Mapper currently has no user documentation other than what you read here, as I wrote it for my own purposes. However, I'm willing to help anyone who wants to know more. Contact me for more information.
Mapper is a program for calculating coordinates of places from measurements. The output can be used to generate plans and maps. Mapper, or a similar program, could have other uses. For example, it could be used to precisely locate someone, given several pieces of inaccurate location data.
Measurements may be in terms of the distances between places, bearings of one place from another, and relative bearings of two places from a third place. The program can also take information traced from existing plans and maps.
The program takes into account the inaccuracy of the measurements, so it is reasonably robust when given inaccurate or incorrect measurements.
Mapper is a Unix program. I supply Mapper in source code form, so someone must compile it before you can use it. See the build instructions, for more information about doing so. To use Mapper in anyway you must conform to the conditions of its licence.
Mapper reads a file that gives the measurement information. This file can also include hints to Mapper, so it is easier for the program to calculate the point positions. This input file is in XML format. Mapper writes its results to standard output. This output is in the same XML format. In effect, Mapper transforms a file having incomplete or inaccurate position information (incomplete or inaccurate because it does not have the correct coordinates of places) to a file having complete information, with the inaccuracy minimised.
Mapper writes error messages to standard error output.
Mapper also has some command-line options for controlling its behaviour. For information about the command-line options for Mapper, refer to its Unix manual page.
This documentation is still being written,
and is therefore incomplete.
$Revision: 6.12 $
$Date: 2002/07/10 21:52:49 $