Multiple .000 files for same chart?

[BoatHunting]

It appears that OpenCPN can process several different chart file formats, convert the formats to an internal .000 format and store these files in a directory called SENC. OpenCPN uses these .000 files for chart display, not the original downloaded files.


It appears that a chart file can be downloaded multiple times and processed by OpenCPN. An example of this happening is when the same chart shows up in multiple NOAA directories and OpenCPN is directed to download these directories and process the chart files.


Does OpenCPN ever create and store multiple SENC/x.000 files for the same ENC chart?

[bdbcat]

Boat....
OpenCPN (core) SENC files have the extent ".s57". They are created dynamically as needed, and stored in the SENC directory.

OpenCPN does not "create" .000 files in any case. These are the original material from the HO.


More specific information on your observation would be helpful.


Thanks

Dave

[BoatHunting]

When I looked at C:\ProgramData\opencpn\SENC on my Windows7 PC, all I saw were .000 and .BMP file extensions.



After you telling me that .s57 files are supposed to be there, I looked again. They're there.


I sorted the files by size and found no .s57 files that are the same size, which is a pretty good indication that there are no duplicates.


I'm struggling to understand how chart file management works and you helped me with at least one of my misunderstandings. Thank you!


Despite the fact the PC is six years old, it's processing power is substantial with a solid state disk, the fastest graphics card for it's day along with maximum RAM and the fastest CPU available when it was purchased.


That said, OpenCPN locks up occasionally and sometimes is slow to bring up chart displays, so I'm trying to minimize the processing it has to do to display the charts that I need.


I suspect there are ways to optimize the program, but I haven't yet discovered them.

[rgleason]

If you have all your charts in one chart group, and you have a lot of charts on the machine, it is helpful to provide multiple separate chart paths to various charts and then use those paths in new Chart Groups that you define. Perhaps separating RNC and ENC and dividing the chart groups up by geographic location cooresponding to how they are downloaded. Then right click on the sea and pick which chart group you want too use.

I also make an Empty Chart Group with the High Res Land outline and just a couple of charts from anywhere to get it to work.

This speeds things up a lot.

[BoatHunting]

I'm not sure how they got created but when I click Options/Charts/Chart Groups, there are two windows: All Available Charts and Chart Groups All Charts.


When I right click any of the Chart Group All Charts directories, nothing happens when I click Apply. The Delete Group and Remove Charts buttons are greyed out.



When I left click one of the greyed out Chart Group All Charts directories, it highlights but nothing else happens. Clicking Apply does nothing. The Delete Group and Remove Chart buttons are greyed out.


When I double click one of the greyed out Chart Group All Charts directories, the directory expands and I can see sub-directories and files within these sub-directories, however, clicking Apply does nothing and the Delete Group and Remove Charts buttons remain greyed out.


The display that shows up appears to be every single chart I've ever downloaded and I don't seem to have a way to display a subset of these charts.



Nearly all chart downloads were done under 4.8 something. I'm now running 5.2.4+6b314e6.


It appears that I have groups but can't do anything useful with them. I can't display just that group, delete it or remove any of the charts within the group.

[BoatHunting]

The light finally lit.


Chart Groups has a default tab called All Charts. The listings under this group are not groups, they're directories. If there are multiple groups, then there will be multiple tabs and these new groups (tabs) have to be created by the OpenCPN user. Once a group tab is created, I can then Add chart directories under this new tab. My confusion was the list of directories shown in the All Charts tab, I thought these directory names were group names and didn't realize that new tabs, not entries under the All Charts tab, are created when you click the New Group button. Seems so obvious, now.



I created a group called Inland Charts and added the inland chart directories to this group. Voila, I can click the tab labeled Inland Charts and only inland charts display. Hooray!



Also, in the Options/Charts/Chart Files configuration window, I can select a chart directory and click the Remove Selected button. Today's revelation is that clicking this button does not remove the directory, it removes the OpenCPN pointer to this directory. The directory and files in it are still stored on the computer. If I want to actually delete this directory, I have to do this via the computer's operating system.


Now, back to the OpenCPN manual and the hope that my old neurons do a better job of processing the content.


I think I'm done with this thread.

[rgleason]

BoatHunting, very good! Also read the manual as you said!