Google Earth to BSB / KAP

[phiggins]

Terry,

I'll look into it. I may not have enough time before I head back to the Caribbean for another season of plundering and pillaging.

[phiggins]

Terry yachtvalhalla,

I hope you survived that terrific typhoon. Let us know.

[yachtvalhalla]

Originally Posted by phiggins

Terry yachtvalhalla,

I hope you survived that terrific typhoon. Let us know.

We are fine after the storm. Had light winds and rain where we are located, well to the south of it's passage. Can see our location here.

Thanks for the concern,

Terry

[phiggins]

Tore discovered a problem with the latest version of GE2KAP: if you are overlaying the OpenCPN chart you can get very distorted colors in certain parts of the world, not all. See the attachment for an example of it.

It is caused by having in the Google earth View pulldown the "Water Surface" checked.

The fix is to uncheck the "Water Surface" in the "View" pulldown.

I'll add that to the prerequisites.

[phiggins]

I am down in the Caribbean again and will have limited access to the Internet so if you have problems be patient.

[Neddy]

Originally Posted by phiggins

I already mentioned this in the OpenCPN thread but thought I would post it here as well.

I have a program that will convert a Google earth picture directly to a BSB/KAP chart without you having to enter any calibration data. I get the necessary calibration data directly from Google earth using its ActiveX API.

This comes in very handy creating charts where the official charts are not great or don't exist.

Will leave it up to you on how to interpret the Google Earth license.

The program is attached. If you want to try it, download it to a directory where you want to create the KAP charts and rename it to GE2KAP.REX (drop the .DOC).

PreReqs: To run this program you need the following prereqs:

1. This program is written in REXX programming language and uses the
oorexx interpreter. The lastest version of oorexx can be dowloaded from:
Open Object Rexx
please install V4.0.1 or higher: ooRexx4.0.1.i586.exe (32bit)

2. Convert.exe from Imagemagick download at:
ImageMagick: Downloads

- Click on "Binary Releases .... Windows" on left side of screen then ..

install: ImageMagick-6.6.3-0-Q16-windows-dll.exe

- After installing copy the convert.exe from the installation
directory ( usually C:\Program Files\ImageMagick-6.6.1-Q16) to the
directory where you want to create the KAP files.

3. tif2bsb.exe which can be downloaded at:
Browse libbsb - read/write/convert BSB images Files on SourceForge.net

- After installing copy the tif2bsb.exe from the installation directory
(usually: C:\libbsb-0.0.3-win32\libbsb-0.0.3) to the the directory where you want to create the KAP files.

4. You must have Google Earth V5.1 or higher which can be download from:

Download Google Earth

5. and... this only runs on Windows (XP,Vista, Windows 7).

After installing all prereqs, put this program, convert.exe and tif2bsb.exe
in the folder that the KAP file will be built and then run by double clicking on GE2KAP.rex.

Follow the instructions to create a KAP file.

Note:
If you are running on Vista (and maybe Windows 7) be sure the folder that you run GE2KAP in has the necessary permission to allow Users Full Control.

If you run into any errors that are not obvious, please send me the GE2KAP.LOG
my email is phiggins()gmn-usa.com (replace the () with an @)

Thanks for the program Phill, been using it for a while and it works just fine.
I sail Papua New Guinea and Solomon Island where charts are not right so GE is good. Before I downloaded GE to Chaces and saved it by zoom in on where I was going, worked as well.\
Hans

[phiggins]

NEW version of GE2KAP

I have just uploaded a new version of GE2KAP and would appreciate if someone could test it. Its available here:

Index of /Downloads

then download: GE2KAP.V10.0.6.4.exe

Use the whole link, do NOT go to the Downloads page of my website.

This version corrects two problems:

1. If you create a chart from a calibrated BMP, the BMP could be deleted by GE2KAP.

2. If you have an old version of GE2KAP it will try to use the options from it. If it uses the old options so you don't have to enter the language, the location of the charts created, or any of the rest of the options

[yachtvalhalla]

Originally Posted by phiggins

NEW version of GE2KAP

I have just uploaded a new version of GE2KAP and would appreciate if someone could test it.

Works fine with W7U. And nice transition using the previous version settings.

Heads up. Yesterday I had problems with 10.0.6.2 and Windows 8. The chart created was just a pale red page. Will give it a go tonight to see what happens with it and this new version.

[boraxtr]

Hi Paul,
I tested, it works fine: creates the chart from the calibrated BMP, and the BMP is not deleted by GE2KAP.

[phiggins]

Thanks for the feedback.

[yachtvalhalla]

Originally Posted by yachtvalhalla

Heads up. Yesterday I had problems with 10.0.6.2 and Windows 8. The chart created was just a pale red page.

My bad. I had OpenGL selected and OpenCPN didn't like it. Machine is Acer Aspire V5 netbook running Windows 8 Enterprise. All OK now.

Terry

[phiggins]

OK thanks Terry.

yachtvalhalla and boraxtr...Would you please send me the Check.log files I want to see how the changes worked.

[phiggins]

New Version of GE2KAP

I just uploaded a new version of GE2KAP.V11.0.0.0 which fixes a problem when there are multiple polygons in the .KML file.

You can get it from my webite:

DownloadÂ*

[waskaran]

Originally Posted by AnchorageGuy

Paul, I have done everything up to install of tif2bsb.exe. It will not install, when I try it just says it stopped working and needs to close. I suspect it is because it is 32 bit and my Vista is 64 bit. I don't see an install for 64 bit. Any suggestions?

IMPOSSIBLE TO DOWNLOAD THIS STUFF;The whole downloading of all the elements is obscure and painful.
No windows for entering a password.I am lost. Too complicated to install to be of any use

[waskaran]

Originally Posted by Neddy

Thanks for the program Phill, been using it for a while and it works just fine.
I sail Papua New Guinea and Solomon Island where charts are not right so GE is good. Before I downloaded GE to Chaces and saved it by zoom in on where I was going, worked as well.\
Hans

5. and... this only runs on Windows (XP,Vista, Windows 7).

After installing all prereqs, put this program, convert.exe and tif2bsb.exe
in the folder that the KAP file will be built and then run by double clicking on GE2KAP.rex.

what do you mean by GE2KAP.rex ?