OTCurrent Plugin

[rgleason]

Serge asked me to compile UTcurrent.dll for windows
Serge and Mike here is what I've done so far to compile for windows, it worked before but it now has a dependency error.
...but I have a question too. Is OTcurrent the same as UTcurrent?
I would like to get this compile working again. Any suggestions?

[QUOTE]C:\..\o-plugin\otcurrent_pi>git pull
Already up-to-date. [\QUOTE]

under src/otcurrent_pi.h file
--------------------------------------------------

#define PLUGIN_VERSION_MAJOR 1
#define PLUGIN_VERSION_MINOR 0

#define MY_API_VERSION_MAJOR 1
#define MY_API_VERSION_MINOR 7

So the plugin is Plugin API 1.7
Going opencpn.org Development Manual > Plugin API > Different Plugin API Versions Different Plugin API Versions | Official OpenCPN Homepage
I find Plugin API 1.8 uses Opencpn 3.0 this is earlier than that.
Also we are only supporting 3.2.2 stable now, so I am going to use that version of 'opencpn.lib' to comile it now.
Therefore this Plugin dll will only run with 3.2.2 and later.
So I copied opencpn-3.2.2.lib to opencpn.lib under the otcurrent/build directory.
Then
-------------

C:\..\o-plugin\otcurrent_pi>git pull
Already up-to-date.

C:\..\o-plugin\otcurrent_pi>cd build

C:\..\o-plugin\otcurrent_pi\build>cmake ..
-- *** Staging to build otcurrent_pi ***
CMake Error at CMakeLists.txt:109 (ADD_DEPENDENCIES):
add_dependencies called with incorrect number of arguments
-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!

-------------
cmakelists.txt
-----------

IF(WIN32)
  SET(OPENCPN_IMPORT_LIB "../../${CMAKE_CFG_INTDIR}/${PARENT}")                   <--- Line 109
  TARGET_LINK_LIBRARIES( ${PACKAGE_NAME} LIB_BZIP ${OPENCPN_IMPORT_LIB} )
  ADD_DEPENDENCIES(${PACKAGE_NAME} ${PARENT})
ENDIF(WIN32)

----------
Under the "src" folder I have a sub-folder called "bzip2"

Searched on PARENT could not find anything else that would help.
----------

On 11/15/2014 12:50 PM, Serge DAVENEL wrote:

Hi Rick, I have made a mistake, UTCurrents is a standalone plugin (confirmed by Mike). I am going to open a thread into Tracker/Flyspray. I was not able to get the latest dll, may I ask you to compile it for Windows ? Thanks Serge

[rgleason]

On the off chance that the plugin is configured for an Opencpn inline build I tried that too.

C:\..\opencpn-git\plugins>git clone git://github.com/Rasbats/otcurrent_pi.git
Cloning into 'otcurrent_pi'...
remote: Counting objects: 110, done.
remote: Compressing objects: 100% (50/50), done.
remote: Total 110 (delta 57), reused 110 (delta 57)
Receiving objects: 100% (110/110), 198.23 KiB, done.
Resolving deltas: 100% (57/57), done.

C:\..\opencpn-git\plugins>cd otcurrent_pi
C:\..\plugins\otcurrent_pi>git pull
Already up-to-date.
C:\..opencpn-git\plugins\otcurrent_pi>mkdir build
C:\..\opencpn-git\plugins\otcurrent_pi>cd build

C:\Data-Dart\Up-Soft\Navigation\opencpn-git\plugins\otcurrent_pi\build>cmake ..
-- Building for: Visual Studio 10
-- Check for working C compiler using: Visual Studio 10
-- Check for working C compiler using: Visual Studio 10 -- works
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info
-- Detecting C compiler ABI info - done
-- Check for working CXX compiler using: Visual Studio 10
-- Check for working CXX compiler using: Visual Studio 10 -- works
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info
-- Detecting CXX compiler ABI info - done
-- *** Staging to build otcurrent_pi ***
-- Found wxWidgets: TRUE
-- Found Gettext: C:/Program Files (x86)/Poedit/bin/msgmerge.exe
CMake Error at CMakeLists.txt:109 (ADD_DEPENDENCIES):
add_dependencies called with incorrect number of arguments

-- Configuring incomplete, errors occurred!

[rgleason]

Don't understand it, after git fetch of Opencpn and compiling I found that otcurrent_pi had a release and debug built otcurrent_pi.dll It seems to be working fine.

Have uploaded it to Opencpn Beta File thingie rguser rgpass
look in 3.3.2302 PI Win folder.

[Rasbats]

Standard building and packaging for the plugin has now been implemented by Nohal and merged into the source.

https://github.com/Rasbats/otcurrent_pi

Thanks.

Mike

[rgleason]

Yes this is a very nice addition for advance planning purposes to get current and tide on a particular data and time and to be able to "play" it forward or back.

I think we need this kind of control when each station (of the base program "Currents" and "Tides" ) is right clicked because "Next" and "Back" in the base program is very very limiting if you want to go from current time and date, to say 8 days from now at 11pm.

If the same interface could be used on the stations it would become more integrated and usefull.

Thanks again.

[RhythmDoctor]

I love this plugin. It does meet a need that I've had for a long time, and it is very nicely implemented. I agree with Rick that implementing a calendar for date selection for each tide/current station would be very useful in the parent program, since you currently need to click 60 times if you are planning a trip two months in the future. (I think I created a flyspray request for this before.)

My only complaint at this time is regarding the color of the arrows for ebbing current. On my computer, these display as cyan, which does not show up very well on NOAA (USA) charts. It blends into the background for both raster (RNC) and vector (ENC) charts.

I noticed that the arrow for flood tide changes color based on the value of the current. It's green up to 1.5 kts, light orange 1.5-2.5, and deeper orange for 2.5-3.5, and red >.5. (Had to go to Hell Gate to find currents that fast!) The colorizing is useful, but I am curious why you only do it for flood current, and not ebb?

My suggestion would be to use the same color scheme for ebb and flood. You can easily tell ebb vs. flood by the direction of the arrows - no need for a different color. The orange-red palette is a good way to warn of fast currents, and is just as important for ebb as for flood.

[rgleason]

RD wrote

My only complaint at this time is regarding the color of the arrows for ebbing current. On my computer, these display as cyan, which does not show up very well on NOAA (USA) charts. It blends into the background for both raster (RNC) and vector (ENC) charts.

I noticed that the arrow for flood tide changes color based on the value of the current. It's green up to 1.5 kts, light orange 1.5-2.5, and deeper orange for 2.5-3.5, and red >.5. (Had to go to Hell Gate to find currents that fast!) The colorizing is useful, but I am curious why you only do it for flood current, and not ebb?

My suggestion would be to use the same velocity color scheme for ebb and flood. You can easily tell ebb vs. flood by the direction of the arrows - no need for a different color. The orange-red palette is a good way to warn of fast currents, and is just as important for ebb as for flood.

Would you mind making this request in Tracker. I believe I agree with you about change of colors for velocity,
0 - 1.5 knts Green
1.5- 2.5 knts Lt Orange
2.5-3.5 knts Orange
3.5-5.0 knts Orange-Red
>5.0 knts Red

Suggestion
ARROW SHAFT is colored for velocity and gets proportionally longer and fatter as velocity becomes greater.

Suggestion
ARROW HEAD is colored for FLOOD (Black) EBB (White)

------
RD would you mind also entering the Tracker request for the main program Tide and Current right click popup to allow time and date controls just as OTcurrent?

-------
SLACK BAND (Options > Tides > Show Slack Band (light grayed area or whatever)
Another conceptual idea I've had is to use the Flood and ebb data to show a lightly shaded area of SLACK current at each time, essentially it is a band or fat line who's location moves gradually up the sound or down the Sound in 'rhythm' with Flood and Ebb Tide. It might be a very useful concept for planning purposes.

- For example, if we plan our trips right, we can catch favorable ebb current from Fishers Island, NY area to outside Newport, and then sail through Slack to catch Flood into Buzzards Bay, saves lots of time.

Maybe I'll enter this request.

-----

Thanks

[RhythmDoctor]

Originally Posted by rgleason

...RD would you mind also entering the Tracker request for the main program Tide and Current right click popup to allow time and date controls just as OTcurrent?...

I entered it last February: FS#1322 : TIDE Improve setting of alternate date/time for on-chart display of current vectors and tide bars[0]=&sev[0]=&due[0]=&cat[0]=&status[0]=open&percent[0]=&reported[0]=

As for the colorization of the current vectors, I don't really agree about black and white arrowheads. I think visibility is important, and black/white could open a whole Pandora's box of visibility issues on various types of charts. I think there's a reason O was designed with orange current arrows (contrast with almost all types of charts), and keeping in the red/orange/yellow palette is probably best for contrast.

As for tracking these requests, I thought Tracker was for O requests only - not for 3rd party plugins.

[AISEAG]

Originally Posted by RhythmDoctor

...

As for tracking these requests, I thought Tracker was for O requests only - not for 3rd party plugins.

Hi,

Tracker/Flyspray is for OpenCPN (core program) and its Plugins.

Over than 25 projects have been created, do not hesitate to drop your request.

How to access TRACKER/FLYSPRAY:
Select the “tracker Button” (http://opencpn.org/ocpn/) in the upper right hand side of the menu.

How to register onto TRACKER/FLYSPRAY:
In the upper part of the screen; there is a place to register, and a place to login.
Nota: no registration gives a limited access to functionalities

Thanks

Serge

[rgleason]

As for the colorization of the current vectors, I don't really agree about black and white arrowheads.

Ok, then for
FLOOD enclose the Current Velocity color with an outline of GREEN
EBB enclose the Current Velocity color with an outline of Luminescent ORANGE

Otherwise my vote is to leave everything just as it is right now! -- Sorry RD.

[Rasbats]

Quote
My only complaint at this time is regarding the color of the arrows for ebbing current. On my computer, these display as cyan, which does not show up very well on NOAA (USA) charts. It blends into the background for both raster (RNC) and vector (ENC) charts.
Unquote

Code was updated to change the colour from cyan to a ghastly violet!

Rick has compiled the updated plugin for O 3.3.2230 (Post #18). That plugin will not work with 3.2.2 but I intend posting a compiled version of the updated version for 3.2.2 in the near future.

Had a comment about the ebb current not showing. I can't reproduce the problem.

Thanks for the input.

Mike

[RhythmDoctor]

Originally Posted by Rasbats

Code was updated to change the colour from cyan to a ghastly violet

Thanks. I haven't tried it yet, but I suspect it will show up better.

Just curious - what is the rationale behind having a different color for ebb vs. flood? I want to understand before I make more comments.

[George64]

Originally Posted by rgleason

RD wrote


Would you mind making this request in Tracker. I believe I agree with you about change of colors for velocity,
0 - 1.5 knts Green
1.5- 2.5 knts Lt Orange
2.5-3.5 knts Orange
3.5-5.0 knts Orange-Red
>5.0 knts Red

Suggestion
ARROW SHAFT is colored for velocity and gets proportionally longer and fatter as velocity becomes greater.

Suggestion
ARROW HEAD is colored for FLOOD (Black) EBB (White)

------
RD would you mind also entering the Tracker request for the main program Tide and Current right click popup to allow time and date controls just as OTcurrent?

-------
SLACK BAND (Options > Tides > Show Slack Band (light grayed area or whatever)
Another conceptual idea I've had is to use the Flood and ebb data to show a lightly shaded area of SLACK current at each time, essentially it is a band or fat line who's location moves gradually up the sound or down the Sound in 'rhythm' with Flood and Ebb Tide. It might be a very useful concept for planning purposes.

- For example, if we plan our trips right, we can catch favorable ebb current from Fishers Island, NY area to outside Newport, and then sail through Slack to catch Flood into Buzzards Bay, saves lots of time.

Maybe I'll enter this request.

-----
Thanks

Better use small/bigger arrows for those having color difficulties.

[rgleason]

Mike,
Just a note. I do think that we should show current speed in graphic format for both Flood and Ebb, however there does not appear to be an acceptable graphic way to distinguish flood from ebb because I also think that is important, and until everyone can agree, it does not make sense to change too much. The following are just thrown out for ideas for discussion purposes. I have no idea what would be best.
1. An outline around the Flood arrows heavy enough to see (color as determined)
Could be black, white, gray, yellow, green, whatever)
2. An outline around the Flood arrow head (just the front chevron part) (color as determined) could be black, white, gray, yellow, green, whatever.
3. Some other acceptable scheme for showing the difference between Flood and Ebb arrows after they are modified to show current speed.

Thank you for this sweet plugin. Hope it's concepts get added to the main program as well. Alternatively, I guess we just turn off those icons and make them invisible by right click. I wonder what we would lose by doing that? -Maybe leave Tide. (- Would like similar for Tide.)

[rgleason]

Have git fetch and recompiled for Windows.
Previous exe was compiled using opencpn-3-2-2.lib but not so designated and also uploaded to wrong directory. Have corrected this.

Opencpn Beta File Thingie rguser rgpass
Go to the "3.2.2 Win PI" directory and download
otcurrent_pi-1.0-ov3-2-2-win32.exe

Please test, works with OPencpn 3.2.2 and up