Flags:

-l

List running monitors and exit

-p

Print name of currently selected monitor and exit

-c

Print commands for currently selected monitor and exit

-g

Print path to support files of currently selected monitor and exit

-s

Do not automatically select when starting

-r

Release and stop currently selected monitor and exit

-t

Disable true colors

-u

Open output file in update mode
Requires --overwrite flag

-x

Launch light-weight wx monitor without toolbars and statusbar
Requires ’start=wx0-7’

--overwrite

Allow output files to overwrite existing files

--help

Print usage summary

--verbose

Verbose module output

--quiet

Quiet module output

--ui

Force launching GUI dialog

Parameters:

start=string

Name of monitor to start
Options: wx0, wx1, wx2, wx3, wx4, wx5, wx6, wx7, png, ps, html, cairo

stop=string

Name of monitor to stop
Options: wx0, wx1, wx2, wx3, wx4, wx5, wx6, wx7, png, ps, html, cairo

select=string

Name of monitor to select
Options: wx0, wx1, wx2, wx3, wx4, wx5, wx6, wx7, png, ps, html, cairo

width=value

Width for display monitor if not set by GRASS_RENDER_WIDTH
Default value: 720

height=value

Height for display monitor if not set by GRASS_RENDER_HEIGHT
Default value: 480

resolution=value

Dimensions of display monitor versus current size
Example: resolution=2 enlarge display monitor twice to 1280x960

bgcolor=name

Background color
Either a standard color name, R:G:B triplet, or "none"
Default: white

output=name

Name for output file (when starting new monitor)
Ignored for ’wx’ monitors

Starting a monitor

In order to display on-screen GRASS graphics, the user must start and select a graphics monitor. By default, the start command actually runs two commands, to both start and select whatever monitor is named by the user. The user can get a list of running monitors by setting the -l flag on the command line. Note that some monitor drivers use environment variables or the specific driver documentation.

When a monitor is started, it is therefore also (automatically) selected for output, unless the -s flag is set by the user; the user can also explicitly select a monitor that has been started.

The desired monitor should be started once and need not be restarted unless it is stopped for some reason. A monitor may continue to run for any length of time, even when no GRASS session is being run.

Stopping a monitor

A graphics monitor has two different types of status: monitor program not running, and monitor running. A monitor that has been started and/or selected will be listed as running; a monitor that has been stopped (or not started) will be listed as not running. The -l flag will list all currently running monitors.

Selecting a monitor

When the user starts a monitor, it is also (automatically) selected for graphics output unless the user sets the -s flag. In order to use (direct graphics output to) a monitor, the user must select that monitor for use, either by simply starting the monitor without the -s flag or by explicitly selecting the monitor for output. Only running monitors can be selected for graphics output.

The user can run multiple graphics monitors by simply starting each of the graphics monitors the user wishes to direct output to.

Releasing (unselecting) a monitor

Currently selected a monitor can be released by -r flag.

wx0 monitor

To start the interactive wxGUI map display, run

d.mon start=wx0

Figure: The initialization of display monitor wx0 All subsequently displayed data will be rendered on monitor wx0.

g.region raster=elevation -p
d.rast map=elevation

Figure: The display wx0 showing an elevation raster map

CAIRO file renderer monitor

A CAIRO monitor can be started (and selected) by

d.mon start=cairo output=out.pdf

From this moment on all displayed data will be rendered into file output.pdf.

List running monitors

To list the currently running monitors, use

d.mon -l
List of running monitors:
wx0
cairo

Show currently selected monitor

To identify the currently selected monitor, use

d.mon -p
cairo

Switching between monitors

To switch back to interactive display mode, here to an earlier started and still running wxGUI monitor, use

d.mon select=wx0

Stopping a monitor

To close the wxGUI monitor, run

d.mon stop=wx0