ALTERNATIVE WAY TO USE OPENCPN

[sinbad7]

I don't know why,but one of the moderators seemed fit to remove a new posting I made today,showing how OpenCPN,(this IS an OpenCPN thread?) can also be used to navigate street maps when the intrepid sailor is on his way to his favourite mooring place.

Just change from a boat icon to a car icon and use Google Map.

Tore

[sailias]

Thanks sinbad thats pretty cool. What are the steps to get there?

/ch

[sinbad7]

sailias..

I don't have a GPS Navigator in my car,and frequently got lost while driving in the megacity of Sao Paulo. I thought,Hey... why not use OCPN,create appropriate maps from Google Maps and convert to .kap suitable for OCPN. I also easily found a suitable car icon with a view from above,converted with GIMP II and added to the UserIcons directory. I also purchased a cheap Dlrs 40.- puck type GPS with USB.

In order to capture a road map of adequate size,I used the free NoniMap View program where you have a selection of different map formats and can create outsize maps in great detail. After the map is ready built and saved,make a note of the map co-ordinates displayed at the top left of the NoniMap screen. It shows the geo locs of the Top left and Bottom right of the created map.

Use free MapCal II to create the CHARTCAL.DIR calibration file,having first prepared the .jpg map in GimpII to 127 col. and save to your GE2KAP directory as a .png file.
The rest is done by GE2KAP by entering the name of the .kap file,making sure that the CHARTCAL.DIR file is also present in the same directory. After processing in GE2KAP you will have a .kap map of your selected area which you save to the OCPN map area. You also have to alter the name of your car.xpm file to ownship.xpm and re-set OCPN.
Then jump backwards through four burning hoops and you should be ready! he he...

Tore

[yoruk]

Hello
Very funny! All that is missing traffic signs
You can try the Waypoint with hypertext links in OpenCPN

see this link
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...nts-73120.html

Michel

[cagney]

For Linux, other *nix and mac, just use gpsdrive.
Built in free downloads etc.
Why reinvent the wheel?
Thomas

[sinbad7]

yoruk..

Can't see what is so funny about it when you are driving in one of the largest cities in the world. But then again the Turks probably drive more off the road than on it!

Just killing two birds with one stone as it were!

Tore