[comp.windows.x] Wishing for Data Display Map Widget

burow@cernvax.cern.ch (burkhard burow) (11/20/90)

I'm looking for a widget that supports something similar to the features
described below. I think the idea is generic enough that it might actually
exist. All [mail please] hints, comments, redirections are welcome and I'm
willing to mail a summary to those who dare to ask.

thanks
tschuss               INTERNET:  burow%13313.hepnet@csa3.lbl.gov
burkhard                DECNET:  13313::burow
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DATA DISPLAY MAP WIDGET
-----------------------

The basic idea:
The work space contains a 2D map which contains nonoverlapping fixed position 
cells. For a single variable across all cells, each cell can display its value
using color/grey scale, a text field, etc.

What's it good for: 
The widget is used to display info. for n items of a single type where each
item can easily be distinguished/identified/referred to by its position in the
map. The examples I can think of are all presentations of physical objects 
with a 2D face which contain a discrete number of cells.
e.g. The shape of each cell is often ugly, but the idea's clear when presenting
information on geographical maps.
e.g. A keyboard map.
e.g. Measurement devices with a very grainy measuring surface, where
nevertheless each 'grain' measures or depends on many parameters.

Bells and whistles:
-zooming in on a subset of the cells
-unselecting some of the cells, i.e. easily ignore cells you don't care about
-labelling each cell
-displaying multiple variables simultaneously using split cells, or color scale
 and a text field(s)
-interactive mechanism to define shape and position of cells
-ability to 'refresh' values in cells
-ability to select variable displayed
-COMPLICATED: The system I'm building will display the data for items
which can be represented by several different 'cell-maps'. I'd like to display
the same data for these items in different cell-maps simultaneously.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------