OpenCPN Version 1.3.5 Beta Technical

[teotwawki]

Dave -- your latest vtg.cpp and gll.cpp fixed the compile issue for me -- thanks

[bdbcat]

Cagney....

Will you send me a copy of the GRIB file with errant wind arrows?

Thanks
Dave

[idpnd]

That fixed it thanks..

[cagney]

The problem with my grib arrows was a bug, but was only visible because I had a locally compiled version of wx without anti-aliasing enabled. This of course was due to my efforts to compile 1.3.5.
Dave found all this when I sent him the Grib file.

Now I have another problem......
After getting rid of the locally installed version of wx and reinstalling the Ubuntu packages, getting the latest CVS version of OpenCPN and compiling a new executable ------ all gribfiles are greyed out and unreachable. Tested with gribs from ZyGrib, GribUS and SailDocs, same result on all.


Thomas

[idpnd]

I get the same effect actually (on same setup), I was going to try some different gribs before reporting though..

[bdbcat]

Cagney....

Oops... I found that too. Another unicode SNAFU.

Please fetch GribReader.cpp from CVS today. Recompile and all will be well.

We will have a new Beta later today, with all changes up-to-date for MSW build as well.

Dave

[idpnd]

It's working now, impressed! It appears some large-scale cmap charts go into overzoom before entering the more detailed level.

[cagney]

Thanks Dave, as idpnd said, it works now.

However I found another thing to take care of..............
My first segfault for 1.3.5 ...........
I have a grib directory with two downloaded grib files and another directory containing, once again, a grib file.
First I look at one of the two gribfiles in the 'outer' directory, then, when trying to change to the 'inner' directory, the normal dialog to pick a grib directory appeared. The crash came when pressing 'open'.

One contributing reason for the crash could be problems with GribUs files. I choose to compress the download with bz2 and the content of the compressed file had no file ending at all. It was one of these GribUs 'files', actually a directory containing the grib file, that caused the problem.
More testing made it clear that OpenCPN do not recognize GribUs files as gribfiles unless you add a ".grb" to the file name. Then everything seems alright.

I checked a few binary grib files, they all started with "GRIB", so there seems to be a way to recognize a grib file independent of the .grb . The command "file" was not helpful, probably needs som updating.

$ file 22112009_1
22112009_1: data

Thomas

[dacust]

Interesting things happening when zoomed all the way out.



Might be easiest to just limit the zoom to one less level?

-dan

[bdbcat]

Dan....

How in the heck did you get that display? I ZOUT all the way, and never go over 360 degrees of longitude.

What is your screen display resolution? Looks like a wide-screen lcd....
I think this may be the reason?

Also, I cannot quite read the parameters in the scale box, Truescale, and X. will you repeat them here, please?

How does this maximum zoom out on CM93 work for others?

Thanks
Dave

[Viking Sailor]

Dave,

I checked and my display does not go much more then an ocean wide. Running XP with a screen at 1280 x 1024.

Paul

[dacust]

My screen is 1680x1050. Until earlier this week, I was also at 1280xsomething on XP. This only happens on the new machine.

It's a 22" widescreen, but it's the same display I had on the old box.

Windows 7.

Here is a full size shot of the screen:

http://www.dacust.com/inlandwaters/o...fullscreen.png

True Scale: 99328300
Zoom 0.20x

BTW: The gaps come from panning after the full zoom out. On initial zoom out, it's just the world chart with blank area around it.

MORE:
When I first fire up the program with a cm93, it won't zoom out that far. Then I switch to a raster (NZ14051) of the Pacific, zoom, then switch back to cm93, NOW it will zoom back further.

-dan

[Psyches]

Originally Posted by bdbcat

Cagney....

Oops... I found that too. Another unicode SNAFU.

Please fetch GribReader.cpp from CVS today. Recompile and all will be well.

We will have a new Beta later today, with all changes up-to-date for MSW build as well.

Dave

Dave, looks there is still a related unicode issue waiting in GribReader.cpp, around line 617, for 3 total refs to c_str(). A grib with non-std extension will trigger that bug...easy fix, same as before.

HTH,

Mark

[bdbcat]

Hi guys...

opencpn Version 1.3.5 Beta Build 1122 is now available for download.

Changelog:
26. Correct RNC display spanning Longitude 0 (Greenwich)
27. Correct CM93 DISMAR (Distance mark) symbolization.
28. Correct error allowing two GRIB dialogs at one time, precluding consequent crash.
29. Correctly interpret /DTM on RNC chart header.
30. Correct RNC georef algorithms for REF points <= 12
31. Correct small bug on RouteProperties page.
32. Improve GRIB Wind barb and iosbar drawing speed and efficiency.
33. Correct Unicode compile errors on vtg.cpp and gll.cpp.
34. Correct crash on GRIB directory change after showing valid GRIBs
35. On GRIB dialog open, pre-read at most 5 (five) most recent GRIB files to improve performance.
36. Allow GRIB files with no indicated file type extension, such as ""grb" or "bz2".
37. Add Toolbar->GRIB checkbox option for Hi Definition graphics; Lo Definiton may be faster on some platforms.....
38. Increase (slightly) the fully zoomed out scale available for cm93 charts.
39. Correct GPX Track data structure and file format.
40. Add confirm message if GPX Export will overwrite an existing file.
41. In Toolbox->Etc, add option to "Preserve Scale" on chart switch.
----Release Beta 1122----

Notes:

37. Addresses some performance problems for dense GRIB files.
41. The overzoom discussion, and what to do when changing charts. Try this...

CVS Updated, for Unicode too

Thanks, and good luck
Dave

p.s. I'll be offline for a few days. Gone cruising out of WiFi range.

[gjorgensen]

Dave, I took 1.3.5 b1118 around a 12 mile course yesterday, and ran b1122 around this morning while working on my steering. Tests were done using my boat laptop: Pentium M 1.8 GHz, 1 GB memory, Windows XP sp3, USB GPS (GlobalSat BU-353) through a COM port emulator, Comar AIS-Multi AIS receiver via USB, also through a COM port emulator.

NOAA ENC charts cause occasional lock-ups when loading a new chart on the fly. This problem only seems to occur when AIS is running - scrolling around when the AIS receiver is not plugged in seems to work fine. This could be in the USB driver. Not a very useful report I know - all I can determine is that the OpenCPN locks up while trying to load a new ENC chart. When I get a chance I'll load the driver on my Vista machine and see if I see the same thing.

Navigation with BSB and CM93 charts is rock solid. With BSB and CM93 charts all navigation and AIS data/display work properly. I had tracking turned on and saw no problems. Routes, waypoints, and tracks are importing and exporting fine.

GRIB data also seems to mostly work just fine, with one oddity (see below). Scrolling around was slow with b1118, but turning off hi-res in 1122 causes scrolling to respond as well with GRIB data on as with it off. In hi-res, I only see really slow scrolling when zoomed way out, e.g. to the entire pacific with a GRIB file spanning from 50 N to 40 S and 75 W to 145 E. Zooming in picks up performance - not surprising since you're displaying less data. I've tried it with GRIBs from both Saildocs and Zygrib with no problem. I've also tried it with various extra data such as QSCAT and 500 mbar heights that OpenCPN cannot display, and it works fine. Straddling both the date line and the equator causes no problems that I can see. I saw no slowness with a large GRIB directory.

The one oddity is that a few large GRIBs quit displaying wind barbs depending on where I scroll. See the screen shots below for the same GRIB centered on the pacific and scrolled east a bit.