Geografic-Information-System/gui/wxpython/wxpythonlib.dox

/*! \mainpage WXGRASS_PYTHON GRASS wxpython based graphical user interface

<h2>GRASS wxpython based graphical user interface</h2>

The plan for a native GRASS Graphical User Interface (GUI) found is origin
in the project "GFOSS–TN", a collaboration between FBK (Fondazione Bruno
Kessler) and the Information System Service of the Trento municipality (Italy).

This GRASS GUI is written in the Python programming language using wxPython –
a blending of the wxWidgets library for Python. The GUI is composed of two
main components: Layer Manager and Map Display Window. The Layer Manager
allows users to run different GRASS modules from a menu, includes map layer 
management, integrated command-line prompt, and command output window.
Map Display Window integrates basic tools for zooming, panning, data querying,
decorations (north arrows, barscale, etc.). Additional tools like Digitization
or Georectification tool are also available.

Ongoing development focuses on stability, portability and on the integration
of OpenGL. As result, Map Display Window will support 3D rendering including
3D raster (voxels) and 3D vector data.

Development plans:
<p>
A Map Composer, a tool for hardcopy map outputs is planned to be developed
in the first half of 2008. Currently, the tools for creating hardcopy maps
(map layout) are limited in GRASS because its focus on modeling and spatial
analysis. GRASS gives the user ability to add only a very simple and standardized
legend, north arrow and scale to display to the graphics monitor and then export the
display to an external image file such as a png. These map features are very basic
and cannot be customized. The goal is to allow users to prepare simple cartographic
outputs comparable e.g. with other, proprietary GIS map layout functionality.

<P>
See: 
<ul>
<li> wxgui.py
<li> gis_set.py
<li> menustrings.py
</ul>

<h2>References</h2>

M. Landa, C. Moretto, M. Neteler, M. Zanolli, L. Manganelli, 2008: wxPython GUI per GRASS GIS. Proc. IX Meeting degli Utenti Italiani di GRASS - GFOSS - 21-22 Feb 2008, Perugia, Italy (<a href="http://gama.fsv.cvut.cz/~landa/publications/2008/gfoss-it-08/paper/grass-gfoss-tn.pdf">PDF</a>)

*/