Europe Cartography for Open CPN?

[muttnik]

Originally Posted by cagney

As far as I know the Visit charts, recommended only for Maptech, does work with OpenCPN (bsb4 plugin).

I'm sure most people will be aware of this but just in case any mac or linux OpenCPN users stump up the cash for the visit my harbour maps without reading the small print (as I nearly did), the bsb4 plugin relies on (closed source) maptech dlls and consequently is windows only.

From my research apart from a few areas (sadly not mine), European Linux users wanting to use OpenCPN with legally purchased charts are SOL.

[Dockhead]

What a shame! I was so much looking forward to using OpenCPN, too.

Originally Posted by oem

There is to the best of my knowledge no chart product covering Europe compatible with OpenCPN. Except CM93-2.

Garmin, Navionics and CMap charts cannot be read through OpenCPN.

NV Verlag might be useable through the plugin, but the charts are of very poor quality and not based on official sources. Delius Klasing offer raster charts based on official sources, but they are only compatible with their own chart plotter software.

It's possible to cover Europe through official S63-charts through Chartworld Infos - www.chartworld.de, but they cannot be read through Opencpn (PolarNavy is cheap and excellent) - the price for Europe complete would be astronomical.

OpenSeamap project is not at all suitable for navigation.

So it's really depressing.

The only hope is that tablets with Jeppesen's Plan2Nav (free) and also Navionics similar product for tablets/Ipads will make prices more reasonable. The danish hydrographics office recently announced that a future product through Seapilot | Stockholmradio will offer official S57 charts on Ipad.

[tonyappuk]

The other option is to scan your own paper charts and then convert the resulting graphic into a form suitable for OpenCPN. There is a link to a helpful pdf on the Sping/Seaclear site SeaClear GPS Navigation Software for using an A4 scanner to do this. http://www.sping.com/seaclear/chart-making.zip The process is quite labour intensive but interesting and the conversion of the file to be useable in OpenCPN has been covered exhaustively in the forum.
Tony

[sailorF54]

I guess more than 10 000 users in Europe use CM93 ed. 2 (January 2011 issue) and live happily with that...

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by sailorF54

I guess more than 10 000 users in Europe use CM93 ed. 2 (January 2011 issue) and live happily with that...

Do you speak from experience? . Are they really all updated through Jan 2011?

[Zoef]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Do you speak from experience? . Are they really all updated through Jan 2011?

Nay, through December 2011 I guess.

[sailorF54]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Do you speak from experience? . Are they really all updated through Jan 2011?

Yes. The charts themselves say so...

[janp391]

Originally Posted by sailorF54

I guess more than 10 000 users in Europe use CM93 ed. 2 (January 2011 issue) and live happily with that...

There is a problem for us in Europe because if we use cm93/2 updated after 2009 we loose a lot of information on the charts that we non professional sailors need. In Scandinavia we can see that version from 2009 contain more info that the versions coming thereafter.
So I agree OpenCPN has to be expanded to use other charts to be more reliable.
Compare the picture in position on 56 03 15.308N; 012 36 34.339E in version from 2009 and 2011

[sailorF54]

Originally Posted by janp391

There is a problem for us in Europe because if we use cm93/2 updated after 2009 we loose a lot of information on the charts that we non professional sailors need. In Scandinavia we can see that version from 2009 contain more info that the versions coming thereafter.
So I agree OpenCPN has to be expanded to use other charts to be more reliable.
Compare the picture in position on 56 03 15.308N; 012 36 34.339E in version from 2009 and 2011

Stop gap: Find the folder(s) (down to the ones that end with a letter) that contain the detailled charts in the 2009 edition (pan to area, no quilting, put pointer on the yellow line at bottom, second line in the pop-up window, see pic)
and swap with the corresponding 2011 folders.
Works fine according to my limited experience...

OK. I have checked that area: you've lost ATONs, it seems

[janp391]

Originally Posted by sailorF54

Stop gap: Find the folder(s) (down to the ones that end with a letter) that contain the detailled charts in the 2009 edition (pan to area, no quilting, put pointer on the yellow line at bottom, second line in the pop-up window, see pic)
and swap with the corresponding 2011 folders.
Works fine according to my limited experience...

OK. I have checked that area: you've lost ATONs, it seems

Thanks for the tip.
I have done this in some places but as I see it, this is to take old information in to a new version of cm93/2. There are some other places that is not upgraded with new information in version 2011 but are correct on other charts from other supplier.
So I can not trust that a new version of cm93/2 are up to date. That is a normal thing that you check a version to see if there are changes. But in the latest version of cm93/2 you can clearly see that information that is updated in other charts from the same maker is not updated in cm93/2. And that is a problem.
If we can not use updated charts in O then the use of O will be more and more limited and that is of coarse not good as I really like O

[downunder]

Originally Posted by tonyappuk

The other option is to scan your own paper charts and then convert the resulting graphic into a form suitable for OpenCPN. There is a link to a helpful pdf on the Sping/Seaclear site SeaClear GPS Navigation Software for using an A4 scanner to do this. http://www.sping.com/seaclear/chart-making.zip The process is quite labour intensive but interesting and the conversion of the file to be useable in OpenCPN has been covered exhaustively in the forum.
Tony

Just how reliable is scanning paper charts? Sounds somewhat doggy. Might as well use paper charts.

I am exploring PC software options but the chart reliability/availability for the Pacific seems unreliable. I hope I am wrong. Seeking charts for Australian waters currently. Any pointers to access charts other than purchasing from the big companies.

Cheers

[Dockhead]

Well, that's the problem with free charts. Someone has to keep them updated and organized. That costs money. You often get what you pay for with free stuff. Projects like OpenCPN are a big exception (don't forget to donate).

[downunder]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Well, that's the problem with free charts. Someone has to keep them updated and organized. That costs money. You often get what you pay for with free stuff. Projects like OpenCPN are a big exception (don't forget to donate).

Yes, thats what I thought. Will end up likely going the commercial/ pay for it route backed up with paper. Just haven't determined witch software yet.

If I can track some Aussie charts to be able to use OpenCPN will donate. Still searching. Having other cartography options as you are seeking is good.

Cheers

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by downunder

Yes, thats what I thought. Will end up likely going the commercial/ pay for it route backed up with paper. Just haven't determined witch software yet.

If I can track some Aussie charts to be able to use OpenCPN will donate. Still searching. Having other cartography options as you are seeking is good.

Cheers

I have a real dilemma. One purpose of separate PC nav system for me is different charts from the main nav system, for a "second opinion". So looks like either free charts and OpenCPN, or Navionics charts (same as main system) with INavX or Navionics' own. I guess the former is the only reasonable choice for the moment. Maybe with time someone will bring out a decent commercial map set.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by muttnik

I'm sure most people will be aware of this but just in case any mac or linux OpenCPN users stump up the cash for the visit my harbour maps without reading the small print (as I nearly did), the bsb4 plugin relies on (closed source) maptech dlls and consequently is windows only.

From my research apart from a few areas (sadly not mine), European Linux users wanting to use OpenCPN with legally purchased charts are SOL.

Not a prob for me, I have Windows. I will definitely buy their "chartstick", an outstanding bargain. But it only covers coastal areas of UK and Eire.