Opencpn 4.1.1108 Documentation

[rgleason]

Thanks guys. I saw two links while working one with the word "experiment" and another to a cruisers forum thread. I will do a search for the 1st on and remove it, but the question is about what will become an external inet link when on a boat. What do we do about those? Just leave them?

[rgleason]

This morning our Webmaster, Will Kamp wrote back:

Rick,
Thank you for emailing me and sorry about the delayed response...
To answer your questions:
Q: "Is there a way for me to get into the underlying HTML for the Navigation Menu?"
A: No, the index html is generated at run time based on the structure of the wiki.

If you'd like "Plugins" to be a top level page in the wiki. It might be best to just move it there (out of the toolbar section). However, I think the best approach would be to rename "Plugin Link" to "Third Party Plugins" and have a page that briefly describes what a plugin is. Then provide a link to the existing Plugins page in the tool bar.
So, we would have a page describing what plugins are and how great they are. Then a link to the existing pages on how to use them.

Best, Will

On Sun, Jan 10, 2016 at 1:16 PM Rick Gleason wrote:

Will,

I am trying to get the User Manual ready for v4.2 and have been organizing the main outline.
We need a direct link from several of the Navigation menu items on the left side, directly to a particular URL.

For example: Currently we have "Plugins" in the first tier, towards the bottom. We are using a blank jump page with only a link to a "Plugins" page under "Toolbar Buttons > Plugins". This requires the user to click twice.

I would like to be able to insert the required link directly into the menu, so two clicks is not necessary. Is there a way for me to get into the underlying HTML for the Navigation Menu?

Of course we would not want to break the export wiki script.

Also I realize that we must have unique "Headings" for each page...otherwise the first page instance with the particular heading gets used for every page with that heading. This actually works favorably for us in the case of "Plugins" because the Jump page is ignored and the two clicks are not necessary from the Exported Wiki.

However when we are using the web page, we are required to use the "Jump Page" and two clicks. Is there a way around this that is compatible with the wiki export?

PS: I am going to rename one of the "Plugins" Headings as "Plugins Link"

I hope you can give me access to create a "Plugins Link" direct dynamic link to Plugins | Official OpenCPN Homepage which has the content.

----
One other question about screenshots.
In Edit mode when images are adjusted with the corner tool, so that the aspect and size are changed, does the image get adjusted and compressed when it is exported?
I ask because we have a fairly sizable export image folder at the moment.

Thanks very much for hosting OpenCPN and being our webmaster!!!
Rick Gleason

Regarding screenshots and images being resized when they have been adjusted to a smaller resolution in the content area, I do not believe the export reduces the resolution. Therefore it is best to resize to the actual resolution you expect to use.
-Probably equal to or less than 550 pixels x whatever for full screen shots, and certainly not more than 640 px.

[wdkester]

Originally Posted by rgleason

Thanks guys. I saw two links while working one with the word "experiment" and another to a cruisers forum thread. I will do a search for the 1st on and remove it, but the question is about what will become an external inet link when on a boat. What do we do about those? Just leave them?

External links I make Bold, Internal Italics, but I don't think this is documented anywhere!

[rgleason]

Gilletarom, hopefully this answers most of your questions

Beta Dev Change log We check for items that affect the User Manual
Update the User Manual As we check each item, we record by editing this.
How to Edit the User Manual Here is how to edit. -Work in progress. I just did it.

Gilletarom: wrote here

I can do something about the NV-Verlag plugin. I can from the French base I in the French tutorial. There is not much to translate. I think I will.

For BSB4 plugin, I have not the use of charts, so no experience. By cons, there are charts of Canada that uses (or used) this plugin. We should find a Canadian can make a page for this plugin.

We have bobofthenorth writing the BSB4 plugin this weekend.
If you can give me a link to the page that would be a great help. Thanks.

[rgleason]

David wrote:

Google Earth has changed(removed?) their program interface so that the GE plugin will only work with older vers of GE. Pal Higgins (GE2KAP) has a mod to GE that allows GE2KAQP to work. I'm afraid the GE PI has disappeared.
I would hope that the PI authors would update the manual.

David, I had not seen this post. How much do you know about Google Earth and the GEplugin GE2Kap ? I notice that P. Higgins is updating it and improving it, but I believe it uses the older version of GE, is it 7?

It would be very nice to have a PI page that summarizes the use of the plugin, what is required for Google Earth, where P.Higgins website is (and any other resources).

It is listed on the Opencpn Download Page
Google Earth Plugin v1.0, released 2015-01-01
With these notes from Pavel's git repos.

And there is also P.Higgins website
GE2KAP Help

Which seems pretty current.
Here is the install page
Prerequisites

Here is his CSForum Page

So I don't really know what the current status is.
Can you help us with this? and maybe write a very succinct guide < than 3 paragraphs?

Thanks

[rgleason]

It appears to me that we have finished the Change.Log list through v4.1.1301
with the exception of some changes to files needed to be copied over for v4.1.1301.

Thank you David and Peter for your help.
I think the two things that remain are:

1. Updating External Plugins (3rd party)

• BSB4 - bobofthenorth sending a text and screenshots.
• NVCharts - Gilletarom may send a link to his page to be translated.
• GE2kap - possibly?
• Any others that need updating (on my list is Weatherfax & Weather_routing).

2. Checking links throughout the document. (Sunday, -will take a day probably)

Plugin Documentation help by others (who have used the plugins) would be very much appreciated.

[rgleason]

The current exported User Manual when downloaded (right-click Save link as...) is about

The text file is named OpenCPN User Manual.htm and is only 887kb

However the problem is the images..
C:\Users\..\O-Manual\OpenCPN User Manual_files
771 items total = 52.7mb
Of these items
71 items >200kb with resolution 600 x whatever (850kb to 200kb).
These 71 items take up 25.7mb!

If these items were reduced to 200 kb max
71x200kb = 14.2 mb = so the 52.7 would reduce by 11.5mb or to 41.2mb

This is still pretty big.

I think it would be best to issue the USER MANUAL in two parts.

Basics
Getting Started
Menubar
Toolbar
Right Click

Details
Charts
Connections
Plugins Link (just a link)
Advanced Features
Faq
Links

What is the easiest way to do this??

Make another Book? If I make another book the links will work on the website, but the exported links will not work, because the export PHP script acts only on the OpenCPN User Manual.

Use the Manage Outline tool to organize the OpenCPN Manual into the two sections under the book OpenCPN User Manual

Basics
Details

Then what do we do? Export two full single page html files and then try to delete the other section? How would these work together? --I think the links would be broken.

I am still pretty vague on exactly how to do this. Any ideas would be appreciated.

Also should we go after those 71 image files with 11.5 mb of excess?

[rgleason]

After some further thought. Perhaps we should have two versions
Basic Version <25mb hopefully
Full Version 53mb

This will require export of the full document. Zip that.

Then hand editing of html to create the compressed basic version. We will need to search and change certain links to Charts, Connections, Plugin Links, FAQ etc to have a note to download the full version.

Then cull the image directory of all images not needed. (I have not yet figured out how to do this easily.)

Any bright ideas out there?

[rgleason]

Also perhaps Internal Plugins should stay with the compressed version, but the External Plugin documentation should be removed.

[wdkester]

Originally Posted by rgleason

David wrote:
David, I had not seen this post. How much do you know about Google Earth and the GEplugin GE2Kap ? I notice that P. Higgins is updating it and improving it, but I believe it uses the older version of GE, is it 7?

It would be very nice to have a PI page that summarizes the use of the plugin, what is required for Google Earth, where P.Higgins website is (and any other resources).

It is listed on the Opencpn Download Page
Google Earth Plugin v1.0, released 2015-01-01
With these notes from Pavel's git repos.

And there is also P.Higgins website
GE2KAP Help

Which seems pretty current.
Here is the install page
Prerequisites

Here is his CSForum Page

So I don't really know what the current status is.
Can you help us with this? and maybe write a very succinct guide < than 3 paragraphs?

Thanks

Paul is sailing. I have emailed him. I let you know when he replies.

I don't know for shure that he is the author of the PI. He did write GE2Kap and that is all I find on his web site. The document that you linked to is part of the GE2KAP install.

I do know that if the GE PI is updated to work with O 4.2, the user will still need to get an old version of GE or install Pauls update to the GE API.

In any event there won't be a GE plugin for 4.2 ready anytime soon. I don't know how we want to say it, but that's what should go into the manual. My opinion.

[wdkester]

OOOOOOPPPPS I just tried the GE plugin on 4.1.1301 and it works. I'll put some documentation together. Keep in mind that I use GE2Kap and have the GE API mod. I would like to talk to Paul before we advertise that we're doing something tha Google might not like.

I don't have time until tomorrow.

[rgleason]

This post is worth reading and thinking about...how can we improve Opencpn for the user.

[rgleason]

..just tried the GE plugin on 4.1.1301 and it works. I'll put some documentation together. I don't have time until tomorrow.

Nice. Thanks.

[Gilletarom]

Hello RGleason, hello Dave,

NVC Charts page updated is online.

NV Charts | Official OpenCPN Homepage

Please, read this page and if you see spelling mismatch, please correct.

If you thing that some content is not good, said it or correct yourself.

Thank by advance.

For information :
- French shoreline page for NV-Verlag is here : Le plug-in NVC Chart
This page is update.

- French shoreline page for BS4 is here : Le plug-in BSB4
But this page is not updated.

[Gilletarom]

Hello all,

Originally Posted by wdkester

OOOOOOPPPPS I just tried the GE plugin on 4.1.1301 and it works. ......

I tryed GE plugin this afternoon with 411301 (Thingie version) using the old version of GE (See GE2KAP website). It works only partially.