map2img(1)

💖 map2img(1) — bestie edition 💖

okay so real quick, the manual name is map2img and it's section 1, we love a section 1 moment 🫶

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✨ NAME ✨

map2img — create a map image from a mapfile 💅

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🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

map2img -m mapfile [-o image] [-e minx miny maxx maxy] [-s sizex sizey]
        [-l " layer1 [layer2...]"] [-i format] [-all_debug n]
        [-map_debug n] [-layer_debug layername n] [-p n] [-c n] [-d
        layername datavalue]

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🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

map2img creates a map image from a mapfile. no cap, that's the whole thing ✨

Output is either PNG or GIF depending on what version of the GD library is used. which one you get is literally not up to you, it's up to GD, and honestly? slay, let the library decide 💫

This is a useful utility to test your mapfile — like a vibe check for your mapfile fr fr. You can simply provide the path to your mapfile and the name of an output image, and an image should be returned. iconic.

If an image cannot be created, an error will be displayed at the command line that should refer to a line number in the mapfile. so it's not ghosting you, it's telling you exactly which line is acting up 😭 go look at that line.

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💅 OPTIONS 💅

• -m mapfile — Map file to operate on — required. like, mandatory mandatory. no mapfile, no image, periodt 💀
• -i format — Override the IMAGETYPE value to pick output format 👑
• -o image — Output filename (STDOUT if not provided). yes bestie, if you don't say where to put it, it just goes straight to STDOUT 🫶
• -e minx miny maxx maxy — Extents to render 🌈
• -s sizex sizey — Output image size 📐
• -l layers — Layers to enable — make sure they are quoted and space separated if more than one listed. do NOT forget the quotes, that's the whole assignment bestie 😤
• -all_debug n — Set debug level for map and all layers 🔥
• -map_debug n — Set map debug level 🗺️
• -layer_debug layername n — Set layer debug level 🧚
• -c n — Draw map n number of times 🔁
• -p n — Pause for n seconds after reading the map ⏸️
• -d layername datavalue — Change DATA value for layer 💜

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⭐ EXAMPLE ⭐

Example #1 🌸

map2img -m vector_blank.map -o test.png

Result: A file named test.png is created, that you can drag into your browser to view. little baby steps, and they WORKED 💖

Example #2 🎀

map2img -m gmap75.map -o test2.png -map_debug 3

Result: A file named test2.png is created, and layer draw speeds are returned such as:

msDrawRasterLayerLow(bathymetry): entering
msDrawMap(): Layer 0 (bathymetry), 0.601s
msDrawMap(): Layer 3 (drain_fn), 0.200s
msDrawMap(): Layer 4 (drainage), 0.300s
msDrawMap(): Layer 5 (prov_bound), 0.191s
msDrawMap(): Layer 6 (fedlimit), 0.030s
msDrawMap(): Layer 9 (popplace), 0.080s
msDrawMap(): Drawing Label Cache, 0.300s
msDrawMap() total time: 1.702s
msSaveImage() total time: 0.040s

ngl those timestamps are lowkey addictive to stare at 🫠

Example #3 🧚

map2img -m gmap75.map -o test3.png -all_debug 3

Result: A file named test3.png is created, layer draw speeds are returned, and some warnings that index qix files are not found, such as:

msLoadMap(): 0.671s
msDrawRasterLayerLow(bathymetry): entering.
msDrawGDAL(): src=72,417,3077,2308, dst=0,0,400,300
msDrawGDAL(): red,green,blue,alpha bands = 1,0,0,0
msDrawMap(): Layer 0 (bathymetry), 0.090s
msSearchDiskTree(): Search returned no results. Unable to open spatial index
for D:\ms4w\apps\gmap\htdocs/.\../data/drain_fn.qix. In most cases you can
safely ignore this message, otherwise check file names and permissions.
msDrawMap(): Layer 3 (drain_fn), 0.010s
msDrawMap(): Layer 4 (drainage), 0.050s
msSearchDiskTree(): Search returned no results. Unable to open spatial index
for D:\ms4w\apps\gmap\htdocs/.\../data/province.qix. In most cases you can
safely ignore this message, otherwise check file names and permissions.
msDrawMap(): Layer 5 (prov_bound), 0.030s
msSearchDiskTree(): Search returned no results. Unable to open spatial index
for D:\ms4w\apps\gmap\htdocs/.\../data/fedlimit.qix. In most cases you can
safely ignore this message, otherwise check file names and permissions.
msDrawMap(): Layer 6 (fedlimit), 0.010s
msDrawMap(): Layer 9 (popplace), 0.010s
msDrawMap(): Drawing Label Cache, 0.201s
msDrawMap() total time: 0.401s
msSaveImage() total time: 0.010s
map2img total time: 1.082s

bestie those qix warnings are giving "In most cases you can safely ignore this message" energy — it literally says that itself. but if it's not that, check file names and permissions, ok? 🔍

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and that's the whole thing! this page is from 22 August 2026, it's map2img(1), and it ate fr fr. go test that mapfile, main character 💖✨🎀🦋🌸💅🫶👑🌈⭐