OpenCPN

[Harryjak]

Loaded up the latest Beta and I am not getting any response when I click on the Tide or Current Icon.

HJ

[Rhoel_Asia]

Originally Posted by idpnd

there would be a track record of the overall cruise or even circumnavigation.

Ah, Circumnavigations ... I need to report a bug: My internet failed over the weekend so I idled the hours away with OpenCPN, recreating a circumnavigation which I started in '63, and finished in 1972 (Okay, I cheated, did it in ocean liners, out via Suez to Australia, back to Europe via Panama). OpenCPN doesn't seem to know the right hand bit of the globe joins back up to the left.

I split the out and back routes into two files - no issue- displays fine. I then joined the two halves with a text editor (ScITE), with the start and end waypoints copy and pasted. The waypoints were east to west in one continuous track/route.

When re-imported, openCPN became confused of what to do when the trace exited screen right - it joined the trace via the shortest screen route, across the chart and not off screen right to re-enter the other. The Route properties were right, no issue with the math and distances traveled/times.

Similar display things happened if I tried to draw a plot around the globe. It ended up by ditching the trace.

Not a big issue as the route works fine if split. But it might be relevant to another part of the development.

Rhoel

[cagney]

I have some screen dumps that shows a bug, related to, or the same as Rhoel_Asia's. I came upon this while noticing some problems with the CM93 coverage.
I created a couple of marks east of the dateline, N & S Minerva Reefs, and one west of the dateline, Theva-I-Ra (also called Conway Reef) .
OpenCPN can't show all three at the same time. Clicking on one side of the dateline shows the mark(s) on that side but not the other(s).

Thomas

[bdbcat]

Ackkkkk....
I'm gonna retire and join the Flat Earth Society.

Dave, who is pulling out his last IDL hair.

[bdbcat]

Harryjak....
Have you checked the log file:

Documents and Settings\{user}\Application Data\opencpn\opencpn.log

This should have an entry regarding loading the Tide and Current Data.
Post the log here if you have any questions.

Thanks

Dave

[dacust]

Originally Posted by bdbcat

I'm gonna retire and join the Flat Earth Society.

We'd be proud to have you.

-dan, Flat Earth Society, Chapter Asst. Vice President of Insignificant Details.

[Rhoel_Asia]

Originally Posted by bdbcat

Ackkkkk....
I'm gonna retire and join the Flat Earth Society.

I am not sure which made me chuckle harder, this or Firefox's spellchecker trying to change the original 'circumnavigation' reference to 'circumcision' ... the ammended line read "I idled the hours away ... recreating a circumcision which I started in '63, and finished in 1972".

It did amuse.

Rhoel

[raisin56]

Dave Thanks for all your hard work and a wonderful product. I seem to be getting a pulsing of my range rings. Set to 4 rings @ .125 Nm they pop slightly larger for 1-2 seconds then back. I have found no pattern to it, not a big issue might even be a video driver issue on my end. Has anybody else seen this phenomenon?

[sinbad7]

Dave...
1. Could you include a panel with a list of the AIS target names located within the geo. parameters of the chart being viewed? Selecting a target name from the drop-down list should indicate the target location on the map. Searching for a specific target in a heavily trafficated area becomes very tedious and time consuming if you have to select all the targets, one by one.

2. At the present it is impossible to copy the MMSI number from the Queery box, could you please alter the format of the text to be copyable?

3. The Queery box, does NOT show the geo. loc. of the AIS tagets.

Thank you....

Tore

[Zoef]

Dave,
I've been playing around with the latest openCPN beta version, using cm93-2009 maps and the gps simulator that's part of the gps-gate software.
I didn't manage to get the speed and heading on the openCPN screen. Did I miss something or are these features not available at this point in time?
Klaas

[markmcb]

Hello all
I am new to open CPN, and do not want to take up space here with simple questions. Are there any documents or web sites that provide a simple manual?
Also, is the latest version for a Mac the 1.3.0 ?
And do Garmin products work with open CPN?
Thank you

[sae140]

Have just discovered OpenCPN and this forum.

I've one small bug regarding screen brightness (night viewing) to report:
when opening the default sample chart (BSB ?), selecting night view on my test kit (Dell Optiplex GX1/ Win98lite) results in darkening of the menu bars, but not the displayed chart or the desktop behind the chart (seen by Alt-TAB).

Also when viewing CM93/2 charts in 'Night View' they are VERY dark on my kit - would be nice to be able to adjust the light levels if poss. Can't see anything obvious in the .ini file to play with.


Interesting thought (?): as many people seem to be using CM93/2 charts, and as the CM93 format appears to be understood in depth here - might it be possible to use this knowledge to creat a utility to edit/update CM93/2 charts ?

I've often heard it said that out-of-date charts are ok to use, as the shoreline never changes. Well, that's not true anymore, as large numbers of offshore wind turbines are in the process of being erected around our (UK, European) coasts. It would be mighty useful to be able to update charts to show these windfarms, if nothing else.

Really good program, congratulations on the efforts thus far.
Colin

[Viking Sailor]

Hi Colin,

Wilcome to the OpenCPN thread.

Your "thoughts" on making a tool that the community could use to update charts does sound interesting. There would need to be a way of verifing that the updates are not in error. And, if the update was in error, then a way to rollback the update would be needed. Otherwise, the charts could become corrupted and useless very quickly.

Perhaps, another way to achieve a similar result would be to use seperate chart update files. These files should generate an error if simply merged with the base chart files. OpenCPN would use the update files to modify the chart files for display in realtime. There would need to be a way to quickly switch the display of the update on/off to allow for it's verification. It would also be handy to be able to update the update files as changes accumulate.

Anyway, those are my "thoughts" on your "thoughts". Dave, of course is the one who does the work so he gets to descide which thoughts get implemented. Personally, I think Dave has done an outstanding job of implementing OpenCPN. If our paths should ever cross I figure I owe him at least a nice dinner and a brew or two.

Paul

[bdbcat]

All...
Couple of quick points:

1. Pulsing Range Rings: Can not reproduce. Anyone else see this?
2. AIS requests: noted.
3. opencpn does not show speed and heading . Leaves more room for charts.
There is some discussion about a separate application to function as a sort of console for generic NMEA data coming into the system. Opencpn can co-exist with such an app using gpsd to share the NMEA data. Maybe we can get some activity going on this? There was once a "Frontend" application, written in Visual Basic (sorry, linux) that looked nice. Status? Maybe a linux port?
4. There is no entry level documentation for opencpn, yet.
I formally renew the call for an experienced technical writer to step up and take a real, trackable swing at this. Any format will do, the content is what matters. I am not a writer, for me it is hard work, and the results are disappointing, to me at least. Any takers?
5. Latest MAC version is 1.3.0
Here is another call: we need an experienced Mac developer to build the latest CVS sources into a .dmg releasable. I have no access to a Mac machine, although I am considering getting a small Hackintosh netbook going....
6. Sadly, Mac does not support Garmin. Need hardware......
7. Chart night colors: Some older BSB charts do not contain palette information for Night/Dusk displays. So, we would have to subjectively create the required palettes, perhaps borrowing from more modern charts. This has been low priority, since in the US, BSB charts are free and modern. On the list...
For Vector charts. the dusk and night palettes for opencpn were adopted from the IHO S52 display standards. I agree that they are very dark. I'll think about the implementation of some kind of adjustable dimmer control. Low priority...
8. Finally, updatable CM93: Good idea. This could be done as an overlay, user switchable. Perhaps KML file format for input? Rhoel_Asia, are you there?
This sounds like an opportunity for third party collaboration...

And that's the news from Onancock, Virginia, where all the trees are green, the mud is deep, and the crabs are above average.

Dave

[roger.waite]

Hi Dave,

Can you please clarify whether OpenCPN supports the Hydrographic Chart Raster Format (HCRF) used by New Zealand, Australia and the UK. I assume it is set up only for the US & Canadian BSB format RNCs, and S-57 ENCs.

Really like the program ...

Roger