See also ​page at GRASS User Wiki.

Prototype should be able to generate configuration file for ps.map based on ​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: ​QGIS Print composer, ArcGIS Layout mode, ​gvSig (see also ​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
• If the ps2pdf program is installed offer a PDF output option

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.
  • 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.