Hi Bruce,

Here is my re-defined p_station code that now works. For each station that you want to print the text for, set attr print "true" in the th2 file as I illustrated in my earlier email. If you want to turn off printing you can set the text to "false". This works for any station, no matter what its subtype or flags that are set. The code is as follows:

layout l_p_station_text
code metapost
def p_station(expr pos,mark,txt)(text flags) =

   % draw default station
   p_station_SKBB(pos, mark, txt, flags);

   % now print the text
   if picture(txt):
      picture ATTR__text;
      ATTR__text := txt;

      if known(ATTR_print):
        if (ATTR_print="true"):
            if not numeric txt:
                 p_smartlabel(txt,pos);
            else:
                 % draw filled label with text next
                 p_label.urt(ATTR__text,(.5u,-.25u) transformed T,0.0,8);
            fi;
        fi;
      fi;
      save ATTR__text;
    fi;

enddef;
endcode
endlayout

From: therion-bounces@speleo.sk [mailto:therion-bounces@speleo.sk] On Behalf Of Ben Cooper
Sent: 01 December 2011 19:56
To: 'List for Therion users'
Subject: Re: [Therion] symbol-show fixed points / point text

Hi Bruce,

I've solved the problem - obvious really - I need to use p_station, not p_station_SKBB. I'll send the example through later - I need to copy it off another computer.

Regards,

- Ben

From: therion-bounces@speleo.sk [mailto:therion-bounces@speleo.sk] On Behalf Of Ben Cooper
Sent: 30 November 2011 22:35
To: 'List for Therion users'
Subject: Re: [Therion] symbol-show fixed points / point text

Hi Bruce,

You beat me to it! I've spent the last few days learning metapost and rummaging around the bowels of the Therion's source code and have more or less got to what you have summarised below. I also spotted the smartlabel, though haven't yet tried it in the re-definition of p_continuation.

I surmise that stations with fixed co-ordinates are not exported by Therion in any detectable way; while the th2 mark "fixed" is exported as "mark", and the th2 flags are exported as "flags". The items that are exported are accessible in metapost.  In the debug output data.mp file, I saw that "attr code" is exported by Therion as ATTR_code, where "code" is whatever attr has been declated in the th2 file. Note that it only has one "_" whereas ATTR__text has two "_".   So one thing I tried that did work is to print the value of my user define attr statements instead of the text, which is potentially quite useful, as I can display a short code, and use continuation.html for the longer description. However, this still relies on having the "continuation" flag set.

I used the following re-definition of p_continuation using ATTR_code instead of the example's ATTR__text, as follows

**THE FOLLOWING WORKS**

code metapost
  def p_continuation(expr pos,theta,sc,al) =
   % draw default continuation symbol
   p_continuation_UIS(pos,theta,sc,al);

   % if attr code is set
   if known(ATTR_code):

    % set labeling color to light orange
    push_label_fill_color(1.0, 0.9, 0.8);

    % draw filled label with text next to ?
    p_label.urt(ATTR_code,(.5u,-.25u) transformed T,0.0,8);

    % restore original labeling color
    pop_label_fill_color;
   fi;
  enddef;
endcode

Looking at p_station_SKBB, the problem you and I are facing is that it's only for the "continuation" flags that ATTR__text has been set.  It occurred to me that if it was possible to refedine p_station_SKBB in the thconfig file, then it would be possible to output ATTR__text if an "attr code" has been declared in the th2 file.

For example, th2 file:-

station 1 "Some text to output" entrance attr print "true"

My example p_station_SKBB is below. Unfortunately, I've so far not managed to see it being executed. I can see it appear in the data.mp debug file, but the changes I've made to it don't appear to work - the text is not yet being output to my pdf file. Also, I don't understand yet the purpose of the metapost "save" command, and the manual doesn't really shed much light on it! So it's possible that I've just not yet properly understood metapost syntax.