[GPlates-discuss] importing seed points

[Mark Brandon]

Christian,
Thanks for the back story. I found a different way to accomplish my objective. I am interested in constructing flow lines for various geometric features that already in the GPlates data set. Consider, for example, flow lines for the Juan de Fuca ridge. The approach that seems to work is to select the JdF ridge as a feature, and then to select Edit > Copy Geometry to Digitize Tool. The coordinates will be imported into the New Geometry window on the right. 

At that point, the "imported" geometry can be modified using the various digitize tools. To complete the important, select the New Multipoint Digitize Tool, and then select Create Feature below the New Geometry window on the right. You can select an appropriate feature option at that point. My my task, I select the Flow line option and continue from there...
Best,
Mark 

> On Dec 16, 2018, at 2:00 PM, Christian Heine <chhei at paleoearthlabs.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi Mark,
> 
> Flowlines/seed points are a special kind of a beast - AFAIK you cannot save them in an OGR-type format (SHP, GMT etc) as come with a few special properties which are only available in GMPl (GPlates Markup Language). This is mainly because of the attached time sequence (gpml:times property) is a nested property which is not a trivial feat in the standard GIS format.
> 
> Unless I am not mistaken, you'd have the following options :
> 
> 1) Change the points individually in GPlates - that might be the best way if you have not too many points: Change the initial feature type mapping by selecting the point(s) in question, then ctrl+e to edit, change "feature type" (first line in the window that pops up) to "Flowline" and add a new property (click on 'add property' select gpml:times and adjust as needed)
> 
> 2) Programmatically/manually wrap your point data in the correct GPML syntax for a flowline seed points using a text editor/script. A simple example with one point is attached. It is relatively straightforward but make sure to not break the XML.
> 
> 3) A pyGPlates route would be to simply feed your point geometries to construct a flowline feature: https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/_1ZCCANZvPiRyv8zUG5S_l?domain=gplates.org
> 
> The latter being potentially the fastest way to do this for a larger number of features.
> 
> HTH,
> Christian
> 
> <test_flow.gpml>
>> On 16 Dec 2018, at 15:41, Mark Brandon <mark.brandon at yale.edu> wrote:
>> 
>> I am trying to import a list of seed points for the flow line calculation. I have successfully used of opening a gmt file (lon\tlat\r format, line by line) and that shows up in the list of loaded feature collections. (One can also paste the gmt file into the application with the same result.) But it is not clear to me how to convert this feature into a collection of seed points for the flow line calculation.
>> Best,
>> Mark
>> 
>> _______________________________________________
>> GPlates-discuss mailing list
>> GPlates-discuss at mailman.sydney.edu.au
>> https://mailman.sydney.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/gplates-discuss
>> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> GPlates-discuss mailing list
> GPlates-discuss at mailman.sydney.edu.au
> https://mailman.sydney.edu.au/mailman/listinfo/gplates-discuss