Hi all, just forwarding this note to this more general OSGeo channel,
since it applies to several projects and communities.
Year after year, one of the largest complaints about open source mapping
applications is the ability to output large, high quality, printable
maps. It's often the issue that some proprietary users say prevents
them from moving to an open source platform. Recognising that we can
always do better, the Carto project is an effort to address this in a
standard way, so that all open source applications may output
configuration files according to a specification and have a common
'engine' application produce an output file. By using a standards-based
approach, developers can work together on improving printing output
overall instead of doing it in dozens of different ways.
That said, attached is my attempt to try to find some students to work
on the project through Google's Summer of Code :) I'm also forwarding
it here for those others who are interested in trying to help move this
initiative along. Either way, join our list and say hi.[1] Except for
some interesting work with Mapnik and QGIS together (Dane Springmeyer's
Quantumnik!) this is pretty much still theoretical.
Tyler
[1] http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/carto
---BeginMessage---
Greetings everyone!
The OSGeo Carto mailing list [1] was created to discuss developing a
common approach to printable (vector-based) map output from open source
mapping applications. With Google's Summer of Code program, we have a
great opportunity for students to be funded to work on this project!
Please forward this on to any students that you think might benefit.
http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/OSGeo_Cartographic_Engine
Note there is room for a range of programming abilities, here are just a
few...
* developing XML-based map definition and print standard specifications
* writing a GUI-based app for doing map layout
* converting project configuration files into a common format
* enhancing Mapnik to handle layout and file output definitions
* What else? You tell us! Students are welcome to propose new ideas!
This year, we've tied this project directly to Mapnik (and indirectly to
QGIS or GRASS) just so it is clearly not a new project, but an
enhancement of an existing one.
Since it is really focused on developing and implementing standards, I'm
not opposed to using other projects in there for either the 'client' or
the engine - so if you're a student interested in MapServer or gvSIG,
for example, and would rather work on implementing it that way, then
please just propose it. I only had to narrow our focus to keep it clear.
Time is running out for student applications, so let's get the word out!
Even if you're not a student but are interested in helping in some way,
join the list and say hi.
[1] http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/carto
---End Message---
___
Discuss mailing list
Discuss@lists.osgeo.org
http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
