Android Development Underway

[manimaul]

A couple news items:

1. ) I've finally officially published MX Cart - BSB version 2 and 3 raster chart importer for MX Mariner. Information and download links for both Windows and Ubuntu/Debian Linux can be found here: Custom User Created Charts | MXMariner

MX Cart is open source, Simplified BSD Licensed and written in python. Source code can be viewed here: https://github.com/manimaul/MX-Cart. This may be useful for anyone interested in creating openlayers maps from charts and or gemf files. However, unlike many tiling programs and gemf files, MX Cart only renders one zoom level to keep the gemf file small. MX Mariner on Android will scale the tiles up one zoom level and down to 6 zoom levels or until another zoom layer is found.

2. ) I believe the next logical development step is to concentrate efforts to bring vector charts S57 to Android via Mapsforge (open source vector map Android Library). If anyone is interested in working on this please PM or email me. After some thought, this will be how I believe this can work:

Create an opensource tool much like MX Cart that will read collection of S57 charts and create a mapsforge map file.

Create a mapsforge custom theme that mirrors how OpenCPN renders vectors.

I believe this would be a cool contribution to open source, Android and boaters as well as bring vector support to MX Mariner.

Will

[rolker]

A while back, I got gdal/ogr to build for Android. Why not use that for S57?

[manimaul]

Originally Posted by rolker

A while back, I got gdal/ogr to build for Android. Why not use that for S57?

This is an internal debate I've had the last month as I've been mulling this over for the "best" approach. I think the reason is probably performance. I've played with mapsforge vectors and have been pretty pleased with it's performance. Reading s57 files directly with gdal/org may not be as responsive as I'd like.

For example, even OpenCPN "ingests" s57 files as needed into a custom SENC file on the fly with gdal/ogr. This is rather slow even on a PC IMO. Additionaly, programs like Max Sea and now Nobeltec are tiling both their rasters and vectors into a MS SQL database for performance. So, I think I like the tiled format approach which also may more easily open up 3d type functionality in the future.

Anyhow, that is my line of reasoning. Feel free to enlighten me if I'm missing something.

Will

[rolker]

You're absolutely right, S57 was always meant as a transfer format rather than a format used directly by the user's application.

[sailias]

MxCart is currently running just fine on my P4 old machine all days processing 634 NOAA charts that will give me back the Canadian Sector of the Great Lakes ala 2008. So far its been running glitch free ohhh lets see....since 9 this morning. When it encounters a dead file, it does keep going.

Nice work Will. Should be done by tomorrow.

May I suggest that you start a repository, perhaps on sourceforge for self build charts. That would be great as we all benefit. Same can be said for OpenCPN, for example, I just dont have the time to follow Sinbads work but sure would be nice to have some of those charts.. Not lazy just buzy, and this is a vast project to keep up with in general

Many thanks to all. Great stuff.

/ch

[sailias]

632 tiles processed, loaded and working on mxMariner. Sources were standard NOAA rasters. Two tiles failed and the process just kept chugging along. Took 12 hrs on my ancient P4 with 2 gigs of ancient RAM to put it into context. So far no barfs....works like a chart.

Only bug I detected was on a larger batch, tried to do all NOAA rasters at one time and whie the system did not run out of memory and the machine was usable, throughout the exercise so no memory leaks or zombie processes when it encounter a non processable map it just stopped.

Other then that it seems to be very clean and very very functional.

Many, and I mean many thanks. Hope your vector scenario works out.

/ch

[rgleason]

Sailias, do you know where I can find "NOAA 2008 ENC Vector Charts of the Canada Sector of the Great Lakes". Thanks
Rick

[manimaul]

I've been working on course up and head up map modes along with gearing up to support vector charts. Here is a demonstration video of new features coming up:

http://youtu.be/s-rVkuz69to

Will

[manimaul]

Course up and head up map modes now available - MX Mariner version 1.3.21

[manimaul]

I've begun work on vector charts. This may not look like much. But it feels like progress after beginning to lay some ground work.

[Andres_RG]

Great, I'll be waiting anxiously

[banjoship]

Originally Posted by manimaul

I've begun work on vector charts. This may not look like much. But it feels like progress after beginning to lay some ground work.

More power to you. In my part of the world Australia/Asia, there are no free national charts. Looking forward to your development.
Lee

[manimaul]

Originally Posted by Andres_RG

Great, I'll be waiting anxiously

The vector rendering library "Mapsforge" is open source.
mapsforge - free mapping and navigation tools - Google Project Hosting

The s57 vector render theme which is made for Mapsforge is also open source:
https://github.com/manimaul/mapsforge-senc-rendertheme

Some side benefits to the rendertheme project is that some of the tools may help bring more available s57 data to the Openseamap project. Of course the source s57 data needs to be in the public domain to be included in Openseamap such as what is available from NOAA.

Will

[rolker]

I while back, when I built GDAL for Android, I documented the procedure here:

BuildingForAndroid

I haven't tried this in a while, but I don't imagine it would be too hard to repeat now.

(Will, I tried responding to your pm about this but I got an error message about your inbox being full!)

[olaforest]

@Minimaul: Awesome work, looking forward to upcoming developments!

I understand there's ongoing work for vector support (S57). Any plans for also supporting CM93 format within MXMariner? Or add this to MX Cart for generating the maps?

It's a very selfish question, I'm looking at developing recreational sailing here in VN and not a lot of maps are available/good. I've got a nice CM93 compilation (don't know original source, it's been passed around) and looking forward to use it on my Android devices.
Only other alternative I know of is Navionics, I'd probably use both side by side.

Cheers!
Olivier