It was proposed in 2017 in https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/Proposals_for_removing_features#Image_maps so I'm opening this ticket to discuss about it, Thoughts ?
The question there in the wiki reads: > anyone seen an image map "in the MAP-CERN, MAP-NCSA or SIP StarView ImageMap > file format" on the web in the last 10 years or so? I do not understand this question. The "format" is how the URL is generated; meaning, when you click on a specific point on an image, there may be one of two different URL formats that the click will try to open. It seems to me, that the question asks something like "anyone seen Google Maps on the web in the last 10 years or so?"
(In reply to Mike Kaganski from comment #1) > I do not understand this question. The "format" is how the URL is generated; > meaning, when you click on a specific point on an image, there may be one of > two different URL formats that the click will try to open. > > It seems to me, that the question asks something like "anyone seen Google > Maps on the web in the last 10 years or so?" I think he refers to the file formats that describe the regions of an image which maps to a certain URL and you can open those in the LO's image map dialog. see: https://help.libreoffice.org/latest/en-GB/text/shared/01/02220000.html?&DbPAR=Calc&System=UNIX I'm all for removing, but it probably has implications, like what this means for ODF support of image maps.
STR: Insert some image in Writer, open the dialog via Tools > ImageMap. The saved map contains just the defined hotspot. I don't see how this could work at all; compared to placing a (transparent) shape over the image with the hyperlink. Why would anyone need to save this image map with LibreOffice? StarLink probably refers to the project closed down in 2005. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink_Project A couple of tickets claim issues around ImageMap indicating a bit interest in the function. +0.5 to remove; we could also do a poll on social media.
I think, save to SIP format is not needed. That is a binary format specific to StarOffice. If someone needs it, he should work with the old StarOffice directly. The NCSA format is useful. It gives the user the values needed for the attributes of the <area> element in HTML and XHTML. I don't know in what context the CERN format is used. A real deficit is, that export to HTML or XHTML do not generate an image map. The image map feature itself needs to stay because it belongs to ODF. As long as LibreOffice does not properly support the <a> element on images in Draw, you need the image map feature at least in Draw. I'm against removing the image map feature.
(In reply to Heiko Tietze from comment #3) > STR: Insert some image in Writer, open the dialog via Tools > ImageMap. > > The saved map contains just the defined hotspot. I don't see how this could > work at all; compared to placing a (transparent) shape over the image with > the hyperlink. Why would anyone need to save this image map with LibreOffice? Obviously you would save and load that to keep the areas preserved as they aren't saved with the image, but anyway it's not only the save/load ability that we are talking about. The work-around / hack with shapes is a pain to work with as you have to deal with shapes you don't see in the document. The shapes also need to be 99% transparent, because a 100% transparent shape has no hit-points. > StarLink probably refers to the project closed down in 2005. > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starlink_Project ??? It's StarView ImageMap - StarView as StarOffice
We discussed the topic in the design meeting. The feature is badly implemented and obviously not maintained. The image map can be applied to any image and is effective. But that's not clearly transparent - the hyperlink becomes active when hovering with ctrl being pressed, it is editable - the saved map seems not to be relevant for the image, and has a very dated look and feel. The need to use image maps is questionable, yet defined by ODF. But alternative solutions such as a transparent shape on top don't work with 100% transparency. As a compromise to removing the whole feature we could just remove the command from menu/toolbar. Users who need it would have to customize it back. Code pointer: https://opengrok.libreoffice.org/search?project=core&full=%22uno%3AImageMapDialog%22 => *.xml and *.ui
I'm against removing the feature, but hiding it from the default UI is fine for me. Please don't forget to mention in the release notes, how the feature can manually be added to the UI.