Google Earth to BSB / KAP

[denverd0n]

Obscure and painful? You download the file, and you run it. I just installed the latest version on a new machine of mine a few days ago. It could hardly be any easier.

The program is written in Rexx, which is a rather little-used programming language. I guess it would not be incorrect to say that Rexx is a bit obscure. But the latest version of Paul's software will download and install it for you, if you don't already have it on your machine.

Frankly, I find ge2kap to be an extremely useful, and easy to use, bit of software. Sent Paul a donation for his efforts just the other day and I would strongly suggest that others who use it do the same. It is certainly worth a few dollars.

[waskaran]

Originally Posted by phiggins

NEW version of GE2KAP

I have just uploaded a new version of GE2KAP and would appreciate if someone could test it. Its available here:

Index of /Downloads

then download: GE2KAP.V10.0.6.4.exe

Use the whole link, do NOT go to the Downloads page of my website.

This version corrects two problems:

1. If you create a chart from a calibrated BMP, the BMP could be deleted by GE2KAP.



2. If you have an old version of GE2KAP it will try to use the options from it. If it uses the old options so you don't have to enter the language, the location of the charts created, or any of the rest of the options

Click on "Binary Releases ...No such thing exists !

[waskaran]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

Obscure and painful? You download the file, and you run it. I just installed the latest version on a new machine of mine a few days ago. It could hardly be any easier.

The program is written in Rexx, which is a rather little-used programming language. I guess it would not be incorrect to say that Rexx is a bit obscure. But the latest version of Paul's software will download and install it for you, if you don't already have it on your machine.

Frankly, I find ge2kap to be an extremely useful, and easy to use, bit of software. Sent Paul a donation for his efforts just the other day and I would strongly suggest that others who use it do the same. It is certainly worth a few dollars.

It is useful if you already know about it all if not it is totally obscure since what is mentionned is not what happens when you download . No pzip, no password, no binary release. It must be totally out of date or very badly explained jumping stages which is not adecuate for beginners .

[nohal]

waskaran...
Frankly, I'm probably not the only one who does not know what you talk about, it takes exactly 2 clicks to download GE2KAP - one on DownloadÂ* and second on the installer download link http://gdayii.ca/Downloads/GE2KAP.V11.0.0.0.exe

Pavel

[denverd0n]

No offense intended, honestly, but if you are so much of a beginner that you cannot get ge2kap installed, then you should probably just stick to commercial software--which you pay for--that comes with telephone technical support available.

[waskaran]

Originally Posted by phiggins

I already mentioned this in the OpenCPN thread but thought I would post it here as well.

I have a program that will convert a Google earth picture directly to a BSB/KAP chart without you having to enter any calibration data. I get the necessary calibration data directly from Google earth using its ActiveX API.

This comes in very handy creating charts where the official charts are not great or don't exist.

Will leave it up to you on how to interpret the Google Earth license.

The program is attached. If you want to try it, download it to a directory where you want to create the KAP charts and rename it to GE2KAP.REX (drop the .DOC).

PreReqs: To run this program you need the following prereqs:

1. This program is written in REXX programming language and uses the
oorexx interpreter. The lastest version of oorexx can be dowloaded from:
Open Object Rexx
please install V4.0.1 or higher: ooRexx4.0.1.i586.exe (32bit)

2. Convert.exe from Imagemagick download at:
ImageMagick: Downloads

- Click on "Binary Releases .... Windows" on left side of screen then ..

install: ImageMagick-6.6.3-0-Q16-windows-dll.exe

- After installing copy the convert.exe from the installation
directory ( usually C:\Program Files\ImageMagick-6.6.1-Q16) to the
directory where you want to create the KAP files.

3. tif2bsb.exe which can be downloaded at:
Browse libbsb - read/write/convert BSB images Files on SourceForge.net

- After installing copy the tif2bsb.exe from the installation directory
(usually: C:\libbsb-0.0.3-win32\libbsb-0.0.3) to the the directory where you want to create the KAP files.

4. You must have Google Earth V5.1 or higher which can be download from:

Download Google Earth

5. and... this only runs on Windows (XP,Vista, Windows 7).

After installing all prereqs, put this program, convert.exe and tif2bsb.exe
in the folder that the KAP file will be built and then run by double clicking on GE2KAP.rex.

Follow the instructions to create a KAP file.

Note:
If you are running on Vista (and maybe Windows 7) be sure the folder that you run GE2KAP in has the necessary permission to allow Users Full Control.

If you run into any errors that are not obvious, please send me the GE2KAP.LOG
my email is phiggins()gmn-usa.com (replace the () with an @)

All this jibe does not make any sense unless you already know all about it!

[waskaran]

Originally Posted by waskaran

All this jibe does not make any sense unless you already know all about it!

There is a mention of a zip file which is not what you indicate let alone a pasword to mark . They are .exe.
So I do nàt mind if you think I am an idiot but when one pretends to be a genius of some app one needs to be coherent and accurate. As I mentioned before the whole process is unclear Need to download several things and when you start, you do not get what you are supposed to. The problem is that people who write these things do not think about beginners. That is why Bill Gates is rich and mr Higgins is not . I teach for a living and do not assume anything. I make sure my rethoric is foolproof .
YOUR TWO LINKS LEAD TO THE SAME THING ;

[nohal]

waskaran...
Did you actually bother taking into account that some things could have had changed in the 4 years since Paul started this thread? That's why it has 61 pages today and most of the people at least read the new posts before they start being pissed off...

Pavel

[waskaran]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

No offense intended, honestly, but if you are so much of a beginner that you cannot get ge2kap installed, then you should probably just stick to commercial software--which you pay for--that comes with telephone technical support available.

Well, no offense intended! Did yyour mother telll you the same thing when you tried to walk for the first, time like stick to crawling? I hope nobody will tell you:
It's so easy to sail without a gps , a sextant is so easy and there is no problem using it . Before you insult people you should know whom you are talking to!
The computer age produced quite a lot of arrogant and spiteful so called sailors who would never have been on the water if gps had not been invented.
It's not always like it says on the tin. It does not execute rexx for me : execution failure. and I can read and write tank you. I am surely not the only one but probably the only one to try and find out why. Some people have problems with windows 8 , I never had any ! so you see, everybody has different problems.In life , especially at sea, everybody needs everybody, at least that is the type of values I have been taught when I satrted 60 years ago . I always sail single handed, built my own boat ( did not buy it new or used ) done quite a few miles and always share to the last drop, the little bit of knowledge I accumuated and would never dare to make such arrogant remarks to anybody.As far as buying commercial software, it is another spiteful remark. I would not like to be a guest on your yacht, Master !

Have a good day...

[denverd0n]

Wow. A guy puts together a nice piece of software, offers it for free to anyone who would like to use it, and you get all pissy about it because it doesn't work as easily as you think it should (though no one else seems to have a problem with it). In America we have a phrase for this. We say that you are "looking a gift horse in the mouth."

See, when you buy a horse you check its teeth, to get a rough gauge of its age and health. When you're paying for a horse you have a right to know these things and to complain if the horse isn't as young and healthy as you were told it was. When the horse is a gift, though, the polite thing to do is to accept it, say "thank you," and go along your way. If it turns out to be old and ill... Well, you didn't pay anything for it anyway, so you really don't have anything to complain about.

It is very poor form to look a gift horse in the mouth. Very poor form indeed.

[waskaran]

Originally Posted by waskaran

Well, no offense intended! Did yyour mother telll you the same thing when you tried to walk for the first, time like stick to crawling? I hope nobody will tell you:
It's so easy to sail without a gps , a sextant is so easy and there is no problem using it . Before you insult people you should know whom you are talking to!
The computer age produced quite a lot of arrogant and spiteful so called sailors who would never have been on the water if gps had not been invented.
It's not always like it says on the tin. It does not execute rexx for me : execution failure. and I can read and write tank you. I am surely not the only one but probably the only one to try and find out why. Some people have problems with windows 8 , I never had any ! so you see, everybody has different problems.In life , especially at sea, everybody needs everybody, at least that is the type of values I have been taught when I satrted 60 years ago . I always sail single handed, built my own boat ( did not buy it new or used ) done quite a few miles and always share to the last drop, the little bit of knowledge I accumuated and would never dare to make such arrogant remarks to anybody.As far as buying commercial software, it is another spiteful remark. I would not like to be a guest on your yacht, Master !

Have a good day...

Your arrogance knows no limits. Now you come with your America line. I will not respond to that because I do not see any country better than other. People are the same everywhere.What I am just saying is that I had several replies and none of them mentioned any solution . It was just a mouth diarrhea about some program which is so simple that they fianlly paid for it . I ALWAYS donate for things like that and I am not american, I do not earn en dollars but en weak currency. what I am saying is that it does not function and I do not see what more I can do. I mentionned what was wrong but nobody oddffered a solution.
As I said Mr know it all, I hope you will never need anybody on your yacht and if you do, I hope that nobody will tell you, well you bought a bad boat, needed to look before you get on board.
Your story about the horse is not relevant since I did not buy and try , I tried and there is an issue which I cannot resolve on my own.
The fact that you are american is also irrelevant but I am not surprised that you mention it. You probably think it is a certificate of good human behaviour .
Fortunately , having worked in the U.S quite a while, I know that few americans would dish out such non sense. Think you are a poet as well?
Come on, a bit of humility wil do you some good. Ever thought about therapy?

[nohal]

Originally Posted by waskaran

can do. I mentionned what was wrong but nobody oddffered a solution.

waskaran...
You should really take a deep breath and help the people help you instead of insulting everybody around if you expect to receive such a thing as advice.

What is exactly wrong with downloading the GE2KAP 11 installer released a few days ago and why do you keep referencing a 4 years old post as causing a "problem" now is a bit hard to understand, really.

The installer does not need any password, you download it, you run it, it guides you through the process, you are done. Simple as that.

Pavel

[waskaran]

Originally Posted by denverd0n

Wow. A guy puts together a nice piece of software, offers it for free to anyone who would like to use it, and you get all pissy about it because it doesn't work as easily as you think it should (though no one else seems to have a problem with it). In America we have a phrase for this. We say that you are "looking a gift horse in the mouth."

See, when you buy a horse you check its teeth, to get a rough gauge of its age and health. When you're paying for a horse you have a right to know these things and to complain if the horse isn't as young and healthy as you were told it was. When the horse is a gift, though, the polite thing to do is to accept it, say "thank you," and go along your way. If it turns out to be old and ill... Well, you didn't pay anything for it anyway, so you really don't have anything to complain about.

It is very poor form to look a gift horse in the mouth. Very poor form indeed.

I mentioned in another post that I get a message: orexx cannot execute. Now, I understand that orexx does not need to be installed anymore but it says cannot execute when I install G2KAP. I mentioned that most answers do tell me to download another version, released a few days ago, which I done already but this notice comes up and that is that . How to continue . Surely I am not the only one to have had this problem.Surely the person who has made it knows about it. I installed maxsea on many boats without problems for instance I read that some people have problems, due certainly to a bad or damaged cracked version.I did not insult any body but when some upperlip bored citizen putting forward his nationality, tells me a tale about horses I have to respond. I am sure you would do the same.
Anyway I respond to posts on other sites puting myself in the mind of the other. It has to do with compassion and humanity. Responding without even reading all that I wrote is useless.
I see you are a senior cruiser, is it for the age or the experience?. In both cases it sounds that sailing is a limited company in your part of the world.

Regards

[nohal]

Well...
It should be enough to read the whole text of what the installer tells you - It says oorex can't be found and asks if you want to download it. The obvious answer is "Yes". At least it's what it asked me. And yes, there's a "glitch" - after the oorex installer is downloaded, you have to run it. Should not be that hard to figure out, I would say. Answer yes to everything it asks.

And believe me, it really is a bit hard to distinguish the information about your problem from personal insults in your posts. But maybe it's just my poor English or brain damaged by living in poor unstable countries my whole life. Or whatever else, who cares?

Pavel

[waskaran]

Originally Posted by nohal

waskaran...
You should really take a deep breath and help the people help you instead of insulting everybody around if you expect to receive such a thing as advice.

What is exactly wrong with downloading the GE2KAP 11 installer released a few days ago and why do you keep referencing a 4 years old post as causing a "problem" now is a bit hard to understand, really.

The installer does not need any password, you download it, you run it, it guides you through the process, you are done. Simple as that.

Pavel

Thank you for your answer. I did download oorexx and installed it . What is supposed to happen next?
I suppose if you already seen it it is easier, but in my case, I have G2KAP on the taskbar and oorex installed but how do you actually get to see google earth on your maps.I have it installed already. If the 4 year old thread is not valid where is the updated procedure?
As far as your entire life in poor unstable countries, I been to Afghanistan in 75, Iran,south Africa( not big cities)Brasil etc...I live in Argentina since 2007 and as an example of caos , poverty and corruption, it is only second to Venezuela on this continent!It is not an issue. It is rather enlightening and educational.
Thank you

Patrick