Feature Requests

[dacust]

With the addition of the Pilot Charts, I'll restate a request I had way back when.

It'd be nice to have a way to group charts into categories. The different types of charts made by individuals cannot be identified. So the system can't tell the difference between a New Zealand hand referenced navigation chart, a topo map, a photo or a pilot chart. Also, there is the case where I have downloaded more than one set of rasters for one area, they both show slightly different features - I might want to switch between them.

How about a chart category feature? Should allow for unlimited categories.

Category                   Topographic Maps
Show Icon on toolbar?      Yes
    (Choose Icon ->)

Directory(s)               C:\Charts\topo_us
                           C:\Charts\topo_indonesia

Select Category               Show Icon

Topographic Maps                  N
Photos - Color                    Y
Photos - B&W                      N
Pilot Charts                      Y
Raster - USA - East Coast         Y
Raster - USA - West Coast         N
Raster - USA - Rivers             Y
Raster - Mediterranean - Set 1    Y
Raster - Mediterranean - Set 2    Y
ENC - USA - East Coast            Y
ENC - USA - West Coast            N
ENC - USA - Rivers                Y
CM93                              Y

Then in the Chart tab, you could choose a directory OR category.

There could also be a box in the toolbar tab to override the Icon Y/N flags and just not show any at all - this is for people who don't really need this and/or want to conserve real estate.

From the toolbar you could click on the icon for a chart type to switch to that type of chart. So, you can change chart sets without going in and having to select a new directory structure and waiting for the database update. When using Nobeltec, I switch back an forth very often. Sometimes several times in a single minute from photo/raster/vector to compare features. I can especially see this being handy for pilot charts.

-dan

[cagney]

The other day I was pondering how to further automate my weather chart scripts, and wished that it would be possible to send a signal to the opencpn process.
If for example the opencpn code could catch the SIGUSR1signal, and as a response force a full chart database rebuild, a script could download and convert the latest weather maps as they became available and the script could then

$ kill -USR1 `pidof opencpn`

and the latest weather charts would seamlessly become available, without any user action.

Thomas

[idpnd]

Doesnt this scream for a zygrib type plugin that then does a database rebuild?

[Gangmaker]

Excuse me for not going through the whole thread so if I request something someone already did request, I do apologize...

It would be great to have:
- better NMEA monitoring. Not only for the GPS, also for the AIS I'd like to monitor the raw data
- in windows using Stentec software (local dutch sailor software) I see >10 AIS targets in my vicinity. In openCPN, on Ubuntu Linux, I get two...
- more seamless charts. now i am zoomed in a bit, and an area next to it is grey... and only shown when I zoom out. Wouldn't it be better to just show it, with the less detail it supposedly has? (CM93)
- more config options. baudrate, for AIS and GPS. Along with above NMEA monitoring

Also a tip for people using a Multiplexer from Shipmodul, on Linux. I have the miniplex-AIS-USB. To get it to work:
[ubuntu] Shimodul Miniplex-USB-AIS not working - Ubuntu Forums

But, last but not least: GREAT effort! This piece of software has great potential!

[tenlee]

Dear bdbcat,

I really like this tools.. it's help me in displaying ENC map.
my question is did OpenCPN has feature to print all of cell S-57 file map I have in specific scale ?
I already download the source code, but I don't have any idea to add that feature on OpenCPN. is there any developer documentation ?
what I need is producing image in specific scale from all of cell S-57 file map that i had defined before.

i really need your help.
thanks in advance.

warm regards,

tenlee

[Sailing Hanse37]

Hi,
i don't follow this forum every day, but just wanted to give some information about a small software project I'm actually working on, and which may give an answer to some features asked here:
1. more indepth NMEA analysis: As part of point 2 I'm writing this. (need this also for my own ship network) See printscreen below.
2. Polar diagrams: I'm working on an app which gives real-time info about actual performance compared to polar. Polars are stored in a small database (depending on chosen sail combination). Program will be able to make polar diagram based on sailing data + offers possibility to correct or input these data manually (see printscreens below)
At this moment, the program will run independent of OpenCPN, since the plug-in interface is in Beta and i just don't want to get blocked by the on going development on this. I'm using VSPE to get both apps run at the same time on same com-port.
Since writing all this code takes a lot of my free-time + at this moment of the year sailing stays my firts priority during the WE, i foresee first beta's somewehere at the end of the year.
Code will be opensource, but is written in Lazarus (Open-Source Delphi lookalike. Compiles to Windows, Linux and MaCOS)
Although i'll first focus on my own ideas, if you have suggestions feel free to post them
Greetings,
Francis

[idpnd]

Fantastic, lets hope the different languages wont be causing issues at some stage..

You may wish to consult capcode, free software written in java, for inspiration

[Jon Hacking]

Search Feature - My appologies if this has been mentioned already...
What I'm looking for is a way to search for islands, towns, etc (text embedded within the charts) so I can find something when someone says "We found a great anchorage just north of Pulau Pisang." Even if the data isn't organized well, it's all in the CM93 chart database & computers are a lot better at pawing through all that stuff than I am.

Thanks so much for the chart quilting! Much appreciated! V2 is awesome.

[Pegase]

With the new plugins it is now possible to display a lot of NMEA data.
it would be nice if would could log those data at a regular time interval

I use those data as a start for my logbook (under Excel)

Or even better, a full logbook plugins.

[betelnuss]

I really like open CPN. I find it awesome that there is now an open source navigation software for Linux and I think you have done a wonderful job so far. I've tried it and it did fairly well in comparison to MaxSea (especially when the difference in time devoted to development is considered). One thing I am missing though is the weather routing based on GRIB data. That would be a really cool feature and would especially attract the regatta folk.

Best regards

betelnuss

[tenlee]

Hi All,

is there any way to simplified the appearance of sounding feature in S-57 format ?
because when i turn on the 'ShowSoundings' feature, it's look so messy.
compare to another commercial tool like fugawi they can simplified it.

any idea all ?


warm regards,

Stanley

[cagney]

Have you tried ticking the "Use Scamin" box in the ToolBox->Vector Charts??
More here Vector Chart Display | Official OpenCPN Homepage

Thomas

[bdbcat]

tenlee...

It looks as if you are looking at two different S57 cells. The soundings are part of the cell database, and should be the same on all S57 ENC viewers.

I can't find a case where the same cell shows more cluttered soundings on opencpn than the other systems. I'd love to see this case for review and debug.

Thanks
Dave

[tenlee]

@Thomas
thank you very much Thomas, that like what I want. so sorry for my newbie question.

@Dave
Hi dave, thanks for your reply. yups openCPN work correctly, after I did what Thomas suggest, the Sounding totally same with other system.
I like your application

warm regards,

Tenlee

[tenlee]

Dear all,

I want find help from yours, regarding about changing color in OpenCPN.
for example I want to change the color of ENC feature LNDARE (LANDA color code) with RGB color setting like below :
- RED : 248
- GREEN : 224
- BLUE : 186

when I convert that color into Yyx format (using EasyRGB - The inimitable RGB and COLOR search engine!) :
Yxy = 76.813 0.35617 0.36856

so I tried to change on S52RAZDS.RLE file like below :
CCIE 31LANDA0.35617|0.36856|76.813|brown|

but the result of color shown in openCPN is difference RGB color code :
- RED : 255
- GREEN : 221
- BLUE : 172

anyone can help?
I really need to change the standard color with exact RGB.

thanks in advance.

warm regards,

Tenlee