Raster Conversion - Help Needed Please

[smilesforu]

I have tried to covert a couple of files over so I can use them. I have seaclear and mapcal but can't get them so I can use in opencpn. I been trying since last spring but gave up trying.

NGDC/MGG-Download NOS Scanned Bathymetric and Fishing Maps US West Coast, Washington & Oregon


I am looking for the f60 , f61,f56, f50, f51 in order of conversion priority.

Thanks in advance.

[GordMay]

Greetings and welcome aboard the CF, smilesforu.

[HappySeagull]

Smiles', They are huge files! Were I doing these, I'm sure I'd have to reduce the size and the number of colours to 256 or less first. Also, MapCal can only save a calibration as pngs and bmps so that's part of the conversion.
If you got over those hurdles, you should be set to use imgkap, or helpcal or something else to make them into charts for OpenCPN.
Where do you hit the wall?

[smilesforu]

I was able to calibrate in mapcal and create a wci file which I can use in seaclear. I am lost at that point or perhaps lost before I got there

[HappySeagull]

You didn't say what OS and how new. On XP, this...
...been awhile since I used a wci- it's seaclear's compression format and ok too.

But for O,as a kap, I would step backwards tothe image and the calibration. Make sure the image is as good as it can be ...one that MapCal can snap along through,no bogging down for infinite periods... but has quality Sharp. by fiddling with the image as I said above if needed. Make sure the image is in the folder with MapCal. This will keep it simple.Calibrate- it looks like they gave you the corner positions-MapCal needs 3 positions to calibrate...and MapCal will give you a file named CHARTCAL.DIR in that folder.
Then, go here for helpcal's newest version:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post754370 and get that helpcal.doc (right click, save as)
and then go here:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post749566 if you don't have the VBruntime ... It won't hurt to read through the posts, but that's the basics.
when downloaded, change name to helpcal.exe put it in the folder with Mapcal,your image, and of course the Chartcal.dir .
double-click helpcal.exe and that should do it.


You can also go imgkap route.
I think They kindly gave you everything you need for imgkap- the corner positions,so imgkap won't need the Calibration steps. Unfortunately it's harder to steer you through the imgkap thread and it's a command line tool. Still, the image will most likely will need a preliminary downsizing. I sure couldn't handle a 144mb tiff on this computer.

Added: make sure the image is straight. Use Mapcal's grid function if you are doing a detailed calibration.

[HappySeagull]

There's probably something I forgot...ah yes. You likely need
nconvert.exe
tif2bsb.exe
nconvert.exe

-more googling- into the Mapcal folder too! or just pack em around in a Helpcal folder, because Helpcal can browse to your Mapcal folder...

[sinbad7]

Smilesforu..

Before you get too frustrated,try this conversion. (50%)
JuanDeFucaFish.kap - 4shared.com - online file sharing and storage - download

Tore

[smilesforu]

Sinbad thanks a bunch I can see the map. This will really really help locate some fishies

[smilesforu]

my operating system is windows 7 ultimate

[cagney]

Originally Posted by sinbad7

Smilesforu..

Before you get too frustrated,try this conversion. (50%)
JuanDeFucaFish.kap - 4shared.com - online file sharing and storage - download

Tore

There are a few issues with your file. The main problem is that the chart is Transverse Mercator and not a Mercator chart.
Also check scale, sounding units and sounding reference datum.

[sinbad7]

cagney..

Well,it's the best anybody else offered 'smilesforu'. NOT for navigation,purely for fish orientation. Of course the chart can be fine polished,why don't you finish it?

Tore

[dacust]

Originally Posted by sinbad7

cagney..

Well,it's the best anybody else offered 'smilesforu'. NOT for navigation,purely for fish orientation. Of course the chart can be fine polished,why don't you finish it?

Tore

If you offer someone a chart you know is not accurate, you should warn them.

If you did not know it had problems, you should thank the person that points it out. Even if you DID know, you should thank them for going to the trouble to check it out and point out the limitations to the person you offered it to.

-dan

[sinbad7]

THANKS AWFULLY DAN....

Try this,better than nothing... AND... NOT FOR NAVIGATION!!!

JUANDEFUCAFISH.kap - 4shared.com - online file sharing and storage - download

Tore

[rgleason]

I am quite new to OpenCPN. -Today I tried to read the entire thread "Charts II: NGA - 2700 Charts" and I must confess that I skipped a few pages, however I would like to tip my hat to everyone who contributed many hours, much skill and knowledge to that effort! The herculean effort promised to give us a decent World chart will the benefit of detail when it is needed. I was very sorry to see that copyright issues cropped up and really hope that those will disappear at some point.

What I really want to emphasize however, is that the skills and teamwork developed around charts, converting charts, accuracy, solving Thorny "grey" problems and generally working together are really really impressive. I do hope that all the skill and knowledge can be maintained and reused and configured to create a tool or image to kap document that we all can use, or refer to! ( I am still searching around for the final techniques and approaches, and hope that those are preserved somewhere, as they can become very useful.)

I also think that these ideas, skills and teamwork will generate other ideas/uses which will somehow provide necessary chart flexibility to keep the Navigation space open for OpenCPN (and other programs)! So I hope everyone who devoted so much time to almost get to the goal - a full set of open world charts, will take heart and realize what they have accomplished and learned. Everyone involved deserves a big thank you from all users of OpenCPN!

[HappySeagull]

I'm starting to cry! It's like all the chicks got Avian Flu and were slaughtered...