OpenCPN and Argus Survice Engineering

[AnchorageGuy]

I just received an email from Argus Survice Engineering, spelled correctly, about the ICW solutions set that will be compatible with OpenCPN. Since we participate in the Argus project and use OpenCPN, this is good news to us. Here is part of what was in the email...

"First of all, in a partnership with Cruisers’ Net and EarthNC we’re happy to provide a beta release of ARGUS solution sets for the ICW compatible with OpenCPN! For those not familiar with OpenCPN, it is a very capable open source PC Navigation software application in use by a large following of recreational and commercial boaters. The OpenCPN developers have done a great job providing the application with capabilities comparable to many commercial packages. We look forward to working with the OpenCPN community to further develop the integration of ARGUS solution sets, and we’re working to make them available through Cruisers’ Net as a complement to all of the other very valuable information they provide. This AICW solution set represents over 18 million soundings processed with the help of our beta testers through June 2013!"

Great news. Chuck

[carlspackler]

Originally Posted by Waterwayguy

I just received an email from Argus Survice Engineering, spelled correctly, about the ICW solutions set that will be compatible with OpenCPN. Since we participate in the Argus project and use OpenCPN, this is good news to us. Here is part of what was in the email...

"First of all, in a partnership with Cruisers’ Net and EarthNC we’re happy to provide a beta release of ARGUS solution sets for the ICW compatible with OpenCPN! For those not familiar with OpenCPN, it is a very capable open source PC Navigation software application in use by a large following of recreational and commercial boaters. The OpenCPN developers have done a great job providing the application with capabilities comparable to many commercial packages. We look forward to working with the OpenCPN community to further develop the integration of ARGUS solution sets, and we’re working to make them available through Cruisers’ Net as a complement to all of the other very valuable information they provide. This AICW solution set represents over 18 million soundings processed with the help of our beta testers through June 2013!"

Great news. Chuck

What is an ICW solutions set? Intracoastal Waterway? No I am not being snarky. I'd love to understand the background of this. Is this data (more charts) that can be read by OpenCPN, it it software or hardware that works with OpenCPN, is it a fork of OpenCPN?

Thanks

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by carlspackler

What is an ICW solutions set? Intracoastal Waterway? No I am not being snarky. I'd love to understand the background of this. Is this data (more charts) that can be read by OpenCPN, it it software or hardware that works with OpenCPN, is it a fork of OpenCPN?

you could, um, just go to the posted ARGUS link and read for a bit.

[carlspackler]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

you could, um, just go to the posted ARGUS link and read for a bit.

I did, and I saw that Argus is underwater surveillance. What is the relation to OpenCPN? Is it data used by OpenCPN, a fork? My questions still apply. The company is not the project.

[wdkester]

See

ARGUS - Survice Engineering

Click on downloads

It seems to be focused on the ICW depths.

I downloaded their charts(they are the ICW charts only) and the gpx files and they work somewhat, but the cruisernet version works better. 1. They use colored dots for depths O uses way points 2. and they seem to do a better job of quilting.

I did use O on my last ICW trip and it worked just fine although a bit jerky when changing charts. I had also a printed version of cruisenets problem areas.

[carlspackler]

Originally Posted by wdkester

See

ARGUS - Survice Engineering

It seems to be focused on the ICW depths.

I downloaded their charts(they are the ICW charts only) and the gpx files and they work somewhat, but the cruisernet version works better. 1. They use colored dots for depths O uses way points 2. and they seem to do a better job of quilting.

I did use O on my last ICW trip and it worked just fine although a bit jerky when changing charts. I had also a printed version of cruisenets problem areas.

I looked at ARGUS Account Signup

So these are "Solution Sets" that are compatible with openCPN, which are bundled with, but are not charts, since the charts are separate downloads that seen to be associated with the Solution Set. It's probably not a layer, since the would be a kml file or I guess S-57 layer.

Okay, at least I know it's data, though I don't know what a solution set is.

[wdkester]

The download folder "Argus_ICW_OpenCPN" is a set of gpx files containing waypoints whose name is the depth at the WP. You can load them as a layer in Route Manager.

[wdkester]

Note to developers - I'm running 3.2.2 on W7. I was able to load the Georgia file as a temp layer and it worked just fine. Since then O hangs on any other file.

[wdkester]

I tried to attach the log file . no joy . hereitis

14:17:24:

________

14:17:24: 2013-09-06
14:17:24: ------- Starting OpenCPN -------
14:17:24: Version 3.2.2 Build 2013-05-08
14:17:24: wxWidgets version: wxWidgets 2.8.12
14:17:24: MemoryStatus: mem_total: 4003 mb, mem_initial: 8 mb
14:17:24: SData_Locn is C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\
14:17:24: Using existing Config_File: C:\ProgramData\opencpn\opencpn.ini
14:17:24: Styles loading from C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\uidata\styles.xml
14:17:24: No styles found at: C:\ProgramData\opencpn\
14:17:24: No styles found at: C:\ProgramData\opencpn\.opencpn\
14:17:24: Setting Viewpoint Lat/Lon 44.211, -85.6295
14:17:24: Setting Ownship Lat/Lon 45.1362, -83.8139
14:17:24: System default Language: en_US
2:17:24 PM: Opencpn language set to: en_US
2:17:24 PM: ChartSymbols loaded from C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\s57data\chartsymbols.xml
2:17:24 PM: Using s57data in C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\s57data
2:17:24 PM: Setting Viewpoint Lat/Lon 44.211, -85.6295
2:17:24 PM: Setting Ownship Lat/Lon 45.1362, -83.8139
2:17:24 PM: PlugInManager searching for PlugIns in location C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins
2:17:24 PM: PlugInManager: Loading PlugIn: C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins/dashboard_pi.dll
2:17:24 PM: C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins/dashboard_pi.dll Version detected: 106
2:17:24 PM: PlugInManager: Loading PlugIn: C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins/grib_pi.dll
2:17:24 PM: C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins/grib_pi.dll Version detected: 107
2:17:25 PM: OpenGL-> Renderer String: Intel(R) HD Graphics Family
2:17:25 PM: OpenGL-> Detected Intel renderer, disabling stencil buffer
2:17:25 PM: OpenGL-> Detected Intel renderer, disabling FBO
2:17:25 PM: OpenGL-> Framebuffer Objects unavailable
2:17:25 PM: OpenGL-> Using Depth buffer clipping
2:17:25 PM: OpenGL-> Estimated Max Resident Textures: 98
2:17:25 PM: ChartDB Cache policy: Application target is 1024 MBytes
2:17:25 PM: Loading chart db version: V017
2:17:25 PM: Chartdb: Chart directory list follows
2:17:25 PM: Chart directory #0: C:\Users\Jean\Downloads\09CGD_RNCs
2:17:25 PM: Chart directory #1: C:\Users\Jean\Downloads\NOAA_ICW_Charts
2:17:25 PM: GPS Watchdog Timeout is: 6 sec.
2:17:25 PM: Initializing Chart C:\Users\Jean\Downloads\09CGD_RNCs\BSB_ROOT\14500\ 14500_1.KAP
2:17:25 PM: Initializing Chart C:\Users\Jean\Downloads\09CGD_RNCs\BSB_ROOT\14902\ 14902_1.KAP
2:17:25 PM: Initializing Chart C:\Users\Jean\Downloads\09CGD_RNCs\BSB_ROOT\14860\ 14860_1.KAP
14:22:45:

________

14:22:45: 2013-09-06
14:22:45: ------- Starting OpenCPN -------
14:22:45: Version 3.2.2 Build 2013-05-08
14:22:45: wxWidgets version: wxWidgets 2.8.12
14:22:45: MemoryStatus: mem_total: 4003 mb, mem_initial: 8 mb
14:22:45: SData_Locn is C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\
14:22:45: Using existing Config_File: C:\ProgramData\opencpn\opencpn.ini
14:22:45: Styles loading from C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\uidata\styles.xml
14:22:45: No styles found at: C:\ProgramData\opencpn\
14:22:45: No styles found at: C:\ProgramData\opencpn\.opencpn\
14:22:45: Setting Viewpoint Lat/Lon 44.211, -85.6295
14:22:45: Setting Ownship Lat/Lon 45.1362, -83.8139
14:22:45: System default Language: en_US
2:22:45 PM: Opencpn language set to: en_US
2:22:45 PM: ChartSymbols loaded from C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\s57data\chartsymbols.xml
2:22:45 PM: Using s57data in C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\s57data
2:22:45 PM: Setting Viewpoint Lat/Lon 44.211, -85.6295
2:22:45 PM: Setting Ownship Lat/Lon 45.1362, -83.8139
2:22:45 PM: PlugInManager searching for PlugIns in location C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins
2:22:45 PM: PlugInManager: Loading PlugIn: C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins/dashboard_pi.dll
2:22:45 PM: C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins/dashboard_pi.dll Version detected: 106
2:22:45 PM: PlugInManager: Loading PlugIn: C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins/grib_pi.dll
2:22:45 PM: C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins/grib_pi.dll Version detected: 107
2:22:45 PM: OpenGL-> Renderer String: Intel(R) HD Graphics Family
2:22:45 PM: OpenGL-> Detected Intel renderer, disabling stencil buffer
2:22:45 PM: OpenGL-> Detected Intel renderer, disabling FBO
2:22:45 PM: OpenGL-> Framebuffer Objects unavailable
2:22:45 PM: OpenGL-> Using Depth buffer clipping
2:22:45 PM: OpenGL-> Estimated Max Resident Textures: 98
2:22:45 PM: ChartDB Cache policy: Application target is 1024 MBytes
2:22:45 PM: Loading chart db version: V017
2:22:45 PM: Chartdb: Chart directory list follows
2:22:45 PM: Chart directory #0: C:\Users\Jean\Downloads\09CGD_RNCs
2:22:45 PM: Chart directory #1: C:\Users\Jean\Downloads\NOAA_ICW_Charts
2:22:45 PM: GPS Watchdog Timeout is: 6 sec.
2:22:45 PM: Initializing Chart C:\Users\Jean\Downloads\09CGD_RNCs\BSB_ROOT\14500\ 14500_1.KAP
2:22:46 PM: Initializing Chart C:\Users\Jean\Downloads\09CGD_RNCs\BSB_ROOT\14902\ 14902_1.KAP
2:22:46 PM: Initializing Chart C:\Users\Jean\Downloads\09CGD_RNCs\BSB_ROOT\14860\ 14860_1.KAP

[wdkester]

OOOOPS,above complaint is incorrect If you Route Manager>Import Temporary Layer it seems to work on the smaller files but the large ones cause O to slow down so as to be unusable.

If you Route Manager>Import GPX O seems to have performance problems with the large files or if you import several of the smaller files.

[nohal]

David...
This should be MUCH better with the 3.3 beta.

Pavel

[cagney]

Originally Posted by nohal

David...
This should be MUCH better with the 3.3 beta.

Pavel

Maybe it's better, but not good enough for this kind of application. I tested with the latest 3.3.I don't think that O ever was designed to handle 53,000 wpts !!
That is what you get in NE Florida. In NW Florida it's "only" about 9000 wpts. OpenCPN struggles even with this amount.
But you can make it work, if you consider a few points.
*Always load the files as a temporary layer, zoomed in on your local area. Never load when zoomed out. Why? Zoomed out O has to handle all wpts at the same time when zooming/panning. Zoomed in it just a handful of wpts at the same time.
*An alternative is to load a file when zoomed in on an other area. This goes quick. Then promptly make the layer invisible. Only make the layer visible when zoomed in on the actual area.
*Never zoom out with these files loaded, unless you make the layer invisible first. There is no point in this anyway as all you will see is a lot of black "smear".
*The big unavoidable bottleneck seems to be when deleting the temp layers. V e r y s l o w.

Thomas

[bdbcat]

Thomas, et al...

I have vastly improved the performance of Layer->Delete function in the latest commit. Root cause of slowness was due to our obsession with keeping the crash recovery ChangeSet updated on each and every point deleted from the layer. Rewriting the ChangeSet file for every point, one -by-one, was V e r y S l o w. Clearly, this is not needed for layer objects, since they are immutable, and the Delete operation is confined to the currently running instance of OCPN anyway.

Also, you may find (on linux, anyway) that the performance of the Argus gpx files as layers is improved somewhat if you do not use OpenGL mode. There is some work yet to be done on the rendering of text in OpenGL, which this scenario exacerbates. I'll probably have more on this later.

btw, several other new things in 3.3.910. Check the git commit log for hints. Bugs expected...

Thanks
Dave