Spice up your map. In Smallworld there are limited ways to draw the users attention to something on the map. You can select or highlight a feature to stand out in the crowd.
Another way to do this is by using animation. Smallworld has no core support for map animations, but it can surely be build.
Attached is a module that will provide some basic tools to create map animations.
click here to download an MP4 of the animation. You will see the animations, you will also see that they do not interfere with the trail and that they can handle map refreshes and zooming and panning.
The key component is the map_animator. It can be fed animator objects that know how to render themselves. I have build a blinking and moving animation as an example. The animator itself uses the Command Pattern to stop, start, add and remove animations.
Download the module here. Load it in an open 4.3 Cambridge application. Open the professional application and zoom to the "Roseford Road".
type on the prompt: a « mapani:animate(). That will start up 4 animations. The code for the proc is in the file test.magik.
The code is by no means ready for production use, but I think the tough part is done.
have fun!
