NAME¶
wxGUI
DESCRIPTION¶
wxGUI is a new generation of the
Graphical User Interface
(GUI) for GRASS GIS written in Python using wxPython library. It's a successor
of the
Tcl/Tk GUI from GRASS 6.
If wxGUI is not your default GUI, you can define it as default by typing at
GRASS command line prompt:
g.gui -u wxpython
Alternatively it may be defined in GISRC file ($HOME/.grassrc6 on GNU/Linux,
$APPDATA\GRASS6\grassrc6 on MS Windows) by GRASS_GUI variable
GRASS_GUI: wxpython
The GUI can be quit by selecting the 'File -> Exit GUI' menu item. On MS
Windows when GRASS is launched without an interactive command line this will
end the entire GRASS session. In other cases the terminal window will remain
running; type exit at the command prompt to end the GRASS session.
The GUI can be restarted from the GRASS command line prompt by typing
g.gui wxpython
To restart with previously saved workspace file:
g.gui wxpython workspace=file.gxw
The user can also start GRASS from the shell command line with the wxGUI
specifying the -gui (or -wxpython) switch:
grass65 -gui
The GUI is composed by
two main components:
- The Layer Manager includes map layer management, integrated
command-line prompt, and command output window tab.
- The Map Display Window integrates basic tools for zooming, panning,
data querying, and map elements (north arrows, barscale, etc.). Each
display window is associated with its own set of map layers in the layer
manager. The user may start multiple map displays during a session. The
map layers for each display are grouped under different tabs in the Layer
Manager.
Layer Manager¶
The
Layer Manager provides an interactive graphical interface for
creating and managing GRASS displays. There is a toolbar to manage displayed
map layers, a layer tree frame in which map layers for display are organized,
a command output window tab, and interactive command line prompt. On Linux and
Windows platforms, the layer manager also has a menu bar with a set of
pull-down menus for all GRASS GIS functions (analysis, file I/O, GIS
configuration and management); on a Mac, the GRASS functions menu is at the
top of the screen.
The top left button of the toolbar opens a new
Map Display Window.
Each map display has a unique set of layers to display and region settings.
Other toolbar buttons add layers of different types for display in the
selected map display window. There are additional buttons for saving or
opening workspace file, and others.
Map layers are listed in the window frame below the toolbar. Layers can include
raster and vector maps, vector labels, and commands (where any GRASS command
can be written). Layers are displayed as arranged in the layer tree: the
bottom layer is displayed first and the top layer is displayed last, as if the
layers were a series of stacked overlays.
The check box to the left of each layer makes it active or inactive for display.
Only active layers are displayed/redisplayed when the display button is
pressed. Layers can be organized into groups; entire groups can be activated
or deactivated for display. Layer tree composition can be saved to a workspace
file and opened in subsequent sessions, restoring all layers and their display
options.
A right mouse click on a layer or left clicking the button to the right of the
layer opens a dropdown menu with options to remove or rename the layer
(g.remove, g.rename), change its display properties (d.rast and d.vect options
such as color, symbol, etc.), show its metadata (r.info, v.info) or
attributes, if applicable.
A left mouse double click on a layer opens GUI for its display options These
options are those for the d.* command for each layer type (d.rast, d.vect, or
d.grid, for example).
- Start new map display
-
Opens a new map display and creates empty layer tree tab in Layer
Manager.
- Create new workspace
-
Removes all layers from the layer tree and creates a new, empty tree where
new layers can be added.
- Open existing workspace file
-
Opens an previously saved workspace file, containing a set of display layers
and their option settings.
- Save current workspace to file
-
Saves current set of layers and their options to a workspace file.
- Load map layers into workspace
-
Loads selected raster or vector maps into current layer tree.
- Add raster map layer
-
Adds raster map to layer tree, see d.rast.
- Add various raster map layers (RGB, HIS, shaded relief...)
-
Opens a dropdown menu that allows user to select to:
- Add 3D raster map layer
-
Adds 3D raster map to layer tree.
- Add RGB raster layer
-
Combines and displays three raster maps defined as red, green, and blue
channels to create an RGB color map, see d.rgb.
- Add HIS raster layer
-
Combines and displays two or three raster maps defined as hue, intensity,
and (optionally) saturation channels to create a color map, see
d.his.
- Add shaded relief raster map layer
-
Adds shaded relief raster map layer, see d.shadedmap.
- Add raster arrows layer
-
Adds map of raster cells with directional arrows drawn. Arrow direction and
length are determined by separate aspect/directional map and (optional)
slope/intensity map, see d.rast.arrow.
- Add raster numbers layer
-
Adds map of raster cells with numbers representing the cell values, see
d.rast.num.
- Add vector map layer
-
Adds a vector map layer, see d.vect.
- Add various vector map layers (thematic, chart...)
-
Opens a dropdown menu that allows user to select to:
- Add thematic area (choropleth) map layer
- (for all vector types)" 4m
Adds layer for thematic display values from a numeric attribute column
associated with a vector map. Options include: thematic display type
(graduated colors or point sizes), methods for creating display intervals,
SQL query of attribute column to limit vector objects to display, control
of point icon types and sizes, control of thematic color schemes, creation
of legend for thematic map, and saving the results of thematic mapping to
a ps.map instructions file for later printing, see
d.vect.thematic.
- Add thematic chart layer (for vector points)
-
Adds layer in which pie or bar charts can be automatically created at vector
point locations. Charts display values from selected columns in the
associated attribute table. Options include: chart type, layer and
attributes to chart, chart colors, and chart size (fixed or based on
attribute column), see d.vect.chart.
- Add group
-
Adds an empty group. Layers can then be added to the group.
- Add grid or vector labels overlay
-
Opens a dropdown menu that allows user to select to:
- Add overlay grids and lines
-
Adds layer to display regular grid (for all locations) see
d.grid
- Add labels layer for vector objects (from existing labels
file)
-
Add a layer of text from a labels file for vector objects created with the
v.label module. A labels file can also be created with a text
editor, see d.labels.
- Add geodesic line layer
-
Add layer to display geodesic line for latitude/longitude locations only,
see d.geodesic
- Add rhumbline layer
-
Add layer to display rhumblines (for latitude/longitude locations only), see
d.rhumbline.
- Add command layer
-
Adds a layer in which a GRASS GIS command or command list can be entered.
For a command list use the semi-colon (";") symbol as a
separator. For example:
d.rast soils;d.rast -o roads;d.vect streams col=blue
Note that when an option of the command contains spaces, you need to
"escape" them with the backslash ('\') character, for example:
d.text text=Population\ density
- Delete selected layer
-
Removes selected map layer or map layer group from layer tree.
- Show attribute table
-
Opens attribute table manager for selected vector map.
- Import raster or vector data
- Import raster data
-
Import selected raster data into GRASS using r.in.gdal and load them
into current layer tree.
- Import vector data
-
Import selected vector data into GRASS using v.in.ogr and load them
into current layer tree.
- Raster Map Calculator
-
Launches Raster Calculator GUI front-end for r.mapcalc.
- Graphical Modeler
-
Launches graphical modeler to create models and run them.
- Georectifier Tool
-
Launches GCP Manager to create, edit, and manage Ground
Control Points.
- Cartographic Composer
-
Launches Cartographic Composer to create interactively
hardcopy map outputs.
- Show GUI settings
-
Opens dialog to change GUI settings.
- Show help
-
Opens GRASS manual.
Key shortcuts¶
- Ctrl+Tab
-
Switch 'Map layers' and 'Command output' tab
- Ctrl+Q
-
Quit
Workspace
- Ctrl+N
-
Create new workspace
- Ctrl+O
-
Load workspace from file
- Ctrl+S
-
Close workspace
Map Layers
- Ctrl+Shift+L
-
Add multiple raster or vector map layers to current map display
- Ctrl+Shift+R
-
Add raster map layer to current map display
- Ctrl+Shift+V
-
Add vector map layer to current map display
- Ctrl+W
-
Close current map display
Command line prompt
- Tab
-
Show command tooltips
- Esc
-
Hide command tooltips
- Ctrl+Space
-
Map entries without arguments (as in r.info [mapname])
- Up/Down
-
List command history
- Enter
-
Run command
Map Display Window¶
The map display window includes toolbar that can be docked and undocked from the
window, a map canvas where a map composition of one or more layers is
displayed, and a statusbar with information about the geographic region of the
maps displayed.
Each Map Display Window has a unique layer tree (in the layer manager) and
geographic
region setting. At the top of the window is a toolbar with
buttons to manage the map in the display (render, erase, zoom and pan), for
query and and analysis (distance measurement, profile, and histogram
creation), to overlay map elements onto the display (scale, north arrow,
legend, and custom text), and to export or print the display.
In the statusbar, the user can choose to display the geographic coordinates
under the cursor, current geographical region extent, computational region
(including graphical visualization in map display), map display geometry
(number of rows, columns, resolution) and map scale. Checking the
render button in the statusbar will cause the map display to update
automatically any time a map is added to, removed from, or changed in its
layer tree.
It is important to note that zooming in any display will have
no effect
on the 'computational region' setting (set with
g.region). Only by
selecting the 'Set current region to match display' item in the zoom menu (in
the map display toolbar) will the current display extents be copied to the
computational region extents.
- Display map
-
Displays all active layers from layer tree and re-renders for display any
layers that have changed since the last time the display was updated,
including layers added or removed.
- Re-render map
-
Re-renders all active layers regardless of whether they have changed or
not.
- Erase display
-
Erases the currently selected map display to a white background, see
d.frame -e.
- Pointer
-
Select arrow cursor for map display.
- Query raster/vector maps
-
Opens a dropdown menu that allows user to select to:
- Display mode
-
Query selected raster, RGB raster (all three map channels will be queried),
or vector map(s) using the mouse. Map(s) must be selected before query.
Vector charts and thematic vector maps cannot be queried. The results of
the query will be displayed in the console window, see v.what.
- Edit mode
-
Query selected vector map in edit mode. The results of the query will be
displayed in a form that permits editing of the queried vector
attributes.
- Pan
-
Interactive selection of a new center of view in the active display monitor.
Drag the pan cursor while pressing the left mouse button to pan. Panning
changes the location of the region displayed but not the size of the area
displayed or the resolution. Panning does not affect the
computational region for other GIS processes, see g.region.
- Zoom in
-
Interactive zooming with the mouse in the active display monitor. Drawing a
box or just click with the mouse (left button) and zoom-in cursor causes
the display to zoom in so that the area defined by the box fills the
display. The map resolution is not changed. Clicking with the zoom-in
cursor causes the display to zoom in by 30%, centered on the point where
the mouse is clicked. Zooming resets the display region extents (both size
and location of area displayed). It does not affect the
computational region for other GIS processes, see g.region.
- Zoom out
-
Interactive zooming with the mouse in the active display monitor. Drawing a
box or just click with the mouse (left button) and zoom-out cursor causes
the display to zoom in so that the area displayed shrinks to fill the area
defined by the box. The map resolution is not changed. Clicking with the
zoom-out cursor causes the display to zoom out by 30%, centered on the
point where the mouse is clicked. Zooming resets the display region
extents (both size and location of area displayed). It does not
affect the computational region for other GIS processes, see
g.region.
- Zoom to selected map(s)
-
Set zoom extent based on selected raster or vector maps. Zooming resets the
display region extents (both size and location of area displayed). It does
not affect the computational region for other GIS processes, see
g.region.
- Return to previous zoom
-
Returns to the previous zoom extent. Up to 10 levels of zoom back are
maintained, see g.region.
- Zoom options
-
Opens a dropdown menu that allows user to:
- Zoom to match the extents of a selected map
- Zoom to match the computational region (set with g.region)
- Zoom to match the extents of the default region
- Zoom to match the extents of a saved region
- Set computational region (the mapset's WIND file) to match the current
display extents (does not change the resolution), see
g.region.
- Save display geometry (current extents) to a named region file
- Analyze menu
-
Opens a dropdown menu with:
- Distance measurement tool
-
Interactive measurement of lengths defined with the mouse. The length of
each segment and the cumulative length of all segments measuered is
displayed in the command output window frame. Lengths are measured in the
current measurement unit, see d.measure.
- Profile tool
-
Interactively create profile of a raster map. Profile transect is drawn with
the mouse in map display. The profile may be of the displayed map or a
different map. Up to three maps can be profiled simultaneously, see
Profile Tool help page.
- Histogramming tool
-
Displays histogram of selected raster map or image in new window, see
d.histogram.
- Add overlay
-
opens a dropdown menu that allows user to:
- Add scalebar and north arrow
-
Adds layer to display a combined scalebar and north arrow. Options include
scalebar placement (using screen coordinates or a mouse), scalebar format,
and scalebar colors, see d.barscale.
- Add raster map legend
-
Adds layer to display with legend of selected raster map, see
d.legend.
- Add text layer
-
Adds layer to display a line of text using default GRASS font (selected with
d.font). Options include: text placement (screen coordinates); and
text size, bolding, and color, see d.text.
- Save display to graphic file
-
Save the visible image in map display to different raster graphic
formats.
- Print map
-
Prints map on system native printer or PostScript device; saves visible map
display (including PostScript text and labels) to PDF or EPS file.
- Map display mode
-
Opens a dropdown menu for selecting different display mode
- 2D view mode
-
Normal GIS display. All active layers are composited and displayed in 2D
mode.
- 3D view mode
-
Experimental replacement for NVIZ. Displays all active layers in 3D
perspective using OpenGL. A new control panel opens to manage the 3D view.
3D view can be zoomed, panned, rotated, and tilted. The vertical
exaggeration of rasters and 3D vectors can be set. Various color and
lighten settings are possible. Not yet functional for Windows
platforms
- Digitize mode
-
Puts display into vector digitizing mode and opens a new digitizing toolbar.
The user can digitize a new map or edit an existing map. Not yet
functional for Windows platforms
SEE ALSO¶
wxGUI components
See also wxGUI wiki page (especially various video tutorials), and Quick wxGUI
Tutorial.
TCL/TK-based GIS Manager, TCL/TK-based Display Manager
AUTHORS¶
Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic
Michael Barton, Arizona State University, USA
Daniel Calvelo Aros
Jachym Cepicky
Markus Metz, Germany
Anna Kratochvilova, Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic
Vaclav Petras, Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic
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$Date: 2013-05-02 03:35:55 +0200 (Thu, 02 May 2013) $
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