Weather Routing

[nohal]

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

Perhaps a macOS user will be along shortly to explain how theirs is set up.

EDIT: Looks like I have to manually edit the XML files and change the directory structure. They are all set up for windows.

I have sure not been editing any XML files manually or copying files anywhere, everything was done by clicking in the GUI of the plugin (And yes, some defaults were not exactly correct for macOS)

[kevinvh]

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

Users/*username*/Library/Preferences/opencpn/

There is a directory there, but adding the necessary files/folders as downloaded according to the manual didn't seem to help. Odd that the directory never showed up in the search I did of my drive.

Yes, when I open the main dialogue, I get a table which is blank since it can't find the boat, polar files, or configuration files.

I can then click on the top menu View/settings, but nothing happens.

I can create a new position from my current GPS position, and I can click new configuration which will make a completely blank route, and that is about it.

Perhaps a macOS user will be along shortly to explain how theirs is set up.

EDIT: Looks like I have to manually edit the XML files and change the directory structure. They are all set up for windows.

Weather Routing on Mac OpenCPN works wonderfully if you set it up right. I have been through your angst and I know how you feel. OpenCPN instructions for Mac are not as good as for the other platforms.

Here is my <Username>/Library/Preferences/opencpn setup. If you don't have these folders then create them in <username>/Library/Preferences/opencpn:
opencpn/plugins/weather_routing
weather_routing/boats this is where the configuration file for your boat will be saved when you create it in OpenCPN Weather Routing.
weather_routing/contours this is where your weather routes will be saved when you create them in OpenCPN Weather Routing.
weather_routing/polars this is where the polar(s) for your boat are saved.
You will also find that OpenCPN Weather Routing will create a WeatherRouteConfiguration.xml file and save it in the weather-routing folder.

OK, that should get you pointed in the right direction. Read the Weather routing Help files on the OpenCPN webpage. The information on how to get weather routing is there - you just need to struggle through it.

If you don't already know, here is what you need:

Plugins (download from OpenCPN website):

GRIB_4.1.pi (already installed in OCN but may need to be activated in Options/Plugins)

Climatology-Plugin_1.2.pi (download, install with OCN shutdown, activate PI)
Weather_routing-Plugin_1.11.0.pi (download, install with OCN shutdown, activate PI)

High Density Base Map (install in OCN Options/Charts/Chart Downloader/Add/GSHHG):
GSHHG

Polars:
I have created 3 Polars for my Lagoon 500
L500 Full Sail.pol
L500 Genaker.pol
L500 Motoring.pol
You can select all three polars and get them to work in unison so that the best polar for the weather conditions along the weather route is used. Don't jump in now as it will only complicate things for you - use one of the example Polars to get started.

GRIB Files:
These are downloaded by email from SailDocs.com either using the downloader in OpenCPN or using your own. An example of my Grib file for Panama to Marquesas is as follows (you will need good internet as it is about 450kb):
GFS:10N,10S,141W,79W|1.0,1.0|0,6,12..384|WIND,PRES S,HTSGW,WVPER,WVDIR
RTOFS:10N,10S,141W,79W|1.0,1.0|0,12,24..144|CUR,WT MP
If you are using a Sat Phone then you will need to reduce the file size (need to get the file down to about 30kb for downloading with a sat phone).

Have fun weather routing - it is worth the effort.

[mikedefieslife]

Thanks for that. I'm on the right track now.

[rgleason]

KevinH
I would like to add some special instructions for MAC. Can you augment/check/clarify your current writeup so that I can copy it into the wiki? Then you can review the writep for errors. OK?

[kevinvh]

Originally Posted by rgleason

KevinH
I would like to add some special instructions for MAC. Can you augment/check/clarify your current writeup so that I can copy it into the wiki? Then you can review the writep for errors. OK?

Thanks for the request. I would be very happy to do a draft weather route setup for the Mac on wiki. I feel guilty that I am getting the benefit of OpenCPN and Weather Routing without contributing anything, so this is a way for me to help. It might take me a few days to put something sensible together as I have my boat up on the hard doing a major refit before we head into the Pacific from Panama - it is full on here.

You guys are doing a great job. Don't quite understand who the players are but I gather that boat_alexandra is the author of the weather routing PI, and you rgleason have taken on the task of maintaining the help file for it. I am new to Cruisers Forum and to OpenCPN so how do I find out who you people are? I find the Cruisers Forum a little difficult for me to navigate.

Regards - Kevin Hiscox, Mat-Lau III

[rgleason]

Kevinh We are all volunteers here. This is the basis of opensource. We depend on programmers and knowledgeable users to help as programmers, testers, reporters, and writers.

We have a loose structure, which allows people to step in and help.

[rgleason]

Thanks for helping us on the Mac, understanding you are very busy. When you find the time just post here. Thanks again.

[kevinvh]

Originally Posted by rgleason

Thanks for helping us on the Mac, understanding you are very busy. When you find the time just post here. Thanks again.

OK, here is my first attempt at describing the Weather Route setup for MacOS and for inclusion in the Weather Routing wiki.

4. Weather Routing Setup For MacOS
Files & Pathnames

The Folder and File configuration for MacOS users is as follows:
<Username>/Library/Preferences/opencpn
<username>/Library/Preferences/opencpn/plugins
<username>/Library/Preferences/opencpn/plugins/weather_routing
<username>/Library/Preferences/opencpn/plugins/weather_routing/boats
<username>/Library/Preferences/opencpn/plugins/weather_routing/contours
<username>/Library/Preferences/opencpn/plugins/weather_routing/polars

If you don’t have these folders then create them making sure that you use the correct case (upper and lower case).

After installing and initialising the plugins, check the files that have been created in the abovementioned folders by OpenCPN. This is what you should have for Weather Routing:
<username>/Library/Preferences/opencpn/plugins/weather_routing
WeatherRoutingConfiguration.xml
<username>/Library/Preferences/opencpn/plugins/weather_routing/polars
Test-TWS-0-20+60.pol
TWS-0-6-Power.pol
TWS-0-6.pol
TWS-6-20.pol
TWS-20-60.pol
<username>/Library/Preferences/opencpn/plugins/weather_routing/boats
Boat-Climatology.xml
Boat-Test-Power.xml
Boat-Test.xml
Boat.xml
<username>/Library/Preferences/opencpn/plugins/weather_routing/contours
Test-TWS-0-20+60.pol.contours
TWS-0-6-Power.pol.contours
TWS-0-6.pol.contours
TWS-6-20.pol.contours
TWS-20-60.pol.contours

The above files can be copied from the OpenCPN App in the Applications folder. Right-click on the OpenCPN.app, select “Show Package Contents”, then navigate to Contents/SharedSupport/plugins/weather_routing_pi/data, then copy the various data from the respective folders to the appropriate folders under <username>/Library/Preferences/opencpn/plugins/weather_routing.

These are the default example files that come with the WeatherRouting.pi and are used with the rest of this Weather Routing Help file.

PS - when I get more time I will do a clean install of OpenCPN and go through the PI installs and Weather Route setup. I can then rewrite the above narrative to include the folders and files that OpenCPN automatically creates, and identify what additional folders and files have to be added manually.

[rgleason]

Kevinvh,

Here is the new Paragraph.
https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/do...etup_for_macos

Thanks very much!

We are looking for good editors and really need a MAC user who can help! Are you willing? It's just editing as you learn about particular things needed for Mac Users who might get lost otherwise.

If so, send me a PM with your email please. I'll make you a manager/editor of the Dokuwiki.

[stelian]

kevinvh, rgleason,

Something is wrong here on Mac, and I don't think that documenting the wrong behaviour would help users. Instead of this let's fix the think properly.

Once again, WR code does not do different things on Windows or Unix or MacOS regarding the filenames and paths. The behaviour should be the same, except that the location of the files is system specific (as it should be), ProgramData for Windows, /home/<user>/.opencpn for Linux, <user>/Library/Preferences/opencpn/ for Mac.

In particular:

If you don’t have these folders then create them making sure that you use the correct case (upper and lower case).

No, the plugin creates these automatically. You can verify these are present if you like, but you shouldn't need to create them.

<username>/Library/Preferences/opencpn/plugins/weather_routing/polars

• Test-TWS-0-20+60.pol
• TWS-0-6.pol
• TWS-6-20.pol
• TWS-20-60.pol

No, you should have a lot more polars.

<username>/Library/Preferences/opencpn/plugins/weather_routing/contours

No, this directory shouldn't exist right after the plugin install. It is created when you will calculate the first configuration.

The above files can be copied from the OpenCPN App in the Applications folder. Right-click on the OpenCPN.app, select “Show Package Contents”, then navigate to Contents/SharedSupport/plugins/weather_routing_pi/data, then copy the various data from the respective folders to the appropriate folders under

No, the files are copied automatically IF the install is clean.

So I think the problems come from the fact that:

• either the WR plugin is not the latest version
• or the WR plugin was installed in an unclean environment.

The basic instructions, for newcomers to WR, should be, on ANY OS:

• remove the old program data: the whole directory
  • <username>/Library/Preferences/opencpn/plugins/weather_routing (on MacOS)
  • C:\ProgramData\opencpn\plugins\weather_routing (on Windows)
  • /home/<username>/.opencpn/plugins/weather_routing (on Linux)
• launch the plugin
• click compute
• everything should work immediately without any kind of editing.

If it does not, please fill a bug report, and let us fix it instead of documenting it.

[stelian]

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

Users/*username*/Library/Preferences/opencpn/

There is a directory there, but adding the necessary files/folders as downloaded according to the manual didn't seem to help.[....]

EDIT: Looks like I have to manually edit the XML files and change the directory structure. They are all set up for windows.

I have reread your message and I think I begin to understand your problem: you shouldn't have to download any files/folders by hand. Just install the WR plugin that's all !

If there are still instructions in the doc/wiki telling the user to download and extract polars/boats/xml files by hand and extract them (Rick did this a while ago before including them in the main release), these instructions must be removed ! (because the files Rick posted were indeed Windows specific !!!)

[mikedefieslife]

The problem was that the directories and files weren't created automatically during the install.

And yes, the XML files were windows specific with references to 'Program files' folder etc..

[stelian]

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

The problem was that the directories and files weren't created automatically during the install.

Probably because the folder did already exist !

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

And yes, the XML files were windows specific with references to 'Program files' folder etc..

There are no such XML files in the release. You probably downloaded those separately by following the (obsolete) instruction on the wiki.

[mikedefieslife]

No the weather routing folder never previously existed. How could it if I'd never previously installed the weather routing plugin.

Yes when I found out the required folders did not exist I downloaded them and the files as per the online instructions.

[stelian]

Originally Posted by mikedefieslife

No the weather routing folder never previously existed. How could it if I'd never previously installed the weather routing plugin.

If this is the case then it is a genuine bug. It would be nice if some other MacOS users could reproduce this.

Even you, you can try again by just:
- close opencpn if running
- rename temporarily <username>/Library/Preferences/opencpn/plugins/weather_routing to something else (or move it out of the way)
- relaunch opencpn and click on the WR icon
- see if the directory has been recreated.

(after the test you can put again your directory back into place in order to not lose your changes, but don't forget to close opencpn before !)

Thanks !