VDR Plugin

[SethDart]

Originally Posted by bdbcat

Sethdart....

Any chance of a linux/Ubuntu build?

Dave

The source code is published here:
https://github.com/OpenCPN/OpenCPN/tree/VDR

Same for the logbook plugin. I thought I said it earlier. Sorry if I didn't.

Easy to sync:

git remote add github git://github.com/OpenCPN/OpenCPN.git
git pull github VDR

You may prefer to switch to a branch before pull'ing.

[SethDart]

I just uploaded updated plugin to address persistent button (but did not bump version). Strange, I never noticed the requirement to remove button on plugin unload. Looks like with one single button it's automatically removed by plugin management but not for multiple buttons.

The fact that this button still works is a bug: the plugin should be disabled and not available inside OpenCPN. Dave?

[sailorF54]

A link to a NMEA file to test VDR was posted a few hours ago by Sethdart in some obscure corner of CF
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post693720

[SethDart]

Here's a reply for the few questions asked in the i18n thread.

Originally Posted by sailorF54

Turning off VDR in the toolbox leaves the VDR play window and static AIS targets on screen
There is still a extra button on the task bar (can be play or record, it seems)

I guess you mean disabling the plugin. My tests on Fedora works fine. When disabled, the plugin remove both buttons and the replay dialog.
I don't use Windows but to release built plugin. I'll try to test.

Originally Posted by Netsurfer

I miss the option to just pause the playback.
Because every time you click on the play button in the toolbar the 'Open file' dialog is opened and I have to select the file again.

I didn't tought that'd be usefull to pause playback. You can truncate the source file if you want to start from a defined position. I wanted to keep the interface simple and clear. It's not intended to be a video player with forward, rewind, step forward, step back, stop, pause and a slider to navigate into the file...

Originally Posted by Netsurfer

What's also confusing is that after stopping a playback all the AIS data remains. How to get rid of it?

That's the internal behavior of AIS and OpenCPN. AIS targets are received by radio signal on a regular basis (different on class A or B) The base message with MMSI, position, SOG & COG is sent often but another message with detailed info on the target is only sent every few minutes or so. That means OpenCPN has to keep into memory every target received in the last few minutes just to ensure no target is lost. It's better to have "ghost" targets than to have no target at all because you didn't receive their last AIS position. You can control this in ToolBox > AIS > Lost Targets

[SethDart]

Originally Posted by SethDart

I guess you mean disabling the plugin. My tests on Fedora works fine. When disabled, the plugin remove both buttons and the replay dialog.
I don't use Windows but to release built plugin. I'll try to test.

Just tested on my Windows buildling VM. It works as expected. You may be using an outdated version of the plugin. Can you test the latest version available on opencpn.org (I updated 0.2 a few hours after releasing after you reported the "disabling doen't remove both buttons" bug above)

[SethDart]

Originally Posted by sailorF54

A link to a NMEA file to test VDR was posted a few hours ago by Sethdart in some obscure corner of CF
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post693720

You can also find others samples here:
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...tml#post456351

IIRC one on the east coast and one in norway or somwhere up there ;-)

[SethDart]

Uh, no I was wrong. That's Denmark. You can get it here (NemaStudioLog1.txt) :
FS#276 : True wind data not showing mon dashboard

[sailorF54]

Originally Posted by SethDart

Just tested on my Windows buildling VM. It works as expected. You may be using an outdated version of the plugin. Can you test the latest version available on opencpn.org (I updated 0.2 a few hours after releasing after you reported the "disabling doen't remove both buttons" bug above)

Using latest VDR version (Vista, OpenCpn 523) I confirm that an ACTIVE play icon stays on the toolbar after stopping VDR using the Play icon, and disabling it in the toolbox.
As seen on that screenshot (note single icon and greyed-out VDR 0.2 icon in toolbox), I can replay the PacCupStart file even though VDR is disabled in the toolbox

[Netsurfer]

Originally Posted by sailorF54

Using latest VDR version (Vista, OpenCpn 523) I confirm that an ACTIVE play icon stays on the toolbar after stopping VDR using the Play icon, and disabling it in the toolbox.

I cannot confirm this.
Both icons disappear from the toolbar as soon as I disable the VDR plugin (Win 7).

Gunther

[SethDart]

Originally Posted by sailorF54

Using latest VDR version (Vista, OpenCpn 523) I confirm that an ACTIVE play icon stays on the toolbar after stopping VDR using the Play icon, and disabling it in the toolbox.
As seen on that screenshot (note single icon and greyed-out VDR 0.2 icon in toolbox), I can replay the PacCupStart file even though VDR is disabled in the toolbox

Can you send me your vdr_pi.dll so I can test it.

Please test with this one as well:
http://opencpn.org/sites/default/fil...art/vdr_pi.dll

Thanks

[sailorF54]

Originally Posted by SethDart

Can you send me your vdr_pi.dll so I can test it.

Please test with this one as well:
http://opencpn.org/sites/default/fil...art/vdr_pi.dll

Thanks

Here it is

testing...

The one downloaded from the above link works fine (deleting both icons) !!!!

[Netsurfer]

Jean-Eudes ...

thanks for putting things in the right place and also for your detailed explanation - makes things a lot clearer to me.

Originally Posted by SethDart

I didn't tought that'd be usefull to pause playback. You can truncate the source file if you want to start from a defined position. I wanted to keep the interface simple and clear. It's not intended to be a video player with forward, rewind, step forward, step back, stop, pause and a slider to navigate into the file...

I understand your point of view and agree with most of it. But imho having a recorder which applies to have also the possibility of a playback function the biggest advantage would be to have the opportunity to pause the playback.
I agree that all the rest would over complicate things without offering any real advantages.

So maybe the already proposed option

1. click = play
2. click = pause
3. click = play

wouldn't be that bad ... ?

What is a bit annoying is that with every click you have to select the file again (especially for testing purposes where is the plugin ideal for).

That's the internal behavior of AIS and OpenCPN. AIS targets are received by radio signal on a regular basis (different on class A or B) The base message with MMSI, position, SOG & COG is sent often but another message with detailed info on the target is only sent every few minutes or so. That means OpenCPN has to keep into memory every target received in the last few minutes just to ensure no target is lost. It's better to have "ghost" targets than to have no target at all because you didn't receive their last AIS position. You can control this in ToolBox > AIS > Lost Targets

Sorry if this is a silly question ..., but is it possible to use the plugin when there is also an AIS receiver connected at the same time (cannot test it at home)?
Are the two sources then merged together?
If so, there is no way for the user to differentiate between the two?

Personally I do not like to change program settings just to use a certain plugin. Therefor I had expected the plugin to "remove/ clear" all of its data when playback has finished/ stopped.

I do understand that the plugin is primarily designed for other purposes ...!
And it is a very useful one - thanks for your work.

Gunther

[cagney]

Need data for testing....?
There is a live feed available from San Fransisco .... To see this save it to a file and then replay....
On Linux

wget 207.7.148.216:9009

This will save data to "index.html" in your home directory.
Just point VDR to this file. It will play as much data that it has collected up to the point you started VDR. To see more,.....restart VDR pointing at the same file

Ctrl + C

To stop collection.

Thomas

[cagney]

A sample file.
SFaisFeed.txt.doc

[sailorF54]

Originally Posted by cagney

Need data for testing....?
There is a live feed available from San Fransisco .... To see this save it to a file and then replay....
On Linux

This will save data to "index.html" in your home directory.
Just point VDR to this file. It will play as much data that it has collected up to the point you started VDR. To see more,.....restart VDR pointing at the same file

To stop collection.

Thomas

A (quick and dirty) way to do it with Windows (and Firefox 4)

Access
Page Title

When enough data has been collected in the window, cancel/stop with X button

'save as..' text document (without adding .txt)

Added: Firefox seems to hang at times on saving. Simpler to copy text and dump it into notepad

Replay with VDR

Added. This live feed is not as instructive as the files mentionned above as it does not contain your boat's position, hence no CPA/TCPA available for training purpose.