OpenCPN General

[manimaul]

Originally Posted by sailorF54

to replace the old SHOM.RLE on Vector Palette | Official OpenCPN Homepage
with a new one from the current (i.e. 2.3.0) S52RAZDS.RLE

Done, link on page is updated. Any volunteers to create and maintain a vector palette plugin?

W

[billonladyslip]

I'm trying to use only ENC charts downloaded from NOAA and am confused. Apparently OpenCPN needs to pre-process each ENC.000 chart as it is encountered and construct a matching set of files with .BMP & .S57 extensions. These 2 new files are put into (WindowsXP) Documents and Settings/All Users/Application Data/opencpn/SENC and are 6X the original ENC.000's file size.

What are these?

Are all 3 files needed?

Is there a way to create these beforehand as opposed to having to manually encounter each and every chart and wait for the pop-ups to process?

Thank You,
Bill

[dacust]

Originally Posted by billonladyslip

I'm trying to use only ENC charts downloaded from NOAA and am confused. Apparently OpenCPN needs to pre-process each ENC.000 chart as it is encountered and construct a matching set of files with .BMP & .S57 extensions. These 2 new files are put into (WindowsXP) Documents and Settings/All Users/Application Data/opencpn/SENC and are 6X the original ENC.000's file size.

What are these?

Are all 3 files needed?

Is there a way to create these beforehand as opposed to having to manually encounter each and every chart and wait for the pop-ups to process?

Thank You,
Bill

The pre-process is something I have asked for previously. Maybe tonight I'll put in a FlySpray entry. I'd like it so I can plan disk space and to avoid the annoyance of the pop-up.

ENC charts are distributed in a format that programs cannot use efficiently. Each software converts this into an internal format that it can use. OpenCPN creates the .S57 for internal use. I am pretty sure I am right when I say the .bmp is used for the preview when you mouse over the chart bar. I have not tried it, but it may be possible that once it is converted, the original .000 files are not needed anymore.

I edited the .cfg file to put my S57 and .BMP files into my chart directory (in a SENC subdirectory). Works great. Now if I load onto another system, I just copy the 1 chart directory and it does not have to rebuild them. I don't have to go grab the appdata directory. Actually, for home use, I have my charts on an external USB drive, so now the charts including the SENCs and BMPs are all there if I plug it into a different machine.

-dan

[billonladyslip]

Thanks Dan.
Sounds like a batch process would be nice to prep all charts up front. I guess it will be a wait and see.
Bill

[cagney]

I have raised this subject with Dave, of course I can't find it now.....
but the gist of what Dave said is:
It's unrealistic to pre-process all ENC:s, as it takes to long time and creates very large files.

I feel that the option should be there, and leave it to the user if it's worth while. When not in use, the SENCs for a certain rote could be compressed and saved on a external media, for example.

I don't think its a good idea to remove the source .000 files as these are essential for updating. I just tested with the South China Sea ENCS, and if you create SENCs and then remove the source, those charts are not available when you restart. Apparently OpenCPN first checks the directories entered in the chart tab and then, checks for availability of SENCs.

The best advice I can give, for now is,... if you plan a trip from A to B, manually visit all ENC charts in between and make sure that SENCs are created, before leaving, and as a part of the pre-trip planning.

Thomas

[dacust]

Originally Posted by cagney

I have raised this subject with Dave, of course I can't find it now.....
but the gist of what Dave said is:
It's unrealistic to pre-process all ENC:s, as it takes to long time and creates very large files.

I feel that the option should be there, and leave it to the user if it's worth while. When not in use, the SENCs for a certain rote could be compressed and saved on a external media, for example.

I don't think its a good idea to remove the source .000 files as these are essential for updating. I just tested with the South China Sea ENCS, and if you create SENCs and then remove the source, those charts are not available when you restart. Apparently OpenCPN first checks the directories entered in the chart tab and then, checks for availability of SENCs.

The best advice I can give, for now is,... if you plan a trip from A to B, manually visit all ENC charts in between and make sure that SENCs are created, before leaving, and as a part of the pre-trip planning.

Thomas

Sounds good.

My argument is that I have a quad core machine with 2 - 2tb drives. So, I have the processing power and disk space is no problem. I'd rather have them all there. I can kick off a job over a weekend and let them convert while I am doing something else, rather than have to wait for each one while I am trying to scroll across a screen on a slow laptop.

When I get ready to do a trip, if disk space is an issue for the laptop, I can just copy the ones I need. But, I plan to build some dedicated machines for the boat and disk space will not be a problem there, either. 1tb disks can be had for under $60 now days. I can build 3 12v systems for way less than a grand (not counting displays).

Like you said, I think it should be an option and let the user decide. If I knew more about C, I would try to dive through the code and find the routines to cobble something together for myself. But I feel pretty sure I'd just get myself frustrated.

-dan

[billonladyslip]

Too bad Dave's missing the boat with ENC charts; I can not imagine the amount of time required to "walk through" each and every chart in order to render the SENC's for the Atlantic seaboard - let alone the manual cross-checking to insure you have them all done. I gave up doing the Long Island Sound as the task was unmanageable. Imagine having the pop-up processing at the most inopportune time while entering some harbor at night; no thanks. Oh well guess it's back to raster for now. Bill

[fgd3]

Originally Posted by billonladyslip

Imagine having the pop-up processing at the most inopportune time while entering some harbor at night; no thanks. Oh well guess it's back to raster for now. Bill

I don't think the pop-up which appears when you load a vector chart is building the SENC for that chart. I get the pop-up every time I open a vector chart in a new session. The SENC files don't go away when you shut down OpenCPN, do they? So I can't help thinking even if you had a way to open every vector chart in order to generate the SENC file you wouldn't solve the pop-up problem.

Fabbian

[dacust]

Originally Posted by fgd3

I don't think the pop-up which appears when you load a vector chart is building the SENC for that chart. I get the pop-up every time I open a vector chart in a new session. The SENC files don't go away when you shut down OpenCPN, do they? So I can't help thinking even if you had a way to open every vector chart in order to generate the SENC file you wouldn't solve the pop-up problem.

Fabbian

There are two different pop-ups for SENC files.

File Create Pop-Up
This is the one that builds the chart. It will happen once the very first time you view that chart. It can take a while to run. This procedure actually creates a chart in a file, so it remains after OpenCPN is closed and reopened. (It also creates the preview file used with mouse-over on the chart bar.)

File Load Pop-Up
The other is the one that loads the chart. It does not create a file, but simply loads the chart into memory. It is much quicker. It will run once when you hit the chart the first time. When the number of charts exceeds the stack limit, charts start getting purged from memory. If that SENC was purged, you'll get the pop-up again if you go back to it. If it was not purged, you won't get the pop-up. When you close OpenCpn, all the charts in memory go away. Next time you open it, it will have to load them again.

So, the very first time you view a chart, you'll get both pop-ups. Thereafter, you'll only get the second pop-up, and only then if it is not already in memory.

-dan

[fgd3]

Originally Posted by dacust

There are two different pop-ups for SENC files.

File Create Pop-Up
This is the one that builds the chart. It will happen once the very first time you view that chart. It can take a while to run. This procedure actually creates a chart in a file, so it remains after OpenCPN is closed and reopened. (It also creates the preview file used with mouse-over on the chart bar.)

-dan

What is it that happens when you add a new chart directory or force a full database rebuild? That takes a long time and seems to visit every chart in the directory.

Fabbian

[dacust]

Originally Posted by fgd3

What is it that happens when you add a new chart directory or force a full database rebuild? That takes a long time and seems to visit every chart in the directory.

Fabbian

Someone that knows more about it should probably answer, but I'll give it a shot.

A full database rebuild will rebuild the chart database. The database probably includes chart name, type of chart, and coordinates of coverage. So, when you are at a particular place, it can look at the database and know which charts are available for display.

When you add or remove a directory, the chart manager will only alter the database. Also, if I remember correctly, if you change the add/remove/change charts in the directory, if you open the chart manager, it looks at the last changed dates and does rebuilds of the directories that changed.

The chart database rebuild does nothing to the actual charts.

Remember, the above is what I remember from following the development over the last year, and things may have changed some since then. So take it as a rough guide only, until one of the developers chines in and corrects my misconceptions.

But, I think I am mostly right...

-dan

[fgd3]

Originally Posted by dacust

Someone that knows more about it should probably answer, but I'll give it a shot.

-dan

That sounds like a reasonable explanation. Thanks.

Fabbian

[blackyf16]

Running OpenCPN 2.3.1. Quick question on grib interface: Activated the plugin, downloaded the ZyGrib program, and downloaded grib data. The data comes up fine on the ZyGrib map, but when I select specific grib data to overlay while in OpenCPN, I don't see any grib data unless I am scaled out beyond a useable range on the map..i.e, can't even see the map...Is there some setup technique or something I need to check to get useable grib data on a normally scaled map that is open in OpenCPN...which I really like by the way! Thanks! blacky

[Barfwinkle]

I hope I am in the correct thread.

I am experimenting with ver 1.3.6 on my MacBook. Everything appears to be working except? when I open the program the display "appears" to not fit my screen. It extends well to the right and I cannot see all the information at the top. The chart scrolls, but the menu bar at the top does not. Also, I cannot see the three icons in the upper left corner (for a MacBook that is the "Close, Minimize, and Enlarge" icons.

Is this a setting on my MacBook or in OpenCPN?

TIA and Fair Winds

[sinbad7]

Barfwinkle..


Have you installed the right version of OpenCPN for MAC ??

Tore