Feature Requests

[hellosailor]

"I think it needs just an option for how much time to keep nmea messages,"
Why not treat this the same way that dash camera software does it? Pick a size for the message buffer, i.e. one kb, ten kb, 50kb, one mb, whatever the coding will allow for easy choices. Then write the data to the buffer in segments, and when it is full, overwrite the data segment by segment.
So you write 1-2-3-4-5, then start over by wiping #1 and writing it with new data, in a constant loop. The caps the size that the entire buffer can use, and also ensures the data is held for as long as the operator might want.
Should be fairly "plug-n-play" as a code module, perhaps there's already open source coding out there to do that?

[TomasJura]

I made two small improvements.

1.Support a datum shift for PLY points in BSB maps.
http://mujweb.cz/t.jura/CroatianNaut...Y-points.patch

2.Show a datum adjustment for maps.
http://mujweb.cz/t.jura/CroatianNaut...map-info.patch

Both tested during the last two years. Will you include them.

Thanks

T.

[rgleason]

VDR optional second adjustible time recording file. Make VDR so it will record the last 5,10, 15, 30 minutes etc to a second file overwriting older data. Also permit VDR to have the current continuous recording file at same time. (Optional as well).
Would like better controls similar to Grib controls.

Rhythm Dr. Idea for an adjustible cache or file

Sent from my SCH-I545 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[Hillian Fellers]

Hi,

Would it be possible, when parsing NMEA sentences over TCP, that OpenCPN accepts both <CR><LF> and <LF> as valid end-of-line markers (or offers the choice as an option)?

Or please suggest me a way for my case: I'm trying to get my GPS position from my phone (Samsung Galaxy S3, Android) and don't have Bluetooth capability on the PC where I run OpenCPN. So I tried Androids apps (such as BluNMEA), but they generate NMEA sentences with only <LF> as end-of-line markers - fine for Unix ou iOs, but not for Windows.

Thanks and regards

[bcn]

You might want to register this at the bug tracker as a request.
Might get lost here...

[sparticle]

Custom NMEA sentence processing.

Is it possible to have OpenCPN process custom NMEA sentences (one we define for our own purposes). We are looking at using low cost, low power sensors talking to our sensor controller and creating custom NMEA sentences with ship data that we may want to display in OpenCPN as dashboard items and publish on the network.

Cheers
Spart

[bcn]

Spart,

I would encourage you to have look for SignalK. Open for your purposes and already with glass bridge concepts.

Creating proprietary NMEA sentences does not feel correct for me. The standard is not under your control. Of course you can patch OCPN to create your own branch with the specific NMEA sentences but will this be efficient?

Hubert

[sparticle]

Originally Posted by bcn

Spart,

I would encourage you to have look for SignalK. Open for your purposes and already with glass bridge concepts.

Creating proprietary NMEA sentences does not feel correct for me. The standard is not under your control. Of course you can patch OCPN to create your own branch with the specific NMEA sentences but will this be efficient?

Hubert

Interesting link.
Long live the revolution baby

Spart

[Neptune's Gear]

Any chance of adding AIS buddy list functions - without the complication of a GPSGate Buddy server setup? So you can have a different Icon for your buddy list, and perhaps the ability not to cause AIS alarms for those vessels proximity ? perhaps by an option to deal with those MMSI numbers differently, similar to the SART one there now?

[nohal]

Originally Posted by sparticle

Custom NMEA sentence processing.

Is it possible to have OpenCPN process custom NMEA sentences (one we define for our own purposes). We are looking at using low cost, low power sensors talking to our sensor controller and creating custom NMEA sentences with ship data that we may want to display in OpenCPN as dashboard items and publish on the network.

Cheers
Spart

Spart...
There certainly are possibilities, which one is usable depends on your particular application.
NMEA 0183 standard allows extension by vendor custom sentences, although after the decades of it's existence, there are exactly 7 of them we know about (https://github.com/mariokonrad/marna...tence.hpp#L137)
For your case you have basically 4 options (ordered by the amount of work involved):
- Abuse an existing sentence you otherwise don't use and OpenCPN can handle (fastest and easiest if you are building a one-of system and all you want is it "somehow" works on OpenCPN /or anything else not offering any customization at all/, but of course very, very, dirty)
- Create your unofficial vendor extension to NMEA0183 and use the NMEAConverter plugin to abuse an existing sentence inside OpenCPN (won't need you to change the sentence once millions will love your gadget and you will certify it with NMEA, otherwise pretty much the same as above)
- Create your unofficial vendor extension to NMEA0183 and implement it in OpenCPN's dashboard.
- Create your unofficial vendor extension to NMEA0183 and implement a universal, configurable, instrument for OpenCPN's dashboard (This sure is by far the most work, but probably the only one where you get any attention from other developers here)
If you want more info, be a bit more specific about what exactly you want to achieve.
And SignalK is the future for this kind of stuff, of course.

Pavel

[Hillian Fellers]

Thank you "bcn" for having posted the request in OpenCPN bug tracker. I saw the first comment: NMEA is a defined protocol, no change can be done. I understand. I stopped programming 25 years ago; in those prehistorical times where the first CPM then DOS computers appeared, we systematically implemented the <CR><LF> / <LF> option on receiving devices, whatever the protocol was, to accomodate better connectivity.

I also had a look at SignalK (mentioned by "sparticle"). Really interesting. But, as I just told before, I'm no longer a programmer and will monitor/support the project until it comes with ready-to-install packages.

[Ivanm]

Would it be possible to change the color of the AIS target from green to red when CPA is less than a certain value

Sent from my SM-G900F using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[sparticle]

Is it possible to have a 'Repeater Mode' for OpenCPN so that for instance we would have 'Master' OpenCPN install running and we might fire up OpenCPN on the tablet and select repeater mode and it would slave to the master displaying whatever the master was displaying in terms of course and navigation display.

I can see this being a really useful use case as we start to use more and more Android tablet/smartphone devices that we want to utilise the power of OpenCPN on our Navigation Computer rather than use apps that consume a TCP/UPD feed and show instruments.

Cheers
Spart

[RhythmDoctor]

Originally Posted by sparticle

Is it possible to have a 'Repeater Mode' for OpenCPN so that for instance we would have 'Master' OpenCPN install running and we might fire up OpenCPN on the tablet and select repeater mode and it would slave to the master displaying whatever the master was displaying in terms of course and navigation display.

I can see this being a really useful use case as we start to use more and more Android tablet/smartphone devices that we want to utilise the power of OpenCPN on our Navigation Computer rather than use apps that consume a TCP/UPD feed and show instruments.

Cheers
Spart

Why not just run VNC?

[sparticle]

Originally Posted by RhythmDoctor

Why not just run VNC?

Because that does not fit the use cases.

We use VNC now but that relies on the 'Master' showing OpenCPN on the screen. There may be other things going on. Email, Weather, Solitaire! whatever.

Cheers
Spart