Weather Routing

[seandepagnier]

Maybe try compiling in release mode?

[seandepagnier]

I think the problem is, there are debug versions and release versions of wxwidgets, and you must be missing the debug versions.

Did you compile any other plugins?

[seglar-lulle]

Built! Release instead of Debug.

Thanks. These are my first feeble attempts.
Now I'll go and see the match Argentina - Germany. I'll continue after that.

Cheers

[rgleason]

See Sean's Plugins, new versions of Climatology, Weather_routing, Weatherfax, RTLSDR, etc.
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/...ml#post1584854

Using the new versions of climatology, grib and wxRoute and Configuration > Batch file > Monthly (30 days)

I was able to create 12 routes for each month (like pilot charts) very quickly (less than 1 minute) , with 7 degree steps, 24 hour time increments, etc optimizing speed, with currents checked and detect land checked, max latitude 65deg, while missing Cyclones! See the screenshot. Pretty darn nice. Its time for those using Opencpn v3.3.1824 to try these out.

[rgleason]

lulle posted:

I have done some testing in latest version of weather_routing_pi. I have tried to load polar data in the Boat dialog and use that for computing the Configuration. It does not work. The computing fails immediately and I think it has lost the polar data. When I go into the Boat dialog again, the polar diagram looks very strange/is wrong. I have attached the polar csv file. The "Start Time" setting is a bit strange as well. It is ok to set the hour, but setting the minute can lead to unpredictable results (or I don't understand it at least).

segular-lulle,

Attached please find:
Harriet_opencpn_v2.csv.doc
Harriet_Boat_Configuration.XML.doc
Take the docs off and place in your programdata/opencpn/weather_routing/ directory

I loaded your csv file in Notepad++ and deleted several blank spaces at the ends of the lines. You should check your files to make sure by putting cursor on beginning of second line, hit backspace, line jumps up to end of first line with NO spaces. Delete any spaces, then hit enter to put the second line back down below.
Then move to the beginning of the next line and do the same. The end of line is very important to the program.

I tested your file and ran it successfully. I also created a Harriet_Boat_Configure.xml file with what I guessed were your boat specs, and then saved it out.

How to load these files:
From Weather_routing > Weather_routing Configuration
Pick "Boat" Browse and browse to your Harriet_Boat_Configure.xml
Then after it is loaded, pick "Boat" Edit and change to the Polar Configuration TAB.
Then select the dropdown "Loaded from CSV File". A browser will pop up.
Then select "Harriet_opencpn_v2.csv and load it.
Set your start and end point, grib time, time steps 24hr, etc.
Close configuration.
Then highllight the route and hit Cntrl+C

I have also included the weatherroutingconfiguration.xml file which goes from Newport to Lizard and back.

Additionally there is a Screenshot of this routing using your two files, the repaired csv and the XML boat configuration file.

[rgleason]

As a result of testing for Lullle above there appear to be a few issues that need to be resolved.

1. Could the program delete blank space characters at the end of the line of a malformed Polar.csv?

2. Problems saving Boat Configuration:
From the Edit Boat > Boat Configuration Tab, set all the parameters correctly, then pick "Save as".
Check the settings in Boat Configuration Tab.
Closing "Boat" and close "WeatherRouting Configuration".
Open "Weatherrouting Config", then Edit Boat, ..sometimes I find my settings have reverted,
No problem, just load the file again and pick the saved Boat_Configuration.XML file, but those settings have been overwritten, so I have to reenter them again.
...As I write I am trying this again, and its not happening that way....
Well I'll try Boat.xml with the original settings... nope when I load that it has the same settings as Harriet_Boat_Configuration.xml.
So I try Nell_Boat_Configuration.xml which I had saved out as another different group of boat setttings, and that seems to be the same as Harriet_Boat_Configuration.xml now.
So now I need to reenter, Harriet and Nell and the original Boat.xml settings because somehow the program overwrote them and I did not tell it to do that.

3. WeatherRouting Config Menu, under "Boat" - "Browse" "Open" --What file is this for?
The user has absolutely no idea what file is required here.
a. When you pick "Browse" you MUST select a "Boat_Configuration.xml" file, NOT A POLAR.CSV file!
b. Somehow this needs to be made clearer to the user.
c. You MUST pick a preset, or presaved BOAT_CONFIGURATION.xml file..
d. How to fix this? -Restrict selection it to only xml files? Have a brief note [Select a "Boat_Configuration_xxx.XML" file only.]

4. Select "Boat" EDIT button, a "Boat" Menu comes up with tabs.
What do the File choices at the very bottom (OPEN, SAVE AS, SAVE & CLOSE, CLOSE) apply to?

Select "Open" and the note on the suffix says "Boat Polar Files *.xml" I believe this is very confusing....
I know the POLAR.csv files are csv type! So selection must be for the BOAT_CONFIGURATION.xml file....
Indeed that turns out to be the case because if you pick a POLAR.csv file plugin will go whackky.
User needs better direction here.

Select "Save As" it also tries to save an XML file which is a BOAT_CONFIGURATION.XML file which has all the data from the BOAT CONFIGURATION tab and the same when I pick SAVE & CLOSE. It does save most of the data, because when I hit EDIT again, and pick the Boat Config Tab, the data appears as I saved it, however the one piece of data THAT IS NOT SAVED PROPERLY is the BEAM and always reverts back to Boat_Alexandra's "8". This should be fixed, it is very annoying even if it does not seem to affect calcs much. While we are mentioning this, shouldn't there be a place for draft even if it is not used for calcs? This single panel for Boat specs is getting much better.

Since these three of the four buttons (Open, Save as, Save&Close) all seem to apply to BOAT CONFIGURATION shouldn't they only appear on the BOAT CONFIG TAB?

For example, the Polar Tab has "Save csv" and in the dropdown has a selection for "Loaded from CSV Polar File" but at the bottom of that tab the buttons for Boat Config are still appearing. I think this is unnecessarily confusing to the user. "Computed from IMS Formula" and "Computed from Sailboat Transform" are both very clear I think. You can "Save CSV" the computed from Sailboat Transform, but not IMS.
I think the TABS - Plot, VMG and Switch Plan Rules would benefit from not having those three buttons below... (Open, Save as, Save&Close).

As I mentioned earlier, there are some issues with Switch Plan Rules which I will get into tomorrow.

Additonally, I would like to be able to enter Tab -Boat Configuration or Boat Specification (to many configuration?) data with two decimal places rather than just integer.

However, these are really small quibbles when you think about how far this plugin has come, and how much it can do, it is really quite an amazing piece of work. Thank you Sean.

Also Thank you segular-lulle for keeping us on our toes with your tests. They really help us get focused, so please keep trying and using the plugin, you will get a good routing. Start simple, just what you need. Don't turn on everything. Make your time interval big but appropriate to the distance.

Let us know what you did to get it going. Where the problems were for setting it up. What information others need to get going. Thanks.

[seglar-lulle]

Guys. You create some really exciting and fantastic stuff here!

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[rgleason]

Weather_routing has been recompiled and updated. See Opencpn Beta File thingie.

Below see how you use the Grib slidebar to scroll through time, updating 16 day walking grib file (moving west to east) and the route created by weather_routing plugin from east to west. Notice the "O" de-marking projected boat location on trip from Lizard to Newport. By moving the Grib slidebar, you can see when weather_routing used the grib information and when it used the 30 year climatology information.

[rgleason]

Sean, Boat Edit is better I think.

Boat Edit > VMG Tab
When I change wind speed the values go to 1.$true 1.$Apparent
wind speed 14 through 18 works, others not.

Boat Edit > Boat Configuration
I change the settings to match a different boat... including changing 8' beam to 9' beam. Save and Exit. Go back to Boat Edit. The beam goes back to 8' ! It always does this. Its driving me nuts. I suppose I shouldn't care...My boat is a "Heavy Cruiser" showing with an 8' beam (actually 9.8') - would like one or two decimal places after these numbers to be accurate. (yes, I know the calcs are rough calcs for Performance.)

Boat Edit > Switch Plans
I make a "New Plan" Then define a rule to switch to "New Plan at > 5 knots wind.
Then make another "New Plan" Then define a rule to switch to another "new plan" at >16 knots. VMG chart above stays the same....?

Do we assign Sail Plans to this somehow? Or to fall off 5 degrees, if waves are >2' and < 3' ...I think I understand the basics but don't know how to assign the changes.

It would be nice to be able to change the name of the plan to mean something as well... also eta seeems to be hidden behind there...
I guess this tab is still a work in progress, and we will be patient and see what happens.

[rgleason]

Have run several 365 day spacedd 7 day and monthly, with a particular boat polar and route. Then hit "Generate" and it will add 52 (weeks) or 12 (montly) configurations into the WeatherRoutingConfiguration.xml.

From there you can adjust setting for each routing, or just hit compute all....and wait! Don't be too detailed before you hit this....but you can stop it.

I had troubles with some routes failing at the very end because the "Detect Land" was checked and the edge of this calculation for detect land was near the destination. I unchecked "detect land" for those that failed and reran and it completed.

However, what is the Auto Connect within X nautical miles with a "connect" button. Is that for this purpose,, completing a route? Say the end of the route is having trouble completing, I put 150 miles in and highlight the destination and click "Connect"?

[seandepagnier]

Originally Posted by rgleason

Have run several 365 day spacedd 7 day and monthly, with a particular boat polar and route. Then hit "Generate" and it will add 52 (weeks) or 12 (montly) configurations into the WeatherRoutingConfiguration.xml.

From there you can adjust setting for each routing, or just hit compute all....and wait! Don't be too detailed before you hit this....but you can stop it.

Is it computing 2 or 3 routes at the same time? It should if you have a dual or quad or more cores.

I had troubles with some routes failing at the very end because the "Detect Land" was checked and the edge of this calculation for detect land was near the destination. I unchecked "detect land" for those that failed and reran and it completed.

What level of gshhs data are you using? The one bundled with opencpn isn't very detailed, I use the highest resolution (50MB download)

However, what is the Auto Connect within X nautical miles with a "connect" button. Is that for this purpose,, completing a route? Say the end of the route is having trouble completing, I put 150 miles in and highlight the destination and click "Connect"?

No and No.

The connect is a feature for batch mode. So you might define say 15 different start/end positions on the map. Then you may inform the program to connect all the ones within a certain distance and hit generate. Now it will generate all the configurations needed for all these possible routes. When combined with monthly weekly or daily.. you can basically "generate" world cruising routes specific for your boat. At least that was the idea, it's not really well tested.

This is basically an open-ended experiment with many possibilities. As a possible future improvement, you might inform the program that you wish to sail from california and must stop in hawaii, fiji, thailand, and finish in south africa. It could then give you a run-down of when to leave each location, what order is best and how long to stay in each destination to give the best routes which avoid cyclone risks. Then again this idea might be ridiculous.

[seandepagnier]

Originally Posted by rgleason

I change the settings to match a different boat... including changing 8' beam to 9' beam. Save and Exit. Go back to Boat Edit. The beam goes back to 8' !

You must have a bristol 27 not a bristol 32

I think it's a bug, I'll fix.

It always does this. Its driving me nuts. I suppose I shouldn't care...My boat is a "Heavy Cruiser" showing with an 8' beam (actually 9.8') - would like one or two decimal places after these numbers to be accurate. (yes, I know the calcs are rough calcs for Performance.)

Good point. It should allow for decimal places (and meters)

It would be nice to be able to change the name of the plan to mean something as well...

It's not obvious but you can edit the name in the list

also eta seeems to be hidden behind there...
I guess this tab is still a work in progress, and we will be patient and see what happens.

Yes, well I'm not so good with UI so any feedback is good. I'm now looking into using wave polars to adjust boat speed with the sea state.

[seglar-lulle]

The batch feature is very good. For example the latest race I participated in which basically starts and ends in the same location. That is a pretty useless route. But with the other locations that has to be passed along the race it all of sudden becomes very useful!

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Cruisers Sailing Forum mobile app

[rgleason]

Dear Sean, thank you for your review, effort and improvements above, it is much appreciated.

Git pull, and compile
latest commit 9eb2f7a038 seandepagnier authored 4 days ago
0 warnings, 0 errors

Install package uploaded to Opencpn Beta file thingie rguser rgpass
look in 3.3.1824 PI Win for
weather_routing_pi-1.1-ov3.3.1824-e-win32

Will test it out today. Beta users please test!

[rgleason]

Sean,
I've been checking how the plugin loads and saves the boat.xml file and various other "boat_configuration.xml" files. I've been having some trouble figuring out how it works.

I have a boat.xml file with

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<OpenCPNWeatherRoutingBoat version="1.1" creator="Opencpn Weather Routing plugin">
    <BoatCharacteristics displacement_tons="6" sail_area_ft2="520" lwl_ft="22" loa_ft="32" beam_ft="10" />
    <BoatDrag frictional_drag="0.0210" wake_drag="1.0000" />
    <Plan Name="Initial Plan" polarmethod="0" csvFileName="C:\ProgramData\opencpn\plugins\weather_routing\boat_Bristol32-140Jib.csv" optimize_tacking="0" />
</OpenCPNWeatherRoutingBoat>

After setting the boat parameters in the Boat Config Tab, this information was "save as" to a new file called Nell_Boat_configuration.xml
I then found that the boat.xml file mimicked the information above.

The data above was all saved out with the exception of the
beam_ft="10" which was actually an "8" again, even though I had entered a "10" in the tabular info, I had to change it using my editior, so that is not getting saved yet...

Then I try to load a boat_configuration.xml file and the original settings seem to appear, and the settings in the boat_configuration.xml file are not used... perhaps loading the file is not working.