How to Import MaxSea Tracks ?

[claire]

Just starting to play with OpenCPN, downloaded the last released version: 1.3.6 and love it (running on XP). However, I would really need to be able to import maxsea tracks. I spent hours reading the threads and found some dicussions about invisible waypoints that looked relevant, but the fixes suggested where beyond my comprehension.


Can somebody explain in plain english how to import a .ptf track file from maxsea into OpenCPN?
That would be very much appreciated.

And if the answer is "wait for the next release", that would be fine too.

Thanks

[idpnd]

Can Maxsea export tracks in GPX format? Otherwise, a quick google search brings up this freeware gps utility which supports maxsea and gpx importing and exporting - perhaps this could be used for conversion?

[claire]

I tried GPS utility, but:
1st: all my tracks have too much data for the free version
2nd: even the partial tracks saved as .gpx files do not show up on openCPN when I import them.

[PjotrC]

Can you post the gpx file? It might be then possible to investigate, what and why does not show up.

[claire]

Here is the file

[PjotrC]

The track seems OK to me. It does show immediately when imported. If you don't like the default "circle" icon for trackpoints, it can be changed e.g. to "empty" by adding to each gpx trackpoint line the text

<sym>empty</sym>

The gpx file would then look like the following

<trkpt lat="6.300250" lon="99.850583"><sym>empty</sym><time>2010-01-11T09:40:56Z</time></trkpt>
<trkpt lat="6.299167" lon="99.850371"><sym>empty</sym><time>2010-01-11T09:41:41Z</time></trkpt>
<trkpt lat="6.297967" lon="99.850371"><sym>empty</sym><time>2010-01-11T09:42:25Z</time></trkpt>

I attach the screenshots of the default and sym=empty views (chart boundaries removed for clarity).

It is interesting to see how the track crosses the land on some chart scales (CM93).

[claire]

PjotrC,

Are you using R 1.3.6? I have not been able to see this track on my screen.

[PjotrC]

The screenshots are actually from 2.1.0, but in 1.3.6 the default import looks like the "sym=empty" one.

[claire]

PjotrC,

Yes, I see it now, and tested another one. Thank you!
I may have missed it the first time because it is the same colour as a lot of other stuff in CM93 charts and because it is only a fraction of the original track. It would be nice if it was a more different color than the chart colors.

Do you know of another free SW that could translate tracks into .gpx files without the size limitations of GPS utility?

[PjotrC]

Claire...

If you were using 2.1.0 you could even choose some colours for tracks, by setting e.g.

<sym>xmred</sym>

(or "xmblue", or "xmgreen").

If you have saved your voyage also as MaxSea logbook (not only the track), then it is possible to extract the recorded time, positions, etc. and convert it to gpx using Access, Excel and some text editing...For .ptf I do not know other tools, but there are so many of them...

Cheers,

Piotr

[claire]

Is 2.1.0 as stable as 1.3.6?

[PjotrC]

Using 2.1.0 under Vista and CM93 I experience only minor inconveniences (like the black stripe instead of the chart title in the sample above). Some chart alignment/referencing issues reported in beta testing will certainly disappear soon, so I look forward to a 5000 miles field test in June...

[claire]

Again, thank you. It is still night here, so I go back to sleep.

Cheers

[idpnd]

Turns out this is rather interesting as a lot of confirmed tracks are shared in maxsea format, e.g. the ones on this circumnavigator's group. I haven't been able to find any satisfactory solution either, sadly gpsbabel doesn't support maxsea..

[claire]

You have 2 options with GPSutility: buy a license for $60 or cut the tracks in small chunks (probably around 30 miles each at about 5/6kn, I have not yet figured it exactly)