Undefined rendering behavior with multiple mid symbols in dash break

[dg0yt]

Crashing in debug builds:

Use ISOM 2017-2 symbol 517 Ruined fence,
change Mid symbols settings to Center of gaps, 3 mid symbols per spot and increase mid symbol distance.
The symbol editor will crash Mapper while increasing to 0.xx mm.
ASSERT: "p >= 0.0f" in file path_coord.cpp, line 471

Originally posted by @dl3sdo in https://github.com/OpenOrienteering/mapper/issues/2099#issuecomment-2611068947

[dg0yt]

• assert is inactive in release builds.
• SplitPathCoord::at(length_type len, SplitPathCoord first) is defined to search from first. It is not defined what should happen when len is negative, before first, or after the end.

[dg0yt]

Summary:

• Everything is fine when all n symbols fit into the gap, i.e. (n-1) x symbol_distance <= gap_length. 🎉
  • The row of symbols is centered around the middle of the gap.
• Unlike dash length, gap length doesn't vary. 🎉
• Unlike dash length, distance of symbols doesn't vary. 🎉
• Rendering may be unexpected when the length needed to place the symbols exceeds the length of the gap.
  • Placing of symbols depends on user-defined points.
  • Placing of symbols depends on internal representations of curved paths.
  • Placing of symbols may vary for straight vs. curved paths.
  • The (visible) number of symbols may be less than the defined number of symbols.
  • Some symbols may appear in unexpected locations (still on the path, but breaking the equal spacing).
  • Debug builds may hit an assert.
    Which is a good thing. This assert is meant to point out that implemented behavior is undefined and that input to that function must be improved.

Suggestion:

• Place symbols with fixed distance.
• Always center around middle of gap.
• Only drop symbols which are outside of the total path.

[dl3sdo]

I thought about whether it makes sense to either inhibit or indicate in the line symbol editor a combination of number of mid symbols and their distance which exceeds the gap, however:

• most users just use provided symbols sets
• users editing a symbol set should know what they do and they will immediately see the result
• Mapper will not crash

Therefore I'm fine with your proposal, Kai.

[dg0yt]

Test file: 2324.zip

[elektronisk]

I've hit this assertion also in a dev build of master 69da0d02. It occurs when I scale the following isolated railway line down to about 25% of original size. The file originates from an OCAD file, but has been stripped of other junk in process of isolating the cause of the assertion failure. File is attached.

railway-symbol-scale-assertion.zip

[dg0yt]

#2325 (merged) is one change for this issue. https://github.com/OpenOrienteering/mapper/pull/2331 is another relevant PR but I don't want to merge without more testing. (It refers to #2325 but I think it was meant to refer to #2324.) The assertion is only enabled in debug builds.