Open CPN questions

[seahag]

Hi everyone,

I tried to do the FAQ, but it starts in 2008 or 9, and there are 23 Pages! not really FAQ at that rate, is it?

What I'd like to know is--

Is this a viable system to use in Alaska, where I live? It doesn't take long to get off the grid here, so how to access it with no internet? Or do you download the charts and tie it into a separate GPS? Do most of you use tablets for this? I am guessing it is meant for someone with a lot of inside computer knowledge, which is not me--I have been using macs for a very long time but don't know much about the details underneath the basic system. How is it with iPad--has the mac technology caught on with this?

Thanks, I realize I could probably find all this if I waded through many pages of technical information but I get lost in all of that.

-Scott

[bobofthenorth]

If there are charts available - which there are for Alaska - then its a fine system for navigation anywhere in the world. Absolutely no need for an internet connection once O is installed. As a matter of fact, we cruised SE last spring using OpenCPN as our prime nav system.

For anyone cruising US waters the NOAA charts are exceptional and free. I can't understand why anyone WOULDN'T use OpenCPN under those circumstances.

Read the FAQ thread. Its free software ferchrisakes - a few minutes scanning a thread won't hurt you.

[jackdale]

I use a Win 8 tablet with a built in GPS. I am not help with Apple products.

I download the charts or get my Canadian charts on CD and that tell Open CPN where they are stored. Viola.

[seahag]

Thanks guys. Bob, I tried to read the FAQ thread and it was way over my head in minutes. There's no FAQ's on it (that I have found)--just lots of technical details I can't relate to.

I have downloaded the OpenCPN system 4.0, and it says I have no charts. Where do I get the charts?

[bobofthenorth]

http://www.charts.noaa.gov

R.J.(Bob) Evans
www.travellingwithgeorge.blogspot.com

[bcn]

Scott,

OpenCPN comes with an excellent manual on board:
the help button (the one with the "?") and then Help.

There is a chapter about charts.
We really recommend to take the time to go through the basic functions.
OCPN is not difficult to use, but it has a lot of functions so some learning is required. Especially if you want to rely on OCPN for navigation. It's your safety.

As you have noted there is a version for Mac - not for Apple tablets or phones as their underlying system (iOS) is different from OS X.

Hubert

[four winds]

I use mac laptops and would be interested to hear others experience with opencpn on that platform.

My experience after recently downloading the latest version remains unsatifactory. Everything works, I like the program but it randomly crashes. This is very un-mac like to me. Never had anything else do this on a mac. However, it was very stable and a great tool on the last windows laptop I used.

In realise it's open source and bright people give thier time freely to the project. My hat's off to them. It could be I need to work at it to be reliable. But that's no longer my style as a recovering IT professional in the PC environment.

Instead I use PolarView from PolarNavy. Inexpensive for mac laptops and free download for Ipad. Never an issue. Same free charts. Setup for touchscreen use. Still haven't read the manual or FAQ after years of use.

[bcn]

Four Winds....

From the >200k OCPN users there are about 10% - perhaps a bit more - OS-X installs.

You might help to improve OCPN documenting the crashes you observe - are those repeatable?
What is helpful is the crash report from ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/

Something like

Crashed Thread:        0  Dispatch queue: com.apple.main-thread

Exception Type:        EXC_BAD_ACCESS (SIGSEGV)
Exception Codes:       KERN_INVALID_ADDRESS at 0x0000000000000000

VM Regions Near 0:
--> 
    __TEXT                 0000000108fad000-0000000109591000 [ 6032K] r-x/rwx SM=COW  /Applications/OpenCPN.app/Contents/MacOS/OpenCPN

Thread 0 Crashed:: Dispatch queue: com.apple.main-thread
0   com.apple.CoreFoundation      	0x00007fff90596ae9 CFStringCompare + 25
1   libwx_osx_cocoau_core-3.0.0.3.0.dylib	0x0000000109a3677c wxDisplayDepth() + 76
2   libwx_osx_cocoau_core-3.0.0.3.0.dylib	0x0000000109a3e011 wxBitmap::Create(int, int, int) + 45
3   org.opencpn                   	0x0000000109008758 ocpnDC::DrawText(wxString const&, int, int) + 184
4   org.opencpn                   	0x0000000109298350 AISDrawTarget(AIS_Target_Data*, ocpnDC&) + 32592
5   org.opencpn                   	0x0000000109290283 AISDraw(ocpnDC&) + 147
6   org.opencpn                   	0x000000010936ad3a glChartCanvas::DrawFloatingOverlayObjects(ocpnDC&, OCPNRegion&) + 266
7   org.opencpn                   	0x0000000109366950 glChartCanvas::Render() + 3952
8   org.opencpn                   	0x000000010935f401 glChartCanvas::OnPaint(wxPaintEvent&) + 273
9   libwx_baseu-3.0.0.3.0.dylib   	0x00000001098d1715 wxEvtHandler::ProcessEventIfMatchesId(wxEventTableEntryBase const&, wxEvtHandler*, wxEvent&) + 93
10  libwx_baseu-3.0.0.3.0.dylib   	0x00000001098d2c1b wxEventHashTable::HandleEvent(wxEvent&, wxEvtHandler*) + 241
11  libwx_baseu-3.0.0.3.0.dylib   	0x00000001098d2cbc wxEvtHandler::TryHereOnly(wxEvent&) + 152
12  libwx_baseu-3.0.0.3.0.dylib   	0x00000001098d2d1a wxEvtHandler::ProcessEventLocally(wxEvent&) + 46
13  libwx_baseu-3.0.0.3.0.dylib   	0x00000001098d2474 wxEvtHandler::ProcessEvent(wxEvent&) + 142
14  libwx_baseu-3.0.0.3.0.dylib   	0x00000001098d1afc wxEvtHandler::SafelyProcessEvent(wxEvent&) + 18
15  libwx_osx_cocoau_core-3.0.0.3.0.dylib	0x0000000109bb22b0 wxWindowBase::HandleWindowEvent(wxEvent&) const + 16
16  libwx_osx_cocoau_core-3.0.0.3.0.dylib	0x0000000109a3a2c4 wxWindow::MacDoRedraw(long) + 888
17  libwx_osx_cocoau_core-3.0.0.3.0.dylib	0x0000000109ae1a55 wxWidgetCocoaImpl::drawRect(void*, NSView*, void*) + 887
18  libwx_osx_cocoau_core-3.0.0.3.0.dylib	0x0000000109ae27d1 wxOSX_drawRect(NSView*, objc_selector*, CGRect) + 545
19  com.apple.AppKit              	0x00007fff8b9cfb19 -[NSView _drawRect:clip:] + 4238

[four winds]

I had considered the smaller user base slows developement of the mac version.

I can post a log file soon. Not sure if this thread is the place to do so?

As far as repeatability goes, it just crashes after a random time interval from a few to many minutes while running with no user input. Just watching it run and blip, disappears.

Never a quitter, I've tried every version as they come out on first a mid-2010 macbook pro and then a mid-2011 macbook air. I'm OS 10.8xx or so I think. The common Globalsat puck (?-353). Always the same results as stated above.

Tomorrow I gotta work on the dinghy and go up the mast, but I'll post a report in the evening.

[bcn]

The development goes in parallel for all architectures.

The main issue/differerence (and weak point) for OS-X is the corresponding wxWidgets library.
And some developers specially of plug-ins don´t have access to a Mac. Implies less plug-ins for Mac

Crash reports should go into the bug tracker, Flyspray, which you find at opencpn.org
The site is down again since yesterday though - so please be patient...

[four winds]

Just realized I've been using the air for four years without any other issues. Only maintenance being an occasional OS or security update when on a fast wifi somewhere a cojple or three times.

Still boots in 13 seconds though I rarely turn it off. Not a fanboy but sure like a tool that works and keeps on working.

[four winds]

Roger that, I'll post to flyspray.

Can't put the mac online at current location but assume the file can be transfered to my phone for upload.

[CarCode]

Originally Posted by bcn

The development goes in parallel for all architectures.

Sadly not, there seems to be more important playgrounds like Raspberry Pi and Android for the developpers.

The main issue/differerence (and weak point) for OS-X is the corresponding wxWidgets library.

No, I've pointed years ago to use the latest wx for Mac. Better to use it for Windows and Linux as well because the old version is buggy.

And some developers specially of plug-ins don´t have access to a Mac. Implies less plug-ins for Mac

Correct.

Gerhard

[seahag]

bcn,
Thanks for the help. I did try to read and use the help feature yesterday but the main site was down. So, worked through on my own, and got into a local chart to the point where I could do a few things. It will take time and research for sure. I just don't know that much about it, and what it may mean to interface between other systems right now. For me, I can maneuver pretty well around a screen and various capabilities but when I see all the advanced technical jargon you guys are tossing around on this site, I am not that guy! I can't begin to comprehend all that.

Scott

[bcn]

Scott,

just keep asking if you get stuck......

Hubert