arcs e.g. Tan Tan Radius; select center and 
>> add radius
> 
> question would be how this is to be stored in GIS format
> 
> - general: provide a means to move the map while any digitizing tool 
> is active. possible solutions
> a) shift/ctrl + drag
> b) add scrollbars (looks arkward but users at once know what to do)
> 
> 
> my 2cts
> 
> regards
> 
> Bernhard
> 
>> - 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/85052231* *GITHUB (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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