[ANNOUNCEMENT] Fins 0.1.0 released (aka ChartTransformer)

[Luca Morandini <lu...@tin.it>]

Folks,

we are pleased to introduce you the FINS Project (aka ChartTransformer).

The aim of this project is to equip the Cocoon community with a set of
sitemap components able to generate professional charts in different formats
(SVG, PNG, JPEG) using the JFreeChart library.
The long-term goal is the implementation of all the chart types contained in
that library.

The project home page, kindly hosted by CocoonDev, can be found at: http://www.cocoondev.org/projects/fins.html

The first release is the 0.1.0, which adds a number of significant improvement over ChartTransformer:
1) New chart types: time series, XY
2) Improved performance: you can now use a serializer to gain 5x-10x performance improvements for your raster charts
3) Some cosmetics: background images
4) Logarithmic Y axis and moving averages on time series
5) More samples

On the con side, the XML schema for input documents has changed... we're sorry, but this move was necessary to accomodate those new
chart types.

Enjoy !

The Fins team.

P.S.
On a personal note, let me remember you that, on my 30 Jan 2003 message (to cocoon-dev), I promised to do some things... here's
their status:

1) Bring the JFreeChartTransformer (aka ChartTransformer) under the aegis of
CocoonDev.
DONE.

2) Start collaborating with the Wings project on a common XML schema for charts,
hence letting the user choose which transformer suits him/her best
NOT DONE: unfortunately me and the Wings team weren't able, so far, to converge on a common schema.

3) Setup a new Cocoon-GIS sub-project in CocoonDev
DONE... though it is almost empty: me and David Crossley will work on it during the next few weeks.

4) Donate, to the prospective Cocoon-GIS project (see 3), a transformer to connect
Cocoon with ArcIMS, a proprietary web-mapping package
NOT DONE YET: see point 3

I plan to complete the deliver of points 3 and 4 in a few weeks... hopefully :|

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               Luca Morandini
               GIS Consultant
              lmorandini@ieee.org
http://utenti.tripod.it/lmorandini/index.html
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