Google Earth to BSB / KAP

[phiggins]

I'm sorry but how do I download GE2.rex? I don't see where it is attached?

www.gdayii.ca

[phiggins]

I would like to ask those who like this idea of overlaying something on the Google earth picture a few questions:

1. Why do you do the overlay? Is it because you want to see depths? or?

2. I assume that the overlay is going to be from an existing chart that you somehow converted to a JPEG or TIF, correct? If not what is it?

The reason I ask is because I'm thinking about enhancing GE2KAP to allow you to specify a chart to overlay and have it automatically size and place it rather than doing it on GE (which BTW I find to be very difficult to do).

[sailorF54]

Originally Posted by phiggins

I would like to ask those who like this idea of overlaying something on the Google earth picture a few questions:

1. Why do you do the overlay? Is it because you want to see depths? or?

2. I assume that the overlay is going to be from an existing chart that you somehow converted to a JPEG or TIF, correct? If not what is it?

The reason I ask is because I'm thinking about enhancing GE2KAP to allow you to specify a chart to overlay and have it automatically size and place it rather than doing it on GE (which BTW I find to be very difficult to do).

Re 1
In well-charted areas, GE pics mainly adds information on the nature of sea bottom (sand vs rocks..) and shore features (tracks, roads, buildings..) Occasionally, the GE pic is more recent and a more recent harbo(u)r lay-out will be visible.
In less-well charted areas, there may be a discrepancy between GE pics and charts. I've stolen this image from a discussion of GE2KAP on a French forum (Tetiaroa, French Polynesia)

Re 2 Correct.

Re 3 Reducing the amount of manual labour has been a traditional trend in the so-called developed countries ;-) That would be a great feature...

[sinbad7]

Great idea Paul... I have made many approach/harbour plans using GE2KAP and it would be very convenient to also have soundings and seamarks included at the right scale. Not so easy to match the scale between the overlayed chart and GE.

MapTiler can overlay not only a bit map but also specifically a .kap map but found it difficult to use and apply satisfactorily. Presently,a bounding box must first be specified (N-S-E-W) earlier this was automatic.

Can't wait to try it!!

Regds
Tore

[sinbad7]

Paul.. Google Maps for FSX allows capture of areas larger than the screen and produces the four map geo co-ordinates.
Having selected the size of either 1600 x 1200 or the largest 3200 x 2400,the large map will be created by pressing 'Windows'.

At this point,using Mozilla's add-on 'Screengrab',the entire large map can be stored in a location of your choice. Could this kind of feature be incorporated in GE2KAP with an overlay option?

Tore

[idpnd]

Sadly my four brain cells dont suffice for conjuring up this sort of software; they do however permit me to dream up - an opencpn plugin that automatically fetches a semi-transparent google maps terrain overlay for the current opencpn view, adding it as a selectable chart for future reference

[sinbad7]

ispnd.. sounds great,but why not a satellite overlay so we can see the bottom conditions as well?

Tore

[sinbad7]

Paul..
Here is a conversion as mentioned in my #50..
I can only show a scren full but the Puerto Cortes (Honduras) map covers a much larger area.

Tore

[oem]

Originally Posted by idpnd

Sadly my four brain cells dont suffice for conjuring up this sort of software; they do however permit me to dream up - an opencpn plugin that automatically fetches a semi-transparent google maps terrain overlay for the current opencpn view, adding it as a selectable chart for future reference

Being online or not being online is the question, I think. The latter justifies experiments with GE as overlay (or underlay) on/under a transparent chart. Or as separate charts.

I know that when I'm sailing and having data connection, I'm frequently checking my position on Google satellite images. It seems that sea-charts are becoming more and more 'outdated' concerning visual navigation, based on terrain, buildings, vegetation etc. on land. GE helps tremendously here, because the images are exact photoes of land, buildings, vegetation etc.

And thats where I see the possibilities, - as offline charts offering improved visual navigation possibilities as combinations of sea-charts and satellite images.

If data connection is present during sailing, then a possibility to click a GE map on current position is sufficient. Sometimes, when planning a trip it's also an advantage to see the depths, harbour plans etc. on top of the GE-image.

I agree on the possibility of a plugin in OpenCPN.

Fugawi has an excellent feature for GE integration, and PolarView can also integrate to GE.

[bewitched]

Originally Posted by phiggins

I would like to ask those who like this idea of overlaying something on the Google earth picture a few questions:

1. Why do you do the overlay? Is it because you want to see depths? or?

2. I assume that the overlay is going to be from an existing chart that you somehow converted to a JPEG or TIF, correct? If not what is it?

The reason I ask is because I'm thinking about enhancing GE2KAP to allow you to specify a chart to overlay and have it automatically size and place it rather than doing it on GE (which BTW I find to be very difficult to do).

1. For me, yes it's depth that I'm looking for. Also where there are new features (landfill, bridges, piers etc) not shown on the chart. Remember, where there is a lack of electronic charts, there is usually a lack of modern paper ones also.

2. Yes JPEG (or Tiff or PNG), but usually JPEG
I agree that the placing on GE is difficult and I worry about distorting the image.

If you do develop this feature, could I request that the jpeg can be placed without any distortion and by georeferencing and North & East (or west & south) offsets.

Where there is a lack of new charts, the old charts usually have the features well charted, but just in the wrong place.

[excelpest2002]

Originally Posted by oem

Finally I had time to test GE2KAP. And it worked fine, after a couple of attempts mainly due to previous installations of libbsb and Imagemagick. After I re-installed those it worked fine, even with oorexx 4.1.0 (the newest).

Attached an example in Opencpn. Please note that I have a transparent chart (JPG-image) on top of the GE satellite image. A standard feature of GE. That gives extra information about depths and all other navigation relevant information.

It's quite interesting, I think.

Mate navionics on an ipad 3 g also get a few gps softwares wind rose compass etc,.. And ya saved thousands mate ! I have been navigating sydney at night for a year and found accurate within 10 ft !

[bewitched]

That's Sydney Harbour - it's well charted with up to date electronic charts.

That's not true of many places in the world.

For the areas I sail, the paper charts in haven't been updated in over 60 years and there are no elecronic charts (of a small enough scale to be of any use).

What Paul is developing here will be a huge improvement for me.

[excelpest2002]

Originally Posted by bewitched

That's Sydney Harbour - it's well charted with up to date electronic charts.

That's not true of many places in the world.

For the areas I sail, the paper charts in haven't been updated in over 60 years and there are no elecronic charts (of a small enough scale to be of any use).

What Paul is developing here will be a huge improvement for me.

Sounds like he has filled in the spaces for us all cheers Paul

[ThereBePirates]

Originally Posted by sinbad7

Paul..
Here is a conversion as mentioned in my #50..
I can only show a scren full but the Puerto Cortes (Honduras) map covers a much larger area.

Tore

How did you get the screengrab into OpenCPN, did you use the process as outlined in this thread or is there another way?

[sinbad7]

ThereBePirates..

As I mentioned in my #50 and #53,having saved the grabbed outsize bitmap,I use the geo locations generated in GM to produce a CHARTCAL file in MapCal II and Chartconvert to create the final .kap chart. An easy and quick conversion.

Tore