OpenCPN Version 2.6 Beta Build 1511

[bdbcat]

Ahoy, OpenCPN'ers...

OpenCPN Version 2.6 Beta Build 1511 will soon be available for download from opencpn.org.

Monitor the opencpn.org Downloads page to find and download the latest Beta version binaries.....

Source is available now on sourceforge git repo.

Changelog

115. Correct various cm93 course-up rendering problems
116. Improve linux dimmer function, including Ctrl-G for green/red
117. Correct cm93 composite Depth Unit reporting.
118. Improve Ownship rendering
119. Correct ENC Area Pattern rendering with Depth Buffer clipping.
120. Improve AIS target rendering in OpenGL
121. Complete implmentation of dashed line drawing in OpenGL
122. Implement Chart Groups
123. Upgrade PlugIn API spec to 1.7
124. Improve ownship drawing logic, OwnshipMinMM = -1(default) for exact bitmap
125. Correct license headers for debian repo inclusion (FS#732)
126. Implement improved Waypoint properties dialog. Thanks Pavel!
127. Correct AIS Target Query fault with target ETA present (FS#709)
128. Correct S52/S57 maximum character string size to 512 chars (FS#729) Thanks ChuckSK
129. Correct Logbook entry when COG/SOG are unavailable (FS#721)
130. Correct for some ENC crashes. (FS#720)
131. Correct DTM parameter decoding for certain SHOM charts (FS#730)
132. Revamp PlugIn architecture again. Of interest to PlugIn developers.
133. Improve DRGARE symbolization
134. Improve Route-to-Track algorithm. Thanks, pjotr
135. Implement DSC and GPS_Gate Buddy rendering from AIS data stream. (FS#331) Thanks, pjotr

Release 2.6.1511

Notes:

116. Experimental. How do monochromatic red or green diplays look at night on your hardware?
122. Chart Groups...A favorite of mine. I now use it all the time, both underway and for testing.
See notes (for Wiki?) below.
124. Revise ownship icon rendering again. With this version, if no value is specified
for OwnshipMinMM, then the exact built-in bitmap will be used, just like the current 2.5 Release.
126. New Waypoint Proerties dialog. Slick!
132. PlugIn Architecture revamp.
This solves the ongoing problem of having to rebuild all the legacy PlugIns whenever an upgrade to the
PlugIn API is desired or required. Should make life a lot easier for users, especially during Beta cycles.
PlugIn Developers take note of new classes defined in ocpn_plugin.h, and adjust your plugins to match.
This should be the last time that static legacy plugins will need to be rebuilt, I hope.
135. Completely untested. I don't have the hardware.....

Don't forget to check and update "Your" Flyspray issues.

I apologize if I missed any patches buried in the Forum. Merging from multiple developer sources
introduces many opportunities for items falling between the cracks.

Big Picture: I would like to plan for an official 2.7.0 Release sometime in May, 2012.
So, if any developers have ideas just waiting for the chance to play, now is the time.

Thanks, and good luck
Dave




Chart Groups:
Chart Groups solve the following problem: You may have many charts loaded in your active database.
Some of them have overlapping coverage at the same scale, so that when quilted the logic does not know
which of potentially several charts at the same scale to choose from. For example, in the Bahamas we have
two publishers of charts covering the same areas with radically different presentations. Sometimes we want to see one set (say planning charts of small scale), and other times we only want navigation charts of the best
scale possible. Another example: Pilot charts as one Group, normal nav charts as another Group.
Final example: in another universe, NGA charts in one group, standard NOAA RNCs in another (sigh)

The Chart Group function allows us to define multiple Groups, with different chart directories in each group.
The Group desired for viewing may be selected quickly without adding or deleting charts from the Active database.

Here is how it works:
In Toolbox->Charts, select "Chart Groups"
You will see two panes. The left pane contains you installed ("Active") chart directories.
The right pane alows you to create, edit, and delete Groups.
Note that there is always a "Group 0", which is all "Active" charts. This Group is not editable.
New Groups which you create may have chart directories or individual charts added to them by
selecting the item in the left pane, and touching the "Add-->" button.
You may also remove individual charts and/or directories from within added items by selecting the
desired item in the right pane, and touching "<--Remove".
Please note that "removing" an item from the Group does not remove it from your "Active" set. The item
is simply made unavailable when this Group is in use.

Close the Toolbox dialog as normal.

Select the Group you want to currently use by a right-click context menu item called "Chart Groups".
As you switch Groups the logic tries to select a chart and scale that closely matches the situation
present before the switch. As you may understand, sometimes the fit is not reasonable, so the
resulting view may be surprising.

Finally, if you have no Groups defined, as in the default installation, the operation of OCPN will
be as in 2.5 legacy releases. All installed charts are available always.

Implementation/UI note: The selection of Group to use is not strictly a chart "context" operation, so a
right-click context menu action is not exactly intuitive to me. However, I could not immediately come up
with a Group selection method that does not subtract yet more chart real estate from the screen.
I invite comments on improved UI ideas....

So, there it is. Chart Groups. Have fun!