Feature Requests

[BuzziBi]

How about a opportunity to edit in the maps? (Making overlays)
I'm thinking of drawing: polygons, squares, rings, adding tekst squares, and adding your own icons and symbols to mark any objects that's not registered in the maps.

[ubuysa]

I've just been introduced to openCPN, I've been a long time MaxSea user. I'm VERY impressed with openCPN, this is a very nice job!

I would love to use openCPN for route planning (as I do with MaxSea) but there is just one feature I use often in MaxSea that I haven't (yet) found in openCPN.

When planning a new route MaxSea shows XTE alarm lines (red for port and green for stb) on every leg of the route and at each waypoint. I find these to be extremely useful for keeping my route away from dangers (headlands, reefs, wrecks etc.). Any chance of seeing these in openCPN? I'd switch in a heartbeat if they were there, MaxSea is much more complex than I need and I love the simplicity of openCPN. But I would really like XTE alarm lines please!

Tony Cross

[yachtvalhalla]

Originally Posted by ubuysa

MaxSea is much more complex than I need and I love the simplicity of openCPN. But I would really like XTE alarm lines please!

Welcome to the forum Tony.

Until OpenCPN has that feature I'd suggest you do your route planning in MaxSea and then convert to OpenCPN format.

I have a blurb on this at CONVERSION of MaxSea ROUTES AND TRACKS

Terry

[fgd3]

Originally Posted by ubuysa

When planning a new route MaxSea shows XTE alarm lines (red for port and green for stb) on every leg of the route and at each waypoint.

Tony Cross

Are those alarm lines something where you can set the cross track error that's permissible? Do they only show up when you're planning a route or do they also show up when you're navigating the route?

Fabbian

[prof_mariner]

Kind of a shot in the dark, but it would be great if OpenCPN supported the $PASHR NMEA string. This string (more info here: http://gpsd.berlios.de/NMEA.txt) displays ship's pitch and roll (angle of heel). I've not found any charting programs which display this, but it's useful for calculating depth measurement accuracy and vessel stability. It can also be used for input to some autopilots. Kind of out of the ordinary for most casual boaters, but I'm looking for a charting / instrument display app that supports it and it would be great if it was in OpenCPN.

[yachtvalhalla]

Originally Posted by fgd3

Are those alarm lines something where you can set the cross track error that's permissible? Do they only show up when you're planning a route or do they also show up when you're navigating the route?

Fabbian

In MaxSea the XTE can be adjusted to suit your needs. It appears in both planning routes and active routes.

Terry

[ubuysa]

Originally Posted by fgd3

Are those alarm lines something where you can set the cross track error that's permissible? Do they only show up when you're planning a route or do they also show up when you're navigating the route?

In MaxSea you can set the XTE alarm borders in Route-Options & they apply to planning and navigating.

Tony Cross

[bdbcat]

Hi folks....

Friendly reminder:

This thread is for discussion of feature requests, and is watched by some, but not all, developers. We all appreciate the discussions, but worry that some good ideas may be lost in the shear volume of posts....

Features have a much higher chance of being implemented if a "Feature Request" is entered on the Flyspray tracker.

OpenCPN::Tracker 3 - OpenCPN - Feature Requests: Tasklist

Thanks
Dave

[P_Dub]

To the one programming, one feature very important is the ability to rezise the boat at proper scale on the charts. This seems to have been forgotten and was one of the most recommandable and acceptable facility for being used in close quarter situations. Unfortunately, not too many seems interrested but I would strongly recommand this to be regarded.
Thanks
P_Dub

[fgd3]

Originally Posted by P_Dub

To the one programming, one feature very important is the ability to rezise the boat at proper scale on the charts. This seems to have been forgotten and was one of the most recommandable and acceptable facility for being used in close quarter situations. Unfortunately, not too many seems interrested but I would strongly recommand this to be regarded.
Thanks
P_Dub

Read Dave's message immediately preceding yours. This forum is for discussing feature requests but the tracker is the place to actually make those requests. Have you added your request to the tracker?

I'm not sure why it is important to have the Ownship icon change size. I think the one we've got is too big, but there are other icons around (as well as instructions for creating your own) if you want a different one. Scaling the icon to match the chart seems to be a waste of resources.

Maybe you could explain what it is that I'm missing. How would a scalable Ownship icon make OpenCPN more useful to you?

Fabbian

[HappySeagull]

Originally Posted by P_Dub

To the one programming, one feature very important is the ability to rezise the boat at proper scale on the charts. This seems to have been forgotten and was one of the most recommandable and acceptable facility for being used in close quarter situations. Unfortunately, not too many seems interrested but I would strongly recommand this to be regarded.
Thanks
P_Dub

...it's a good idea for a large vessel.The error of a good gps would be aboard the ship!and the size of icon would be "seeable" on a large scale chart.But for small craft,not so useful.and a scaled icon would be a couple of pixels...unless there was a tow or a fishing gear involved.... a related idea might be to plot a barge or seine-net's end ....2 gps inputs-two ownships plotted....

But OpenCPN describes herself as "A Nice Little Open Source Chart Plotter".That doesn't evoke visions of supertanker's wheelhousefor me.

[dacust]

Originally Posted by P_Dub

To the one programming, one feature very important is the ability to rezise the boat at proper scale on the charts. This seems to have been forgotten and was one of the most recommandable and acceptable facility for being used in close quarter situations. Unfortunately, not too many seems interrested but I would strongly recommand this to be regarded.
Thanks
P_Dub

Originally Posted by fgd3

...
This forum is for discussing feature requests but the tracker is the place to actually make those requests. Have you added your request to the tracker?


I'm not sure why it is important to have the Ownship icon change size. I think the one we've got is too big, but there are other icons around (as well as instructions for creating your own) if you want a different one. Scaling the icon to match the chart seems to be a waste of resources.
...

Originally Posted by HappySeagull

...
But OpenCPN describes herself as "A Nice Little Open Source Chart Plotter".That doesn't evoke visions of supertanker's wheelhousefor me.

I don't really see the need for an accurately sized icon, either.

But, the point is that this has actually been mentioned by several people several times over the last few months.

I have not looked in the tracker to see if anyone has bothered to enter it in as a formal request.

Not seeing the need for it, I can also see why it would be somewhat low on the priority list.

If it's not in the tracker, it's so low on the priority list, it's almost like it's not even there.

So, P_Dub, if I were you, I'd check the tracker to see if it is there. If not, add it. If there, add your own comments as to why you think it is important. Then, post a link to the request and ask people to give their own reasons for wanting this feature. Then they, or you, can update the tracker with any new ideas.

NOTE: The comments in the tracker should be somewhat more reserved than the forum. Do your discussing in the forum, then add only concise meaningful comments in the tracker. Basically, keep it short and sweet for easy reading by the developer(s).

-dan

[fgd3]

Originally Posted by HappySeagull

...it's a good idea for a large vessel.The error of a good gps would be aboard the ship!and the size of icon would be "seeable" on a large scale chart.But for small craft,not so useful.and a scaled icon would be a couple of pixels...unless there was a tow or a fishing gear involved.... a related idea might be to plot a barge or seine-net's end ....2 gps inputs-two ownships plotted....

But OpenCPN describes herself as "A Nice Little Open Source Chart Plotter".That doesn't evoke visions of supertanker's wheelhousefor me.

Even on a small boat the GPS error is often small enough that the reported position is within the confines of the actual deck area. I still look over the side to see what's actually out there. I would think that would be even more important on a bigger vessel.

I agree it would look neat--a high resolution image of your own boat scaled to the size of the chart would be cool--but how would it be useful? I'm sure there's a way, I just don't understand it. I need a concrete example of a situation where having a scaled ownship icon would make a difference.

The 2-GPS, 2-Ownship idea makes more sense to me for situations where you're responsible for objects that are far enough apart to require being represented as more than a single point.

As much as I like OpenCPN I don't think I'm keen on the idea of a supertanker bearing down on me while the navigator is hunched over his Gateway laptop with a BU-353 plugged in to the USB port looking at the size of his Ownship icon in OpenCPN.

Fabbian

[P_Dub]

Fabbian
How do you include this into your task list, excuse my ingnorance but I can not find how to.
Regards
P_Dub

[dacust]

Originally Posted by P_Dub

Fabbian
How do you include this into your task list, excuse my ingnorance but I can not find how to.
Regards
P_Dub

Originally Posted by bdbcat

...
on the Flyspray tracker.

==> OpenCPN::Tracker 3 - OpenCPN - Feature Requests: Tasklist

Thanks
Dave

On my screen, it's not obvious, so I added the ==> in front of the URL in Dave's post. You have to register, first. It's not easy to find, but see the screen prints, below. You have to have your cursor in the right place for the word "Register" to show up.

-dan