New IAC Fleetcode Plugin for OpenCPN

[CBorchardt]

Hello everybody,

for those of you who sail in the southwest pacific like I do,
this plugin might be of interest for you.

In short, it decodes and displays the IAC Fleetcode surface analysis
of the sw-pacific from Fidjis Metoffice in OpenCPN. This is probably the
easiest way to get an surface analysis if you don't have an internet
connection (at your anchorage or at sea).

As you propably know, the Fidji metoffice creates a surface analysis
chart including pressure systems, frontal systems and tropical systems for the
sw-pacific. It is encoded in an amazing small textfile that can be obtained
by saildoc and other sources. I use this in addition to the GRIB files.
To obtain this file send an email with the body

Send fleet.nadi
to "query@saildocs.com"

You will receive an answer to this email which is the encoded surface analysis.
You will need to save this eMail in a file to be able to display it with
this plugin. It is easiest to save all emails with this fleetcodes to a
special directory.

Getting the plugin
==================
I developed the plugin on a windows computer and with OpenCPN Version 2.5
For this reason I can only distribute the windows version for now.
If somebody is interested I can make the source code available.
Th plugin can be obtained at
http://www.sy-fortytwo.de/download/i...t_pi_V_0_1.zip

Installing the iacfleet plugin
==============================
Just unpack the ZIP file and copy the file iavfleet_pi.dll to the plugin
directory of your OpenCPN. I use OpenCPN Version 2.5 and am not sure if the
plugin will work with other version of OpenCPN.
The plugin directory on my (windows)computer is
C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\plugins

Running the plugin
==================
After (re)startiong OpenCPN you should find the plugin in the Toolbox->PlugIns
Menu. You have to enable it to use it. No configuration necessary right now.

Once the plugin is enabled you will find a new icon in the menu that will open
the iacfleet plugin dialogbox.

Enter the directory where you have stored the copies of the fleetcode-emails
received from saildocs and select one of the files in the selection box.

If everything went right you should see the surface analysis overlay
in your chart window (remember it covers only the sw-pacific).

The "Text"-Panel in the dialog will show the decoded information while the
"Raw"-Panel will show the encoded information.

Pointing at a front or pressure system will popup a Tip-Window with the
detailed information of this system.

Thats all - no more, no less.

Please
======
- tell me if you are able to use the plugin
- if you like it or not
- tell me about any errors
- etc..

Tip
===
If you are using Airmail to receive the fleetcode, you could create a new
"Inbox Folder" and just move all the fleetcode files into that Folder.
If you use this folder as the iacfleet plugin directory you never need to
save the fleetcode mails manualy.

Cheers from

Carsten@sy-fortytwo.de

on board of the sailing vessel "forty-two" in Vava'U, Kingdom of Tonga.

[sailorF54]

Thanks CBorchardt

Here is what I get on OpenCpn 2.5.0
somewhat different from the display in Pangolin's PhysPlot
Here is the file

[CBorchardt]

Hallo,

and many thanks for your error report.
I already changed the code to improve parsing.
You can see the result here:


The improved plugin can be found here:
sy-fortytwo: Downloads

Enjoy

Carsten

[sailorF54]

Sorry. Cannot unzip iacfleet_pi_V_0_2.zip

[CBorchardt]

Strange - I have no problems unzipping what I download AND unzipping what you sent as attachment, using three different ZIP programs (Build in unzipper of windows explorer, IZARC and FreeCommander).

You may try again..

[sailorF54]

Unzipping went OK this morning

Display seems OK too

[sailorF54]

Hi again

Any chance of improving your pluging to display the NOAA fleetcode ?
http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/data/raw...xx21.egrr..txt

Bluesailors with limited bandwidth over here would bless you...

The pic is from zygrib

[cagney]

CBorchardt

Nice plugin! I would be interested in the source code, and would give it a go to compile on Linux.

I have asked the moderators to move this thread over to the OpenCPN sub-forum, where it belongs.

Thomas

[PjotrC]

Carsten...

Good job! Nicer to use than PhysPlot. Just the picture is not very well visible - better in night mode, but then some descriptions are gone..,

Looking forward to it,

Piotr

[PjotrC]

Originally Posted by sailorF54

Hi again

Any chance of improving your pluging to display the NOAA fleetcode ?
http://weather.noaa.gov/pub/data/raw...xx21.egrr..txt

The fleetcodes for South Atlantic are available from Marinha do Brazil:
Centro de Hidrografia da Marinha

I tried this with Carsten's Plugin, Pangolin's PhysPlot, and zyGrib...

NOAA fleetcode works with zyGrib only...
Fiji fleetcode works with OCPN and PhysPlot but not zyGrib...
Brazilian fleetcode works with PhysPlot only...

With a little improvement in visibility the new plugin would be very, very nice indeed...

Piotr

[Gilletarom]

Hello,

This morning, it is impossible to download this plug-in.

Gilletarom

See screen copy

[Gilletarom]

Originally Posted by Gilletarom

Hello,

This morning, it is impossible to download this plug-in.

Sorry,

I have not read correctly all the other posts.

Now, I have downloaded the plug-in without problem.

Gilletarom

[Gilletarom]

Hello PjotrC,

I try your new plug-in. It seem that it work correcly. Nice !

But :
1° What are blue line : ---> "Frontal system"

What are yellow line : ---> "Tropical system:".

Perhaps, it would be nice to put "Frontal sytem" or "Tropical system" as title in the Tip-Window.

2°) Why a new plug-in. Integrate it it in the grib plug-in.

Gilletarom.

[yachtvalhalla]

Has there been any work on this for the latest versions of OpenCPN?

The download links don't work for me.

Thanks, Terry

[sailorF54]

In case there is no answer from the designer, here is the .dll (remove .doc)
(with today's data (remove .doc) and screenshot from O3.3.1303