PhotoPlayer plugin - Satellite GeoTiffs with transparency

[Rasbats]

Working with VentureFarther (Jon Turgeon) and MAP2CMAPCNET (John Thorn), also Bill Stockton (Chartaid) this new plugin overlays GeoTiff satellite photos on top of the navigation chart. The transparency can be adjusted, allowing easy comparison of features from the chart with the photo.

v0.1 release is here:

https://github.com/Rasbats/photolayer_pi/releases

Windows installer with the release.

Transparency works fully with OpenGL.

GeoTiffs can be downloaded from the VentureFarther website (www.venturefarther.com). Set the 'KAP/GeO' switch to 'GEO'. They can also be made from satellite kaps using MAP2CMAPCNET (convert to GeoTiff (mercator lat/lon)). There are probably other sources. Please let us know of those that work.

Massive help to develop this plugin came from WeatherFax_pi (Sean D'Epagnier) and Bill Stockton (Chartaid).

Comments and bug reports always appreciated.

Mike

[AISEAG]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for this new plugin.

I will wait to create a new entry into Tracker/Flyspray.

For the moment, I am suggesting to use this thread for all matters regarding this new item.

Before the official release of this plugin, do not forget the internalisation part with crowdin.

Serge

[sailorF54]

That looks like a great plugin

1 - Works fine with tif files downloaded from VentureFarther, although I get a warning (see pic)
O 4.8.0; W10 (release 1709) on 64 bits computer
2 - Can't find MAP2CMAPCNET on
cando
I'm already the (proud ?) owner of (a paid version of) MAP2CMAPC. Is that the app that is required to convert from kap to (geo)tiff ?

[Rasbats]

Yes ... The same program. It installs into a folder MAP2CMAPCNET. Very useful.

The warning is due to an unidentifed geotag. It does not affect the working of the plugin. Jon Turgeon will be looking at this. The warning will not appear if you convert a satellite kap to GeoTiff (mercator lat/lon) using MAP2C.

Mike

[sailorF54]

Originally Posted by Rasbats

Yes ... The same program. It installs into a folder MAP2CMAPCNET. Very useful.

The warning is due to an unidentifed geotag. It does not affect the working of the plugin. Jon Turgeon will be looking at this. The warning will not appear if you convert a satellite kap to GeoTiff (mercator lat/lon) using MAP2C.

Mike

Thanks Mike
BTW, the folder name is MAP2CMAPC64 on a 64bit computer.
Very useful indeed when batch converting (geo)tif files from SASPlanet to kap files that O can read...

PS No warning when converting with MAP2CMAPC (see pic), but you have to use the GEOTIF (lat /lon) output. The GEOTIF (mercator) throws an error....

[Rasbats]

sailorF54 ...

Thanks for the mention of SASPlanet. I have just made a couple of GeoTiffs with an alpha (transparency) channel, that work fine with PhotoLayer. I will include a guide to using SASPlanet and other sources for creating GeoTiffs.

TODO: Problem with deleting images from the list.

Mike

[Rasbats]

Added the Windows GeoTiff and Tiff libraries/iincludes in a zip on GitHub ('PhotoLayer.zip'). This is for people wanting to compile their own Windows version.

On Linux I installed the libgeotiff and libtiff libraries and set things up, I thought, in 'Compiler Settings' in CodeBlocks. However I get the message 'undefined symbol:XTIFFOpen' in 'opencpn.log'. The Linux version will have to wait.

Mike

[Rasbats]

Still working on the beta PhotoLayer plugin for Linux.

For Windows the installer for OpenCPN 5 beta is here.

https://github.com/Rasbats/photolaye...eases/tag/v2.1

TODO: Change the icon for the plugin dialog.

Mike

[Rasbats]

Now working on Linux. Deb package here:

https://github.com/Rasbats/photolayer_pi/releases/tag/v2.1.

Mike