2005https://sgillies.net/2005/index.atom2019-10-23T16:39:57ZSean GilliesNikolaNew Releases From GIS-Pythonhttps://sgillies.net/2005/12/29/new-releases-from-gis-python.html2005-12-29T00:00:00-07:002005-12-29T00:00:00-07:00Sean Gillies<p>We're waiting until people get back to work to announce on Freshmeat, FreeGIS, and plone.org, but there is now a new PrimaGIS 0.5 release, supported by releases of ZCO 0.7 and PCL 0.10. This first release from the <a class="reference external" href="http://www.gispython.org">new project site</a> features integration with the MochiKit AJAX library, compatibility with Plone 2.1, a users manual, and a host of other improvements.</p>MapServer and Autodesk 2006https://sgillies.net/2005/12/27/mapserver-and-autodesk-2006.html2005-12-27T00:00:00-07:002005-12-27T00:00:00-07:00Sean Gillies<div><p>Regarding the proposed MapServer-Autodesk Foundation, here are a few things I'm wishing for in 2006:</p>
<ul class="simple">
<li>A reality check. Some parties need to pull their heads out and begin to acknowledge that MapServer and Tux are competing for users and mind share whether they are under the same umbrella organization or not. Insisting that there is no competition is either naive or disingenuous.</li>
<li>No name churn: conserving the MapServer project name would provide a core of continuity and stability during a big Foundation move.</li>
<li>Disclosure of financial ties between parties to the open letter would help reassure members of the MapServer community that these representatives do not have conflicts of interest. Or maybe it would do the opposite ;) Whatever, let's get this out in the open.</li>
<li>Focus on software. There is yet no common user or developer community between the MapServer and Tux projects, and, for all we know, there may never be one. The <em>only</em> sure common ground (let's drop the anti-ESRI nonsense) is made of mutual <em>software</em> dependencies: GEOS, PROJ.4, GDAL, GD, and SWIG. Looking after these could be a great way for a foundation to start.</li>
</ul>
<p>What has been proposed to date appears to be more of a business association than a software foundation, with an undue emphasis on branding and publicity. I'll assert right here that putting marketing ahead of the software will be the end of our happy open source geospatial run.</p>
<p><strong>Update</strong>: Howard has a <a class="reference external" href="http://hobu.biz/index_html/foundation_outlook_2006">response</a>.</p>
<div class="section" id="comments">
<h2>Comments</h2>
<div class="section" id="re-mapserver-and-autodesk-2006">
<h3>Re: MapServer and Autodesk 2006</h3>
<p>Author: MikeD</p>
I suppose you are right on your first point, Tux and Mapserver will technically compete against each other in that they do basically the same thing.
In comments on the mailing list I emphasized that, within a foundation, an attitude of competition (the success of one project depending on the failure of another, and actively campaigning for that failure) would be a bad one. I would hope that projects can succeed or fail on their merits.
I whole heartedly agree with your other three points.
As for marketing, my interest in building the marketing side of the foundation is because that is where the existing projects are the most lacking. There are a large number of highly skilled programmers already doing wonderful things for Mapserver, and my paltry out-of-practice C skillz couldn't program me out of a paper bag.
If I am to contribute in any meaningful way it will probably be in a non-technical area.
-Mike</div>
</div></div>Antialiasing Costhttps://sgillies.net/2005/12/18/antialiasing-cost.html2005-12-18T00:00:00-07:002005-12-18T00:00:00-07:00Sean Gillies<p>Howard <a class="reference external" href="https://sgillies.net/blog/133#more">asked</a> me if I had a sense of the cost of antialiased lines. I set up a few tests using the timeit and mapscript modules, and found that the cost of polygon filling still outweights the cost of antialiased polygon stroking. Without fill, antialiasing is at least twice as costly, and increases in cost with the width of the line.</p>Is it Really so Confusing?https://sgillies.net/2005/12/17/is-it-really-so-confusing.html2005-12-17T00:00:00-07:002005-12-17T00:00:00-07:00Sean Gillies<p>Some people still <a class="reference external" href="http://fantom-planet.blogspot.com/2005/12/gis-war-finally-begins.html">don't get the difference</a> between open source (ala MapServer) and open standards (ala OGC). Clearly, people were clamoring in the comments on Spatially Adjusted for the benefits of open <em>source</em>, particularly attention to bugs. Nobody was complaining about open standards.</p>New MapServer Sitehttps://sgillies.net/2005/12/17/new-mapserver-site.html2005-12-17T00:00:00-07:002005-12-17T00:00:00-07:00Sean Gillies<p>The new MapServer website that <a class="reference external" href="http://hobu.biz">Hobu</a> has been toiling over for months is <a class="reference external" href="http://mapserver.gis.umn.edu">live today</a>. New users are already heaping thanks on Hobu for making information easier to find.</p>Antialiasing Arrives in MapServerhttps://sgillies.net/2005/12/16/antialiasing-arrives-in-mapserver.html2005-12-16T00:00:00-07:002005-12-16T00:00:00-07:00Sean Gillies<div><p>After a couple late nights by Steve Lime, pretty much any line or polygon outline can now be antialiased in MapServer <a class="reference external" href="http://cvs.gis.umn.edu/dist/mapserver-4.8.0-beta3.tar.gz">4.8-beta3</a>.</p>
<div class="section" id="comments">
<h2>Comments</h2>
<div class="section" id="re-antialiasing-arrives-in-mapserver">
<h3>Re: Antialiasing Arrives in MapServer</h3>
<p>Author: <a class="reference external" href="http://hobu.biz">Howard Butler</a></p>
Any idea how expensive this is going to be?</div>
<div class="section" id="id1">
<h3>Re: Antialiasing Arrives in MapServer</h3>
<p>Author: <a class="reference external" href="http://zcologia.com/news">Sean Gillies</a></p>
I definitely want to find out how much this costs. We could check it out by modifying the timing tests under mapscript/python/tests/timing.</div>
<div class="section" id="id2">
<h3>Re: Antialiasing Arrives in MapServer</h3>
<p>Author: <a class="reference external" href="http://www.spatialDataLogic.com/cs/blogs/brian_flood">Brian Flood</a></p>
very cool.
I think the cost of rendering is something to look at but the extra cost of file size (pixel bloat) should be considered as well. It shouldn't be that big a deal but the resulting image size will definitely get larger. (note the antialiased Google Maps tiles are GIFs with an optimized palette, certainly something to think about)
cheers
brian</div>
<div class="section" id="id3">
<h3>Re: Antialiasing Arrives in MapServer</h3>
<p>Author: Guillaume</p>
I didn't find the method to antialias from mapscript. ANy clue ?</div>
</div></div>Inside the Teepeehttps://sgillies.net/2005/12/09/inside-the-teepee.html2005-12-09T00:00:00-07:002005-12-09T00:00:00-07:00Sean Gillies<div><p>There have been way too many press releases, recycled and regurgitated press releases, and pages of pure nonsense about the MapServer Foundation. Today, Howard Butler takes us <a class="reference external" href="http://hobu.biz/index_html/unopened_letter">inside the teepee</a> for a look at the process.</p>
<div class="section" id="comments">
<h2>Comments</h2>
<div class="section" id="re-inside-the-teepee">
<h3>Re: Inside the Teepee</h3>
<p>Author: <a class="reference external" href="http://spaces.msn.com/members/cornbreadshome/">Cornbread</a></p>
D@mn Hobu hit the nail on the head with that post!</div>
</div></div>Open Is As Open Doeshttps://sgillies.net/2005/12/08/open-is-as-open-does.html2005-12-08T00:00:00-07:002005-12-08T00:00:00-07:00Sean Gillies<div><p>Kevin Flanders has a new <a class="reference external" href="http://www.directionsmag.com/editorials.php?article_id=2046">editorial</a> in Directions on the MapServer Foundation brouhaha. Like me, he's ready to give Autodesk a fair shot at joining the community. Unlike me, he blames the blowback not on missteps by the Foundation founders, but on the small-mindedness of Joe six-pack MapServer user. That's disappointing. I think a little more openness from the start would have been sincerely appreciated by the community.</p>
<div class="section" id="comments">
<h2>Comments</h2>
<div class="section" id="re-open-is-as-open-does">
<h3>Re: Open Is As Open Does</h3>
<p>Author: <a class="reference external" href="http://www.spatiallyadjusted.com">James Fee</a></p>
So what is next Sean? Posting about the long tail of the Mapserver Community?</div>
<div class="section" id="id1">
<h3>Re: Open Is As Open Does</h3>
<p>Author: <a class="reference external" href="http://zcologia.com/news">Sean Gillies</a></p>
I am so tired of "long tail".
What is next is that I want to start meeting more Autodesk programmers, and find out what their software can and can't do. Until developers start mixing it up, the Foundation is largely hype.</div>
</div></div>MapServer 4.6.2 Releasehttps://sgillies.net/2005/12/03/mapserver-4-6-2-release.html2005-12-03T00:00:00-07:002005-12-03T00:00:00-07:00Sean Gillies<p>New release from MapServer's stable branch. Mapscript users should consider upgrading to benefit from bug fixes involving inline features and scalebars. See <a class="reference external" href="http://ms.gis.umn.edu/download/current">http://ms.gis.umn.edu/download/current</a></p>PrimaGIS: the Sequelhttps://sgillies.net/2005/12/03/primagis-the-sequel.html2005-12-03T00:00:00-07:002005-12-03T00:00:00-07:00Sean Gillies<p>There is a truism that sequels are never as good as the original, but Josh Livni proves this wrong with PrimaGIS <a class="reference external" href="http://www.livniconsulting.com/primagis/pg3.html">screencast number three</a>. Maybe it's because he jumps past number two.</p>