Ocpn-Draw and Boundary

[jongough]

Rick,
You are correct that currently there is little interaction between OD and Watchdog as regards the types of Boundaries and the Alarms that can be set. The OD PlugIn just does drawing and uses the type to modify the appearance of the drawing. The Watchdog Plugin just does alarms and for Distance and Time alarms can do simplistic filtering of the returned boundary. At the moment this is not very good and only deals with the first boundary found, irrespective of type, and can filter this. I will be changing this shortly to be a bit more selective on the boundary types. However, at the moment it will only deal with single boundaries. If you have overlapping boundaries you will get the first boundary (they are searched in the order in which they were created) that matches the criteria.

To help there is now a right click option that allows you to copy the GUID of an OD object into the clipboard so that you can simply paste it into the Watchdog GUID field. If you happen to be inside the boundary you want to check, then the 'Get Boundary GUID' button will do this for you.

I have tried to keep OD to only doing in Drawing (thats why it is the OCPN Draw Plugin) and allowed OCPN and other plugins to query if a Lat/Lon is inside or outside a boundary. The OD plugin does not do anything else. It would be extensible to allow OCPN and other plugins to request changes in the display characteristics, i.e. flashing, or colour changes. It would also be relatively simple to allow OCPN and other plugins to create/update/delete objects as well, but this has not been requested yet (although Hubert may be/is working on doing this for adding depth soundings).

Quite a bit is now possible with a bit of thought and logical separation of functions. Hence adding the Guard Zone concept (simplistic as the current implementation may be) was a matter of adding a small bit of code to the AIS function (to tell everyone about AIS traffic) and to the Watchdog plugin to take the AIS data and query the OD plugin about it.

Jon

[bcn]

Jon,

a question with regard to the Guard Zone: on one side I see the concept of the "keep-out-zones" or "warn-me-if-an-AIS-opject-steps-into the-garden". But these are static, not moving.

A Guard Zone in the strict sense would travel with OwnShip either as a bubble of x nm or a shape (rectangular or free form) around it.

Just from the comments here it is not that easy to understand the concepts having no possibility to test these days and waiting for the next official beta.

Thanks

Hubert

[jongough]

Hubert,
You are probably correct about the Guard Zone travelling with the boat, but the people that raised the need for a Guard Zone have been very quite. I have asked for further information regarding the Guard Zone requirements, but have not received any yet. So in the absence of these I built the functionality for a Guard Zone based on the current Boundary implementation.

If I find out what is required of a Guard Zone, i.e. centred on boat, moves with boat, detach from boat, arcs rather than straight lines, etc., I will then create a Guard Zone object and make the check of Guard Zones look at them rather than Boundaries. This will involve only changing the OD code as the AIS and Watchdog stuff should all stay the same.

Jon

[rgleason]

Jon,
I understand, that OD has been kept simplistic, yet it is quite remarkable what you have accomplished, and I think we can all accept that simplicity, provided we understand how it works.

"At the moment ..only deals with the first boundary found, irrespective of type, and can filter this. I will be changing this shortly to be a bit more selective on the boundary types. However, at the moment it will only deal with single boundaries."

"To help there is now a right click option that allows you to copy the GUID of an OD object into the clipboard so that you can simply paste it into the Watchdog GUID field. If you happen to be inside the boundary you want to check, then the 'Get Boundary GUID' button will do this for you."

Yes, I have been using these two techniques to get the GUID.

If you use the first technique, right click, and copy GUID for a OD boundary object to set up a WD "exclusive type boundary" alarm
* using "GPS position" or "GPS course and time"
* for a single boundary (not all boundaries)
Will it work this way?

I have not tested that yet, recently.

By the way, I think it is appropriate to keep OD as a drawing tool and use WD and other potential plugins for alarms etc. I understand your questions about the messaging techniques and the need to keep the system responsive, particularly with regard to AIS data stream, but can't offer any help or knowledge about it.

I will update opencpn, OD and WD next.

[rgleason]

Hubert,
You are probably correct about the Guard Zone travelling with the boat, but the people that raised the need for a Guard Zone have been very quite. I have asked for further information regarding the Guard Zone requirements, but have not received any yet. So in the absence of these I built the functionality for a Guard Zone based on the current Boundary implementation.

If I find out what is required of a Guard Zone, i.e. centred on boat, moves with boat, detach from boat, arcs rather than straight lines, etc., I will then create a Guard Zone object and make the check of Guard Zones look at them rather than Boundaries. This will involve only changing the OD code as the AIS and Watchdog stuff should all stay the same.

John, I agree that we have had no other response from AIS proponents for a Guard Zone, in response to your offer to help with this. (and this question has been posted in at least two Tracker Feature Requests for an AISGuard Zone)

I believe I wrote a short summary in this thread saying that I did not think arcs were necessary, and that I thought the Guard Zone would be wanted to move with the boat, just as it would with a radar guard zone, which was the example given.
I understand you have extended the Boundary to be a guard zone, so that functionality is not inherent in the object yet.

[rgleason]

Jon is this one right?
https://github.com/jongough/watchdog.../ais-messaging

You just updated 16 min ago.... I think so, will git clone and set branch to that.

[rgleason]

The AIS Guard Zones send an alert when an AIS ship is inside the guard boundary. This works!

Nice Jon.

[rgleason]

For those windows users who would like to assist with beta testing.

Opencpn Beta File Thingie rguser rgpass

Home directory:
opencpn_4.1.1108_GIT10-5a7d84d-PR526tdan

4.1.1108 PI Win directory:
ocpn_draw_pi-0.4.592-ov4.1.1108-PR154-3-win32
watchdog_pi-1.9004-ov4.1.1108-ais-mess-win32

Create the boundaries in ocpn_draw_pi (OD)
Create the guard alarm in watchdog_pi (WD)
Example shown running TDan VDRServer.py using Hakefjord-Sweden.txt to test the alarms.

[jongough]

Rick,
Now that the AIS messaging is working for Guard Zones there is the possibility to build an alarm for each AIS target entering, or getting close to, a normal boundary. This would then be useful for harbour usage where a 'safety' person can keep an eye on danger area and see if any AIS target is entering them or likely to enter them in the near future.

What do you think?

Jon

[Roel Smidt]

Originally Posted by rgleason

For those windows users who would like to assist with beta testing.

Opencpn Beta File Thingie rguser rgpass

Home directory:
opencpn_4.1.1108_GIT10-5a7d84d-PR526tdan

4.1.1108 PI Win directory:
ocpn_draw_pi-0.4.592-ov4.1.1108-PR154-3-win32
watchdog_pi-1.9004-ov4.1.1108-ais-mess-win32

Create the boundaries in ocpn_draw_pi (OD)
Create the guard alarm in watchdog_pi (WD)
Example shown running TDan VDRServer.py using Hakefjord-Sweden.txt to test the alarms.

Hi Rick,

Just tested guard alarm with my AIS-receiver here at home. Guard alarm works, well done! But the alarm gets triggered even when it's not yet activated (ticked) in the WD window. In other words: I can't switch it off and WD keeps barking at me . Also: the alarm repeats every 5 seconds or so.

See the attached screenshots.

Roel

[rgleason]

Roel. Thankyou for testing. I had not noticed that and will try to get that to happen. I usually have auto reset checked.
The OD boundary graphics exclusion and inclusion are just graphics and are not used by WD alarms.

@jon
This sounds useful.

[rgleason]

Jon,
I am confirming that the alarm checkbox problem that Roel Smidt reports does work similarly on my installation. The checkbox does not seem to make a difference, it still alarms.

Roel your testing is very helpful, hope you will stick with us! I was reviewing the documentation you did in Watchdog and I really appreciate it! -I like the sense of humor.

[rgleason]

Roel,

Under WD documentation I added a few things to try to make it clearer how OD and WD work together. (I may not have succeeded.)

1. Added link to GSHHS detailed background for landfall alarms.
2. Tried to make it clearer that Boundary Graphics created by OD.
3. Tried to make it clearer that Boundary Alarms created and controlled by WD.
4. Tried to make it clearer that WD is blind to OD Boundary types (inclusive, exclusive, neither) because WD has alarm types (GPS proximity, GPS course & time, Anchor & AIS) which can be attached to boundaries.
5. Tried to suggest that OD Boundary types (inclusive, exclusive, neither) should be used for graphic clarity with the WD type of alarm desired.
6. That WD does not use the OD Boundary types (inclusive, exclusive, neither) in setting its alarms. Only the boundary shape or outline is used by WD and sometimes if the alarm is for a certain Boundary GUID the GUID is used.

Please make any appropriate changes you think are needed. Thank you, your description setting up alarms and testing them is good.

Also what was the result of your question about shutting down and having the alarm turn off? Was that fixed?

[rgleason]

Jon,
In the Ocpn_Draw documentation I added the following under Boundary and Boundary Points.

• Please Note that these Types (exclusion, inclusion, neither) are Graphical only, and WatchDog does not use them in setting its internal alarms. We recommend that these graphic types be used appropriately to conform with the type of alarm that will be set from within WatchDog, however they will have NO EFFECT on the WD alarm type.

Under Boundary I find the following description, which may be left over from a previous understanding of how the OD and WD plugins would work. This description conflicts. Please advise. How do you suggest we revise?

"The type of boundary may change what other plugins do with the information, or how it is displayed. If using the Watchdog plugin and you set the boundary anchor watch the alarm will go off if you move outside of the boundary. If you are motoring/sailing and you have a proximity boundary watch set then the alarm will go off if you get closer than the specified distance. The first type of boundary should be an 'Inclusion' boundary and the second should be an 'Exclusion' boundary."

[rgleason]

Ocpn_Draw Plugin Documentation

I added this under Preliminary Outline

WatchDog Alarms


Ocpn_Draw_pi (OD) is intended to be a Graphics companion with Watchdog_pi (WD) Alarms.
OD is used as a graphics tool to create Boundary Graphics and Boundary Point Graphics.
WD will then create "Boundary Alarms" using the Boundary Graphics created by OD.
The alarms that WD can create are (GPS proximity, GPS course & time, Anchor, AIS) depending on the alarm type WD may require a particular Boundary GUID or the alarm may apply to all boundaries that are displayed.
The WD alarm types are separate and distinct from the OD graphics types (inclusive, exclusive, neither).
WD is "blind" to the OD graphics types, however we recommend that users create OD graphics types that correspond to the type of WD alarm being created, just for graphic clarity and understanding.

Please adjust/edit as needed.

I think we need a better title than "Preliminary Outline" so I have added "Summary" [title2] at the top and then "Settings" [title2] and have
reformatted a number of the headings so it reads better.

I also moved the WD Alarm paragraph up to Summary.