[OSM-talk] Norton, the village in the sea?

[Ben Gimpert]

On Wed, May 10, 2006 at 09:07:12AM +0100, SteveC wrote:
> * @ 09/05/06 11:30:36 PM openstreetmap-L at gj0.net wrote:
> > Nick
> > See 
> > http://wiki.openstreetmap.org/index.php?title=Image:Yarmouth.png&rcid=6220
> > 
> > The label was placed deliberately, for rendering purposes,  so that it
> > didn't obscure the streets.  It would make sense for the node to
> > actually be in the place it is supposed to label.  Any ideas about a
> > better way of doing this?

I know it sounds bizarre, but there's something subtle and interesting
about a point in "real" space having the metadata "I'm a good place to
refer to this other point."  Probably a good place for a key like
"annotative at zoom level X".

> In a past life I did label placement and electrostatic-spring network
> layout algorithms.
> 
> Put a spring with some spring constant between the labels and their
> actual unmoving nodes. Then make all the labels repulsive with some
> constant so that they move away from each other but cant stray from
> their nodes because of the spring. Iterate the simulation with friction
> and it tends to end up with nice label placement, after you play with
> the two constants.
> 
> XSLT is turing complete right?

Oh good God.  Yes.  But anyone who can write a dynamic (read, iterative)
Hooke's law sim in XSLT wins many-a-pint from me.

		Ben