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Old 04-06-2017, 22:35   #1
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I need a programmer for OpenCPN mod.

Hello,
I have trouble searching and using the forum. The interface and style are difficult for me to understand. Forgive me if there is already an answer to my question.

Version 3.2.2 of OpenCPN allowed one to drop a mark by pressing the space bar. Please don't argue that it doesn't. I have installed it several times and pressing the space bar drops a regular mark, not a MOB.

I understand that this feature was removed in subsequent versions. The ability to make a waypoint by pressing one key made OpenCPN very useful to me. Fumbling with key combinations or the mouse-right-click option doesn't work for me. I need to be able to drop marks while under way in a small boat where space is limited and ease of use is essential.

I am willing to pay a programmer to modify the code in the most recent version of OpenCPN to allow for dropping a mark using one key so I can use the current version. I have been using the older version but I want to get the advantages of the newer version.

Sadly the new version of OpenCPN doesn't work for my purposes because of the removal of that feature and commercial alternatives are just not as good as OpenCPN in most other aspects.

I tried using keymapping programs but they were insanely difficult to set up and never worked right. I considered buying a gaming keyboard that would allow mapping key combos but non are available that work with Linux.

Thanks in advance for any help on this matter. Please send me a direct message with pricing for the work. I use Ubuntu as my OS.

Steve
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Old 05-06-2017, 02:05   #2
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Re: I need a programmer for OpenCPN mod.

Maybe an idea to make a check box under options to "enable drop mark with space bar" so this feature can be turned on/off ??

Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Jackson View Post
Hello,
I have trouble searching and using the forum. The interface and style are difficult for me to understand. Forgive me if there is already an answer to my question.

Version 3.2.2 of OpenCPN allowed one to drop a mark by pressing the space bar. Please don't argue that it doesn't. I have installed it several times and pressing the space bar drops a regular mark, not a MOB.

I understand that this feature was removed in subsequent versions. The ability to make a waypoint by pressing one key made OpenCPN very useful to me. Fumbling with key combinations or the mouse-right-click option doesn't work for me. I need to be able to drop marks while under way in a small boat where space is limited and ease of use is essential.

I am willing to pay a programmer to modify the code in the most recent version of OpenCPN to allow for dropping a mark using one key so I can use the current version. I have been using the older version but I want to get the advantages of the newer version.

Sadly the new version of OpenCPN doesn't work for my purposes because of the removal of that feature and commercial alternatives are just not as good as OpenCPN in most other aspects.

I tried using keymapping programs but they were insanely difficult to set up and never worked right. I considered buying a gaming keyboard that would allow mapping key combos but non are available that work with Linux.

Thanks in advance for any help on this matter. Please send me a direct message with pricing for the work. I use Ubuntu as my OS.

Steve
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Old 05-06-2017, 04:19   #3
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Re: I need a programmer for OpenCPN mod.

Steve,

Ctrl-O drops a mark at the current boat position. If that is too hard send me a PM. I can probably gen up a version that switches it to space bar.

Dan
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Old 05-06-2017, 10:26   #4
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Re: I need a programmer for OpenCPN mod.

Quote:
Originally Posted by petter5 View Post
Maybe an idea to make a check box under options to "enable drop mark with space bar" so this feature can be turned on/off ??
@Petter5

Yes, that would be excellent. I would be willing to pay the OpenCPN project to add that to the program so everyone could use it.

If there is a OpenCPN Admin who reads this please consider adding the spacebar feature back to the program and let me know what kind of monetary contribution could make that happen.

Steve
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Old 05-06-2017, 10:36   #5
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Re: I need a programmer for OpenCPN mod.

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Steve,

Ctrl-O drops a mark at the current boat position. If that is too hard send me a PM. I can probably gen up a version that switches it to space bar.

Dan
@transmitterdan

Hello. Ctrl-O was the cumbersome key combintation I referred to in the original post. "too hard" is a vast understatement. Trying to train a weekend crew to master Ctrl-O in a moving boat, underway and in frequently choppy conditions is damn near impossible and beyond frustrating.

For the older version I put a piece of yellow tape on the keyboard spacebar and instruct people to just tap it once to drop a mark. I can be doing something, take quick glance at the keyboard and do the same then return to my other task. This is impossible with Ctrl-O.

I will PM you. Thanks for the response.

Steve
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Old 05-06-2017, 10:39   #6
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Re: I need a programmer for OpenCPN mod.

Steve,

I can make a version that uses space bar to drop a mark at boat's position. It's one extra line of code.

If you want to optionalize it that takes a lot more work.
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Old 05-06-2017, 15:03   #7
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Re: I need a programmer for OpenCPN mod.

I intended to implement an interface for opencpn at some point which allows remapping any actions to one or more of

1) key or key chord
2) menu
3) toolbar
4) external program via tcp socket
5) plugins (plugins can call and add actions)


The default settings would initially leave opencpn completely unchanged, but you could easily remap things, and customize it without special hacks for different keys for one particular feature.
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Old 05-06-2017, 15:52   #8
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Re: I need a programmer for OpenCPN mod.

Making space bar do a mark at boat position is one line of code. That's a ton easier than parametrizing all the shortcuts to the OpenCPN.conf file.
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Old 05-06-2017, 16:34   #9
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Re: I need a programmer for OpenCPN mod.

Hello all...

A little history.

The "space-bar-drop-waypoint" function was removed because in at least one case it seemed "impossible to train crew" NOT to use the spacebar to wake a sleeping laptop. Every time someone woke the machine to look at the chart, guess what happened? A string of waypoints across the Atlantic.

So, there are different use cases, always.

All that said, putting this function back as a hidden config setting, (default OFF) is trivial, and I see no reason not to do that. But I would resist adding another checkbox to the already cumbersome settings UI for this function.

Just sayin...
Dave
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Old 05-06-2017, 17:44   #10
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Re: I need a programmer for OpenCPN mod.

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Originally Posted by bdbcat View Post
All that said, putting this function back as a hidden config setting, (default OFF) is trivial, and I see no reason not to do that. But I would resist adding another checkbox to the already cumbersome settings UI for this function.

Just sayin...
Dave
Ok, that's what I'll do. Will send a PR soon.

Dan
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Old 05-06-2017, 19:07   #11
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Re: I need a programmer for OpenCPN mod.

Dan...

PR accepted/merged.

Thanks.
Dave
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Old 06-06-2017, 01:24   #12
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Re: I need a programmer for OpenCPN mod.

Would be nice to get this PR setting documented in the ini file so it is easy to enable manually if required.
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Dan...

PR accepted/merged.

Thanks.
Dave
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Old 06-06-2017, 05:12   #13
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Re: I need a programmer for OpenCPN mod.

+1 for another quick dirty hack

Hopefully it can be completely removed when fully configurable keybindings is implemented.
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Old 06-06-2017, 06:26   #14
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Re: I need a programmer for OpenCPN mod.

Quote:
Originally Posted by petter5 View Post
Would be nice to get this PR setting documented in the ini file so it is easy to enable manually if required.


I will tell the doc team. But until next official release the feature is only available to users building from github. The commit describes how to turn the feature on/off so github builders have documentation.

The configuration file variable is SpaceDropMark. Default is 0. Set it to 1 to turn on space bar mark dropping.
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Old 06-06-2017, 07:27   #15
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Re: I need a programmer for OpenCPN mod.

When is the next issue due to come out?
The Program has some bugs when moving the charts with the mouse, it starts blurring, but if switching of charts, say from S57 to BSB raster it becomes OK.
This does not append with CM93.
Otherwise the 4.6.1 ed. is OK.
Windows 10 Pro, Video Card updated and force to the program.
Accelerated graphic on or off.
Best Regards
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