Google Earth to BSB / KAP

[sailorF54]

Dozens of .kap chartlets on both a 17" Vista and a 15" W7 PC, plain and with 6.2 GE image superposed, without a hitch...

[phiggins]

Thanks for the feedback.

Something just went haywire with my website. I had a counter telling me the number of times someone downloaded a file. I think the one for GE2KAP just went over 10,000 and blew a fuse.

I think the site is restored now.

[phiggins]

I have another new feature that I would like someone to test.

The feature is: You can now invoke an image editor at certain places in the GE2KAP process to edit the image as you like.

You can invoke it to edit the GE image, the Overlay Image and the Final Output.

The image editor can be just about any ediitor including GIMP2 or even Paint. The default editor is the View program that comes with GE2KAP.

Anyone interested? If so, email me at phiggins()gmn-usa.com (change the () to a @).

[sinbad7]

Works perfectly with GIMPII v.2.8 Just a couple of things to be aware of:

1. Convert the map to RGB before you do the editing with illumination/contrast etc.,then convert back again to indexed 127 color format and EXPORT the file. Make sure you click the ´Compatibility options´ and tick `Do not write color space information´.

2. If you also wish to edit the final combined chart,follow the same procedure before exiting.

Really fantastic conversion feature,not contained in GE which often have very dark and diffuse charts. GREAT JOB PAUL !!

Tore

[phiggins]

Thanks Tore

If you want remove the "Google" logo you can airbrush it out in the Final image. But that may upset Google.

[sinbad7]

The latest version of GE2KAP allows you total control of map editing before final conversion to the .kap format. See the sample .kap of Santos entrance attached as used in Fugawi ENC.

GE still produces jagged coastlines most visible in high zooms but no doubt this will be improved in the future.

Tore

[phiggins]

Tore at large zoom levels its not possible to have the chart overlay match exactly. The jagged line are where the overlay does not match the underlying GE image. This is exaggerated when the water on GE is very dark.

The easiest way to make them not so noticable is to make the water on GE the same color as the overlay water color. You can do this by picking the water color and saving it when the overlay image is edited then flood filling it onto the GE water when the Goole Earth image is edited.

For example in the first picture I left the water black and the jagged lines are obvious. In the second I made the water blue...

[sinbad7]

The present GE display does not always give the best image,often obscured with clouds etc. I did an experiment this morning while doing a new .kap construction with GE2KAP of St Croix.

When asked to adjust the overlay on the GE map,I activated the GE ´Historic imagery´slider and found the optimum display some time in the past before continuing the process and exporting the new GE map.

From here,all worked as normal until the final .kap was produced.

Tore

[sinbad7]

Here is yet another B E A U T I F U L .kap conversion using Paul´s GE2KAP.
A detailed harbor map of St.Corix supplementing my last entry.

Tore

[golfsailor]

I am new here but read through most of the thread and have tried some of the options. However, the end result is still at least when I do it not 100% what I would like to achieve.
Software works nice, but what I really would like is something that may use opencpn take the land from GE put it on the charts as an overlay with only the land, no water at all. Of course done totally without any hands on. Then even adjusting the charts from opencpn (read cm93) so they will be accurate and not as now, 0.5 nm wrong ! Less at sometime and even perfect occationally.

To much to dream for ? I guess you are more than half way ! Next step would be to put all the efforts from everyone on a server to have global coverage ? I would be happy to provide the server :-) but I guess thats the small and easy part.

[sinbad7]

golfsailor..

Not sure I understand what you are getting at...you want to be able to overlay GE land areas only on top of opencpn CM93 map? Well,isn´t that exactly what happens in GE2KAP? See my #594 above..

Tore

[golfsailor]

Hi Tore,
I think I get the image from cm93 over the GE image and need to use the Transparency to see the GE image. That also makes the cm image weaker. If it's the other way around it's still the same thing. I would like the opaque land image over the cm93 with full transparency on all water area. Then the calibration sometimes would need to adjust the cm93 which is wrong and not good enough.

Maybe I do something wrong ?

Rolf

[sinbad7]

Rolf..

I have to ask again, is the map result you see in my #594 above what you want?

Uses ONLY the land portion of the GE image and uses ONLY the sea area of your opencpn CM93 image.

The first GE2KAP window will ask you to adjust the slider. DON´T... just bypass til the next window where you can now adjust the ilumination and colour of the GE image.
My earlier #589 in this thread tells you how.

See the attached settings I use...

Tore

[golfsailor]

Hi again Tore,

well, it's about automatic processing with computer ....

Need to open Gimp, Need to convert Colors, Need to export, need to, need to to get that very nice result.

So what I dream of is the computer to do all that need to do stuff as it's the same every time.

Rolf

[golfsailor]

Tore, another thing. How do you get the choices on image editor.
Rolf