New Zealand Charts

[GPS-Marco]

New Zealand Charts, CHARTCAL-V30, 08 December 2010

Hello. With this 30th version of the New Zealand Chart portfolio I decided to start a specific thread. All the History of this chart set building process, achieved with the help of all the OpenCPN team, is and remain in the Charts thread (for whom might be interested...).

The New Zealand charts ready to be used (.kap files) and the calibration data (CHARTCAL.DIR) can be found at the following link MCE66 - Software

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This thread starts announcing the availability of a new V30 version of New Zealand Charts Portfolio. Changes from V29 to V30 involve 11 maps reprinted or updated by LINZ, 1 map slightly realigned, 10 new maps released by LINZ and 2 withdrawn. The NZ portfolio now contains 332 Charts! These are the details:

LINZ released new versions of some chart images. Related KAP charts have been consequently upgraded: NZ52, NZ521, NZ522, NZ53, NZ531, NZ64, NZ443, NZ4432_1, NZ4432_2, NZ865, NZ8655

Some charts have been upgraded for a Small Calibration Alignment: NZ8248

LINZ released new chart Images. Related KAP charts have been generated: NZ5223, NZ5224, NZ8247, NZ8259, NZ8235_1, NZ8685_1, NZ8685_2, NZ8685_3, NZ8685_4, NZ8685_5

LINZ withdraw obsolete charts. Related KAP charts have to be deleted:
NZ5225 (replaced by new NZ5223 and NZ5224)
NZ5225_1 (replaced by new NZ5223 and NZ5224)

Please substitute/rebuild/delete above charts if you have old versions.

To date (December 2010), the only charts in the LINZ portfolio (NZ 202 Catalogue) not released as tiff images (and then not included in this NZ KAP charts portfolio) are: NZ14052, NZ14060, NZ14602, NZ14604, NZ14607, NZ1414, NZ8266, NZ4064 (British), NZ4636 (British), NZ4637 (British). Hope to see these charts released as tiff images by LINZ...

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The chart building process is based on calibration data plus the tools KapGen and mc2bsbh. If you want to buid all NZ charts and all the upgrades above, download the new ChartCal-V30.zip and the required tools ( MCE66 - Software ) then build (or rebuild) with KapGen all the charts you need (when upgrading a chart first delete the related tif file from /Img folder).

Of course you can also just download the charts Update set already built: download file NewZealandNauticalCharts_Upgrade_V28_up_to_V30.7z you can find at the same location ( MCE66 - Software ).

Remember to delete by hand the obsolete charts NZ5225.kap and NZ5225_1.kap

Let me know. Ciao, Marco.

[GPS-Marco]

Hello. The New Zealand charts portfolio reached version V31 and contains 322 charts ready to be used (.kap files) plus the related calibration data (CHARTCAL.DIR). Both can be found at the following link MCE66 - Software

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Changes from V30 to V31 involve 19 maps reprinted or updated by LINZ.

LINZ released new versions of some chart images. Related KAP charts have been consequently upgraded: NZ48, NZ61, NZ443, NZ614, NZ614_1, NZ614_2, NZ4314, NZ4314_1, NZ5124_1, NZ5124_2, NZ5124_3, NZ5318, NZ5318_1, NZ5324, NZ5325, NZ5325_1, NZ6142_1, NZ6142_2, NZ14638

Please substitute/rebuild/delete above charts if you have old versions.

To date (Jan 2011), the only charts in the LINZ portfolio (NZ 202 Catalogue) not released as tiff images (and then not included in this NZ KAP charts portfolio) are: NZ14052, NZ14060, NZ14602, NZ14604, NZ14607, NZ1414, NZ8266, NZ4064 (British), NZ4636 (British), NZ4637 (British). Hope to see these charts released as tiff images by LINZ...

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The chart building process is based on calibration data plus the tools KapGen and mc2bsbh. If you want to buid all NZ charts and all the upgrades above, download the new ChartCal-V31.zip and the required tools ( MCE66 - Software ) then build (or rebuild) with KapGen all the charts you need (when upgrading a chart from a old version, first delete the related tif file from /Img folder).

Of course you can also just download the charts set already built: download file NewZealandNauticalCharts_V31.7z you can find at the same location ( MCE66 - Software ). No update set is available from older versions: download the full set and substitute it to the old one.

Let me know. Ciao, Marco.

[cagney]

Marco

Than you very much for all the effort you put into the NZ charts.
It is really great, and much appreciated.

Thomas

[Colorman]

Many thanks for these wonderful charts. Reading some of the posts it make me realize how lucky we are in NZ to have a Govt as with US, that makes these available at no cost in the interest of safety. I spent many hours a few years ago calibrating NZ Charts in Mapcal for use with Seaclear and realize the work involved in preparing them. Well done and keep up the good work.

Keith

[barnakiel]

Yep. That's one cool attitude of Kiwi govt. Safety first, moneymaking second. The same thing in the US. Why will other states not follow suit?

I wish we could use UK and INT charts like that. And would not hurt to be able to use the French stuff too, esp. in the Pacific basin.

b.

[GPS-Marco]

Hello. The New Zealand charts portfolio reached version V32 and now contains 334 charts ready to be used (.kap files) plus the related calibration data (CHARTCAL.DIR). Charts and calibration data can be found at the following link MCE66 - Software. From V31, 40 charts have been added or updated and 3 have been withdrawn.

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LINZ released some New Charts:
NZ5221, NZ5222, NZ6825_1, NZ6825_2, NZ6825_3

LINZ released New Editions of some charts:
NZ5214, NZ5215, NZ5215_1

LINZ released corrections of some charts:
NZ232_1, NZ232_2, NZ232_3, NZ232_4, NZ5124_1, NZ5124_2, NZ5124_3, NZ5125, NZ522, NZ5223, NZ5224, NZ531, NZ532, NZ5321, NZ5322, NZ5322_1, NZ5322_2, NZ5324, NZ5325, NZ5325_1, NZ542, NZ542_1, NZ542_2, NZ68, NZ681, NZ681_1, NZ69, NZ7624, NZ7624_1, NZ7625, NZ7625_1, NZ7625_2

LINZ withdrew some obsolete charts (to be deleted):
NZ6823 (replaced by new NZ6825_1)
NZ6823_1 (replaced by new NZ6825_1)
NZ6823_2 (replaced by new NZ6825_3)

Please substitute/rebuild/delete above charts if you have old versions.

To date, the only charts in the LINZ portfolio (NZ 202 Catalogue) not released as tiff images (and then not included in this NZ KAP charts portfolio) are: NZ14052, NZ14060, NZ14602, NZ14604, NZ14607, NZ1414, NZ8266, NZ4064 (British), NZ4636 (British), NZ4637 (British). Hope to see these charts released as tiff images by LINZ...

*************************

The chart building process is based on calibration data plus the tools KapGen and mc2bsbh. If you want to buid all NZ charts and all the upgrades above, download the new ChartCal-V32.zip and the required tools ( MCE66 - Software ) then build (or rebuild) with KapGen all the charts you need (when upgrading a chart from a old version, first delete the related tif file from /Img folder).

Of course you can also just download the charts set already built: if you don't have V31, download file NewZealandNauticalCharts_V31.7z you can find at the same location ( MCE66 - Software ). Then download the file NewZealandNauticalCharts_Update_V31_to_V32.7z and follow instructions in V32UpgradeNote.txt

Of course I thanks all people in this forum that helped in gathering all the info and in realizing all the tools required for this work to be finalized. Thanks to all of you.

Happy sailing in fair winds and following seas.

Buon Vento. Ciao, Marco.

[jaitt]

HI,

love the work your doing with the NZ charts and have been using them very successfully with OpenCPN

I have recently tried using them with Polar View. They work very well, but there is one issue I came across with the quilting.. See the reply from Polar View support...

"
The charts you mention are in Transverse Mercator projection. Raster charts need to be in (regular) Mercator projection to be quilted by PolarView.

PolarView is able to re-project charts from other projections into Mercator. To do so, it requires certain information to be present in chart data. That information is not present in some of these charts (like NZ4633).

To be specific, these charts are missing polynomial coefficients. Without that they can be used only by software that shows raster charts "one at a time" or that uses Transverse Mercator as its native projection.

The solution to this would be for chart producer (or their software) to add such information to chart data."

Is this something that you would mconsider including??

Thanks

[GPS-Marco]

Ciao Jaitt

You are actually describing a limitation of PolarView. In fact the NZ Transverse Mercator charts contain enough data to generate the "missing" polinomials. In the past we have decided not to include the polinomials since they are less precise than a real chart projection.

In my opinion there are 3 solutions to the issue you mentioned:

1) Reproject the NZ Transverse Mercator charts to Mercator. Very easy with NOAA Chart Reprojector ( Nautical Chart Reprojector - Tools - Digital Coast ). For an automated process you need also KapGen, the CHARTCAL.DIR used to build the NZ charts and the script attached to this post (.KAP charts need to be in \BSB folder of KapGen).

2) Rebuild the NZ Transverse Mercator charts with mc2bsbh-poly (I'll tell you more if you are interested). This is a slightly more complex process.

3) Ask PolarView to overcome its limitation...

I'm anyway very pleased you like our work.

Ciao, Marco.

P.S. New Zealand Charts Version V33 is available on the usal Site. I'll write a post later on.

[MechMan]

I've been using the NZ Linz charts with Polar View converted to kap with Marco's software program around the Hauraki Gulf and haven't noticed any issues with these charts.

They all seem to quilt very well and I haven't come across any inaccuracies.

How do your problems manifest themselves?

[brak]

Originally Posted by GPS-Marco

Ciao Jaitt


In my opinion there are 3 solutions to the issue you mentioned:

1) Reproject the NZ Transverse Mercator charts to Mercator. Very easy with NOAA Chart Reprojector ( Nautical Chart Reprojector - Tools - Digital Coast ). For an automated process you need also KapGen, the CHARTCAL.DIR used to build the NZ charts and the script attached to this post (.KAP charts need to be in \BSB folder of KapGen).

Charts reprojected by PolarView generally look slightly better than those reprojected by the utility.

2) Rebuild the NZ Transverse Mercator charts with mc2bsbh-poly (I'll tell you more if you are interested). This is a slightly more complex process.

This would certainly be the ideal solution

3) Ask PolarView to overcome its limitation...

The Occams razor cuts away from this approach

In order for re-projection to be of reasonable quality and, particularly, speed, we still need polynomial coefficients.

Adding necessary math to create these coefficients for every possible projection doesn't seem an appropriate use of navigation client resources.

Since there are so few charts out there that are both non-Mercator and do not have polynomial data - this would be a significant chunk of complicated functionality that's almost never used.

This is something that is best handled on the chart issuing side.

[GPS-Marco]

Hello. The New Zealand charts portfolio reached version V33 and contains 334 charts ready to be used (.kap files) plus the related calibration data (CHARTCAL.DIR). Charts and calibration data can be found at the following link MCE66 - Software. From V32 to V33, 51 charts have been updated. I rebuild the whole chart set so no update delta file has been released.

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LINZ released New Editions of some charts:
NZ463, NZ522, NZ531, NZ5612_1, NZ5612_2, NZ615, NZ6153, NZ6153_1, NZ6154_1, NZ6154_2, NZ6154_3, NZ822

LINZ released corrections of some charts:
NZ4633, NZ4634_1, NZ4634_2, NZ4634_3, NZ4634_4, NZ52, NZ521, NZ5219, NZ5221, NZ53, NZ541, NZ5411_1, NZ5411_2, NZ5413, NZ614, NZ614_1, NZ614_2, NZ6144, NZ6144_1, NZ6144_2, NZ6151_1, NZ6151_2, NZ6151_3, NZ6151_4, NZ6151_5, NZ6152, NZ6152_1, NZ6612, NZ6612_1, NZ6612_2, NZ6612_3, NZ68, NZ681, NZ681_1, NZ6825_1, NZ6825_2, NZ6825_3, NZ69, NZ82

Please substitute/rebuild/delete above charts if you have old versions.

To date, the only charts in the LINZ portfolio (NZ 202 Catalogue) not released as tiff images (and then not included in this NZ KAP charts portfolio) are: NZ14052, NZ14060, NZ14602, NZ14604, NZ14607, NZ1414, NZ8266, NZ4064 (British), NZ4636 (British), NZ4637 (British). Hope to see these charts released as tiff images by LINZ...

*************************

The chart building process is based on calibration data plus the tools KapGen and mc2bsbh. If you want to buid all NZ charts and all the upgrades above, download the new ChartCal-V33.zip and the required tools ( MCE66 - Software ) then build (or rebuild) with KapGen all the charts you need (when upgrading a chart from a old version, first delete the related tif file from /Img folder).

Of course you can also just download the charts set already built: download file NewZealandNauticalCharts_V33.7z you can find at the same location ( MCE66 - Software ).

Happy sailing in fair winds and following seas.

Buon Vento. Ciao, Marco.

[GPS-Marco]

Hello.

For People that need the NZ charts reprojected in Mercator, I've used the NOAA reprojector to convert all the 201 NZ TM charts to Merc.

Here is the link to the file: NewZealandNauticalCharts_TMercToMerc_V33.7z

You need first to download ( MCE66 - Software ) or build NZ V33 chart set, then download above file and overwrite original charts with the ones reprojected.

To do the same by yourself:

• download and install KapGen
• download latest CHARTCAL-V33.zip and replace file CHARTCAL.DIR in Kapgen\Calibration folder with the newest CHARTCAL.DIR (V33)
• download or build all V33 charts. V33 charts must stay in BSB folder of KapGen
• download and install NOAA chart reprojector ( Nautical Chart Reprojector - Tools - Digital Coast )
• download script in post #8 and place ConvertAllToMercator.cmd in a folder you have to create at the same level of BSB folder in KapGen
• double click on ConvertAllToMercator.cmd and wait...

In 30 minutes all Transverse Mercator Charts in NZ set will be reprojected in Mercator.

I've done a very little test on these charts. Let me know.

Ciao, Marco.

[jaitt]

HI All,

MachMan, I'm in Wellington. When viewing the Harbour area, PolarView doesn't seem to like NZ4633. I can't get any Quiliting of this chart, and the really detailed charts for the Harbour. When I look at the PolarView database, it deosn't show this chart. And \when I try to load the cell separatly, it rejects it

Marco, I went out for the day sailing and now you've built all these new charts and processes. Amazing.. What do you do after lunch

I'll download them tonight and give them a try in the holiday tomorrow.

Tks

Jaitt

[jaitt]

Kiora Marco,

all seems to be working as advertised.

I now get as good rendering of NZ4633 quilted with the more detailed harbour chart. Fantastic.

Have a good one.....

[jaitt]

[QUOTE=GPS-Marco;700664]Ciao Jaitt


>>2) Rebuild the NZ Transverse Mercator charts with mc2bsbh-poly (I'll tell you more if you are interested). This is a slightly more complex process.

Hi,

thanks for all your help so far.

I'd like to take you up on your offer of help above with uising mc2bsbh-poly to do a raw chart conversion.

I have been through the MapCal Utilities site but can't find the references to -poly....

If you can point me in the right direction I'd appritiate it

(I tried to PM this but I'm not "trusted" apparently.. )

Thanks

Jaitt