OpenCPN Version 1.3.5 Beta Technical

[bdbcat]

Greetings all....

Opencpn Version 1.3.5 Beta Build 1117 is now available.

http://bigdumboat.com/opencpnbeta.html


1.3.5 Changelog

1. Correct UWTROC symbolization for covered/uncovered rocks.
2. Correct BSB Chart PLY values for DTM on non-WGS84 datum charts.
3. Correct track last point logic, which was erroneously creating null track segs.
4. Correct symbolization of CM93 CTRPNT object. Requires new s57data files.
5. Experimentally correct Route->SendToGPS, new default routename in xxRTE sentence is '00'. Needs test...
6. Correct logic on startup with no chart database nor config file, in case user skips chart selection.
7. Improve cm93 symbolization, anchors and chains.
8. Correct COM ports left open on termination and after SendToGPS.
9. Add additional timeout between NMEA messages on SendToGPS.
10. Experimentally change NMEA xxRTE message to use uppercase "C". May break some existing GPS interfaces. Needs test...
11. Correct some compound cm93/S57 light description strings, such as VQ(6)+LFL W 10s 8m 5M
12. Correct RNC outline logic for non-rectangular charts crossing 180 E/W.
13. Improve georeferencing algorithms for RNC's with small number of REF points.
14. Correct memory leaks and generally improve performance in tracking function.
15. Remove yellow chart accuracy highlighting hints on tracks due to high performance penalty.
16. Allow only one "?" dialog.
17. Allow extreme overzoom, with on-screen notification.
18. Correct loss of wheel zoom and hotkeys after minimization on MSW.
19. Correct occasional hang/crash on chart window resize.
20. Add support for $xxGLL and $xxVTG NMEA sentences.
21. Correct "MAX Detail Here" logic
22. Implement preliminary GRIB file support.
23. Force uni-core operation for multi-core processors under MSW.


Notes:
1. Installation: Do not un-install your existing Version 1.3.4. Simply run the new opencpn_beta_setup.exe. Your config and database will be preserved.

Changelog comments:

Most changes are self evident.
I hope you can recognize your own special bug

Important changes:
13. We now handle scanned/converted charts spanning large latitude range much better. Technically, we found that we need to consider the eccentricity of the prolate spheroid earth model for very small scale Mercator charts Eccentricity is not as critical for large scale charts.

As a side effect, we now handle charts with only 4 REF points much more accurately. It may be reasonable now to use only 4 REF points on charts of scale smaller than about 1:1MM. Please try this out if you are working in the chart sub-group.

17. Overzoom. You all by now know the real issues involved with navigating using extreme overzoom, especially on ENCs. That said, due to popular request, here it is...

22. GRIB: This is an initial cut at GRIB file support. The main purpose here is to ensure that the largest number of GRIB file types and sources can be supported, and to start the inevitable discussion surrounding the UI and display rendering.

This Beta decodes and displays wind barbs and pressure isobars at sea level.

The code is based on the zyGrib project sources.

a. Enable GRIB icon in Toolbox->GRIB. (Thanks manimaul!)
b. Select GRIB icon.
c. In the GRIB dialog, select the "folder" icon and specify the directory in which your GRIBs are located.
d. In the file tree, navigate to a GRIB file of interest, and drill down to the forecast date you wish displayed.
e. If a GRIB file is shown as grey-ed out, it means that this GRIB file contains no wind or pressure data, or is unreadable.

As I said, this is a first stab at GRIB support for opencpn. Comments on UI and display are welcome.

Please keep in mind that opencpn is an ECS, not a GRIB viewer. GRIBs on opencpn are intended to be a convenience for passage planning. Other programs will be better choices for analysis of oddball GRIB data models and slick graphics.

23. Multi-core processors. We have reached the un-verified conclusion that using multi-core processors with some (maybe all?) virtual port emulator programs causes corruption of the C run-time memory heap. This bug has been, and still is, tough to pin down.

While technically not a problem within opencpn, a crash is a crash. So we make this change.

Performance is not an issue. Multi-cores are only used in opencpn for the threads handling the raw NMEA and AIS data sources. The mainline code is single-threaded, so will only ever run on one core.

Those users with multi-core processors who have had unexplained crashes with AIS or NMEA data coming in through a virtual port are encouraged to try to break this Beta by any means you can think of.

Well, there it is.

Good luck with the testing. Please confine 1.3.5 Beta feedback issues to this (new) thread, to help keep things as organized as we can.

Thanks in advance for all your feedback and insights
Dave

[Psyches]

Great, Dave. One minor prob I'm having building: it looks like you missed the check-in of grib.h?

Mark

[GPS-Marco]

Thanks Dave. Just the first question (before I even install 135b) that applies also to old versions: why installer asks me for Administrative Privileges?

Ciao, Marco.

[GPS-Marco]

Hi Dave, great improvement. The New Zeland BSB portfolio now works MUCH better!

For CM93: I guess you use the same symbol for 2 different rock objects. I think second one (always dry) should be rendered with a small black circle filled in brown (as for ENC).

1)-------------------------------------
Feature Index: 11255
Position: 041 13.280 N 009 22.612 E

Attributes
QUASOU depth unknown(2)
WATLEV covers and uncovers(4)

2)-------------------------------------
Feature Index: 7819
Position: 041 13.305 N 009 22.621 E

Attributes
WATLEV always dry(2)

Ciao, Marco.

[idpnd]

Can't compile on ubuntu karmic sadly..

src/chart1.cpp:234:18: error: grib.h: No such file or directory
In file included from /usr/include/wx-2.8/wx/sckaddr.h:20,
from /usr/include/wx-2.8/wx/socket.h:24,
from ././include/nmea.h:97,
from src/chart1.cpp:224:
/usr/include/wx-2.8/wx/gsocket.h:40: error: using typedef-name ‘GSocket’ after ‘class’
/usr/include/glib-2.0/gio/giotypes.h:120: error: ‘GSocket’ has a previous declaration here
In file included from /usr/include/wx-2.8/wx/gsocket.h:179,
from /usr/include/wx-2.8/wx/sckaddr.h:20,
from /usr/include/wx-2.8/wx/socket.h:24,
from ././include/nmea.h:97,
from src/chart1.cpp:224:
/usr/include/wx-2.8/wx/unix/gsockunx.h:40: error: using typedef-name ‘GSocket’ after ‘class’
/usr/include/glib-2.0/gio/giotypes.h:120: error: ‘GSocket’ has a previous declaration here
In file included from ././include/nmea.h:97,
from src/chart1.cpp:224:
/usr/include/wx-2.8/wx/socket.h: In member function ‘wxSocketError wxSocketBase::LastError() const’:
/usr/include/wx-2.8/wx/socket.h:118: error: ‘struct _GSocket’ has no member named ‘GetError’
src/chart1.cpp: At global scope:
src/chart1.cpp:549: error: expected constructor, destructor, or type conversion before ‘*’ token
make: *** [chart1.o] Error 1

[bdbcat]

Psyches....

Oops. Grib.h now in CVS HEAD.

I'm sure you have found this, but in case you haven't:
If you look in Makefile.am you will see the list of all files needed by the project.
This should make updating your MSW VS2008 project a bit easier.

I need to update the CMAKE script for MSW project creation.

Do you use CMake? Opinions? I find it a bit touchy.
I also find it deficient in some areas. For instance, I cannot make it output a VS project with certain compile switches set as desired, namely /MT vs /MD. This means I must manually set this and other compiler options after the CMake step. Sometimes I forget. Grrr...



Good Luck, and thanks for the heads up.
Dave

[idpnd]

Sigh, getting that wx-widgets bug again.. Opencpn won't compile with wx-widgets 2.6 either..

[cagney]

I also have a problem compiling on Linux.
Using Kubuntu 09.10 with latest updates.
I have the following on stderr when trying 'make':

In file included from /usr/include/wx-2.8/wx/sckaddr.h:20,
                 from /usr/include/wx-2.8/wx/socket.h:24,
                 from ././include/nmea.h:97,
                 from src/chart1.cpp:224:
/usr/include/wx-2.8/wx/gsocket.h:40: error: using typedef-name ‘GSocket’ after ‘class’
/usr/include/glib-2.0/gio/giotypes.h:120: error: ‘GSocket’ has a previous declaration here
In file included from /usr/include/wx-2.8/wx/gsocket.h:179,
                 from /usr/include/wx-2.8/wx/sckaddr.h:20,
                 from /usr/include/wx-2.8/wx/socket.h:24,
                 from ././include/nmea.h:97,
                 from src/chart1.cpp:224:
/usr/include/wx-2.8/wx/unix/gsockunx.h:40: error: using typedef-name ‘GSocket’ after ‘class’
/usr/include/glib-2.0/gio/giotypes.h:120: error: ‘GSocket’ has a previous declaration here
In file included from ././include/nmea.h:97,
                 from src/chart1.cpp:224:
/usr/include/wx-2.8/wx/socket.h: In member function ‘wxSocketError wxSocketBase::LastError() const’:
/usr/include/wx-2.8/wx/socket.h:118: error: ‘struct _GSocket’ has no member named ‘GetError’
In file included from src/chart1.cpp:234:
././include/grib.h: At global scope:
././include/grib.h:76: warning: ‘typedef’ was ignored in this declaration
make: *** [chart1.o] Error 1

Thomas

[ChuckSK]

Hi Dave

There appears to be a large memory leak when the GRIB display control is up.

Chuck

[bdbcat]

Folks...

Sigh....This is truly ugly.

It seems that the authors/maintainers of glib 2.21 included on Ubuntu karmic did not bother to test with wxWidgets 2.8.

There is a fundamental flaw in glib 2.21: the new glib replicates a class definition (Gsocket) built into wxWidgets. Its been in wxWidgets for a long time. Somebody dropped the ball here.

#10883 (conflict with glib 2.21 in GSocket) – wxWidgets

What to do?

1. Affected users must revert from karmic to some previous version of Ubuntu....
or...
2. Affected users must download and compile a patched version of wxWidgets 2.8.10, producing non-conflicting libs.
or...
3. I could try to compile and provide a patched version of the one or more wxWidgets libs affected, and make it available for download. It may be possible to convince the opencpn ./configure to use this lib instead of the standard wxWidgets libs already installed on your system. If not, users would need to
formally install the patched library, and hope that nothing else breaks as a result.
or...
4. We could try wxWidgets 2.9, which has fixed this bug. Many architectural changes made in 2.9. It will b non-trivial to port opencpn to 2.9.

Big sigh....

Comments? Other ideas?

Sorry about this, but INMF.
Dave

[Psyches]

Dave, thanks - got grib.h; also looks like grib.cpp is missing (link errors on GRIBUIDialog, and I can't find a defn anywhere).

re: Makefile.am & CMake, yeah I know about 'em, haven't been using. If I reach a pain threshold, I'll start using. So far it's been pretty easy maintenance.

I guess if I used CMAKE I'd wrap it in sed/awk/perl to always add the items it missed. Otherwise I'd forget too.

Thanks again!

Mark

[Psyches]

Dave,

Since I'm not using Linux I have no business voting, but it seems that (2 || 3) followed soon by (4) makes most sense. It looks like the patch is pretty easy, affecting only gsockgtk.cpp; the exact patch: packages: wxWidgets/wxWidgets.spec, wxWidgets/gsocket.patch (NEW) - adde

At some point moving to 2.9 makes sense, so maybe earlier is better - but you'd be a better judge of that priorization.

Mark

[gonesail]

speaking of openCPN: anybody know where to get more detailed vector charts than what's available at the noaa free site? specifically Florida and Bahamas. thanks.

[cagney]

Dave

The glib problem is a PITA.
I'll try No 2 , maybe I'll find time tomorrow.

1. You can't easily revert. This option is equal to reinstall.
3 Might be the best short term solution, as I don't expect many users are attracted by No2.
4 Longer term, maybe port directly to Wx 3 ??. Anyway, Wx 2.9 is not in the std Ubuntu repository ....yet.

I'll report back with my findings.

Thomas

[Ptizef]

Hello Dave
Thanks for the new 135 beta -Formidable !
First test window vista :
General : when Com Port can't be opened , I get the message but when I click OK I get a crash
When a grib file directory is set, and used ,crash when exit by the windows cross (it seams to work properly when going out by ctrl/Q)
Grib Function : many crashes when clicking on different files/days
When grib data are shown on the screen , moving the map with the cursor and wheel scrolling become very difficult and slow and lead to a crash quickly.
a request :It's possible to use up/down arrows to go through days to see weather evolution , but to do this ,the grib window must be active and as it's active the data related to the cursor position are not updated : Could it be possible to have hot keys to do that (or the up/down arrows ,but with datas updating)
Over zoom function : "Over zoom" mark with scale 1/20000000 and zoom x5 is not absolutely necessary . could it be limited to the larger scale ?

For the crashes I'll try to send you dump files but it's time to sleep in France !
best regard
Jean Pierre