Google Earth Plugin

[nohal]

Originally Posted by HotRod

I mentioned earlier, when running OCPN fullscreen and docing GE, it goes totally bananas. Zooms in/out and swirls around. Happened with the previous version and also in the new v0.2
If I run OCPN in a smaller window, it settles down.
I run OCPN on a 26" monitor @ 1920x1200...

HotRod,
can't reproduce the way you do it, but have seen it before in different conditions. Not saying I understand it, but hope to fix it when I finally get the window sizing logic right.
In my case, having a very small plugin window was involved in this situation (as far as I can remember docked with a minimal width and then resized to something normal) Does GE stay berserk forever or does i settle down in a while if you give it time? In my case it did settle down...

Pavel

[sinbad7]

Pavel..

The GE screen seems a bit erratic as it tends to 'hide' in the left side of the OpenCPN screen and has to be pulled 'kicking and screaming' into it's intended 50% screen size.

The scroll-wheel mouse function works very erratically in GE but you can of course remain in OpenCPN when you do it.

It would also be great to have a LOAD function for previously saved .kml files.
This would be handy when you prepare the GE buffer contents prior to a cruise without internet connection.

Separately from our programs,if you click a .kml file it will bring up GE with it's desired area display. Clicking again on another .kml file will display the new area immediately, seemingly without re-loading GE. This surely should also be possible in the plug-in?
It would also be great if the co-ordinates from the loaded .kml file could be passed to the OpenCPN display to co-ordinate the views.

[nohal]

Tore,
read my post #45 for some explanation of what happens when you click the .kml file.

Some limitations will be always there and are impossible to overcome, some need more work on the plugin and on OpenCPN core.
The result should be OK for what you intend the combination to use for I think, but it will take some more programming not just on the plugin.

The GE behavior while resizing from a very small size is the same I've seen...

Pavel

[sinbad7]

The drag and drop method from a .kml file to the present GE display only works up to a point. The file transports ok and you can see a quick glimps of the 'fly to' process but then the original screen overries it.

Tore

[sinbad7]

Pavel... #48

I am not complaining,very happy about the progress so far,just making user suggestions for future features if possible to implement.

Keep up the good work!

Tore

[nohal]

Yes, as i write, it will be handled in some intelligent way in the next version.

[sinbad7]

Pavel..

Have you done any testing with regards to the GE off-line operation from a recently copied dbCache1.dat file and the Icons directory?

I understand that it copies/stores ALL the globe info and you can search as if on-line?

In Vista the files are found here:
C:\Users\username\AppData\LocalLow\Google\GoogleEa rth

Tore

[nohal]

Tore,
it stores SOME of the places you have visited before. Probably the last ones + also probably a very low scale version of the whole globe. The logic is Google's secret. In no case all the globe - not even you have disk of that size

The places that are in the cache work as if you were online.

And yes, I've tried and replacing the cache with another one I've saved before works (you have to do it when GE or my plugin are not running of course). The GE Voyager documentation is very good source of info on how it works.

Pavel

[HappySeagull]

Nohal!SUPER GOOD,man!
My enthusiasm runs away with me so before I get down to tweaking I'll just report...
I'm runningxp and old version GE 5.1? Set in options to Directx not GL.
Makes a diff?Dunno yet.
It looks like this...


a cute little window.I like it!
Keeps up with zoom (in storebought charts,but I wouldn't expect zoom to exactly match my "homemade" charts with their guessed-at scales!)

Options set:Follow window?Great.Follow boat?can't tell here ashore but no crash.Follow cursor?mmmm,not so hot but likely maybe my 1.6ghz and "lite"internet is strained by my fluttering.
The turn-on/off button works great.
No undue strain on processor I can hear at the fan-no more'n GE anyways.
The GE doodad in the pic will fade.Likely try to tweak it out in GE options.I'm guessing your plugin is definitely depending on the user's GE config as to how it works-but don't try to help me!-I haven't read everything above yet!

[HappySeagull]

PS:window resize and drag-it-around works fine for me.
I tweaked GE to DirectX and what the heck,"safe mode" too.
A really nice startup in OpenCPN....then click the GE button to turn on,instant!verrry nice...

[sinbad7]

Pavel..

I was going by the para in the previous user guide for GE cache:

If your machine has been connected to Google earth server and viewed the globe at least one time then you have done 100% and now you can view your interested places using your machine.

But you are right,could not possibly include ALL destinations.

My GE cache is only 175 MB,could it be increased? Using a pendrive it could easily accommodate say 16 GB.

Tore

[sinbad7]

Does anybody know how to adjust the luminosity of a GE screen?

Apart from the normal PC screen controls.

Tore

[nohal]

Tore,
I'm afraid by "globe" they mean that you see the small Earth with the continents from the space when upon GE startup - if you delete the whole cache and start GE without internet, you get just a black window...
The maximum size for the GE disk cache is 2000 megabytes and it can be adjusted in GE's Options.
Some sources also note, that to make the data enter the cache on the disk as we need, it's important to decrease the size of the memory cache. This is unconfirmed.
To get to the Options, start GE and Select Options... from the Tools menu.

Pavel

[sinbad7]

Pavel..

As you know,Paul Higgins has designed GE2KAP and may be able to accept .kml as input for the creation of a .kap map.

This could be the answer to being able to access previously saved GE areas during a cruise without internet connection. Each area would then be converted to a .kap map.

I think the two of you should get your heads together...

Paul has presently reached Florida on his holiday cruise.

Regards
Tore

[sinbad7]

Pavel..

One way could be to have a 'Save .jpg' option after opening the GE window to it's full extent. Then minimize OpenCPN and activate GE2KAP which will look for an open GE window and grab it's geo co-ordinates and converting the saved .jpg file to a .kap file.

Could I make a suggestion that you tell the program to ignore double or multiple mouse clicks when selecting GE from the menu in OpenCPN. Inadvertently doing a double click will try to start GE twice which prevents GE from opening.

Tore