[GRASS-dev] [GRASS GIS] #668: export and share region settings

#668: export and share region settings
--------------------+-------------------------------------------------------
Reporter: timmie | Owner: grass-dev@lists.osgeo.org
     Type: defect | Status: new
Priority: normal | Milestone: 6.4.0
Component: wxGUI | Version: svn-develbranch6
Keywords: | Platform: Linux
      Cpu: x86-32 |
--------------------+-------------------------------------------------------
Hello,
for working with several locations it would be convenient to let users
export region settings outside of grassdata and share region settings
between locations of the same projection.

Thanks in advance,
Timmie

--
Ticket URL: <http://trac.osgeo.org/grass/ticket/668&gt;
GRASS GIS <http://grass.osgeo.org>

#668: export and share region settings
--------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
  Reporter: timmie | Owner: grass-dev@lists.osgeo.org
      Type: enhancement | Status: new
  Priority: normal | Milestone: 6.5.0
Component: wxGUI | Version: svn-develbranch6
Resolution: | Keywords: g.region
  Platform: Linux | Cpu: x86-32
--------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
Changes (by hamish):

  * keywords: => g.region
  * type: defect => enhancement
  * milestone: 6.4.0 => 6.5.0

Comment:

"g.region -p" ?

copy/inspect $MAPSET/WIND files?

I'm not really sure what you are asking to do.

Hamish

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.osgeo.org/grass/ticket/668#comment:1&gt;
GRASS GIS <http://grass.osgeo.org>

#668: export and share region settings
--------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
  Reporter: timmie | Owner: grass-dev@lists.osgeo.org
      Type: enhancement | Status: new
  Priority: normal | Milestone: 6.5.0
Component: wxGUI | Version: svn-develbranch6
Resolution: | Keywords: g.region
  Platform: Linux | Cpu: x86-32
--------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
Comment (by timmie):

Please note that I am talking about the wx.GUI.

In the mapwindow and in g.region (Config -> region) you may change or zoom
to region settings.

I sometime have different locations with the same projection and same
area.
It would be nice to share the region information between them.
Just like saving the layer settings can be saved, too.

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.osgeo.org/grass/ticket/668#comment:2&gt;
GRASS GIS <http://grass.osgeo.org>

#668: export and share region settings
--------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
  Reporter: timmie | Owner: grass-dev@lists.osgeo.org
      Type: enhancement | Status: new
  Priority: normal | Milestone: 6.5.0
Component: wxGUI | Version: svn-develbranch6
Resolution: | Keywords: g.region
  Platform: Linux | Cpu: x86-32
--------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
Comment (by martinl):

Replying to [comment:2 timmie]:
> I sometime have different locations with the same projection and same
area.
> It would be nice to share the region information between them.
> Just like saving the layer settings can be saved, too.

Save workspace with no defined map layer? Workspace has at least
information about display region. Then to set computation region for
display and fix resolution. Probably too much tricky. Should workspace
store also computation region and change current computation region when
loading wokrspace file?

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.osgeo.org/grass/ticket/668#comment:3&gt;
GRASS GIS <http://grass.osgeo.org>

#668: export and share region settings
--------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
  Reporter: timmie | Owner: grass-dev@lists.osgeo.org
      Type: enhancement | Status: new
  Priority: normal | Milestone: 6.5.0
Component: wxGUI | Version: svn-develbranch6
Resolution: | Keywords: g.region
  Platform: Linux | Cpu: x86-32
--------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
Comment (by cmbarton):

You CAN save region settings. That is an option of g.region and is on the
menu. You can then load the region settings--also on the menu.

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.osgeo.org/grass/ticket/668#comment:4&gt;
GRASS GIS <http://grass.osgeo.org>

#668: export and share region settings
--------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
  Reporter: timmie | Owner: grass-dev@lists.osgeo.org
      Type: enhancement | Status: new
  Priority: normal | Milestone: 6.5.0
Component: wxGUI | Version: svn-develbranch6
Resolution: | Keywords: g.region
  Platform: Linux | Cpu: x86-32
--------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
Comment (by timmie):

Yes, one can save them.
But not to a text file or configuration file outside GRASS.
Like the wxGUI workspace settings.

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.osgeo.org/grass/ticket/668#comment:5&gt;
GRASS GIS <http://grass.osgeo.org>

I don't understand what you want to do here. AFAICT, the only reason for saving a GRASS region is to use the region in GRASS. The same goes for a workspace file. As others have pointed out g.region and g.proj will export the details of any projection used by GRASS.

If you are trying to use a region defined in one location within another location, you can do that--at your own risk. Just copy the region def file from location1/mapset1 to location2/mapset2.

Following up on a couple of ongoing threads, the location/mapset structure of GRASS has been much discussed and thought out with some care. I know it can be annoying sometimes for people coming from other GIS programs, but GRASS has long had a philosophy of emphasizing the importance of accurate digital mapping and cartography--something that is probably tied to its primarily scientific, rather than commercial, development and use. The location/mapset structure is an important aspect of maintaining that accuracy.

As I tell frustrated students, a GIS is not like a word processor or even a graphics program. There is more to managing geospatial data than simply reading a file format. I'm not trying to be trite, but simply pointing out that user expectations are strongly conditioned by the software they use heavily and most of us use other kinds of programs more frequently than we use a GIS. The location/mapset structure forces users to think about some important requirements of geospatial data before they start the program.

Although I, too, was initially turned off by this, I've become an increasingly strong supporter of this approach over time. Sometimes I even think that we would be better off to get away from all semblance of word processor and graphic programs in the UI in order to make users to think about GIS software differently. Unfortunately, I have been so far insufficiently creative to think about how to do this--though I saw some interesting ideas at a recent UCGIS conference. The interactive GIS and sandbox using an inexpensive xbox camera and a data projector was especially fascinating.

Michael
____________________
C. Michael Barton, Professor of Anthropology
Director of Graduate Studies, School of Human Evolution & Social Change
Director, Center for Social Dynamics & Complexity
Arizona State University

Phone: 480-965-6262
Fax: 480-965-7671
www: <www.public.asu.edu/~cmbarton>

On Jul 1, 2009, at 3:18 PM, GRASS GIS wrote:

#668: export and share region settings
--------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
Reporter: timmie | Owner: grass-dev@lists.osgeo.org
     Type: enhancement | Status: new
Priority: normal | Milestone: 6.5.0
Component: wxGUI | Version: svn-develbranch6
Resolution: | Keywords: g.region
Platform: Linux | Cpu: x86-32
--------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
Comment (by timmie):

Yes, one can save them.
But not to a text file or configuration file outside GRASS.
Like the wxGUI workspace settings.

--
Ticket URL: <#668 (export and share region settings) – GRASS GIS;
GRASS GIS <http://grass.osgeo.org>

I don't understand what you want to do here.

Image the following use case:
You have project location.
Then you would like to test out some new processing workflows or
developed a new methodology.
In order not to pollute the project location with a lot of test rasters,
you start a new location to do the testing.

It would be nice to have the save region settings available for /all/
locations with the same projection.

If you are trying to use a region defined in one location within another
location, you can do that--at your own risk. Just copy the region def
file from location1/mapset1 to location2/mapset2.

What is wrong with making the files in
location1/PERMANENT/windows
available to all locations with the same project in the GRASS database?

The region settings do not contain projection information.
This may be changed in GRASS 7. Then, the GUI could show a list of
region settings with the same projection when zooming to a saveed region
setting.

There may be many users (regional government offices, unis with studies
in their neighborhood) how may also want this kind of sharing feature.
This could increase usability of the map display in the GUI.

The work the coders of the wxGUI did was a tremendous step towards this direction!

care. I know it can be annoying sometimes for people coming from other GIS programs, but GRASS has long had a philosophy of emphasizing the importance of accurate digital mapping and cartography--something that is probably tied to its primarily scientific, rather than commercial, development and use.

Commercial users do also need the best accuracies.
But they seem to have also a high focus on the usability and effectivity
of use when performing all day tasks.
And I cannot imagine that academia can affort wasting time in
long-winded workflows.

The location/mapset structure is an important aspect of maintaining that accuracy.

Please let's not start flame wars here and put efforts & creativity in a
concept on how to increase the usability and effectivity while
maintaining the great flexibility, accuracy and traceability of GRASS.

As I tell frustrated students, a GIS is not like a word processor or even a graphics program.

Although I, too, was initially turned off by this, I've become an increasingly strong supporter of this approach over time. Sometimes I even think that we would be better off to get away from all semblance of word processor and graphic programs in the UI in order to make users to think about GIS software differently.

The problem is that creating some simple polygons in Google Earth and
converting them to shapefiles via ogr2ogr gets you faster to a new layer
(e.g. for masking) than digitizing with traditional GIS programs.
Also, not geo-educated staff understands Geobrowser. And geographical
analysis often relys in interdisciplinary exchange.

Thanks for your views as experienced user.

Best regards,
Timmie

I don't understand what you want to do here.

Image the following use case:
You have project location.
Then you would like to test out some new processing workflows or
developed a new methodology.
In order not to pollute the project location with a lot of test rasters,
you start a new location to do the testing.

It would be nice to have the save region settings available for /all/
locations with the same projection.

If you are trying to use a region defined in one location within another
location, you can do that--at your own risk. Just copy the region def
file from location1/mapset1 to location2/mapset2.

What is wrong with making the files in
location1/PERMANENT/windows
available to all locations with the same project in the GRASS database?

The region settings do not contain projection information.
This may be changed in GRASS 7. Then, the GUI could show a list of
region settings with the same projection when zooming to a saveed region
setting.

There may be many users (regional government offices, unis with studies
in their neighborhood) how may also want this kind of sharing feature.
This could increase usability of the map display in the GUI.

The work the coders of the wxGUI did was a tremendous step towards this
direction!

care. I know it can be annoying sometimes for people coming from other GIS programs, but GRASS has long had a philosophy of emphasizing the importance of accurate digital mapping and cartography--something that is probably tied to its primarily scientific, rather than commercial, development and use.

Commercial users do also need the best accuracies.
But they seem to have also a high focus on the usability and effectivity
of use when performing all day tasks.
And I cannot imagine that academia can affort wasting time in
long-winded workflows.

The location/mapset structure is an important aspect of maintaining that accuracy.

Please let's not start flame wars here and put efforts & creativity in a
concept on how to increase the usability and effectivity while
maintaining the great flexibility, accuracy and traceability of GRASS.

As I tell frustrated students, a GIS is not like a word processor or even a graphics program.

Although I, too, was initially turned off by this, I've become an increasingly strong supporter of this approach over time. Sometimes I even think that we would be better off to get away from all semblance of word processor and graphic programs in the UI in order to make users to think about GIS software differently.

The problem is that creating some simple polygons in Google Earth and
converting them to shapefiles via ogr2ogr gets you faster to a new layer
(e.g. for masking) than digitizing with traditional GIS programs.
Also, not geo-educated staff understands Geobrowser. And geographical
analysis often relys in interdisciplinary exchange.

Thanks for your views as experienced user.

Best regards,
Timmie

#668: export and share region settings
--------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
  Reporter: timmie | Owner: grass-dev@lists.osgeo.org
      Type: enhancement | Status: new
  Priority: normal | Milestone: 6.5.0
Component: wxGUI | Version: svn-develbranch6
Resolution: | Keywords: g.region
  Platform: Linux | Cpu: x86-32
--------------------------+-------------------------------------------------
Comment (by timmie):

Why not the following:

1) Cycle through all locations in GRASSDB
2) get saved regions for all locations with the same projection settings
3) provide these in the wxGUI mapwindow: zoom to saved location
current location, mapset1
current location, mapset2
other location, mapset1

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.osgeo.org/grass/ticket/668#comment:6&gt;
GRASS GIS <http://grass.osgeo.org>