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Rasbats · 12-02-2019, 12:50

ShipDriver updated for the new OpenCPN beta. Compiled for Windows. It may be useful for armchair sailors to test things like WatchDog etc.

https://github.com/Rasbats/shipdrive...eases/tag/v2.0

Because of the 'Sail' option the Grib plugin is started by the plugin. Needs some more code to stop the plugin messaging until the 'Sail' button is pushed.

Mike

Rasbats · 13-02-2019, 14:36

'Sail' now working for the new OpenCPN Beta.

https://github.com/Rasbats/shipdrive...eases/tag/v2.0

The file 'GribRecordSet.h' in the main OpenCPN program has changed with the new beta. Not using this version was the reason for failure. Fixed ShipDriver by updating 'GribRecordSet.h'.

Mike

Andreas29 · 10-04-2019, 22:44

Hi,

Mike, funny stuff

I have build it on my raspberry pi and it works...in motor mode.
In sailing mode I got an error caused by missing polar.
Where is the polar-file on linux-based computers? What is the name of the polar-file so that I can find it and move to the right place.

Thanks and regards

Andreas

Rasbats · 11-04-2019, 02:13

Andreas29 ...

The polar file is called "arcona.xml" and is found in the plugin "data" folder along with the svg icon files.

Mike

RonSouthworth · 26-04-2019, 00:13

Thanks for the fix Mike and to all those that have got the plugin to where it is atm,

I am always searching for dynamic testing tools so this plugin is a welcome gem.

It's been a long while since I have been debugging OpenCPN, the latest version has peaked my interest

I've tweaked this plugin a bit towards a more Mojave Dark Look and Feel and moved things around using the latest version of wxFormBuilder (as of date of this post Latest Xcode wxWidgets 3.1.2) so the buttons and color feedback look a lot more aesthetically pleasing to me.

I have included a couple of screen shots and I will dig my way through the codebase a bit and see what I can learn and figure out.

All the best

/Ron

Gilletarom · 06-05-2019, 09:20

Hello,

About this plugin, a page has been created in the tutorial in French Shoreline.

It's here:Simulateur de navigation

To be honest, some of the screenshots it contains are those of the official page in opencpn.org. Laziness, laziness .... of doing everything again ... RGleason and Rasbats will get rid of them ????

RonSouthworth · 08-05-2019, 07:11

Hi,
Thanks once again for creating this plugin.

I have uploaded a copy c/w changes of the plugin I have made to guthub for consideration. www.github.com/scadaperspective/ShipDriver_pi

I have deliberately not forked it from the original source atm.

The vessel “under power” speed range -50 to +250 knots is probably the only change some may like to see reduced otherwise the plugin performs as I think it was intended to.

I have altered the code to appear to have some state and mode logic, something more common to see in the code of an autopilot.

Moving the buttons around changing foreground and background colours made the buttons look more pleasing that it did compiled for macOS

There are some indications and traps to prevent different modes from happening depending on the plugin being started or stopped.

I have some code that i would like to port over to C i hope to incorporate into this iteration with your indulgence and patience

I have a view to create a number of additional message types behind the interface.

The aim at least to enable testing of various gauges and instruments.

The code i have in mind (java) i wrote in the mid eighties It did introduce some lag into things like the rate of turn on the rudder,. mostly it was used to demonstrate products for a instrumentation vendor.

At the very least i would like to work out how to add the “to” waypoint so that when the plugin Autopilot is on it will, if a route to is enabled, steer the vessel to that WP.

Then you will be able to sail to the Bahamas and dock the boat a little easier

/Ron

Rasbats · 08-05-2019, 07:41

Ron ...

Very happy to add features. And my UX ability is limited!!! Driving to a waypoint or following a route is high on my TODO list.

I will fork your work and see how it plays on Windows and Linux. There may be a time lag as the cruising season is here.

Mike

RonSouthworth · 18-05-2019, 21:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rasbats

Ron ...

Very happy to add features. And my UX ability is limited!!! Driving to a waypoint or following a route is high on my TODO list.

I will fork your work and see how it plays on Windows and Linux. There may be a time lag as the cruising season is here.

Mike

Hi Mike

Yes i expected with the season a persons thoughts would turn towards the ocean. It works well as an AIS message source.

The grib file reading and polar performance are very cleverly implemented i think. You guys are really bright.

Once I can get it to follow the active waypoint on autopilot i will advise.

I won’t get carried away with building anything elaborate behind the autopilot, probably just make it drop out of auto on loss of active waypoint as route following does now.

Along with this i am thinking the buttons for changing the bearing need a tweak, so they work in standby only, not auto only as they do at the moment. Final tweak i have in mind will be to have the value of the active route presented as a bearing and distance to WP on the ShipDriver U/I, some sort of feedback on the state being active inactive.

That should make for a very minimalist approach of emulating an autopilot.

Then roll on Bahama’s.

The to do list from what i have seen posted here from feedback has in theory alarms as an outstanding action item however Watchdog_pi has all of that, and it works so why not load that up and use it.

There are lots of things that can be added to make it more realistic for play, more dynamic’s. I have lots of notes from the years.

It got me thinking....

————-

If it is ok i would like to use it as a starting point for a new version of my vessel simulator I use now, sadly i had to at the time I first wrote it to write it in java.

Very dated now, from the mid eighties it presently simulates GPS NMEA sentences, some other instruments, Needs work on depth, rudder angle, barometric Radar, AIS.

A big list really.

It was more for demonstrating equipment and testing vessel installations. Still does that pretty reliably.

In the code I have simulated some dynamics mostly into the instrumented values most of the realistic feel when you code it is introducing lag and randomisation / variance of set point values when it is all said and done.

I have had a lot of ideas for incorporation of other dynamics into the simulated values but this isn’t necessarily going to make it’s way into the first iteration.

The big thing is ease of configuration, turn off on different instrument messages,. To be able to set static values for each instrument type, made easy for a user to change from “0-100% of scale”.

The idea is for it to be my replacement for my current test suite.

Really it will be a rewrite. I write lots of comments when i code for myself usually have to strip it out for commercial software people don’t like it being easy to follow sadly.

Once I finish the U/I mockups I will upload them so you can get a better idea of what i have in mind.

As i work on it i push updates on my git repo.

I have called it simply Simulator_pi for the moment, so there is mo confusion i have dragged a lot of stuff from other projects into that repo but it is of course in a state of flux. It isn’t an approved plugin it is just an idea at the moment.

FormBuilder is better than spending a lot of time coding however it is quirky. I am use to SCADA applications where the widgets and tools for creating them are more developed, more hard core programming in this environment, a little less conformal structure than i am use to. So much work going on to make it more conformal etc. it is still an awesome Open Source project.

All the best Mike let me know how it looks on win, still figuring out the APi versioning.

And the API specification. It will make sense some time soon i imagine.

/Ron

Rasbats · 25-06-2019, 13:16

ShipDriver can now follow a route!

https://github.com/Rasbats/shipdrive...eases/tag/v2.2

The vessel will follow a route that has been saved in OpenCPN. The route data is taken from navobj.xml, so if you make a route while ShipDriver is open you will need to close/re-open the OpenCPN program. This will update navobj.xml.

The annoying opening of the grib plugin when 'Sail' is NOT used has been stopped. The Grib Plugin only opens when 'Sail' is selected.

It would be nice to update navobj.xml on the fly (while OpenCPN is active). Is there a way to do this?

All this simulator stuff has made me think about a plugin to link up with a Concept2 rowing machine. An SDK is available from Concept2. Rowing the Atlantic seems like a nice idea, but perhaps not in one session!

Mike

RonSouthworth · 26-06-2019, 16:12

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rasbats

ShipDriver can now follow a route!

https://github.com/Rasbats/shipdrive...eases/tag/v2.2

The vessel will follow a route that has been saved in OpenCPN. The route data is taken from navobj.xml, so if you make a route while ShipDriver is open you will need to close/re-open the OpenCPN program. This will update navobj.xml.

The annoying opening of the grib plugin when 'Sail' is NOT used has been stopped. The Grib Plugin only opens when 'Sail' is selected.

I embraced that and made it work for me

we all have to turn stuff on and off

It would be nice to update navobj.xml on the fly (while OpenCPN is active). Is there a way to do this?

All this simulator stuff has made me think about a plugin to link up with a Concept2 rowing machine. An SDK is available from Concept2. Rowing the Atlantic seems like a nice idea, but perhaps not in one session!

Mike

Awesome Mike,

Thanks for the update

Glad you’re made the changes

off to the bahams’s with you now no stopping you !

Hope the sailing season has been great so far.

I was thinking more along the lines with that looking into the “autopilot” reading the waypoint messages sent by o when on the active waypoint and such, that way it is always live ? ...

Maybe even have the “autopilot” interact with the route export function. The route creation and control stuff can all feed off of that data then.

I saw it all as part of the thought process for me me figuring out the API.

Some great discussions and thought coming from your bit of fun.

Sent you
My email hopefully you received it the forum interface and ssl stuff where i was (hospital) was being challenging

Sounds like you are finding a safer way to row on any ocean

/Ron

Rasbats · 27-06-2019, 14:29

v2.3 now on GitHub.

https://github.com/Rasbats/shipdrive...eases/tag/v2.3

AUTO now works as an autopilot if a route or waypoint is activated.
The buttons -1, -10, +1, +10 will override the autopilot and set the autopilot to standby.

To make AUTO work add a connection in the settings:
TCP, in/out, network address 0.0.0.0, port 2947 (the default)

FOLLOW has been left in the plugin, although AUTO is more functional.

Linux DEB package to follow.

Mike

RonSouthworth · 28-06-2019, 15:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rasbats

v2.3 now on GitHub.

https://github.com/Rasbats/shipdrive...eases/tag/v2.3

AUTO now works as an autopilot if a route or waypoint is activated.
The buttons -1, -10, +1, +10 will override the autopilot and set the autopilot to standby.

To make AUTO work add a connection in the settings:
TCP, in/out, network address 0.0.0.0, port 2947 (the default)

FOLLOW has been left in the plugin, although AUTO is more functional.

Linux DEB package to follow.

Mike

Hi Mike,

With a clearer head less hospital impacted I found the code elements for implementing check boxes in shopdriver code!

Thanks for the latest updates to the fun zone