OCPN 3.3 Options pages Layout

[bdbcat]

Ahoy testers...

We have all noticed that out Options tool page layout has gotten a little bit cluttered by virtue of the evolution of OCPN's user interface and feature set over time.

So, with great apologies to the Wiki maintainers, I have prototyped a new set of Options pages. See attachments for changed pages.

The idea here is twofold:

1. Simplify the UI, so that the Options pages are not so intimidating to new users. Especially important for the initial "Display" page, which is the first options page seen on a new install.

2. Group the options in such a way that infrequently changed options may be found further down in the click hierarchy (e.g. Disable Full Screen Quilting", and everyday options are more quickly accessible (e.g. :Show Grid").

I don't propose this layout as the best and final answer. That is why I introduce it here, outside of the context of a fresh Beta.

But it is a start, and I invite feedback.

Thanks
Dave

[sy_gilana]

Dave, just a thought. O is getting better and better, one day it will probably get SOLAS compliance.

What if on each group in the settings pages <Display><Connections><Charts><Etc> there was an "Advanced" button which extended the box to unhide the less used settings?

[nohal]

Dave...
I somehow feel like "Course Up" and "Show Magnetic" could stay on the first Display page, even though the former is now redundant with the clickable compass window and I would personally never ever click on the later

Pavel

[bcn]

Originally Posted by sy_gilana

Dave, just a thought. O is getting better and better, one day it will probably get SOLAS compliance.

That will not be that easy if it makes sense at all.
SOLAS is thinking in terms of complete systems.
HW&SW bundled.

And both have to comply with the standards (list is not complete):
- IEC 60945 (Radio equipment - this the hardware torturing part basically)
- IEC 61174 (ECDIS, defines functions and performance of an ECDIS)
Btw.: if somebody has a used Version 3 that he doesn't need anymore it would be very appreciated. costs new 300$.
- IEC 62288 MARITIME NAVIGATION AND RADIOCOMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEMS. Presentation of navigation-related information on shipborne navigational displays – General requirements, methods of testing and required test results
- IEC 62376 ECS - Electronic Charting Systems. This standard specifies the minimum operational and performance requirements and methods of testing for ECS.
This one is very interesting for us, it is based on the others listed above.

There is no standard in place that relates to leisure crafts. IHO is debating this and GST, the Danish official body conducted a pilot test 2013 about using tablets as "primary mean of navigation". Going without paper charts.

If somebody has complementary information - we are listening.

Hubert

[P_Dub]

I see nothing wrong in the actual : OPTION menu of OpenCpn except the fact that the font use for the interface is too small in Windows. Further more, dont make it more complicated for nothing in the end (KISS); you probably have heard that expression before!
Regards.

[petter5]

Originally Posted by bcn

That will not be that easy if it makes sense at all.
SOLAS is thinking in terms of complete systems.
HW&SW bundled.

If Open CPN software could be used on wheel mark hardware and be the software part of an approved system, this might be the goal.

One of the main features of a such system is that navigational feaures for the navigator is keept sepatrate from "system settings" with the requirement for a special "setup" password or account for changing system setup properties. To archive that normal navigational operation of the system by a mistake does not change important system settings and thereby the intended critical operation of the system, these settings is keept separate.

In the discussion about options in OpenCpn I will vote for separating options this way to get a more secure system and maybe in the future a " wheelmark" compilant software " that can be used as component in a " SOLAS" system.

[Mollymawk]

Dave,

I totally agree, the options needs a complete overhaul.
I think what you have done there is a good start.

I have a lot of ideas but not time yet to implement them...
I will see what I can do in the coming days and weeks.

A few ideas:

• I would like to combine the chart sources and chart groups into one pane. I have an idea for this I think would work very well and be much more intuitive than the current double-UI.
  It's hard to explain... so maybe I should just implement it and see what people think.
• I would like to improve the Connections UI. I have an idea for an interface similar in some respects to the Network pane of the OS X system settings.

• I would like to see a dedicated "Units" page.
  This should contain:
  • The current three unit settings from the UI pane, for distance, speed, and lat/lon units.
  • The current setting from the Vector Charts pane for depth units.
  • Any other current or future unit settings.
  Also, the tide graphs should respect the depth units. At the moment they always show feet, so they are pretty useless outside the USA!
  

Other comments:

• I'm unsure of the semantic difference between the current "Display" pane and the "Display Options" tab of the "Charts" pane. Maybe these can be combined in some way.
• I think the CM93 Detail Level slider and the Chart Zoom Detail Level slider should be on the same page, since they perform a similar function. They should also have a short descriptory text beneath them - a single sentence would do if worded well.
  I think the new label "Chart Zoom Scale/Sensitivity Level" is if anything more confusing than before, but this is a difficult thing to get right.

It's good to see some thought being put into this, hopefully we can get some good feedback from lots of people and get this right for everyone.


Cheers,
Caesar

[bcn]

Originally Posted by Mollymawk

I would like to see a dedicated "Units" page.
This should contain:

• The current three unit settings from the UI pane, for distance, speed, and lat/lon units.
• The current setting from the Vector Charts pane for depth units.
• Any other current or future unit settings.

Also, the tide graphs should respect the depth units. At the moment they always show feet, so they are pretty useless outside the USA!


Cheers,
Caesar

Not sure about the "depth" units from the vector chart tab.
You have there the "depth settings" for alert and alarm depths as well and those belong to the charts.
The two settings should not be separated from each other.

[bcn]

Originally Posted by sy_gilana

What if on each group in the settings pages <Display><Connections><Charts><Etc> there was an "Advanced" button which extended the box to unhide the less used settings?

+1

Hubert

[cagney]

Originally Posted by Mollymawk

....
Also, the tide graphs should respect the depth units. At the moment they always show feet, so they are pretty useless outside the USA!
......


Cheers,
Caesar

Caesar...

Not quite. Have a look below



The unit comes from the tidal files.
Of course a "layer" could be added so the units follow a global setting.
I'm not sure its worth the effort though. Currently the only tidal data that is updated at all, are xtides US data. Users have to download these themselves.
Everything else, including OpenCPN's default tidal files, are just getting more and more outdated.

Thomas

[rgleason]

Caesar, Regarding UNITS section please refer to
For Units
FS#920 : UI UNITS Setting measurement units
FS#410 : UI UNITS Make Toolbox/Vector Charts/Depth Settings Units User-Selectable to Match Chart Depth Units
For the Boat
FS#1102 : UI Option Ship Tab Boat Data
See the list in the link
Its a tall order but will give you some guidance. Thank you for all your help with the interface and other improvements.

[rgleason]

Suggestion to pick from/ add to
Boat Parameters adjustable:
- Name (from AIS, if available)
- Clearance (aerial) CL
- Draft (underwater) DFT
- Draft clearance below keel
- Beam BM
- Overall length LOA
- Waterline length LWL
- Displacement DISP
- Sail Area SA
- Power HP
- Fuel Use Avg. for various units.
- MMSI
- EPIRB/Sart
- Radio
- GPS Position from the bow (default to center)
- GPS Position from centerline, port or starboard (default to center)
- Boat speed Average
- Boat speed Max
- A set of standard forms for the ship (sail, power, tug, etc)
- A minimum size to show the 'custom shape' (to ensure a correct display of it) otherwise, display the standard shape.

[AISEAG]

Originally Posted by rgleason

Suggestion to pick from/ add to
Boat Parameters adjustable:
- Name
....
shape.

Hi every one,

for a sailing boat, do not forget the type of keel (long, double ...)

Serge

[AISEAG]

Hi

As well, I suggest to create a single Tab related to AIS and to attach to this tab the actual s"AIS targets" tab & "MMSI properties" tab.

Serge

[Mollymawk]

Originally Posted by bcn

Not sure about the "depth" units from the vector chart tab.
You have there the "depth settings" for alert and alarm depths as well and those belong to the charts.
The two settings should not be separated from each other.

Hubert, I don't really agree that the units belong with the chart... I would say the deep contour limit belongs to the chart, yes, but not the units. Is there a case when you would want depth in different units for different things? I would argue that one unit control for all depths is best. Even if there are multiple depth unit settings, I think they all belong together on a Units page. Otherwise it's too complicated/confusing to find them all.

Originally Posted by cagney

The unit comes from the tidal files.
Of course a "layer" could be added so the units follow a global setting.
I'm not sure its worth the effort though. Currently the only tidal data that is updated at all, are xtides US data. Users have to download these themselves.
Everything else, including OpenCPN's default tidal files, are just getting more and more outdated.

Thomas

I use the outdated wxtide files. They are reasonably acceptable most places I've been, certainly better than nothing. But mostly they are in feet for some reason. So they are useless in OCPN. So I have to use wxtide instead.
They should absolutely be converted to the user's depth units. It should be very easy. I will have a look at it.

Originally Posted by rgleason

Caesar, Regarding UNITS section please refer to
For Units
FS#920 : UI UNITS Setting measurement units
FS#410 : UI UNITS Make Toolbox/Vector Charts/Depth Settings Units User-Selectable to Match Chart Depth Units
For the Boat
FS#1102 : UI Option Ship Tab Boat Data
See the list in the link
Its a tall order but will give you some guidance. Thank you for all your help with the interface and other improvements.

Rick, thanks. I've seen the various unit proposals on flyspray and mostly agree with them, I was just bringing the subject up here in the context of the options/preferences UI.

The boat data thing is a much bigger proposition, and not exactly related to units - except that, of course, the UI for it must respect the user's unit preferences.


I approve in principle of the idea of a simplified preferences window with a button to show advanced settings, though it would depend exactly how it was implemented whether it was intuitive or not.

I wonder if perhaps the units, too, could be simplified to a few settings - say, a menu where the user can choose between imperial/american units (miles, mph, fathoms, feet), metric units (km, kph, m), nautical units with metric for small distances (nautical miles, kts, m), and nautical with imperial (nautical miles, kts, fathoms, feet).
Then there could be an "advanced units" button which would show individual settings for each thing in case somebody wanted, say, imperial distances but metric depths etc.

What does anyone think?

Caesar