carto:papers:svg:web.mapping:2003

deutsche Fassung

carto:net @ web.mapping.2003

This year's "web.mapping" conference took place at the Hasso–Plattner–Institute in Potsdam (Germany) on November 20/21. Different carto:net authors put together a presentation – Nicole Ueberschär hold the presentation.

SVG for web cartography – recent developments and the future

Dipl.–Ing. (FH) Georg Held

SVG Freelancer, Nördlingen

Mag. Andreas Neumann

Institute of Cartography, ETH Zürich

Mag. André M. Winter

Tirol Atlas, Department of Geography, University of Innsbruck

Dipl.–Ing. (FH) Nicole Ueberschär

Labor für Kartenredaktion und –gestaltung, University of Applied Science TFH Berlin

Abstract:

SVG, the open standard for the representation of twodimensional vector graphics, text and images, is currently taking roots in the networking world. The XML based markup language offers, in particular for webmapping, extensive benefits. At the beginning, the presentation will offer up to date basic informations on SVG and try to answer questions like "How and in which direction will SVG evolve in the future?" We will explain methods of operation, constitution and the current status of the W3C SVG working group, which is currently intensely working on the new SVG 1.2 Recommendation. A short overview of current SVG implementations illustrates a broad support from both commercial vendors and Open Source groups.

Furthermore we will present impressions from the second annual SVG.Open developers conference in Vancouver, July 2003. A group of dedicated cartographers examined the current SVG1.1 standard and worked on a proposal to extend future SVG versions to even better meet cartographic requirements. A resulting "wishlist" was presented and debated in a panel discussion and handed over to the W3C SVG working group. Parts of the wishlist already found its ways in the current SVG 1.2 working draft.

The second part of the presentation will showcase interesting features of the existing SVG specification and implementations and will demonstrate several webmapping projects. We will partially elaborate on concepts and implementation of these projects to show used during the implementation of SVG projects to show reasonable and optimal use of SVG within webmapping. "SVG Scenarios" will additionally pose new ideas and discuss the feasibility of SVG in webmapping applications. One application will showcase how to generate SVG presentations out of existing GML data.

The third and last part of the presentation will showcase new features of the SVG1.2 specification, using the available Adobe SVG viewer 6 pre-alpha release. Amongst the numerous new possibilities, SVG developers will especially like the new textwrapping features within arbitrary shapes, the standardised use of Audio and Video in SVG, multipage, streaming support and finally RCC (Rendering Custom Content). RCC allows to define re-usable XML elements that can be used similar to "prototypes" in VRML. The SVG viewer can read the higher level RCC elements and replace them with lower level SVG content, applying templates and scripting behaviour. Cartographers could for example define a reusable RCC scalebar and legend as well as SVG based GUI elements.

Examples of the new features

• Cursor

Although "cursors" were already specified in the SVG spec version 1.0, they must be regarded as a "new" feature, mainly because Adobe SVG viewer version 3 did not support them. The example shows all of the predefined cursors, as mentioned in the spec, as well as custom cursors provided as PNG rasterimages. Cursors also work in the Corel viewer and Batik.

Right–click, save ... ZIP Archive | RAR Archive

direct access to files: check the myCursor.svg file.

• TextWrapping

Working Draft 1.2 extends SVG's possibilities regarding the use of text in near future. This examples shows, how blocks of text are rendered inside certain shapes, while automatically wrapping the text into lines.

Right–click, save ... ZIP Archive | RAR Archive

direct access to files: check one of the two files in this directory.

• ChartLibrary using RCC technology

Rendering Custom Content – short RCC – offers a new technique to define and re-use custom elements. It is obvious that we should examine, whether RCC could be useful for defining a complete cartographic chart libraries for thematic mapping. In order to achieve this proof, this example shows different chart instances generating its corresponding layer on-the-fly using RCC Syntax (start example by using map.svg).

Right–click, save ... ZIP Archive | RAR Archive

direct access to files: check one of the two map.svg(z) files.

Download of the complete archive:
Right–click, save ... ZIP Archive | RAR Archive

URL Sources mentioned in the presentation

URL01

Carto:net Page accompanying the web–mapping presentation

URL02

www.w3.org/Graphics/SVG/

URL03

www.smartgraphics.com Corel Smart Graphics

URL04

www.corel.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=Corel/Company/PressRoom/PressRelease&id=1044393442588&prid=104702243221
Corel Press Room – Oracle and Corel to Provide Open Standard Content Solutions

URL05

www.w3.org/Graphics/SVG/SVG-Implementations.htm8

URL06

www.protocol7.com/svg-wiki/

URL07

Cartographic Wishlist

URL08

www.svgopen.org

URL09

www.ecma-international.org/publications/standards/Ecma-262.htm>

URL10

www.w3.org/TR/2000/REC-DOM-Level-2-Core-20001113/core.html

URL1

www.w3.org/TR/SVG11/ecmascript-binding.html

URL12

tirolatlas.uibk.ac.at

URL13

www.postgresql.org

URL14

postgis.refractions.net

URL15

www.svgopen.org/2003/papers/TirolAtlasOnlineWebMapping

URL16

https://tirolatlas.uibk.ac.at/maps/

URL17

https://tirolatlas.uibk.ac.at/maps/

URL18

https://tirolatlas.uibk.ac.at/kids/

URL19

SVG Example Türlersee

URL20

www.svgopen.org/2003/papers/abstract_neumann_topographic_maps_served_by_spatial_databases/index.html

URL21

www.adobe.com/svg/viewer/install/beta.html Adobe SVG Viewer 6 pre–alpha

Reference

HELD G., NEUMANN A., UEBERSCHÄR N., WINTER Á.M., 2003: SVG für die Webkartographie – Aktuelles und Zukünftiges, in: Proceeding zum Webmapping Symposium 2003, Potsdam.