I just had a look at some of the ideas in the Google Summer of Code and I think it is going to be tough to win any students over from sexy projects like One Laptop Per Child to something as boring as GIS. Still, there must be some GIS programmer students out there somewhere so here is my two cents:
Speaking of boring, one of the most repetitive tasks in GIS has to be heads-up digitizing using a background raster. Batch automated digitizing has been tried many times and found mostly to be a failure. How about an interactive tool that snaps the cursor based on the color and intensity of the background raster. I'm sure you can all imagine algorithms that would be possible and useful to implement. JUMP's snap manager would make this easy to implement for all cursor tools, but the basic code should be valid for any Java based GIS. In fact, the only problem with this suggestion is that it will be tough to keep from working on it ourselves. :-) regards, Larry Becker P.S. Sunburned, Kosmo seems to have DXF and DWG support. On 2/27/07, Sunburned Surveyor <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Stefan, > > See my comments below. > > You wrote: "aehm.. we (JUMP) currently has a DXF plugin by Michael Michaud? > Do you > now this?" > What about DWG? > Why do you chosen this format (It is rather usefull for CAD Geometries > than for GIS )" > > I know about the DXF plug-in and have looked at the code. I've even given it > a trial run. I'd like to build on Muchael's work by adding support for some > other DXF features. For example, I'd like the user to have control over how > polylines are converted. You could have them represented by [1] line > strings, [2] individual line segments, or if they are closed polylines [3] > as polygons. There are other things I would like to improve as well. > > You wrote: "What about DWG?" > > DWG is a closed, binary format. There are some "third-party" libraries out > there that will allow programs to read DWG files. However, these libraries > are not open source and are not written in Java, that I know of. There are > also some legal issues surrounding there use, and Autodesk is a big Gorilla. > I'd rather not get OpenJUMP involved in that mess. DXF is intended as a > transfer format of Autodesk CAD data to other programs, and I think good DXF > support in OpenJUMP would be sufficient. > > You wrote: "Why do you chosen this format (It is rather usefull for CAD > Geometries > than for GIS )" > > You must remember I deal mostly with GIS data creation, not manipulation and > analysis. Good support for import and export of CAD data will be a critical > requirement for OpenJUMP, if I am to implement it as the main GIS program at > my "day job". I imagine the same would apply to most engineering/surveying > outfits. I realize this may not be a need of most OpenJUMP users, but it is > of special importance to me. :] > > You wrote: "ok..In which direction? What about some triangulation, graph > stuff, > persistent topology?" > > I haven't thought this completely out yet. I am interested in exploring > support for topology and spatial relationships using JTS. But I'd also be > interested in exploring some curved geometry types, or some alternative > spatial indexes. > > You wrote: "mhm.. thats a critical point. At least at our university we do > not have > that much students interested. Because they are geographers with not > that much knowledge in programming - if even. We are lucky about every > student willing to write his masters in our division :o) So one might > rather attract people from IT backgound? But if it is paid?? how knows.." > > I'll consider this carefully. However, it sounds like the guys at the OSGeo > think there will be no shortage of students, and the Summer of Code does pay > a stipend of $5000.00. > > SS > > > On 2/27/07, James Macgill <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On 2/27/07, Jody Garnett <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Good timing - we were talking about this very topic in todays GeoTools > > > meeting. And arriving at a similar spot - that OSGeo would be the best > > > organization for the task. > > > > > > What we initial need however is someone on the "admin" side to get the > > > OSGeo effort underway; perhaps provide a template for "ideas" and help > > > play match maker when the students come to call. > > > > > > Is this person you? > > > > The potential for my own brain to melt as I work out conflicts of > > interest probably prevent me from being such a person but I do want to > > help out in any way that I can. > > > > James > > > > > > > > Jody > > > PS. Ideas for any of these email lists are not a problem; from last > > > years experience I would recommend spending effort on making sure the > > > ideas are communicated well. > > > PS. CCing a bunch of lists does not work (everyone get's bounce messages > > > as they hit "reply-to-all", and you need to tag in the OSGeo discussion > > > list. > > > > > > > As part of my efforts to be more active on the "open source geospatial > > > > community" I have agreed to help Frank Wammerdam with the Google > > > > Summer of Code coordination at the OSGeo. (Thanks to Paul Ramsey for > > > > some encouragement in this regard.) > > > > > > > > I'd really like to see some GeoTools and JUMP/OpenJUMP projects make > > > > it in to the Summer of Code umbrella at the OSGeo. I am willing to > > > > prepare a Summer of Code proposal for a DXF reader/writer that we can > > > > contribute to GeoTools and use in JUMP/OpenJUMP and UDig. I am also > > > > willing to prepare a proposal to add some improvements and new > > > > features to JTS. I would also mentor both projects. > > > > > > > > However, I don't know any students enrolled in programming courses > > > > that would be interested in this. I know some of my fellow > > > > JUMP/OpenJUMP developers and the GeoTools developers would be in a > > > > better position in this regard. If I prepare one or two of the > > > > proposals I mentioned will we be able to find interested students to > > > > participate? > > > > > > > > Thanks for your help with this. > > > > > > > > The Sunburned Surveyor > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > Take Surveys. Earn Cash. Influence the Future of IT > > > > Join SourceForge.net's Techsay panel and you'll get the chance to > share your > > > > opinions on IT & business topics through brief surveys-and earn cash > > > > > http://www.techsay.com/default.php?page=join.php&p=sourceforge&CID=DEVDEV > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > Geotools-devel mailing list > > > > Geotools-devel@lists.sourceforge.net > > > > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/geotools-devel > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > Take Surveys. Earn Cash. Influence the Future of IT > > > Join SourceForge.net's Techsay panel and you'll get the chance to share > your > > > opinions on IT & business topics through brief surveys-and earn cash > > > > http://www.techsay.com/default.php?page=join.php&p=sourceforge&CID=DEVDEV > > > _______________________________________________ > > > Geotools-devel mailing list > > > Geotools-devel@lists.sourceforge.net > > > > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/geotools-devel > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Take Surveys. Earn Cash. Influence the Future of IT > Join SourceForge.net's Techsay panel and you'll get the chance to share your > opinions on IT & business topics through brief surveys-and earn cash > http://www.techsay.com/default.php?page=join.php&p=sourceforge&CID=DEVDEV > _______________________________________________ > Jump-pilot-devel mailing list > Jump-pilot-devel@lists.sourceforge.net > https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/jump-pilot-devel > > -- http://amusingprogrammer.blogspot.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Take Surveys. Earn Cash. Influence the Future of IT Join SourceForge.net's Techsay panel and you'll get the chance to share your opinions on IT & business topics through brief surveys-and earn cash http://www.techsay.com/default.php?page=join.php&p=sourceforge&CID=DEVDEV _______________________________________________ Jump-pilot-devel mailing list Jump-pilot-devel@lists.sourceforge.net https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/jump-pilot-devel
