[aprssig] Re:All APRS Digipeaters In The World (Almost!) MappedOn UIview

[Robert Bruninga]

>> I recommend that... software that wants to resolve multi-use
>> symbols, should use the originally intended color atributes. 
>> at least draw a different color circle around the symbol if
>> multiple meanings are intended.  Such as the WHITE (or green)
>> circle that both APRSdos and Uiview use around any station
>> symbol that sends out an Igate status packet.  
> 
> Huh??    UIview draws a blue square outline (not a filled 
> box) around an Igate. 

Ah, thanks,  This is great.  That leaves then GREEN for any
station that is also a digipeater no matter what it's symbol is.
IN otherwords, clients can easily indicate multiple use symbols
by simply the circle or square methods used above, which are
independent of the actual SYMBOL.

Sofware can easily tell the Igates from the IGATE packets, they
can tell a digipeating station by its presence in the PATH of
received packets, and they can tell WX by the presence of WX
data.  All of these can be used to modify the display of that
symbol.  The original APRS color attributes for all symbols
(left out of many clients) were:

WHITE is an active station with message capability
GRAY (light) is an active station w/o message capability
BLUE (light) is a WX station
GREEN is a digipeating station
CYAN is a dead-reckoned or moving station
PURPLE is an Object (from somone else)
YELLOW is your own active Object
RED is an alarmed or otherwise special station/object
GRAY (dark) is an inactive station not heard in >80 min
BLUE (dark) is the previous location of a just moved station.
CIRCLE shows position ambiguity (0, .1, 1, 10, 60 miles).
PHG CIRCLE (in the same symbol color) shows the range

In the original APRS, all symbols, whether they are STATIONS or
OBJECTS show these color attributes.  This is exteremly valuable
at looking at the map and at-a-glance and telling what is going
on.  Some systems used simplistic ICONS that ignored this
fundamental part of APRS, and so all ICONS look the same whether
they are 10 days old and meaningless, or are an active,
high-priority object, 30 seconds old.

See: http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/aprs/symbols.html

I think it is easy to add a small colored disk (or square)
around those simplistic ICONs to better convey to the viewers
what the APRS screen is actually displaying without having to
click on all 300 of them to see what the are....

Bob, WB4APR