Do we need/want an AIS filter?

[rooiedirk]

Temporally I added dialog with sizers to adjust the weighing of various settings. Please do some playing and return the settings you like most.
It is not the intended to keep this for the definite version, only to find the best defaults in an easy way.

[LeaseOnLife]

Playing with it now...

A couple remarks, ideas:

• targets for which we don't have a full message (including size), are scaled too small, for my taste.
• The size weighting brought up another 'want': I think the 'real size outline' of targets is drawn too late, only when zoomed in very far. The scale when it displays the outline of the ship can not be set smaller than 5000, but even then the code in ais.cpp limits the display. I changed line 1023 to
  

      if (ais_real_size[4].x - ais_real_size[0].x < 2 || ais_real_size[2].y - ais_real_size[0].y < 8)

  and get an earlier display of the outline, helping me understand the situation in attached screenshot, two tugs guiding a large ship.

Maybe your scaling could incorporate the real size of the ship and if the ship size is larger than the displayed AIS icon, display the outline too?

Dirk2

[rgleason]

I was just struggling with this too, and heartily endorse Dirk2's idea if it is at all possible.

Maybe your scaling could incorporate the real size of the ship and if the ship size is larger than the displayed AIS icon, display the outline too?

Dirk2

Yes, I'd very much like to see the footprint of ships nearest displayed larger earlier scale, currently they are displaying between 2200 and 1100 and I'd like to see the ship outline display at about 9200 for example.

I also have the sense that all targets are a good deal smaller in this version for some reason, and I can't seem to adjust it bigger. I've tried turning off TargetScale as well to see if there would be a big change. Until I figure this problem out I won't be able to help with the adjustments I think.

Yes, my impression after looking at both Hakefjord in Sweden file and Hartmut's Meerkermeer AIS files, which are both showing smaller ships overall, is what setting in opencpn.ini has changed? How do I fix this?

I don't find any overall setting user AIS opencpn.ini that would affect target scale. So I willl attach a photo.

[rgleason]

I was using the program instance that came wiith installation. I shut down. rebooted and now it is working with large and small scaled vessels under ScaledTargets.

Opencpn Beta File Thingie rguser rgpass

Find in the Home directory
opencpn_4.1.1108_AIS4-AIS_Target_Scaling

[rooiedirk]

@Dirk2
In principle it is possible I think, but will have some impact on speed. Every target is drawn one's a second, and for every target there should be a compare between ships size and chart scale.
I will first finish as is, and maybe make some improvements later.

@Rick
I didn't change the size of 'normal' targets.
If you have all small scaled targets, pls check the number of full scale targets in the options page(is it zero??). On my large screen I can use 25, but on a smaller display you might want only 10.

[Hakan]

Dirk
Windows:
Scaled targets are now very small and the size is not dependent of the "Size" value. Neither if it's changed with slide bar nor direct in config file.
Håkan

[rgleason]

Dirk,
If I put
SOG=100
CPA=0
TCPA=0
Range=0
Size=0
Fastest 10-12kn boat are largest. 5kn Boats a little smaller. Boats moored smallest. Good.

SOG=0
CPA=0
TCPA=0
Range=100
Size=0
Closer Boats larger, good

SOG=0
CPA=100
TCPA=0
Range=0
Size=0
Not working right

SOG=0
CPA=0
TCPA=100
Range=0
Size=0
Not working right, seems to show larger vessels ahead to the right with large icon, but no CPA or TCPA. And yest smaller icons are alerting and they are small icons.

SOG=0
CPA=100
TCPA=100
Range=0
Size=0
No affect, vessels ahead with alerts not larger icons. Not working.

SOG=0
CPA=0
TCPA=0
Range=100
Size=0
Works well.

SOG=0
CPA=0
TCPA=0
Range=0
Size=100
Works well, all tankers and large ships are large icons..

I realize this conflicts with Hakan, but perhaps he can reboot and try the above?

[Hakan]

Rick
Have you got the scaled targets to change in size? E.g. Can you control the minimum size of scaled targets? (Apart from when they are upon to change size, up or down)
Håkan

[rooiedirk]

Originally Posted by Hakan

Rick
Have you got the scaled targets to change in size? E.g. Can you control the minimum size of scaled targets? (Apart from when they are upon to change size, up or down)
Håkan

@Håkan At this moment the small size is fixed at all dimensions 50% of 'big' size. I did this to improve speed. (doing size calculations for every target every second does take time)
@Rick I'll double check the code for CPA and TCPA.

[rgleason]

Hakan (can't do the Alt 134 yet on my keyboard, no numb key) I can live with it. OK?

Size seems to work for me. 3 pics, Size=0 , 50, 100
Seems to be scaling boats. At 100 lots of them are smaller.

So what the filter does is make smaller boats smaller

All boat icons same size= 0 ---> 100 = Smaller boats get smaller.
-
-
-

[Hakan]

Rick
I can live well with that as well. Since the Swedish "å" pronunciation seems hard for others I'm used Hakan.
On a laptop are the num keys normally reached by the function key and the corresponding numbers or by switching on "Num lk". num key 134 are then on "jlu" on my board.

[bdbcat]

Dirk...

I'm getting ready to release a new Beta.

I need to know the status and general consensus about this AIS scaling Feature addition.

1. Do we want it? Are we agreed on the functionality?
2. How is the code shaping up? Is a valid Pull Request ready soon?

We really need to get this into widestream Beta in order to consider it for O4.2

Thanks for your input
Dave

[rgleason]

Hope Dirk isn't on a voyage, its almost there. We were just in process of adjusting settings for the final. Hakan was also helping. One or two of the sliders parameters didn't work as expected. If he can get those working I am sure Hakan and I will give him our best settings quickly, so he can decide.

[Hakan]

My opinion is that the function will be useful but not critical. Around big harbors and crowded fairways it will for sure give a better an undisturbed overview.
It's a risk that it will load to much power on systems with with limited capacity, but can in that case be disabled.
But it's not yet quit ready and need some adjustments. Dirk have done a nice job with this but if he's busy now we can also wait and implement it in a later release.
Rick, I think the sliders are for beta tests only and will not be a part of the released version.
Håkan

[bcn]

Perhaps we should have it in the ext beta just to have an opportunity to test on a broader basis.
With the option to withdraw it for the next release it the comfort level is not getting high enough.

Hubert