Google Earth Plugin

[BluegillBoy]

I love it too. Recognize that The GE plugin is really only useful when close to shore or or on inland waterways and rivers anyway. I use a data card and find Internet access almost everywhere close to shore and on rivers.

There is a way to store downloaded google earth in a cache and use it even if you don't have online access tho.

[rtblock1]

We use a program called GE2Kap which allows you to make charts from Google Earth screen shots which can then be loaded into Opencpn like any other chart. In places where electronic charts are off by as much as a 1/2 mile they are invaluable. We have used these charts almost exclusively for all our close in navigation in Tonga and Fiji and are now making them for Vanuatu, our next destination. Since we have so many loaded in some areas it can get confusing which chart to open. The plug in allows you to cursor over the exact chart that you want to open.

You don't use an internet connection to use the charts in Opencpn. They are loaded onto your hard drive by GE2Kap after they are made and are available offline. You must have an internet connection to Google Earth in conjunction with GE2kap to make the charts however.

Roger
Shango
PS 40

[r.fairman]

bboy

If you 'visit' or display an area in GE when your are online it is stored in GE cache for display offline

regards

Richard

[spiv]

Has anyone got a functioning link to GE2Kap?
The link provided on the OPCPN web site is dead.
Thanks.

[nohal]

Stefano...
The downloads are at Index of /Downloads
Paul says Whitey has probably eaten the rest of the website, but the downloads are there. (If you are not aware of it, the password to decompress the zips is phiggins)

Pavel

[Lake-Effect]

Hi devs,

Just wondering - why is the GE plugin for OpenCPN Windows only, since both GE and OpenCPN are available for Linux as well as windows?

No ingratitude or disrespect intended, I'm just trying to decide whether I need to base my OpenCPN on Windows or not. I'd much prefer Linux (ubuntu) if at all possible.

Thanks

[nohal]

Lake-Effect...
Believe me that if it was possible to do a Linux version, I would have done it. Unfortunately the Linux version of GE has no interface the plugin could use. Even on Windows Google announced that it will not be supported anymore and removes parts of it with the new versions, so our prospects are definitely not very bright here...

Pavel

[Lake-Effect]

Thanks Pavel.

So... which version of Google Earth (Windows) is working the best with OpenCPN?

[nohal]

Until now all the parts of the API seem working fine, so I'm always running the newest GE on my machines. But my usage of this plugin is not very heavy as I usually have reasonable charts and too expensive internet in the areas I'm sailing...

Pavel

[bzs]

I solved in Tangogps the GE-maps downloads for the offline usage.
It would not be possible to implant this in the Opencpn?
TangoGPS - Openmoko
SlackBuilds.org - tangogps
Linux.com :: Find your way with tangoGPS
http://www.foxtrotgps.org/releases/
http://www.foxtrotgps.org/

Opencpn + Tangogps (or Foxtrotgps) = Opencpn without GE-API

(The Tangogps directories stable, maps not deleted.)

[sinbad7]

bzs..

You can convert any bitmap map presentation to the .kap format compatible with OpenCPN using GE2KAP. Or,am I missing something?

Tore

[SethDart]

Originally Posted by bzs

I solved in Tangogps the GE-maps downloads for the offline usage.
It would not be possible to implant this in the Opencpn?

Please read:
Issue 210 - gmapcatcher - [#684120005] Google Notification to GMapCatcher - An offline map viewer - Google Project Hosting

That's another project with similar goals. Here's an excerpt:

--
- We do not allow any download/offline caching of tiles, outside of standard browser caching that takes place when viewing tiles through the API.
--

So I guess that feature will not stay for long. It' against Google terms of use (or whatever they call it)

We would really like such a feature, and it'd be really easy to implement that in OpenCPN, but if we did so, we would face problems ;-)

[sinbad7]

You could use NoniMapViewer as well but for some reason it will no longer load.
Perhaps they have a problem with Google too..

Tore

[bzs]

The Tangogps not created BSB files.

GE exists onto Linux.
http://www.webupd8.org/2010/11/insta...ntu-linux.html
Would this not be good to GE?

[meridian@]

I have OpenCPN 3.0.2. I have downloaded the gecomapi from the download site and copied it into my Plugins folder. Tools/Plugins does not show the GE plugin as being available. What am I doing wrong?

Using W7.

paulr