OpenCPN

[Viking Sailor]

Hello Marie,
To use the CM93 charts you need to add them to OpenCPN's list of active charts. To do this, select the wrench (tool) icon, then the chart tab, and add the disk directory location of your CM93 charts. In my case I added "C:\CM93" below "C:\Program Files\OpenCPN\SampleCharts" in the Active Chart Directories field. Also, to turn on and off the chart text you need to select the large "T" icon next to the wrench icon.
Best regards,
Paul

[bdbcat]

For SouthernDrawl...

Here is a quick startup note which may help you along.

OK, first lets get GPS working.

Start Opencpn. Use the Settings icon (looks like a wrench).
Select the NMEA Data Source drop-down box, and choose the port where your GPS is connected.

If you are using a standard serial port, then choose the proper physical port number to match. If, on the other hand, you are using a USB GPS, then you will select the virtual serial port which was created by your GPS device driver. You may need to try several selections to find the correct port.

(Hint for XP/Vista: Using the Device Manager, look for a serial port which appears and disappears dynamically as you plug and unplug the USB GPS cable. This is your virtual GPS serial port.)

In either case, if the GPS is connected, powered up, and recognized, then opencpn will show a pale green background in the upper right window of the toolbar which displays the current chart identification.
If no GPS is present or recognized, the chart identification window will have a pale red background.

Opencpn automatically configures baud rate, bits, parity, etc.These do not need to be separately specified.

Next, load some charts.

Again, start Opencpn, and use the Settings ("wrench") icon.

Choose the tab marked "Charts".

Use the top window pane to locate and highlight the directories containing your charts, one-by-one. When you have a chart directory highlighted, chose "Add Selection". The directory you selected will appear in the bottom window pane, and be added to the opencpn chart database.

When you have finished selecting and adding chart directories, choose "OK".

Opencpn can share chart directories with any other installed chart navigation system. There is no need to make a separate directory for opencpn charts.

Finally, choose the green cross in the opencpn toolbar. This action will center the chart display on your current GPS location, while engaging "Auto Follow" mode for navigation.

I hope these rudimentary instructions will help you get started.
I'll be happy to help troubleshoot any other difficulties you may experience.

Good luck,
Dave

[SouthernDrawl]

for Dave... Thanks for your detailed instructions, Dave. I'll give this a try ASAP and let you know what happens.
I hope some one can find a legtimate source for the CM93 chart database for outside the U.S. for the cruise in Sea of Cortez next fall. Otherwise I'll have to scan in the cruise guide charts to SeaClear and try that route.
Again, many thanks,
Fair winds and following seas
SouthernDrawl

[SouthernDrawl]

For Dave-- I used your guidance and got OpenCPN up and running today with no problems. I directed it to my raster charts for SeaClear with no problems. Even practiced planning a route. Is there any way to plan and store routes ahead of time. I could not find any way to file the route. When I opened OpenCPN up, the dashboard display did not come up as I had arranged and saved it on Thursday. I know the dashboard display is not part of your baileywick, but I thought that after I had "frozen it" as I had arranged it, it would come back up that way when I opened OpenCPN again.
Anyway thanks for your help and directions.
Fair winds.
SouthernDrawl

[idpnd]

I took the liberty of introducing your programme over on SSCA; there's some feedback to be found on the thread.

Best regards

[Jeff Millar]

CM93 CHART database, can I download an old copy of this, or can you email an old copy

[idpnd]

I've seen it floating around on some filesharing networks

[RBEmerson]

As in "Arrrrrrrrr..." and rhymes with "mayday"?

[idpnd]

nope meant the donkey

[SouthernDrawl]

Does someone have some hints for me in getting the front end dashboard to run?? I've searched the web and found the signal parameters for Garmin GPS units re: bits, parity, baud, handshake, etc. and entered them in the frontend setup, and I entered the proper com port for GPS input, but it won't pick up the data, even tho the chartplotter is running fine. What am I doing wrong or missing.
Someone who's more exerienced than I am surely has the remedy. Thanks for your help.
Fair Winds.
SouthenrDrawl

[FuzzyFeat]

Hi Dave, I have just installed opencpn to my Ubuntu 8.10 laptop and have a problem.
While the ECN's display the raster charts do not. I have sent you, via email, a portion of opencpn.log to give you a better idea of what might be going on.

Also the 'scale in' and 'scale out' do not appear to be doing anything. Just what does 'stack +' and 'stack-' mean?
Thanks for the help. Philip

[bdbcat]

Philip (aka FuzzyFeat)

I looked at your logs, and can see no sign of Raster chart loading.
Which Raster charts are you trying to load?

Perhaps you should try to delete the Raster chart folders from the Settings->Charts dialog, "OK" that dialog, go to Settings->Charts again, and re-add the Raster folders.

Do you see blue and green bars along the bottom of the display?
These bars represent the charts available at the current screen viewport location. "Stack +" and "Stack -" cause opencpn to open the chart that is next larger or smaller in scale respectively, at the same screen location.

I cannot understand how "scale in" and "scale out" are not functioning for you. I think maybe I need some screen shots to understand your issues fully.

Standing by....

Thanks
Dave

[FuzzyFeat]

Thanks for the quick reply Dave, I took a screen shot and sent it to you.Also the log entry of the actions I just took.

I removed all folders as you sugested shut down, then added them in the chart tab. Same thing. ENC charts load, Rasters do not. Raster charts are in the SeaClear/charts/Region 6 etc'
I sent a screen shot showing the chart tab along with what happpens when I hover the mouse over 'scale out'. Do I assume correctly that 'Scale Out' and 'Stack -' mean the same thing?
Philip

[bdbcat]

Philip...
Thanks for the quick logs and extremely useful screen shot.

Got it. Ouch. It is a bug, for sure.

Opencpn erroneously assumes the .KAP file names are to be found in upper case only, and not lower case. So, 11009_1.kap is not found, whereas 11009.KAP would be found.

This goes on the fixit list for 1.3.2.

Meanwhile, a workaround for linux is to use rename command, such as

cd {path to .kaps}
rename ’y/kap/KAP/’ *

This will convert all kap to KAP

You will need to delete and reload the affected folder(s) to load in the renamed raster charts.

Sorry for the runaround on this one, and I appreciate your patience.

Good Luck
Dave

p.s. "Scale Out" and "Stack-" are equivalent.

[FuzzyFeat]

Thanks Dave, Glad I could help. I'll rename the files.
However Now Nothing works.

I loaded ECN charts from the South China Seas. I was moving the pointer around the world in a westerly direction.When I got to 400 degrees west I realized there was a problem, so rather than tediously going around the globe the other way I forced opencpn to quit. Usually that would result in it reopening in the last logged position. Wrong. Now it will not open at all. It opens, I get a blank alert box. then it quits. - copy of the log entry below.
09:32:58 PM: 2009-05-21 -------Starting opencpn-------
09:32:58 PM: Using existing Config_File: /home/philip/.opencpn/opencpn.conf
09:32:59 PM: Using s57data in /usr/local/share/opencpn/s57data
09:32:59 PM: Using Tide/Current data from: /usr/local/share/opencpn/tcdata/
09:32:59 PM: NMEA Data Source is....Serial:/dev/ttyS0
09:32:59 PM: Using WVSChart datafile: /usr/local/share/opencpn/wvsdata/wvs43.dat
09:32:59 PM: AIS Data Source is....None
09:32:59 PM: NMEA AutoPilot Port is....None
09:32:59 PM: MemoryStatus: mem_total: 515816 kb, mem_initial: 155796 kb
09:33:00 PM: Initializing Chart /home/philip/NOOA_ENCharts/US2EC01M.000
09:33:00 PM: Building SENC file for /home/philip/NOOA_ENCharts/US2EC01M.000 to /home/philip/.opencpn/SENC/US2EC01M.S57
09:33:01 PM: s57chart::BuildS57File DDFRecord 0 does not contain DSID:ISDT in update file /home/philip/NOOA_ENCharts/CATALOG.031
09:33:01 PM: s57chart::BuildS57File DDFRecord 0 does not contain DSID:EDTN in update file /home/philip/NOOA_ENCharts/CATALOG.031
09:33:01 PM: CPL ERROR 3: Leader is short on DDF file `/home/philip/NOOA_ENCharts/Region 06 - Norfolk VA to Florida including the ICW'.
09:33:01 PM: s57chart::BuildS57File Unable to open update file /home/philip/NOOA_ENCharts/Region 06 - Norfolk VA to Florida including the ICW
09:33:01 PM: CPL ERROR 3: Leader is short on DDF file `/home/philip/NOOA_ENCharts/SouthChinaSea'.
09:33:01 PM: s57chart::BuildS57File Unable to open update file /home/philip/NOOA_ENCharts/SouthChinaSea