Search for specific chart ID

[Swegnson]

So here is some context. I teach coastal navigation for the United States Power Squadrons. We teach old school plotting techniques with paper charts, pencils, dividers, parallel rules and the like. We also teach "electronic navigation" and "digital charting" (the phrases in quotes because they can mean different things to different people). We have, as a national organization, chosen OpenCPN as the vehicle to introduce boaters to digital charting. We use a couple of training charts, labelled BowditchBay and 1210TR, for exercises. If the student also downloads US Eastern Region raster charts it can be very difficult to find the training charts as there is no "chart catalog" per se in OpenCPN and today apparently the only way to find a given chart is to highlight where one thinks it might be and then look for it with the chart tabs / "piano keys".

Take another example. I want to buy some paper charts for an area I am as yet unfamiliar with. Again one today must highlight an area and then work with the chart tabs to get the numbers for the charts for the areas I'm interested in.

A third example. I'm planning a trip with another skipper. He calls me and says are you familiar with the hazards near such and so? Take a look at chart number 123456. I can't get there quickly today in Open CPN.

What I envisioned, based on BNC's response about hovering over the chart outlines was something like you see in the attached picture where each chart is identified. They chart ids could all show at once or only as you rolled over them. The feature could be turned on or off.

[Swegnson]

So here is some context. I teach coastal navigation for the United States Power Squadrons. We teach old school plotting techniques with paper charts, pencils, dividers, parallel rules and the like. We also teach "electronic navigation" and "digital charting" (the phrases in quotes because they can mean different things to different people). We have, as a national organization, chosen OpenCPN as the vehicle to introduce boaters to digital charting. We use a couple of training charts, labelled BowditchBay and 1210TR, for exercises. If the student also downloads US Eastern Region raster charts it can be very difficult to find the training charts as there is no "chart catalog" per se in OpenCPN and today apparently the only way to find a given chart is to highlight where one thinks it might be and then look for it with the chart tabs / "piano keys".

Take another example. I want to buy some paper charts for an area I am as yet unfamiliar with. Again one today must highlight an area and then work with the chart tabs to get the numbers for the charts for the areas I'm interested in.

A third example. I'm planning a trip with another skipper. He calls me and says are you familiar with the hazards near such and so? Take a look at chart number 123456. I can't get there quickly today in Open CPN.

What I envisioned, based on BNC's response about hovering over the chart outlines was something like you see in the attached picture where each chart is identified. The chart ids could all show at once or only as you rolled over them. The feature could be turned on or off.

[Moo]

Originally Posted by Swegnson

So here is some context. I teach coastal navigation for the United States Power Squadrons. We teach old school plotting techniques with paper charts, pencils, dividers, parallel rules and the like. We also teach "electronic navigation" and "digital charting" (the phrases in quotes because they can mean different things to different people). We have, as a national organization, chosen OpenCPN as the vehicle to introduce boaters to digital charting. We use a couple of training charts, labelled BowditchBay and 1210TR, for exercises. If the student also downloads US Eastern Region raster charts it can be very difficult to find the training charts as there is no "chart catalog" per se in OpenCPN and today apparently the only way to find a given chart is to highlight where one thinks it might be and then look for it with the chart tabs / "piano keys".

Take another example. I want to buy some paper charts for an area I am as yet unfamiliar with. Again one today must highlight an area and then work with the chart tabs to get the numbers for the charts for the areas I'm interested in.

A third example. I'm planning a trip with another skipper. He calls me and says are you familiar with the hazards near such and so? Take a look at chart number 123456. I can't get there quickly today in Open CPN.

What I envisioned, based on BNC's response about hovering over the chart outlines was something like you see in the attached picture where each chart is identified. The chart ids could all show at once or only as you rolled over them. The feature could be turned on or off.

Your first problem of being able to find the training charts among the real charts could be solved by putting them in seperate groups. Then it is a simple matter of right clicking and selecting chart groups and picking the appropriate one.

I agree with your other comments in cases where raster charts of old school charts are available, it is not very useful in the case of vector charts.

[bcn]

Talking about groups:
- Why not one with the "chart catalogue" charts you have in mind for sure.
Those in the catalogues where you have the charts in different scales depicted with their chart numbers.

- "Searching chart by chart ID" shall be a nice feature request.
Would be handy for me very often as well

Off topic:
the new "template" feature in OpenCPN 5.0 was in part designed for teaching. "Don't worry about screwing up the settings, just try out what you want and if bored, re-apply the template" or "We start with the template for raster charts course up"