Software to Introduce Hypertext Links in OpenCPN Waypoints

[phiggins]

Just trying your MarinePOI for the first time with the latest version with Tore's World Info GPX. It brings up Google earth but its not in the MarinePOI window its in its own window. What am I doing wrong or is that how it should work. I'm Win7.

[Robert_1]

Originally Posted by phiggins

JIt brings up Google earth but its not in the MarinePOI window its in its own window. What am I doing wrong or is that how it should work. I'm Win7.

Paul,

This is how the operation is planned. MarinePoi can operate with or without Google Earth. I think it's more convenient to have a standalone window for Google Earth which can be resized according to screen size.

[phiggins]

OK thanks. When I looked at your website and the picture you posted now, it looked like it was all in the same window.

[phiggins]

OK now I am trying to add a link and I get this message:

There is a paramter missing for the link

The url I put in is:

Isla Mujeres Accommodations

What is wrong? See attachment.

[sinbad7]

Working very well on Vista. In fact,I have included a MarinePoi info point on my OCPN with a GE icon so I don't even have to leave OCPN when I load up the dropped marks. GREAT FACILITY!!

Perhaps on the initial page it should show the option to use either GE or OCPN?

Thanks

Tore

[Robert_1]

Paul,

The link must have a name to appear in OpenCPN ! (the input box above the link)

[sinbad7]

Robert..

There IS a way to match EXACTLY your MarinePoi fra to that of GE.
Have a look at the GE plug-in for OCPN. When the GE option is selected,the frame of GE window fits exactly with hat of OCPN. I am sure somebody here knows how!

Tore

[phiggins]

OK that was not obvious, thought it would take the the POI name. Pehaps the title of the two fields should be:

Name of a new Internet link....

... URL of the new Internet link


One other thing that don't like... I loaded an existing route gpx file with a route points in it. When I added the new link and saved it, all the route points were gone (see attached original gpx file and the resulting one). Thank goodness I saved a copy of the original file. It would be nice if you kept any existing gpx data in the file.

Sorry can't upload those gpx files but this is what it looked like before:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<gpx version="1.1" creator="OpenCPN" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns="GPX 1.1 Schema Documentation" xmlns:gpxx="http://www.garmin.com/xmlschemas/GpxExtensions/v3" xsi:schemaLocation="GPX 1.1 Schema Documentation http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1/gpx.xsd" xmlnspencpn="OpenCPN | Official OpenCPN Homepage">
<rte>
<name>20LMIM</name>
<extensions>
<opencpn:start>Los Morros</opencpn:start>
<opencpn:end>Isla Mujeres</opencpn:end>
<opencpn:viz>1</opencpn:viz>
<opencpn:guid>0a7f0000-974d-40a9-8ab6-84cf4561ffff</opencpn:guid>
</extensions>
<rtept lat="21.900946844" lon="-84.906928599">
<time>2011-12-30T11:38:50Z</time>
<name>008</name>
<sym>diamond</sym>
<type>WPT</type>
<extensions>
<opencpn:guid>7420ffff-b7ef-4db7-8c69-44841ff80000</opencpn:guid>
<opencpn:viz>1</opencpn:viz>
<opencpn:viz_name>0</opencpn:viz_name>
<opencpn:auto_name>1</opencpn:auto_name>
</extensions>
</rtept>
....


and after:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<gpx version="1.1" creator="OpenCPN" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns="GPX 1.1 Schema Documentation" xmlns:gpxx="http://www.garmin.com/xmlschemas/GpxExtensions/v3" xsi:schemaLocation="GPX 1.1 Schema Documentation http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1/gpx.xsd" xmlnspencpn="OpenCPN | Official OpenCPN Homepage">
<wpt lat="21.2154198" lon="-86.7254333">
<time>2011-12-31T08:15:42Z</time>
<name>Isla Resort</name>
<link href="Isla Mujeres Accommodations">
<text>Isla Resort</text>
</link>
<sym>anchorage</sym>
<type>WPT</type>
<extensions>
<opencpn:viz>1</opencpn:viz>
<opencpn:viz_name>1</opencpn:viz_name>
</extensions>
</wpt>
</gpx>

[Robert_1]

Originally Posted by sinbad7

There IS a way to match EXACTLY your MarinePoi fra to that of GE.
Have a look at the GE plug-in for OCPN. When the GE option is selected,the frame of GE window fits exactly with hat of OCPN. I am sure somebody here knows how!
Tore

Technically it's easy to do.

But there is too much difference in (pixel) size between large and small PC screens to assign a rigid size and layout of the 2 windows on the screen.

In my opinion it is better to let the users choose the layout of the 2 windows.

[Robert_1]

Originally Posted by phiggins

OK that was not obvious, thought it would take the the POI name. Pehaps the title of the two fields should be:

Name of a new Internet link....

... URL of the new Internet link

One other thing that don't like... I loaded an existing route gpx file with a route points in it. When I added the new link and saved it, all the route points were gone (see attached original gpx file and the resulting one). Thank goodness I saved a copy of the original file. It would be nice if you kept any existing gpx data in the file.

Point 1 : you can open "languageEN.txt" and edit those names that do not suit you.

Point 2 : I know that and I had trouble sorting WP lost in routes. In my opinion, OpenCPN should be able to export WP independently from exporting routes. Otherwise one has to handle sometimes a route of several Mo to edit a few WP included therein. A good rule would be to treat natively WP and routes apart.

Anyway,that's why when you open a "gpx" file, MarinePoi saves a backup of the initial state in the folder "tmp". Even if you had not saved your file, MarinePoi had a backup for you

[sinbad7]

I think I agree with Robert's #85. The info waypoints should be exclusively for the use of creating/amending poi's,otherwise,the .gpx files could become very heavy and unmanageable. Although old routes may contain points of poi interest,the majority of the waypoints probably don't and increases the size of the .gpx file unnecessarily.

It is very easy to just save the waypoints from the Waypoints area of Route Manager in a new filename.

Tore

[HappySeagull]

Robert,thanks for the new version!Works great!I like this No GE option! ...

I have a suggestion but it's just a personal quirk of my logic?... To me,it is more intuitive to browse to a thing first and name it in second ,in the field below it.(See picture photoshopped)
It's the way Microsoft Windows are set up,which might explain my "intution"
Probably it is because I find it easier to name something when the name is already there,in front of me...Do you see? But it's not worth difficulty!
Here's how I would have it but other users may disagree with me.

[phiggins]

Point 2 : I know that and I had trouble sorting WP lost in routes. In my opinion, OpenCPN should be able to export WP independently from exporting routes.

Waypoints should never be within a route, even when OpenCPN does a Export All... it seperates the waypoints from the routes. It shouldn't be hard to save all the data from each set of <RTE> to the </RTE> , and restoring it when you do the save.

It still think it would be nice to have a route the also has POIs in it so as I go along the route I can see the POIs without maintaing two seperate GPX files.

[sinbad7]

Paul..

I see your point but routes are changeable,you may not necessarily use exactly the same route next time and what happens then to the poi's? To me,poi's are PERMANENT, routes are TEMPORARY.

I am sure,with a lot of work,it would be possible to maintain a database of pois and let any new route created include all poi's within it's geographical area.

Also consider that MarinePoi is also trying to remain compatible with other navigation programs which are all capable of passing waypoints.gpx of desired info areas.

For me,the present system is both easy and quick to use and can remain permanently in my layers area where I even have the option to switch them off or hide them.

Tore

[Robert_1]

Originally Posted by phiggins

It still think it would be nice to have a route the also has POIs in it so as I go along the route I can see the POIs without maintaing two seperate GPX files.

I wrote MarinePoi to create "gpx" files containing Pois to be shared with other seamen, creating a library of Pois published on our website "Plaisance-pratique.com" or somewhere else ... That's why I prefer that the "gpx" files from MarinePoi contain only Pois. That's why I cleaned the file "gpx" from the routes included.

The usefulness of "Poi" is different from that of routes, but if you want to combine the two, this is done when you import the "gpx" file into OpenCPN. Another point is that MarinePoi may be used in other context than OpenCPN ... at least until it is a plugin of OpenCPN.