Weather Routing

[SoggyPaws]

Has the downloadable plugin installer at OpenCPN.org been updated to match the documentation? The last time I looked into playing with Weather Routing (about a year ago), everyone who was giving me advice was using a version that they had compiled from source, and it wasn't the version that I could download from the OpenCPN downloads page, and it wasn't the version that was in the documentation. And it was buggy and quirky as heck.

I gave up and went back to using the very simple (but not perfect), weather routing at FastSeas.com.

I keep checking for updates to the plugin, but the last time I checked it was still the same old version (1.10.1). But having what it does and how to work around the quirks documented acurately would be really helpful.

Sherry

[rgleason]

Soggy, wish you would try it, and read the docs, there are some Polars you can download that will help because they provide tws from 0-60 knots, which will reduce "Polar:fail" results.

I am hopeful this will help everyone who goes through the steps described and then branches out changing one thing at a time to learn this new configuration.

I am sure I will hear suggestions for the documentation & hopefully Sean will be able to respond to serious problems if they are found.

Good luck.

[rgleason]

We are having issues compiling Weather_Routing_pi now, and I need some help getting it working. I think this is due to some changes made by Stelian42 in a PR that Sean Merged. Stelian was making improvements for internationalization etc. I suppose I could just revert things, but that would probably make a mess of internationalization etc.

I believe MSVC2013 cannot compile this type of array.....but I leave it to you experts to figure out.

https://github.com/seandepagnier/wea...g_pi/issues/76

I would very much like to get this fixed and compiling properly as soon as possible. Can't even run a debug version in MSVC++2013. I wonder what he is using?

Perhaps someone using 2017 can compile it? Of course I'd prefer to be able to compile it with 2013 MSVC.

Thank you so much.

PS There is another little problem that has a good solution I think that Lance has suggested/provided for Polar files with no data at high winds. It would be nice to get this into the plugiin too.

See the bottom of https://github.com/seandepagnier/wea...g_pi/issues/75
Polars:fail has been a big issue.

[rgleason]

Transmitter Dan has provided a modified Github repository for Weather_Routing_pi that is fixed for "Compiling MSVC 2013" which compiles and works now!
Thank you TDan.

There are still a few details re installation which need to be confirmed so that it works easily out of the box.

Also some of the menus aren't flexible in the way they were before and we need to see if some of the weather_routingUI files need to be updated.

I'd like to include some Polar files for users to have for testing if they run into trouble, and I would like to know where Boat.xml and Polar-Test.xml should be placed.

Also, in order for the USER to
1. Edit,Modify and write Boat.xml & Polar-Test.xml
2. Edit, Modify and write a Polar file.
Doesn't that have to be done with a directory in PROGRAMDATA like

"C:\ProgramData\opencpn\plugins\weather_routin g"?
There is a recently saved weatherroutingconfiguration.xml in this directory, but no Boat.xml or Polar-Test.xml files.
I notice that the installation program created "contours" directory but no "data" directory or "polars" directory below that.

I am getting some path error messages as a result, and I am not sure the installation handles the pathway needs properly. So this needs to be checked out and fixed.

Here is a routing done through IRMA in the wrong direction with Wind set at 50% so the three polar files Polar-HW, Polar-MW, and Polar-LW-power which span 0-60 TWS would not "Polar:fail" when "Computed". This used TDan's working version.

If I upload this plugin to O Beta File Thingie
Are there some testers who can completely remove the plugin (Save your polar and boat.xml files) and make sure that

1. "C:\ProgramData\opencpn\plugins\weather_routin g" Does not exist.
2. Confirm that "opencpn.ini" has no settinggs or references to weather_routing_pi ?
3. All before installing a new version of the plugin, so that the exact "fresh" installation occurs as a new user would experience it?

Then I will need your problems and comments so we can be sure it will be easy for others to install.

[.Paul.]

About two hours ago, Sean D'Epagnier merged pull request #77 from transmitterdan/master into the master branch of

https://github.com/seandepagnier/weather_routing_pi

I built Weather_routing_pi for Windows using VS2013 and Sean's latest source from GitHub. It runs well with OpenCPN 4.8.0.

Paul

[rgleason]

Paul.
Thank you for compiling it and testing it. Did you test it thoroughly using all the features possible?
I have found a number of problems that need to be fixed.
I find your statement somewhat misleading. "It runs well with OpenCPN 4.8.0."
See my comment below.
I have more testing and documentation that I can provide, but I would like to know if you have tested all areas of the plugin.


Thankyou.
Rick

[.Paul.]

Rick,

Today I pulled Sean's latest commit (from TDan) into my local copy of the WR_pi source, and I built it. I only tested todays build with the latest version of OpenCPN and I only used one polar (an Island Packet 35) today.

The reason for my post, was to let the readers of this thread know that Sean's source now contains TDan's fix for VS2013, and that it builds and runs.

I have not tested all of the features in the plugin, but I have tested many of them. I have not done very much testing with multiple polars for a single boat.

Paul

[rgleason]

Paul,
I know the plugin is very useable, particularly if you've installed over and existing setup and you are familiar with the plugin.

Starting fresh with a clean install there are some issues, particularly for new users

I will be posting something tomorrow for consideration.

[rgleason]

The instructions for Weather_Routing have been improved with a download set of files and instructions to provide "Weather Routing Setup" with 5 configurations that will "Compute".

https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/do..._routing_setup

[rgleason]

I have created and tested a "Weather-Routing-Setup" using Sean's master as a base. This has been compiled for Windows and is found on my github repository.
1.1001Rick Beta-Weather-Routing-Setup adds Data files 32d0042

Provided you have already configured pathnames properly and are using WeatherRouting, the files will install properly, however you will need to copy the WeatherRoutingConfiguration.XML into the proper directory because there is a line missing in Cmake for that.

I would like to know exactly how the plugin works when installed into a "Clean Opencpn" with no previous installation of WeatherRouting. Also how it does when installing into an existing setup that operates properly.

Also I would very much appreciate someone who knows CMAKE and the internal workings of the plugin installations, to make a version which will install properly to exactly the right paths, so that the new user is not confronted with the problem and such that WeatherRouting will work right out of the box for a new user.

I have tested all the files and the tutorial setup and they work fine. It is the pathnames and copying of files to the right locations that is the issue now.

My forked repository has a new Branch "Weather-Routing-Setup" in case there are some linux users who are willing to test.
https://github.com/rgleason/weather_routing_pi

I do not intend to make a Pull Request to Sean until we know that this installs properly with all the correct pathnames and files are installed, and that it works out of the box, so to speak.

Perhaps a programmer can help with this?

The documentation for Weather-Routing-Setup is available for reference
https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/do..._routing_setup

[rgleason]

This is very disappointing, I have to report that not all of the "Configurations" work any longer. I am going to pause on further work on this.

Here are my notes while trying to install into a "Clean" Opencpn 4.8.0 with no weather_routing files or references in opencpn.ini.

Install into a "clean" Opencpn with no Weather_Routing_pi

1. Directories & Files under "data"
installed into: C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN 4.8.0\plugins\weather_routing_pi\data
should have installed into: C:\ProgramData\opencpn\plugins\weather_routing\

boat
grib-sample
polars
WeatherRoutingConfiguration.XML

The subdirectory for these specific directories and files must be changed.

Oddly, the directory is created during install, I found:
C:\ProgramData\opencpn\plugins\weather_routing

---------

In the OPENCPN.INI file there do not appear to be any wx_routing pathnames yet.
Open Weather_Routing_pi and the Configuration menu is empty.

Go to File > Open and the path is
C:\ProgramData\opencpn\plugins\weather_routing
So that is OK. There is a newly created empty weatherRoutingConfiguration.XML file in that directory that is blank.

Make two quick WeatherRoute Positions start and finish.
Go to Configuration > New and set the start and end.

Open the Configuration again.
Go to Boat section > ... > Pathname/file

The path is to: C:\ProgramData\opencpn\plugins\weather_routing
but it should be to: C:\ProgramData\opencpn\plugins\weather_routing\boa t
And there is no "boat" directory here.

Now I have to copy boat directory over to
C:\ProgramData\opencpn\plugins\weather_routing\
Same with Polars and Grib-sample directory.
Might as well copy weatherconfiguration.XML all to
C:\ProgramData\opencpn\plugins\weather_routing\

Had to copy

boat
grib-sample
polars
WeatherRoutingConfiguration.XML

from C:\Program Files (x86)\OpenCPN 4.8.0\plugins\weather_routing_pi\datato C:\ProgramData\opencpn\plugins\weather_routing

Overwriting the WeatherRoutingConfiguration.XML file that was there.

Now when I go back to WR -WeatherRouting Configuration.XML menu
and pick File > Open and select weatherroutingconfiguration.XML again
everything works fine, all settings are ready and we can just:

1. Make sure Options > Display > Graphics Acceleration is checked.
2. Enable Climatology, Grib_pi and WeatherRouting.
3. Check Wind on Climatology
4. Open the grib file Irma-Jose-2017090618.gfs.grib2
Located here: C:\ProgramData\opencpn\plugins\weather_routing\gri b-sample\Irma-Jose-2017090618.gfs.grib2
2. Highlight the Configuration in the menu
3. Select "Compute"

[rgleason]

I've figured out why the calculations did not work. I changed the Interval for illustration purposes which made the calculation fail. I've learned something in this process. Don't assume an interval of 4 hours will "complete" the same as 1 hour interval!

Meanwhile it would be very helpful if someone could advise about changing the installation pathnames and copying weatherroutingconfiguration.xml to c:/programdata/opencpn/plugins/weather_routing/ as a part of the installation!

I will start over, and repackage this stuff (couple of days).

Meanwhile here is an interesting Abstract for Weather-Routing calcs
https://brage.bibsys.no/xmlui/handle/11250/238856

Also Wikipedia has OpenCPN and this plugin listed several times!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sailin...her_prediction

[rgleason]

I've added the "Weather-Routing-Setup configuration examples to the Manual.
There are some interesting things that happen with different time intervals.....see


Routes from Cape Canaveral...
https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/do...rent_intervals


Computation of 5 Routes.... Examples.
https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/do...on_of_5_routes

[rgleason]

Last night and this morning, Cloned and built Weather_routing from two Repositiories
https://github.com/seandepagnier/weather_routing_pi
https://github.com/transmitterdan/weather_routing_pi
and I got the 153 Errors each time... The only reason it took so many tries was I thought my configuration was messed up, but now I don't believe so, because other plugins compile fine.

https://github.com/seandepagnier/wea...g_pi/issues/81

https://github.com/seandepagnier/wea...g_pi/issues/76
Somehow 19 Errors turned into 153 Errors!

Yet I did test TDan's changes earlier and they compiled and worked, fixing the problem. Not so any more unfortunately.

[.Paul.]

Rick,

I built the weather_routing_pi-1.10-win32.exe about eight days ago (9/16/2017 15:50 UTC). I made the "git pull" into the source on my PC at 15:38 UTC. That was after Sean merged transmiterdan's pull request #77 and before Sean merged commits

7f1e910b70b6b5033cd379b84ef55c123c0d0acd
6589b28fdd3088487c76aa0fb70ae5520dc980bc
32d0042a9993a8f83668df86b677a098d15a3cd0

That built without errors and ran okay.

Today, I made a "git pull" into my copy of the source which picked up the three commits I missed previously. I built this for Windows and there were NO ERRORS. I installed it into my latest build of OpenCPN 4.8 (with commits to 9/16/2017) and it runs okay with the configurations I ran eight days ago, but with a new GFS grib.

Paul