Sat2Chart - Problems Creating Large Chart

[Stasis]

I am new to creating KAP charts and am trying to use Sat2Chart to create chart covering a large area (all of the Florida Keys), but with a zoomed in high resolution image(s). I can't seem to get it to cooperate. I see info online about older versions of GE2KAP adding a quilt feature, does this not exist any longer in Sat2Chart? Also a couple days ago when I would try creating this chart I would be given a popup box asking for different options such as General, Coastal, Large Harbor, but that does not come up anymore. What am I missing here? Any help would be greatly appreciated!

[Franziska]

Just out of curiosity, why don't you use the free ENC charts supplied by the US state?

Apparently there a free raster&vector charts.
I'm not from the US neither do I sail there, I'm just curious.

Hope someone can actually help with your quest.

[Stasis]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Just out of curiosity, why don't you use the free ENC charts supplied by the US state?

Apparently there a free raster&vector charts.
I'm not from the US neither do I sail there, I'm just curious.

Hope someone can actually help with your quest.

I do use them. This is for satellite imagery overlays to those charts.

[yachtvalhalla]

Are you using the latest version of Sat2Chart, 11.0.0.0? What source of imagery are you using .. Google Earth or the several sources from SasPlanet? I suggest you make Mbtiles charts instead of KAP charts (better resolution and automatically quilted). Have you looked at the tutorials?

Tell us more and perhaps we can help.

Terry

[Stasis]

Yes I am using 11.0.0.0, using Google Earth as the source. I have read a bit more and figured out the tiles and quilt features, which I didn't quite understand when I posted this. Also had to increase the "GE Bottom Crop Amount" a bit more than the tutorials say. So I have been able to make some progress however I have yet to get an image set of the entire Florida Keys which is clear enough for my liking. Maybe that is just a bit too large of an area for me to expect good clear high-res image quality. I haven't tried Mbtiles as all of the info I was coming across referenced KAP files so I'll give that a go, is there any disadvantage to using a Mbtiles?

Thanks for your response!

Originally Posted by yachtvalhalla

Are you using the latest version of Sat2Chart, 11.0.0.0? What source of imagery are you using .. Google Earth or the several sources from SasPlanet? I suggest you make Mbtiles charts instead of KAP charts (better resolution and automatically quilted). Have you looked at the tutorials?

Tell us more and perhaps we can help.

Terry

[yachtvalhalla]

Originally Posted by Stasis

is there any disadvantage to using a Mbtiles?

Thanks for your response!

Actually there is a definite advantage to using Mbtiles. The resolution for KAP charts is 256 colors while there is no limitation for Mbtiles which include all colors in the source files. I'd also recommend you use the Sasplanet program (download the one from here Index of /Downloads) which is configured to run with the Sat2Chart program. Using this companion program allows you to select the map source with the best imagery from Google Earth, Yandex, Bing and ESRI/ArcGIS. The zoom level you select will determine the size of the chart (and the time it takes to download). For most purposes I find a zoom level of 17 is adequate. You can also select multiple zoom levels as well.


Terry

[sv_pelagia]

To add to Terry's post:
- make sure you use the SASPLANET version indicated/provided by SAT2CHART website (I found out the hard way). SASPLANET is a great program.
- At least here in BC: I find ArcGIS images usually the best images (much better than Google Earth!), followed by Bing (which is often the same image as ArcGIS).
- here in BC, I find a zoom level of "18" (on SASPLANET) to be the highest available


Terry: I understand the #colours difference between kap and mbtiles. How about other pros/cons? Doesn't OpenCPN handle them differently?

[Stasis]

Originally Posted by yachtvalhalla

Actually there is a definite advantage to using Mbtiles. The resolution for KAP charts is 256 colors while there is no limitation for Mbtiles which include all colors in the source files. I'd also recommend you use the Sasplanet program (download the one from here Index of /Downloads) which is configured to run with the Sat2Chart program. Using this companion program allows you to select the map source with the best imagery from Google Earth, Yandex, Bing and ESRI/ArcGIS. The zoom level you select will determine the size of the chart (and the time it takes to download). For most purposes I find a zoom level of 17 is adequate. You can also select multiple zoom levels as well.


Terry

I have never heard of Sasplanet before so just digging into it. It seems none of the images on the Sasplanet tutorial page for how to set it up are loading. Or is there somewhere else I should be looking?

Thanks!

[sv_pelagia]

I recommend you follow SAT2CHART's detailed tutorials on how to use SASPLANET and SAT2CHART to make mbtiles.

[yachtvalhalla]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

Terry: I understand the #colours difference between kap and mbtiles. How about other pros/cons? Doesn't OpenCPN handle them differently?

In my opinion the only 'con' is the opinion of the developers regarding the accuracy of Mbtiles charts. (See the NOTE on the What's New page). This may apply to Mbtiles charts made by those who are not using the Sat2Chart program and Sasplanet for creating the charts but I have a high degree of confidence in the thousands of charts I have created.

Both KAP and Mbtiles charts are displayed in OpenCPN essentially the same way if you can get your head around clicking on a red 'X' to open/display an Mbtiles chart.

Terry

[sv_pelagia]

Thanks Terry.

Just discovered the "red X"....

Now, if OPCPN would be able to adjust the transparency of the mbtile layer!

(I can do that nicely with a geotif with Photolayer... unfortunately NOT available on Android OPCPN... yet....)

[Stasis]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

I recommend you follow SAT2CHART's detailed tutorials on how to use SASPLANET and SAT2CHART to make mbtiles.

I thought I was.

GE2KAP Help

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by Stasis

I thought I was.

GE2KAP Help

There are also tutorials (short movies/demos) accessible from within (while running) SAT2CHART.

[phiggins]

Stasis,

I thought I was.

GE2KAP Help

That is a very old Help file. Just press the "Help" button on the Sat2chart that you are running to see the latest help for that version.