[Geoserver-users] R: R: SLD editor [Sec=Unclassified]

Plus, I've already written a web based SLD editor for the Australian Antarctic Division, that we plan to make available for public use at some stage (no ETA yet). Right now only Antarctic Division Data Centre staff can edit SLDs, but the public can download the simple styles that we have in our catalogue:

http://aadc-maps.aad.gov.au/aadc/symbology

I'm also working on a java based stand-alone editor that isn't too far from completion (I need time, which I have little of) - It would be really good to be able to integrate a mini-wms in it to render previews using getLegendGraphic reqests.. Still thinking about how to do it... Watch this space...

Miles Jordan

Applications Developer
Data Centre
The Australian Government Antarctic Division
203 Channel Hwy, Kingston TAS 7053
[w] http://www.aad.gov.au

-----Original Message-----
From: geoserver-users-bounces@lists.sourceforge.net
[mailto:geoserver-users-bounces@lists.sourceforge.net] On
Behalf Of Brent Owens
Sent: Thursday, 22 February 2007 3:28 AM
To: Fabio Da Soghe
Cc: 'geoserver-users@lists.sourceforge.net'
Subject: Re: [Geoserver-users] R: R: SLD editor [Sec=Unclassified]

The benefit of a web-based tool is that anyone can just head
to the one
website and use it, and it can be shared by various existing
open source
products already out there that are based on the web (mapbuilder,
openlayers, geoserver). Also, such web-based tools are
relatively easy
to use with javascript and the new abundance of javascript
libraries to
make the programmer's life easy (GWT, script.aculo.us,
prototype). I've
planned out how long it would take and the difficulty and it would be
quite feasible to make one (maybe 1 month full time). We just
need some
time and funding =)

Brent Owens
(The Open Planning Project)

Fabio Da Soghe wrote:
> I completely agree: there is a big middle ground between
the simplest
> SLD and the monstrous one currently uncovered by a tool
(neither open
> source nor proprietary, as far as I know). In a typical GIS
scenario
> we see the GIS operator (as such, not a programmer able to
hand-code
> the SLD) creating important thematic symbolizations for data he/she
> has built. Every commercial GIS software today can do that (ArcGis,
> MicroStation, AutoCAD, Geomedia, etc.) but there's no way to export
> that simbolization in SLD.
>
> We found this:
> http://arcmap2sld.geoinform.fh-mainz.de/ArcMap2SLDConverter_Eng.htm
>
> The interesting idea is that you can use all the power and
> user-friendlyness of such a rich tool like ArcGis and having its
> thematism converted in an SLD file; of course that
conversion tool is
> far from complete :frowning:
>
> If I can say, I think it was a pity to have several very basic SLD
> editors open source (MapBuilder, maybe Geoserver is
creating one too),
> even web based (isn't it a nonsense to create such a
complex GUI tool
> in a web interface?), and not developing a single robust
and complete
> tool, like uDig could became (there are not many fast
improvements in
> this direction, it seems to me).
>
> Only my 1 cent.
>
> Cheers,
>
> Fabio
>
>
>> -----Messaggio originale-----
>> Da: Andrea Aime [mailto:aaime@anonymised.com]
>> Inviato: mercoledì 21 febbraio 2007 15.41
>> A: Fabio Da Soghe
>> Cc: 'geoserver-users@lists.sourceforge.net'; User-friendly
>> Desktop Internet GIS
>> Oggetto: Re: [Geoserver-users] R: SLD editor
>>
>> Fabio Da Soghe ha scritto:
>>
>>> Indeed this seems very odd to me: I was sure there would have been
>>> plenty of open source utility to edit visually an SLD style, but
>>> there's none today.
>>>
>>> In my company we are in great difficult for this reason:
>>>
>> programmers
>>
>>> are the only capable of editing an SLD document with good
>>>
>> proficiency
>>
>>> but they are busy developing the application that will use
>>>
>> it, and the
>>
>>> GIS people has not all the XML and WMS knowledge needed to
>>>
>> create more
>>
>>> then the simplest style.
>>>
>>> Maybe SLD is not so much used today?
>>>
>> The only systems I know using SLD are those Geotools based,
>> and DeeGree.
>> uDig uses SLD under covers, whilst unfortunately Geoserver
>> does not have an SLD editor. To be fair, uDig covers the most
>> common cases, and makes you revert to SLD hand coding for the
>> most complex issues.
>>
>> The WMS spec did not force people to use SLD, and given the
>> complexity of the specification, most just flew away.
>>
>> I agree an SLD editor is very much needed, yet:
>> * basic cases are handled by uDig. The only pity is that
it's hard to
>> build a complex layered style with different "simple" styles for
>> different scale levels, and hard to apply filters (the
CQL module
>> would allow for quick and intutive filter spec input).
>> * more complex ones tend to turn into scripts anyways. On the
>> Sigma demo we do have an SLD that is around 2000 lines,
>> any graphical
>> editor allowing to play with such a best would not
probably be much
>> simpler than coding XML directly...
>>
>> I guess the middle ground is the interesting territory that's
>> not covered, that is, scales and filters with relatively
>> static symbolizers.
>> uDig could evolve to cover it.
>>
>> Cheers
>> Andrea
>>
>>
>>
>
>
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    Australian Government Antarctic Division - Commonwealth of Australia
IMPORTANT: This transmission is intended for the addressee only. If you are not the
intended recipient, you are notified that use or dissemination of this communication is
strictly prohibited by Commonwealth law. If you have received this transmission in error,
please notify the sender immediately by e-mail or by telephoning +61 3 6232 3209 and
DELETE the message.
        Visit our web site at http://www.aad.gov.au/
___________________________________________________________________________

Miles Jordan wrote:

Plus, I've already written a web based SLD editor for the Australian Antarctic Division, that we plan to make available for public use at some stage (no ETA yet). Right now only Antarctic Division Data Centre staff can edit SLDs, but the public can download the simple styles that we have in our catalogue:

http://aadc-maps.aad.gov.au/aadc/symbology

I'm also working on a java based stand-alone editor that isn't too far from completion (I need time, which I have little of) - It would be really good to be able to integrate a mini-wms in it to render previews using getLegendGraphic reqests.. Still thinking about how to do it... Watch this space...

Very cool. Is it pure java, like applet? Or is it using some sort of jsps or other web page framework? If the latter you might just leverage openlayers to handle the WMS requests. If not you may try using GeoTools's WMS access.

Chris

Miles Jordan

Applications Developer
Data Centre
The Australian Government Antarctic Division
203 Channel Hwy, Kingston TAS 7053
[w] http://www.aad.gov.au

-----Original Message-----
From: geoserver-users-bounces@lists.sourceforge.net [mailto:geoserver-users-bounces@lists.sourceforge.net] On Behalf Of Brent Owens
Sent: Thursday, 22 February 2007 3:28 AM
To: Fabio Da Soghe
Cc: 'geoserver-users@lists.sourceforge.net'
Subject: Re: [Geoserver-users] R: R: SLD editor [Sec=Unclassified]

The benefit of a web-based tool is that anyone can just head to the one website and use it, and it can be shared by various existing open source products already out there that are based on the web (mapbuilder, openlayers, geoserver). Also, such web-based tools are relatively easy to use with javascript and the new abundance of javascript libraries to make the programmer's life easy (GWT, script.aculo.us, prototype). I've planned out how long it would take and the difficulty and it would be quite feasible to make one (maybe 1 month full time). We just need some time and funding =)

Brent Owens
(The Open Planning Project)

Fabio Da Soghe wrote:

I completely agree: there is a big middle ground between

the simplest

SLD and the monstrous one currently uncovered by a tool

(neither open

source nor proprietary, as far as I know). In a typical GIS

scenario

we see the GIS operator (as such, not a programmer able to

hand-code

the SLD) creating important thematic symbolizations for data he/she has built. Every commercial GIS software today can do that (ArcGis, MicroStation, AutoCAD, Geomedia, etc.) but there's no way to export that simbolization in SLD.

We found this: http://arcmap2sld.geoinform.fh-mainz.de/ArcMap2SLDConverter_Eng.htm

The interesting idea is that you can use all the power and user-friendlyness of such a rich tool like ArcGis and having its thematism converted in an SLD file; of course that

conversion tool is

far from complete :frowning:

If I can say, I think it was a pity to have several very basic SLD editors open source (MapBuilder, maybe Geoserver is

creating one too),

even web based (isn't it a nonsense to create such a

complex GUI tool

in a web interface?), and not developing a single robust

and complete

tool, like uDig could became (there are not many fast

improvements in

this direction, it seems to me).

Only my 1 cent.

Cheers,

Fabio

-----Messaggio originale-----
Da: Andrea Aime [mailto:aaime@anonymised.com]
Inviato: mercoledì 21 febbraio 2007 15.41
A: Fabio Da Soghe
Cc: 'geoserver-users@lists.sourceforge.net'; User-friendly Desktop Internet GIS
Oggetto: Re: [Geoserver-users] R: SLD editor

Fabio Da Soghe ha scritto:
    

Indeed this seems very odd to me: I was sure there would have been
plenty of open source utility to edit visually an SLD style, but there's none today.

In my company we are in great difficult for this reason:
      

programmers
    

are the only capable of editing an SLD document with good
      

proficiency
    

but they are busy developing the application that will use
      

it, and the
    

GIS people has not all the XML and WMS knowledge needed to
      

create more
    

then the simplest style.

Maybe SLD is not so much used today?
      

The only systems I know using SLD are those Geotools based,
and DeeGree.
uDig uses SLD under covers, whilst unfortunately Geoserver does not have an SLD editor. To be fair, uDig covers the most common cases, and makes you revert to SLD hand coding for the most complex issues.

The WMS spec did not force people to use SLD, and given the
complexity of the specification, most just flew away.

I agree an SLD editor is very much needed, yet:
* basic cases are handled by uDig. The only pity is that

it's hard to

   build a complex layered style with different "simple" styles for
   different scale levels, and hard to apply filters (the

CQL module

   would allow for quick and intutive filter spec input).
* more complex ones tend to turn into scripts anyways. On the
   Sigma demo we do have an SLD that is around 2000 lines,
any graphical
   editor allowing to play with such a best would not

probably be much

   simpler than coding XML directly...

I guess the middle ground is the interesting territory that's
not covered, that is, scales and filters with relatively static symbolizers.
uDig could evolve to cover it.

Cheers
Andrea

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_______________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________

    Australian Government Antarctic Division - Commonwealth of Australia
IMPORTANT: This transmission is intended for the addressee only. If you are not the
intended recipient, you are notified that use or dissemination of this communication is
strictly prohibited by Commonwealth law. If you have received this transmission in error,
please notify the sender immediately by e-mail or by telephoning +61 3 6232 3209 and
DELETE the message.
        Visit our web site at http://www.aad.gov.au/
___________________________________________________________________________

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