[[TOC]]
See also [http://grass.osgeo.org/wiki/WxGUI_Hardcopy_Map_Output_Utility page] at GRASS User Wiki.

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])

== WxGUI Cartographic Composer ==

WxGUI Cartographic Composer (formerly called Hardcopy Map Output Utility) is available in '''GRASS 6.4.2+'''.

=== Prototype 1 (ready) ===

 * Configuration dialog (paper format, map scale)
 * Implement the `raster`, `colortable`, `vlines`, `vpoints`, `vareas`,`vlegend`, `scalebar`, `text`, `mapinfo` instructions
 * Interactive placement of the features
 * Draft mode (lower raster region resolution)
 * !Draft/Preview mode
 * Create PS output using ps.map
 * EPS output option
 * If the `ps2pdf` program is installed offer a PDF output option
 * Generate ps.map configuration text file
 * Read configuration files

==== Known Issues ====
 * map scale for ll projections (map window)

=== To be implemented ===
 * Implement other instructions (`grid`, `geogrid`, `eps`, `rectangle`, `line`, `point`, `rgb`, `region`, ...)
 * Add north arrow (`eps` instruction)
 * wxGUI integration (load maps from current map display - problem is that ps.map supports only 1 raster map)
 * GUI preferences 
 * 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.)
 * Snap to grid
 * Alignment of map elements (expected problem: inaccurate size of map elements)
 * latex support (`ps2eps`, it would add more possibilities for text customizing and solve the encoding problem)
 * As a parallel task, nice features from ps.output should be ported to ps.map. (contact HB)

== Open Tickets ==

[[TicketQuery(status=new|assigned|reopened&component=wxGUI&keywords=~ps.map&keywords=~wx.psmap)]]

== Ps.map bugs and inconsistencies ==

 * ps.map file must be in Latin 1 encoding (missing certain accented characters - #1349)
 * mapinfo position (it aligns to the left side of map frame - #1333) and color (background color is not visible outside the map frame)
 * 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)]]

== Note on Jachym's GUI for ps.map ==

 * ''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...
   * HB: ''Well, we could always ask him.. and I think I've got a copy of it sitting somewhere in a dusty corner as well. Let me know if you want me to look for it.''
    * ML: AFAIR this prototype has been very initial and Anna's work is much more robust at this time