New Zealand: ENC now in S-63 format for free

[bcn]

In addition to the already well known raster charts LINZ does provide now ENCs (vector) charts for free download: The complete portfolio of the NZ charts in S-63 encrypted format.
Updated fortnightly.



Go here:

https://www.encservice.linz.govt.nz/
register, and get your charts.
These are official charts and hence LINZ decided to distribute them in a protected format.


For use in OpenCPN, S-63 charts require the S-63 plug-in and a S-63 UserPermit. (Have the UP at hand when registering at LINZ)
The latter, which is valid for all S-63 chart providers and not only for LINZ, is available at o-charts for a nominal fee:
https://o-charts.org/shop/en/6-s-63
A short manual how to install S-63 material under OpenCPN here:
https://manuals.o-charts.org/s63_en_US.html

[Moo]

Originally Posted by bcn

In addition to the already well known raster charts LINZ does provide now ENCs (vector) charts for free download: The complete portfolio of the NZ charts in S-63 encrypted format.
Updated fortnightly.



Go here:

https://www.encservice.linz.govt.nz/
register, and get your charts.
These are official charts and hence LINZ decided to distribute them in a protected format.


For use in OpenCPN, S-63 charts require the S-63 plug-in and a S-63 UserPermit. (Have the UP at hand when registering at LINZ)
The latter, which is valid for all S-63 chart providers and not only for LINZ, is available at o-charts for a nominal fee:
https://o-charts.org/shop/en/6-s-63
A short manual how to install S-63 material under OpenCPN here:
https://manuals.o-charts.org/s63_en_US.html

No sign of any cell permits appearing yet though. So while you have been able to download the charts for some ages, the site officially came online last night, I expect they will email out the cell permits at some stage or make them available in the your online account one way or another.

[bcn]

Cell Permits are individual for each requested set and UserPermit.


LINZ talks about 2-3 days to make cell permits available after a request.


The trials of the site were running during quite a time, some OpenCPN users from NZ did participate in them.



Hubert

[Moo]

Originally Posted by bcn

Cell Permits are individual for each requested set and UserPermit.


LINZ talks about 2-3 days to make cell permits available after a request.


The trials of the site were running during quite a time, some OpenCPN users from NZ did participate in them.



Hubert

Yes I tried to get onto the trial programme but they refused me!

I have been registered on the trial for months so thought that the cell permits would appear after the system went live.

I can't believe that it is a manual system and that somebody is now sitting there waiting for 2 - 3 days to pass before issuing the permits. After all if it takes 2 - 3 days now what's it going to be like when they start advertising it at the beginning of the boating season in October as per their email, and everybody starts to register! This whole thing has been run in a very weird fashion!

I'll let you know how long 2 - 3 days actually turns out to be.

Cheers

[Moo]

OK,

I have now got cell permits. They seem to have installed OK, but otherwise I am stumped as to how to correctly install the S63 charts in OCPN.

I have been through the system fingerprint > User Permit > Install Permit > Import Cell Permits > import/update Charts thing..

Charts appear to import (a couple of errors on about five cells but I think that is a problem with the LINZ charts and not O).

However I don't see any charts. I have added the ENC_ROOT directory in the chart files tab, I have tried creating a group and adding the ENC_ROOT entry to that group but it just reports the the group is empty.... Stumped.

Anybody got any ideas?

Cheers

[Moo]

Further to my post above. The following screen clip comes from the manual page .... The first link to the "informative document" returns a 404 error... and there ain't no detailed instructions anywhere on o-charts that I can find.

[El Pinguino]

I had no problems all the way down the line until.. having downloaded the base chart download I am instructed from the O charts page
'Go to OpenCPN, Options → Charts → S63 Charts → Chart Cells tab. Install Cell Permits by using the button Import Cell Permits to find the file PERMIT.txt inside your S-63 chart sets. Import your S-63 chart sets by pressing Import Charts/Updates and finding the folder ENC_ROOT.'

I can't find the PERMIT.txt ..... clues??

[bcn]

You have latest S-63 plug-in?



There is no need to add any directory to chart files manually. The plug-in creates a new directory with the preprocessed charts or cells when importing the charts. Please delete the entry from the Chart directory list.



Do the cell permits install ok? You see them installed at the Chart Cells tab?
Next you import the charts from the same tab "Import charts/updates", pointing it to Root_ENC directory of the S-63 set you downloaded from LINZ.


The plug-in shall ask you if you want to process the charts at install time. Yes=takes a bit longer, but no need to prepare charts "on-the-fly" when zooming and panning.


Important: first the base set, then the update set. S-63 is very picky about the correct order.
Second:the source data must stay on the system. Don't install with Root_ENC on a CD or USB stick that you unmount after then.


Hubert

[bcn]

Originally Posted by Moo

Further to my post above. The following screen clip comes from the manual page .... The first link to the "informative document" returns a 404 error... and there ain't no detailed instructions anywhere on o-charts that I can find.

https://manuals.o-charts.org/s63_en_US.html ?

[bcn]

Originally Posted by El Pinguino

I had no problems all the way down the line until.. having downloaded the base chart download I am instructed from the O charts page
'Go to OpenCPN, Options → Charts → S63 Charts → Chart Cells tab. Install Cell Permits by using the button Import Cell Permits to find the file PERMIT.txt inside your S-63 chart sets. Import your S-63 chart sets by pressing Import Charts/Updates and finding the folder ENC_ROOT.'

I can't find the PERMIT.txt ..... clues??

The Permit.txt file is the cell permit file you get from LINZ. It is individual for each S-63 UserPermit.

[El Pinguino]

Originally Posted by bcn

The Permit.txt file is the cell permit file you get from LINZ. It is individual for each S-63 UserPermit.

Thankee

Up and running...

I'll post what I did tomorrow.... when I have worked out what I did....

[Moo]

Originally Posted by bcn

Important: first the base set, then the update set. S-63 is very picky about the correct order.
Second:the source data must stay on the system. Don't install with Root_ENC on a CD or USB stick that you unmount after then.


Hubert

You don't unzip the downloaded file? You import the zipped files?

On every other sutem I've used S63 charts on you extract the base file to your charts directory then extract the updates over the top so that they overwrite.

[bcn]

Unzipped directories.....

[bcn]

Originally Posted by Moo

On every other system I've used S63 charts on you extract the base file to your charts directory then extract the updates over the top so that they overwrite.

S-63 same as S-57 require the complete update chain of cells. Without missing any in between.


LINZ (and AHS) distribute a base set and fortnightly an update set. The latter is accumulative and contains all updates since the edition of the last base set.
We maintain the base and the actual update set on our PC..
Merging might work as well, but I never tried.

[Moo]

Originally Posted by bcn

Unzipped directories.....

Fek that is weird and confusing. When I unzip the files from LINZ I get this tree. Did you manually create the separate file tree?