[Xastir-dev] args to data_add()

[Chris Bell]

> >
> > Would I want to define my own symbol, which wasn't really an
> > icon symbol, but a graphic?  If I wrote a graphics routine that
> > is called to draw this symbol, then that routine could rotate
> > the graphics symbol.
> 

Just a thought here... would you consider a vector like we do with
wind speed barbs?

> Problem is, if you picked a particular standard APRS symbol slot,
> there's a good chance it might be used for APRS in the future.  I
> probably shouldn't have brought it up for that reason.
> 
> Better would be to define a user-defined packet format which was
> similar to one of the existing formats (perhaps NMEA?), but gave you
> some special symbol capability as well.  You could then parse out
> that special info for your symbol drawing uses, then toss the rest
> of the packet through the standard decoding.  We a bunch of
> extract_this() and extract_that() routines all through db.c.  You'd
> just need to write an extract_flightgear() routine or similar to
> extract your special symbol info, then of course tie into something
> later in the drawing code which could draw that special symbol for
> you.  draw_symbol() could be extended I suppose.
> 

I definately would stay away from the standard set... keep it "standard"! 

> 
> > > You could tie in to the code which draws to pixmap_final before it
> > > gets copied to the screen, and do your own graphics drawing to that
> > > pixmap.
> >
> > Maybe that is the same as my idea above?  Would something
> > like this be not-too-intrusive into the Xastir/APRS way of
> > things?  I certainly don't want to take up much of the APRS
> > symbol space just for the rotation.
> 
> Well, your questions are good, because I have use for more symbols
> beyond the standard APRS symbol set, for SAR purposes.  A way of
> mapping user-defined symbols onto the map would be useful.
> 

I would really like this as well, I have on my todo list a set of topo
symbols for waypoints.  We could either shim it in as a new set of
symbols to add to the "/" and "\" sets, or have it completely
seperate.  I would like to shim it in, so things like dbfawk files and
GNIS maps could use their own set of symbols to keep them visually
seperate from real stations.  Then we could use our "custom" tables
for objects/items and such if we want.  If they ever made it into a
transmit queue, we could map them into a no-sym-yet standard or
something "other"-ish to be legal.

Chris.
KD6ZWR