See also [http://grass.osgeo.org/wiki/GUI_for_ps.map page] at GRASS User Wiki.
 * ?! ''What happened to the wiki page content describing Jachym's existing ps.map GUI-frontend python prototype''? check old versions of [http://grass.osgeo.org/wiki/WxPython-based_GUI_for_GRASS#Cartography_tools the main wxGUI wiki page].
  * Jachym's prototype is not available at least for one year, so the info has been removed from wiki page...

Prototype should be able to generate configuration file for `ps.map` based on [http://grass.osgeo.org/wiki/Psmap_simple_example#Simple_example example].

Please contact Hamish before getting started with the GUI front-end or before significant changes to ps.map back-end (as primary maintainer of that code).

Similar tools: [http://www.qgis.org QGIS Print composer], ArcGIS Layout mode, [http://www.gvsig.org/web/ gvSig] (see also [http://www.google.cz/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=8&ved=0CFMQFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fgvsig-desktop.forge.osor.eu%2Fdownloads%2Fpub%2Fdocuments%2Flearning%2Fgvsig-courses%2Fgvsig_des_1.1.x_u_en%2FgvSIG_workshop_OSGIS09.pdf&rct=j&q=gvsig%20map%20creating&ei=ck0kTfSTENSs8QPRrrW2Ag&usg=AFQjCNEx7iVQDwDHA2gRDFZxyf176VW-uQ&cad=rja workshop])

=== Prototype 1 ===

 * Configuration dialog (paper format, map scale)
 * Implement the `raster`, `colortable`, `vlines`, `vpoints`, `vareas`(?), `text`, `mapinfo` instructions
 * Interactive placement of the features
 * Draft mode (lower raster region resolution)
 * Generate ps.map configuration text file
 * Create output using ps.map

=== Prototype 2 ===

 * !Draft/Preview mode
 * Implement other instructions
 * EPS output option
 * If the `ps2pdf` program is installed offer a PDF output option
 * If `pstoimg` program is installed offer a PNG output option (latex2html linux package; uses ghostscript. Imagemagick's `convert` does not do as nice a job AFAICT. Alt to try: Inkscape can do non-interactive conversions from the commandline.)
=== Prototype 3 ===

 * Read configuration files
 * As a parallel task, nice features from ps.output should be ported to ps.map. (contact HB)

== ps.map bugs and inconsistencies ==

 * color should support RGB for all instructions (e.g. #192)
 * common usage of ref points and units (absolute, relative)
  * The trouble is, percentage is given relative to the map box (which is sized and placed dynamically at run-time), while absolute is given relative to the page size. Although it may seem like it to the end user, the existing usage is not due to the programmer's whim, it is out of necessity. Note that to place relative decorations out-of-box, it is valid to go beyond 0-100% (e.g. -25%, 115%).
  * The GUI has to do these calculations and feed ps.map what it wants in the form it wants. IMO it is not practical to have the python code mirror the C code's placement logic (a lot of work to mimic, then a lot of discipline to keep in sync). This may take a two-pass solution, e.g. a new ps.map flag which would output map box corners in inches and then exit. The GUI could then do the needed conversions between %, PostScript points(?), inches, cm, mm, or map coords. See wish #153.

=== Open Tickets ===

[[TicketQuery(status=new|assigned|reopened&component=Ps.map)]]