Opencpn 4.1.1108 Documentation

[rgleason]

If you really want a top notch image, go back to each image and resize to the actual screen resolution being used!

That will save a lot of space so that we won't have to compress. There are about 150-200 files that really should be resized as they are 700x and 900x and we don't used that.

I don't know what a RC2 is, but it was unclear to me how much time we have left and I am tired of hashing this out any further. I set a deadline for completion by Sunday and we have exceeded it by one day.

There is still a lot to do to improve the images, and the overall manual, but I think we've done pretty well for having to work our way through this whole process for the first time. Thank you all for your help, your ideas and insight, the valuable clues to software and links that would be useful, and your continued involvement.

Pretty soon we'll have a new 4.2, and be able to take a break and do some things that really are calling for attention!

Chow.

[wdkester]

Rick'

"What about "http://" links to the Forum. There are a lot of them.
-These links are going to be a problem on a boat with no internet.
-These links are Not a "help" for a Help Document.
Shouldn't we eliminate them?"

It seems to me that if we eliminate external links we will have to maintain 2 versions. If we underline external links then the unconnected user will know that they are external and will have to wait to use them. Hopefully they point to things unnecessary for day-to-day navigation.

[rgleason]

David
Pavel said not to worry about, but I can easily strip them from the "Condensed" version. I've been thinking. We could put this version out on its own, and then just make a full sized web type version that Pavel runs optipng on. Then Hurbert will be happy and big machines and fast connections will be needed.

The smaller version will be appreciated by others with different needs.

Perhaps tomorrow I should move all the pages back in place before Pavel does his export for 4.2?

[rgleason]

Peter,

I tried optiPNG on the full manual and got 38 mb result.
Could you do me a big favor do it and tell me what you get?

I moved all the pages back which is about 3 mb more.

Where do you find this stuff? Yes Jpeg is much more efficient IMHO
Just found out we could save 2+ mb by using 8bit color.
The images are not quite as good, but for the Condensed version it might be fine.

Thanks.
Rick

Here is the script that Pavel runs when building the docs for a release.
https://github.com/nohal/OpenCPNScri...ter/doc_fix.sh

So it looks like the big image files >100K are converted to JPG's and then compressed.
JPG's are compressed much more efficient.

[rgleason]

PS Peter are you able to run Pavels script? Would like to know size result. Thanks

[rgleason]

On full export of user. Manual.

[rgleason]

Summary of the Export Process
Export Process | Official OpenCPN Homepage

I looked at the script Peter found and I think the User Manual will be about 17 mb.

Just converting all of the images to jpg would save more space, probably down to 13mb total.

Here is a jpeg compression comparison, note the difference between 70 and 50! here is not much, believe me. I vote to compress all the image files to

Jpeg Compression=50 (Could be 70)
Size= width not greater than 525px
Color=32 bit

and have the User Manual be about 10 mb.
Then there would be no need for a Condensed version.

I am interested in what others think.

[bobofthenorth]

When we're cruising we're typically on low bandwidth connections or connections where bandwidth is expensive so it seems like the only obvious choice to me. Smaller is better IMO.

[rgleason]

Bdbcat and Pavel,

I think we are finished with the User Manual for now.

I seem to have a slower internet connection and not all images download, there is one that results in an error html with a URL that is too long. I am unable to trace it.
It have not seen a problem in using Exported Manual. The links that I tested all work (quite a lot of them).

I would suggest Pavel's script for images convert all images to jpg and use

Size= width not greater than 525px (Maybe 550px)
Jpeg Compression=50 (Could be 70)
Color=32 bit

and have the User Manual be about 10 mb.
Then there would be no need for a Condensed version.

Here is a jpeg compression comparison, note the difference between 70 and 50! here is not much.

For the Future:
1. Add the Table of Contents link and icon at the bottom of all pages.
2. Review and improve the separate OS Installation Notes, Linux etc.
3. Edit & condense all documentation.
4. Optimize the webpage images.

Tools needed for the Editors:
1. More modern image handling, insert an image is 11 clicks! -Ridiculous
2. Search and Replace on the text.
3. Maybe an updated Drupal CMS Interface?

Tools available for the Editors:
Edit User Manual Main Page

Goals:
1. User Manual maintained completely by the Users.
2. Build the number of skilled editors.
3. Continue to improve the manual after release.
4. Credit page under "Edit User Manual".

Many thanks to everyone who contributed, it could not have been done without you!

[rgleason]

Bdbcat asked if the User Manual is ready. I believe we should finish up and pause our editing at this point so Pavel can take a snapshot when needed.

[wdkester]

OK I stopped yesterday

[rgleason]

Did not change "Right Click Menu" to "Mouse Menu" because right click is the dominant control. We can think about renaming to this later.

However I did add

• Left-click
• Scroll Wheel

descriptions at the bottom.

Right Click Menu | Official OpenCPN Homepage

[Gilletarom]

Hello RGleason,

today, I try Weather Routing. In the the menu bar of this plugin, there is "Manual".

And this item run firefox (or your own browser) here :
http://opencpn.org/ocpn/weather_routing_plugin

But this page is not present in opencpn.org. "Page not found" !

Do you know what occur ?

B.R. Gilletarom.

[rgleason]

I did not and will fix it. Where is the link please.

[rgleason]

http://opencpn.org/ocpn/Plugins_exte...eather_routing. Is where the page is now.