Help with a few newbie questions

[bacmb01]

I've searched the forums and can't find solutions or answers to these, so I would appreciate any input. I'm running the latest version of OpenCPN, and I've added a gpx file that was exported from a Garmin mfd to my layer directory. That file contains tracks, routes, and waypoints.

1. I get that tracks are records of a vessel's trip, and routes are a trip from waypoint to waypoint. I don't understand why you'd keep tracks other than converting them into routes. What else do you do with them?

2. In the route manager, I highlight a track and click the Route from Track button, and nothing happens. It clicks, but that's it. What am I doing wrong?

3. I right-click on a track and go to the properties. The Display Parameters are grayed out so colors can't be changed.

I'd appreciate any insight on these concerns.

Thank you

[SoggyPaws]

Re: Imported file from a Garmin

Question: How did you import? Using the Import GPX at the bottom of Routes and Marks screen, or using the Create xx Layer button on the Layers tab?

Originally Posted by bacmb01

1. I get that tracks are records of a vessel's trip, and routes are a trip from waypoint to waypoint. I don't understand why you'd keep tracks other than converting them into routes. What else do you do with them?

This is a matter of personal preference. For me, I don't save ANY routes, but save tracks. That shows in great detail the path that someone took. To make a route, when you need to, just pick up the Create Route icon and boink boink boink, you have a route. I delete routes pretty much as soon as I have completed the route. (Both in my Garmin and in OpenCPN).

Originally Posted by bacmb01

2. In the route manager, I highlight a track and click the Route from Track button, and nothing happens. It clicks, but that's it. What am I doing wrong?

I just tested with any random track (created in I think Maxsea 20 years ago and ported to GPX). I imported it, clicked on the track file in the Routes and Marks manager, clicked on Create Route from Track, and I saw a small window flash for a microsecond, the Route, however, can be found in the Routes list. Yours is probably there too.

Originally Posted by bacmb01

3. I right-click on a track and go to the properties. The Display Parameters are grayed out so colors can't be changed.

Maybe the Garmin gpx file doesn't have the full encoding that OpenCPN understands. Here is a snip from a the beginning of a recent track file of mine, created in OpenCPN.

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<gpx version="1.1" creator="OpenCPN" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xmlns="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1" xmlns:gpxx="http://www.garmin.com/xmlschemas/GpxExtensions/v3" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1 http://www.topografix.com/GPX/1/1/gpx.xsd http://www.garmin.com/xmlschemas/GpxExtensions/v3 http://www8.garmin.com/xmlschemas/GpxExtensionsv3.xsd" xmlns:opencpn="http://www.opencpn.org">
  <trk>
    <name>2024-02-24 to 26 Soggy Paws - Langkawi to Sabang</name>
    <extensions>
      <opencpn:guid>126a0000-672c-4192-9a32-71b677edffff</opencpn:guid>
      <opencpn:viz>1</opencpn:viz>
      <opencpn:style style="102" />
      <gpxx:TrackExtension>
        <gpxx:DisplayColor>Red</gpxx:DisplayColor>
      </gpxx:TrackExtension>
    </extensions>
    <trkseg>
      <trkpt lat="6.294331346" lon="99.696714068">
        <time>2024-02-24T01:09:54Z</time>
      </trkpt>

When I have issues with this, I edit the "foreign" track file (it is just structured text) and add in the components that OpenCPN needs with a search and replace.

Rather than doing that, it might be possible to EXPORT the tracks you've imported (you can do multiple at a time), then delete from OpenCPN, and then re-import from the file you exported. It might then have added the structures that OpenCPN wants to see.

Hope this helps. If the import/export doesn't solve the issue, and you want to have me look at your Garmin track file and be more specific about what needs to be changed to make it work, zip it up and attach it here, or (if you have attaching problems) can email to soggypaws aT gmail dOt com.

Attached, a screen shot of my Indonesia Track files gathered from various boats over the years. It's helpful to see where people go, when you are trying to figure out where to go yourself.

Sherry
s/v Soggy Paws

[bacmb01]

Thanks for the detailed explanation. I found the problem, and your question of how I imported was the key. I'd added the .gpx file pulled from my mfd to the layers directory. That made all of the routes, tracks, and waypoints into a new layer, and layers are immutable so couldn't be modified. When I realized that, I started over and just imported the file, and the objects behaved the way they should have.

I'm still not completely clear on why maintain tracks AND routes. Do you have more flexibility by leaving tracks as tracks and not converting them all to routes? Are they somehow easier to use?

Thanks again!

[ChrisJHC]

I also don’t generally keep tracks.
They can be interesting to review and see where you actually went rather than where you planned to go.
They are also invaluable if you are somewhere complicated (eg near coral reefs) and you want to follow the exact same route as you used to get in. You can also send them to someone else who wants to follow the same route.