OCPN data sharing Focus Group

[Antipole]

Dave... you are aware of my requests for enhancements to APIs etc. to make syncing possible via a plugin. For completeness in this Focus Group, I list here the relevant bits.

I would like a plugin to be able to:

• determine when a waypoint or route is added, updated or deleted FS#2888
• control navigation to a waypoint or along a route FS£2889
• distinquish when a waypoint/route/track is in a layer FS#2864
• access attributes of routes and tracks as it can for waypoints FS#2835 & FS#2842

[bdbcat]

All...
I am interested in input on functionality, not implementation. We have extremely limited dev resources, and do not want to spend time on coding that is not directly improving the user experience.



So far I see :
1. One user agrees with my initial "I would like to..."
2. One user suggests "I would like to be able to import/export RTZ format, wireless"


The rest of the comments are either
a) not related to this topic, though interesting
b) suggested implementation details that may or may not be related.


On a): Bug reports and suggestions for improvement are always welcome. That is what Flyspray is all about. It is a simple fact that "drive-by" reports on this forum of this or that thing that could use improvement, without follow-up, are usually lost in the noise level.


On b): These are good points, and might be considered when it comes time to build something. But we are not at that point yet. First we settle on functionality, then we build.


Since there is a bias toward reporting bugs in this thread, let us try a different tack.


Please tell me what is inconvenient or not working properly, for you, when you want to share routes, points,or tracks with another device.
Do you even need this functionality?



Thanks
Dave

[sv_pelagia]

I currently use a PC program (GPSUTILITY) to edit waypoints (change symbols for groups of waypoints so that they match my Furuno chart plotter, and convert to Furuno rou/rat format).

I would like to be able to do this all within OpenCPN:
- Change symbols for one or many selected waypoints at a time (without having to go into each waypoint's properties!)

- select symbol for different chart plotters (currently, OpenCPN does not, for example, have the Furuno symbol set

- in addition to gpx, ability to save in formats for different systems (such as Furuno rat/rou, kml, etc)

Thanks!

[Rasbats]

Things are moving on:

http://www.marine-fields.com/wp-cont...-and-S-421.pdf

https://www.cirm.org/s-421/index.html

I have not yet compared the schemas for RTZ and S-421.

Mike

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by Rasbats

Things are moving on:

http://www.marine-fields.com/wp-cont...-and-S-421.pdf

https://www.cirm.org/s-421/index.html

I have not yet compared the schemas for RTZ and S-421.

Mike

Yes, but not backwards compatible with existing chartplotters?

[Be Free]

I am currently sharing tracks, waypoints, and routes between a Windows computer, a Linux computer, and a Garmin MFD. The Windows computer is usually used for trip planning, the Linux machine is running on the boat, and the Garmin is used in the cockpit.


Currently I keep a master list of tracks, waypoints, and routes in a shared Dropbox folder. The Garmin is not networked so items have to be moved via SD card. I understand that this discussion will not affect that step.


I find it inconvenient to export tracks, waypoints, and routes as GPX files to the shared folder and then import them into the other machine. They are usually on the same network during planning so having them synchronize via the network would remove a couple of manual steps.

[Antipole]

Originally Posted by sv_pelagia

I would like to be able to do this all within OpenCPN:
- Change symbols for one or many selected waypoints at a time (without having to go into each waypoint's properties!)

- select symbol for different chart plotters (currently, OpenCPN does not, for example, have the Furuno symbol set

- in addition to gpx, ability to save in formats for different systems (such as Furuno rat/rou, kml, etc)

I think you can do all this now within OpenCPN using a script for the JavaScript plugin. In the JavaScripts library there is one that bulk-edits selected waypoints and another that writes tracks out as a kml file. These could be a starting point for what you want.

If you want further help/advice, please start a new topic to avoid digression in this one.

[Frank999]

I would like to be able to maintain a database of waypoints with Excel and import them in bulk directly into OpenCPN.

[rgleason]

I would like to be able to "sync" routes, points, or tracks between multiple instances of OCPN accessible on a network. The GUI to perform this should be clear and explicit, with no more than two levels of dialog detail, accessible reasonably on a touch screen. As a user, I don't want to know the details of "GUID conflict", whatever that is. I just want it to work about as seamlessly as sending a photo on a social media app.

I think this is good as far as it goes.

In CAD with multiple "creators/editors" working on a common project database, we used to have a "semaphore" notice when someone was working on a layer of a drawing, we were either forced to update and into view mode, with no edit, or locked out. Things have progressed since then and the lockout or view restrictions are more fine grained, and update of the local project database is essentially automatic, once a redraw is forced. For Cad systems, which require quite large amounts of data, it became clear that a sophisticated central database was best to keep everyone working effectively, but this database may have changed in some ways, since I was really involved.


I would like to think that some thought and design for concurrency is worked into this OpenCPN to OpenCPN communication. Perhaps the dataset is small enough that it can just be updated regularly. Perhaps Stevead's idea for a better database would help. However it works, these are things that need to be worked out.

Dream:

There exists a need for interoperability, which is not supposed to be discussed here.

As Rasbats noted: Yacht Devices News Wouldn't it be something if eventually OpenCPN's Nmea2000 could use the set of eleven PGNs with numbers 130064-130074. PGN 130074 "WP Name & Position" is used to send waypoints. It would be the only chartplotter that supported it, but it would driver others to start using it. (They don't want to because it is not Open).

1. Stevead has given some thought to using a database which would inherently provide many of the characteristics that might be needed instead of navobj.xml. Of course he has some concern about unwiring the navobj.xml in the code, but it might help with interoperability too.
2. Rasbats sees standards being developed for exchange of this information and he would like to see OpenCPN respond to that too.

I think it is good to have these kinds of things on the radar and be thinking about them and considering what can be done.

Dave I have no doubt you are miles ahead of all of us and have already thought about a lot of this and have determined that the thread topic is one of the next steps.

[Aldebaran17]

Originally Posted by bdbcat

Please tell me what is inconvenient or not working properly, for you, when you want to share routes, points,or tracks with another device.
Do you even need this functionality?

Dave, this is actually the feature I would have liked to have during this year's summer trip.

My use case:
OCPN runs on a RaspPi with a touch screen installed fixed on the nav station. At the helm I use a iPad or a Galaxy Tab for mirroring the screen (via VCN) to navigate. For not getting lost in between the Swedish little islands off the coast (in Swedish skårgård), I created a rather detailled route the day before (could be 50 waypoints for just 10 miles travelled), which required zooming in and out "thousands" of times on the chart, adding waypoints, moving them, which is very tedious on the Pi.
So planning (creating the route) is done an a Macbook. I like to send this route easily ("with one click", like Airdrop) from the Mac to the Pi, and at the same time get the track of the day back to the Mac. Since it is much easier on the Mac to change details (Changing start and end position and name of the track for house keeping) or fix things, like splitting or merging tracks.

In essence: what I would like is a sync button, to sync individual navigational objects, like routes, tracks, or sometimes even objects I had to draw myself. And a sync all button, or even the possibility to sync group nav objects in folders (like last year, this year, next trip).

The current alternative (file export, transfer via VNC and import on the other side) is not userfriendly, and error prone.

Best,

Manfred

[Capt.Don]

I would like the ability to enable and disable waypoint icons/symbols.

Currently there are 100's of beautifully crafted icons, of which I may use 10. The reason for using a limited number of waypoint icons is to allow compatibility between Garmin and Raymarine GPS's. Additionally, I have my own symbol for 'Red X', which are larger. When I select 'Red X', OCPN first selects the system icon. If I select again, it uses mine. Enabling/disabling the system icons would solve this too.

OCPN would need a maintain waypoint icon screen, with the icon, name and an enable/disable checkbox. Then, when entering or editing a waypoint and selecting the icon, display only the list of enabled icons in the drop-down list.

Thanks!!
Don

[Capt.Don]

Originally Posted by stevead

....

INSERT INTO waypoints VALUES ('2e870000-8acd-4ca8-b6d7-110a7c7affff', '2019-10-08T11:04:32Z', 'Roda De Barra', '41.163526667', '1.481703333', 'triangle')

That's all.

Rewrite sql query with column names, as

Insert into waypoints (guid,waypoint_date, description, lat, lon, icon) values ('2e870000-8acd-4ca8-b6d7-110a7c7affff', '2019-10-08T11:04:32Z', 'Roda De Barra', 41.163526667, 1.481703333, 'triangle');

[sv_pelagia]

Originally Posted by Capt.Don

I would like the ability to enable and disable waypoint icons/symbols.



Currently there are 100's of beautifully crafted icons, of which I may use 10. The reason for using a limited number of waypoint icons is to allow compatibility between Garmin and Raymarine GPS's. Additionally, I have my own symbol for 'Red X', which are larger. When I select 'Red X', OCPN first selects the system icon. If I select again, it uses mine. Enabling/disabling the system icons would solve this too.



OCPN would need a maintain waypoint icon screen, with the icon, name and an enable/disable checkbox. Then, when entering or editing a waypoint and selecting the icon, display only the list of enabled icons in the drop-down list.



Thanks!!

Don

Good idea! (I think this is mentioned as a future idea in opcpn manual.)

And how to add (where to get) alternative symbol sets such as those used by Furuno, Garmin, etc. (Actually, I once did add another set from SV Revelation but none of those were useful. I am looking for standard --perhaps old -- Furuno and Garmin symbol sets.)

[rgleason]

I think this idea will be lost unless it is entered into Tracker with a link to these off topic posts.

[verkerkbr]

The only data that have to be send out from O are the waypoints and route data.

Make one item for the complete data set to be send out.

If possible also in the SignalK format for the use in the SignalK server. So that this can be put on the NMEA2k net via a canbus adapter.

This allready works and is in use with the NMEA2K instrument sets of the B&G (Navico) systems. Showing the route data.

Also for the use in auto-pilot systems.

It is now a rather complicated with the special instructions for the user to avoid "singing around" of the data.

I think that a separate data server is the way to go, to combine all the information available. And keep O as a chart plotter only with one incoming stream and one outgoing stream.

This outgoing stream can be simplified with one choice "route out" (of course in nmea183 or SK format).

Bram