OpenCPN Beta Version 3.1.915 Released

[bdbcat]

Ahoy, OpenCPN'ers...

OpenCPN Version 3.1 Beta Build 915 will soon be available for download from opencpn.org.

Monitor the opencpn.org Downloads page to find and download the latest Beta version binaries.....

Source is available now on github at:
https://github.com/OpenCPN/OpenCPN
Branch: beta31_stable

Changelog

44. Correct cursor images for wxWidgets 2.8.10
45. Improve Status Bar readability across screen sizes.
46. Allow user to set the visibility of shared WPTs independently
47. Extend S57 Light Sectors on mouse over.
48. Correct for small scale ENC "NoCoverage" regions in quilting.
49. Rework Canvas popup menu for better organization.
50. Add new instruments to Dashboard PlugIn.
51. Implement new layout of Options dialog.
52. Improve Furuno route upload logic.
53. Correct cm93 rotated single chart rendering

Release Beta 3.1.915

Release Notes:
48. This change required an update in the OpenCPN binary database format. Consequently, the database will be automatically rebuilt upon the first invocation of OpenCPN 3.1.915. Do not be alarmed....

49. New Popup context menu structure, grouping items into sub-menus to avoid screen crowding. Comments welcome.

51. A Big Deal! Thanks to Sethdart and Jesperwe for pulling this together. We look forward to your critical comments as we refine the new Options look. (btw, no longer called "Toolbox", now called "Options")

52. Furuno GPS users take note. This change allows a numeric, two digit OpenCPN route name (e.g. 10, 21, etc) to be utilized as the route number contained within the NMEA sentences uploaded to the GPS receiver.

Still working on the multi-source NMEA data stream update. Should see this in the next Beta.

In this release especially, we have changed the look and feel of the GUI substantially. Nothing is cast in stone, so your comments will be considered carefully. You won't hurt our feelings (much). We will refine the details going forward.

Thanks for your continued testing support!

Good Luck
Dave

[JesperWe]

I'd like to explain a little bit about the main goals we had for the context menu and the Options window, just to make you understand why there are so many changes.

- The window which was previously known as Toolbox/Options/Settings/Preferences had had lots of different settings added over time, an was rather disorganized. Some settings that directly affected each other even were located on different pages.

- The language and units used to describe various features varied quite a bit. And a lot of uncommon acronyms were used for vector chart settings.

- There was no way for plugins to add new tabs to the various pages.

- Some places had sub-windows popping up with even more settings

- The source code for the whole thing was one single very large function, making it pretty hard to get an understanding of the code for new developers.

Hopefully this new version is better organized and easier to understand, and the language more uniform.

There are not a whole lot of changes to the settings themselves at this point, but the underlying code is in better shape so it will be easier to add that going forward. On my mind are things like own-ship icons for example, which currently requires config file editing.

The Context menu was extensively discussed in the last beta thread (starting about from here) so please read up on that background, so we can avoid duplicating it all again

[cagney]

Downloads are now available, for *Ubuntu 12.04 and Mac!
Thomas

[cagney]

I just tested the new Options dialog on a 9" eeepc screen. I can see the need for scrollbars, or some auto sizing dependent on available screen real estate!
For example on Charts-> Loaded Charts I can't see anything below the box "Scan Charts and....... "
So it's a wee bit difficult to change anything without a manual edit of the config file.

Thomas

[JesperWe]

Originally Posted by cagney

I just tested the new Options dialog on a 9" eeepc screen.

Um... yeah. I guess the current layout won't work too well on something x 800 pixel. I'll look into it.

[Surveyor]

Someone mind compiling a windows version please?

[jonasaberg]

No deeper testing, but I think the new Options dialogue is a jump forward.
Good work!
/J

[JesperWe]

Originally Posted by cagney

I just tested the new Options dialog on a 9" eeepc screen. I can see the need for scrollbars, or some auto sizing dependent on available screen real estate!

Thomas, I have pushed what I think is a significantly better sizing logic for small screens to master. Give it a spin on the Eee!

[cagney]

Originally Posted by JesperWe

Thomas, I have pushed what I think is a significantly better sizing logic for small screens to master. Give it a spin on the Eee!

OK I'll dig out the eee again

Clicking "Navigate to" creates a route from the present position to the position of the cursor. A route with one wpt. In the right click "Route properties" there is an entry "Activate Next Waypoint", which is meaningless in that context. Nothing happens when clicking it, which is an OK failure mode...

Thomas

[cagney]

The patch works well! Thank you.
Also the eee now set up for alpha testing.

Thomas

[JesperWe]

Originally Posted by Surveyor

Someone mind compiling a windows version please?

Eh... I don't know why that hasn't happened. Nohal usually does this, maybe he is off traveling or something. I can't update the Download page, I don't have access to it. So I have made a Windows installer available here: opencpn_3.1.915_setup.exe

I hope it works, I have pretty crappy Internet at the moment...

[JesperWe]

Originally Posted by cagney

Clicking "Navigate to" creates a route from the present position to the position of the cursor. A route with one wpt. In the right click "Route properties" there is an entry "Activate Next Waypoint", which is meaningless in that context. Nothing happens when clicking it, which is an OK failure mode...

I take it you mean "One leg", not "one wpt".... Anyway, "Activate Next Wpt" should only show when we *have* a next wpt. Fix has been committed.

[hoolie]

Originally Posted by JesperWe

Eh... I don't know why that hasn't happened. Nohal usually does this, maybe he is off traveling or something. I can't update the Download page, I don't have access to it. So I have made a Windows installer available here: opencpn_3.1.915_setup.exe

I hope it works, I have pretty crappy Internet at the moment...

Thanks Jesper! Just downloaded and installed with no problems at all.

At first glance the "options" revisions are a big improvement. Well done!

[dpons]

44. Correct cursor images for wxWidgets 2.8.10

Thanks! I know it would be easier not to do it, I appreciate the effort.

Diego

[dpons]

Originally Posted by JesperWe

Um... yeah. I guess the current layout won't work too well on something x 800 pixel. I'll look into it.

This is what it looks like in my eee running debian 6: