Feature Requests

[wholybee]

Originally Posted by Colin Stone

I have 3 feature requests:


Display velocity leader as a function of speed and time. For example setting time to 6 mins would display a leader 1/10 of target speed. Selectable in options.

Otherwise, it is great.

This already exists. Options->Ships->Own Ship->COG Predictor Length(min)

[Hakan]

All three features are actually present in Options->Ships->Own ship or AIS Targets.

[Colin Stone]

@DavidBurch. Thanks, I'll give it a try.

[SV-Spark]

Hi Dave et al --

You guys have envisioned and built an awesome product! Thank you for all of the hard work!

One suggestion -- I'm a bit of a newbie, so please steer me if I'm missing a built-in feature here...

I just upgraded to the latest version and most of my plugins were lost and required reinstallation. That process could be made easier for the user. Ideally, we'd be able to select multiple plugins and then install them automatically. But if there are limitations to that, at least return the screen to the place where it was when the last plugin was selected and installed. As currently implemented, if you're installing 15 plugins, you need to scroll back to your position in the list after each one is installed.

Also, perhaps there's a way to do this by copying a config file, but I have OpenCPN installed on two machines, one primary and one backup. It would be great if there was an easy way to clone an install, together with its plugins. Perhaps that's hard given different hardware requirements, but I thought I would suggest it anyway.

Please keep up the outstanding work!

Adam

[Jon Hacking]

I was asked by Dave (bdbcat) to put in a Feature Request for how mbTiles wake up when OpenCPN is started. MbTiles used to wake up always ON, but some time ago I pushed through a request that they wake up OFF, as my mbTiles are HUGE & I was having performance issues with the computer I was using then.

This generated some negative reactions from some other cruisers, which I wasn't expecting, & would like to rectify.

Therefore, what I'm proposing is a 4-position "Radio-button" type switch in Options, so the user can determine how mbTiles start up:

• Always OFF (default)
• As they were when OpenCPN last shut down
• ON unless the mbTiles are larger than [XX] GB
• Always ON

If anyone has any thoughts on this, or if you'd like to up-vote this feature, please go to the Flyspray entry:
https://opencpn.org/flyspray/index.php?do=details&task_id=2923

You will have to log in if you want to comment or to up-vote this request.

Thanks!

[bbalan]

Originally Posted by Jon Hacking

....Therefore, what I'm proposing is a 4-position "Radio-button" type switch in Options, so the user can determine how mbTiles start up:

• Always OFF (default)
• As they were when OpenCPN last shut down
• ON unless the mbTiles are larger than [XX] GB
• Always ON

I'm really happy to see this suggestion as I really did not like the change to have MBTiles off as it caused a lot of confusion with new users. I would suggest the default be to "As they were when OpenCPN was last shutdown". I might also suggest that, to make it easier for the development team, this be first added as a switch in the INI file for the user to enter. Then later, when there is time, create the UI for it. I'll post on flyspray as well.

Cheers,
Bruce

[Jon Hacking]

Originally Posted by bbalan

I'm really happy to see this suggestion as I really did not like the change to have MBTiles off as it caused a lot of confusion with new users. I would suggest the default be to "As they were when OpenCPN was last shutdown". I might also suggest that, to make it easier for the development team, this be first added as a switch in the INI file for the user to enter. Then later, when there is time, create the UI for it. I'll post on flyspray as well.

Cheers,
Bruce

Thanks for this, Bruce. Personally, I agree with you. But I posted it the way I did at Dave's (bdbcat's) suggestion. He seems to favor a conservative approach to this. Perhaps you could make a suggestion on my Feature Request to have the default reset. I'm not sure that creating another feature request would really help.

I'm not sure that the status of mbTiles is currently saved in the INI file, so it would require some work to save them, & then to wake up that way. Dave's comment was that my suggestion was too complicated to put into a service release, & he wanted to delay it until the next major upgrade.

[AISEAG]

Hi everyone,

You got my vote on this flyspray task

Serge

[05GW282Sailfish]

Hello-

I am utilizing OpenCPN as a waypoint manager. One feature I would like to see is waypoint grouping for export. I understand you can select waypoints from the waypoint list and export, but creating groups of waypoints is nice for areas I plan to fish/dive. This could be a separate tab in the routes/tracks menu.

A selector tool (like a cropping tool) on the main chart page would make grouping waypoints extremely easy as well.

Thank you

[Antipole]

Originally Posted by 05GW282Sailfish

Hello-

I am utilizing OpenCPN as a waypoint manager. One feature I would like to see is waypoint grouping for export. I understand you can select waypoints from the waypoint list and export, but creating groups of waypoints is nice for areas I plan to fish/dive. This could be a separate tab in the routes/tracks menu.

A selector tool (like a cropping tool) on the main chart page would make grouping waypoints extremely easy as well.

Thank you

You need my Boundaries Utility which does exactly what you want.
See this post introducing it.

[05GW282Sailfish]

I’m not very computer savvy but will try to understand scripting.

Something on the main chart page that you could select an area to export or create a group would be more user friendly for those of us that are computer illiterate.

I do appreciate the hard work you put into opencpn.

[Antipole]

Originally Posted by 05GW282Sailfish

I’m not very computer savvy but will try to understand scripting.

Something on the main chart page that you could select an area to export or create a group would be more user friendly for those of us that are computer illiterate.

You raise an important policy issue.

Given the huge base of OCPN users, if every want were incorporated into the core functionality, OCPN would become bloated, unwieldy and difficult to maintain. So the developers need to focus on the core functionality.

User-specific needs, such as yours, can often be met by creating plugins. However, creating plugins does require computer knowledge and expertise in C++ programming.

The JavaScript plugin provides a way of addressing many needs without getting into the complexity of writing a plugin.

For your requirement, I think the existing script I have referred you to will do what you want, without any need to write any code or understand scripting. You just need to create your boundary as a route and run the script. Should it not do what you want, it would be relatively easy to modify to your requirements. JavaScript is very easier to use and you can take an experiment approach of try-it-and-see not possible with C++.

[yugo_76]

Hello there.

Here goes my suggestion:

I'd like a plugin where we could simulate the traditional compass, pencils, eraser, plastic plotters, triangles, rolling rulers etc. Being digital is fine, but having the old way of doing things would be great. This idea was inspired by the DR plugin. This feature would also be good when plotting LOPs in celestial navigation or coastal navigation.

[bcn]

Have a look at the Draw plug-in. There are tools for you.

[Paul Fay]

Hi, I am using CPN 5.8.4 and since upgrading I am not able to make the display center on the boat. Up to about version 5 when clicking on the red boat icon that would center the display on the boat which was very useful. This no longe seem to happen whe clicking on the boat icon. Can anyone help please.