OpenCPN Version 5 Beta Starts

[AedanC]

Dave,
Thanks for updating the tactics link, it downloads perfectly now.


I have installed the 5.0 versions of tactics and vdr but neither of them show up in the Tools->Options->Plugins menu. They do not appear in the list of incompatible plugins when I enter that page either.


I see the following in the log file:


5:29:54 PM: PlugInManager: D:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins\chartdldr_pi.dll
API Version detected: 113
PlugIn Version detected: 103
5:29:54 PM: Incompatible plugin detected: D:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins\climatology_pi.dll
5:29:54 PM: Incompatible plugin detected: D:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins\ge2kap_V16_pi.dll
5:29:55 PM: Incompatible plugin detected: D:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins\logbookkonni_pi.dll
5:29:56 PM: Incompatible plugin detected: D:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins\nmeaconverter_pi.dll
5:29:56 PM: Incompatible plugin detected: D:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins\ocpn_draw_pi.dll
5:29:57 PM: Incompatible plugin detected: D:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins\polar_pi.dll
5:29:57 PM: PlugInManager: Loading PlugIn: D:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins\tactics_pi.dll
5:29:57 PM: Error: Failed to load shared library 'D:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins\tactics_pi.dll' (error 126: The specified module could not be found.)
5:29:57 PM: PlugInManager: Cannot load library: D:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins\tactics_pi.dll
5:29:57 PM: PlugInManager: Loading PlugIn: D:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins\vdr_pi.dll
5:29:57 PM: Error: Failed to load shared library 'D:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins\vdr_pi.dll' (error 126: The specified module could not be found.)
5:29:57 PM: PlugInManager: Cannot load library: D:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins\vdr_pi.dll
5:29:57 PM: Incompatible plugin detected: D:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins\watchdog_pi.dll
5:29:58 PM: Incompatible plugin detected: D:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN\plugins\weather_routing_pi.dll


Any ideas what I can do to help track this down?


Thanks,


Aedan

[Rasbats]

Dave ...

The link for VFKaps_pi (Windows installer) is showing error 404. At the moment version 2.1 is compiled with wxWidgets 3.1.1. Intend updating GitHub.

v2.5 OTCurrent also uses 3.1.1 at the moment and I will update GitHub for this plugin as well.

Mike

[sailorF54]

Originally Posted by nohal

It also displays fine for me in OpenCPN so would suspect the special characters in your path. Will have a look at it.

Pavel, you're right, as usual


Opens fine when directly under C:


Thanks


François

[bcn]

macOS and Options|Charts

- when updating the chart data base the progress windows is below the main window. Looks as if OCPN is stalled as one does not see that some process is running

- Chart groups: if you have a bigger number of Groups the right most ones will not show up with the standard window. No slider in place . Requires to broaden the window manually.

[bcn]

macOS and Object query on vector charts:

Object window covers almost the complete screen. Manual reduction is not remembered for the next query.

[bcn]

On vector charts objects that are out of the bounds of the chart can't be queried.

The example is from Finnish charts. Does happen both in S-57 and oeSENC.

Not new for 4.99/5.0

[bcn]

Due to a change in wxWidgets 3.1.2 one can't set the OPCN language without restrictions:

Only systems with GUI settings EN will be able to select all languages.

On systems different from EN one can only select EN-US and all other choices will default to the system GUI language.

(Seems that Windows XP does not report the GUI language, so wx is defaulting to EN-US and hence under XP the free selection still works).

[bcn]

The superimposed depth units (meters, feet) will not be changed when applying a different language. Only after restart of OpenCPN.

[bdbcat]

Aedan



Tactics and VDR plugins (and links) for O5 have been updated.


Thanks
Dave

[AedanC]

Hi Dave,

Originally Posted by bdbcat

Tactics and VDR plugins (and links) for O5 have been updated.

Both loading fine now, many thanks. The tactics plugin took a few attempts to install but made it on the third attempt.

I have to go away now but I'll try and run some of last seasons vdr captures through tomorrow night and see how I get on.

New UI is a great improvement and much faster, well done.

Thanks for your help,


Aedan

[cagney]

The documentation has not been updated for version 5. That will take a long time.
Meanwhile, we will publish a beta version of "Whats New in O5" soonish.
This is to help all you beta testers. There are many new concepts and advanced features that are not so obvious at first sight.

Thomas

[pinguino]

I have created in our forum in Spanish a small guide about some of the new features included in this version 5 of OpenCpn.

Of course it's in Spanish but if anyone wants to have a look at it you can use the google translator to get an idea.... at least while the documentation is updated in the correct way.

https://foronavegantes.net/thread-84....html#pid17565

Above all keep in mind that where the translator will say brands or tradebrands essentially means waypoints.

[bcn]

Pinguino..

you might add the Templates ("Plantillas") from the display options.

A group of settings defining the presentation of the display.
Including an "emergency exit for heroes" if one has screwed up the settings and needs a working display again.

[pinguino]

Preview of the main new features of opencpn 5

For many if not all of us OpenCpn has been our main navigation tool for the last few years. Its look and operation has not been very different throughout the almost 10 years that it has been evolving. The 5th version of this great tool is approaching and along with it will come a new interface with additional functions and hopefully more intuitive and functional, as well as more modern and clear.

THE ICON BAR

The former icon bar that consisted of a jumble of different functions has now been split into two independent bars.

To the left indicated by the red arrow, you can see the new configuration bar. This panel, whose design has been modified to be more visible, includes the main configuration functions of the tool. General configuration, plugins, color palette, print, MOB manager marks and routes and so on. The "hamburger" menu -the three horizontal stripes- allows you to fold and unfold this panel to your liking.


The green arrow however points to the chart panel which encompasses more specific mapping functions. You can see the scale adjustment with a clear indication of the scale, the auto centering and the "hamburger" menu that opens the detailed options of the chart panel.

These options that were previously buried in the depths of the general configuration menu are now more accessible for a better adjustment of what we want our vector mapping to show ... or not.

CANVAS LAYOUT

Another important new feature of this new version is the possibility to show two different charts at the same time on the same screen or to show the same chart but on two different scales on the split screen in two separate zones. This can be activated in the general configuration menu where it shows canvas layout.


As an example here we can see two different maps and two different scales. On the left a satellite view of Tabarca Island obtained through the SASPlanet tool and converted to MBTiles format -another novelty of this version-. And on the right side the same area at a different scale in vector chart format.

As you can see, the amount of information available is greater and therefore we have more options when deciding how and where to sail and / or anchor. You can see that although the main panel is unique for the whole tool the chart panel is separate for each of them and therefore we can choose what to show or not to our liking separately. This is a powerful tool that well used can improve our safety in navigation.

TEMPLATES

This new feature allows us to create templates of how the screen and its environment will be presented, save them separately so that we can activate them exactly as we liked them and alternate between the different saved modes if we wish.

The red arrow shows the new tab for the templates. The green one shows the button to save our template once it is configured and the blue one shows the recovery template that will allow us to have our screen as it comes by default when installing our OpenCpn from scratch.

MARKS AND ROUTES

Another point to highlight is the improvement in the management of marks and routes implemented. We can see that a new tab has been added in the "boats" section of the general configuration.


This tab called "routes marks" allows us to access a new configuration menu for these:

Where we can choose:
Red arrow, icon for route points marks. Brown arrow, default icon for isolated marks. And the magenta arrow points to a new option added to the marks in this version. It is the possibility to choose from which scale of the chart our marks become visible or not. This option allows you to ignore the particular options of each mark and force them to be shown -as they have been until now- or allow each one to be shown as it has been configured.
That is to say:
When we create a new mark we can choose from which scale should be made visible or not. This will allow us to show a cleaner and clearer cartography in large scales and at the same time increase the detail and add our favorite marks as the scale changes.

It is a great advance that if used well will improve the visibility of our maps at different scales.
But... What about our old marks? No problem. By default they will be in "always show", as usual.


But we can edit it as always with the routes and marks manager and add the scale to which we want them to appear.


There are also many "under the hood" extras. Improved route calculations. Support for MBTiles charts. Improvements in certain icons to adjust to the standard of safety in navigation. Better sound management etc. The truth is that the amount of changes is enormous and has taken more than a year of work to achieve this major leap in OpenCpn.

THE CONNECTIONS BOX

The connections box has also been re-designed to display information more simply and clearly.

And we can add a personalized comment that will allow us to identify to our taste each connection, where it comes from and what data it transmits or receives. It has also improved internally the way to manage the connections, especially the network and is expected to be more reliable and faster.

Good Luck.

[pinguino]

Originally Posted by bcn

Pinguino..

you might add the Templates ("Plantillas") from the display options.

A group of settings defining the presentation of the display.
Including an "emergency exit for heroes" if one has screwed up the settings and needs a working display again.

I forgot! It got away. I'll fix it right away. Thank you.