Google earth KAP chart creation plugin for opencpn

[GHA]

Just released ..

http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2452689#post2452689
https://github.com/Rasbats/vfkaps_pi/releases

You need to register at venturefurther -
https://www.venturefarther.com/

Really handy being able to flip between nautical charts & google earth images IMHO.

 

[Sandyman]

Tks Paddy.

 

[Roberto]

Does it do the same as ge2kap, except it s a plugin?

Thanks

 

[GHA]

Does it do the same as ge2kap, except it s a plugin?

Thanks

Yes, exactly the same. Creates KAP chart files from google earth images. Ge2Kap is much more configurable but also more involved to use, this seems so much easier for one off grab an image type things.

 

[Roberto]

Thank you gha

We used GE images a lot in places where there were no nautical charts, groups of images "tiled" up together, they only lack depths but I bet sooner or later google will provide them

 

[bats]

Documentation is here:

https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=opencpn:developer_manuallugins:beta_plugins:vfkaps

A small correction. The charts are sourced from Google Maps. Alternatively you can download Bing or Nokia satellite charts.

Mike

 

[agurney]

Yes, exactly the same. Creates KAP chart files from google earth images. Ge2Kap is much more configurable but also more involved to use, this seems so much easier for one off grab an image type things.
..

.. although with ge2kap you can combine the Google earth raster image with (a rasterised version of) the vector chart data , I don't think the plugin can do this.


[Edit: I haven't tried it, but I also suspect you'll need a live Internet connection]

 

[bats]

.. although with ge2kap you can combine the Google earth raster image with (a rasterised version of) the vector chart data , I don't think the plugin can do this.

I have added some ideas on how to combine rasterised images to the help document. It is possible, although it needs a lot of clicks!

https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=opencpn:developer_manuallugins:beta_plugins:vfkaps

Also included is an idea on basic satellite chart tiling. We are working on making this easier for a larger area, although a lot of charts might be needed.

Format of the satellite chart:
0_17_VF59.125445_N_5.830953_W.kap

0 = Google Maps
1 = Bing
2 = Nokia

17 = Zoom level (Levels from 19 to 6 are available)

Mike

 

[venturefarther]

Hi all, Jon from VentureFarther (WF) here. Is this new plugin the same as GE2KAP, well as they say in Thailand "same, same but different". The biggest difference I see is with VF the creation of the KAP happens on a web server. Creating KAPs is also available directly on www.venturefarther.com with no software to install and will work on any computer platform. I also purposely built it to be simple and fast to use. The API that Mike used to request the KAP has been around for about 3 years now and is also used by SEAiq (navigation app on the iPAd, Mac and Android) and now OpenCPN . Also KAP creation being server based this plugin also works on Linux (and cross your fingers, hopefully on Android).

I am a full time cruising sailor and I develop VF part time.

So, the plugin does need an internet connection to GET the image, but once it loads the KAP it works just the same as GE2KAP. No live internet for further use.

Now about the comment about depths. Here is where using a web server to build the KAP gets interesting. On VF I allow uploads of NMEA data recorded by the OpenCPN VDR plugin (really an easy plugin to use). IF you have depths coming in to OpenCPN then these are recorded. When you upload the NMEA stream, VF grabs the current state of the tide and then loads your depths into the database (with your transducer offset in your VF profile). These depths are then available online and as an overlay on the KAP. The recording.upload might sound difficult but it is not. Click the record button, stop it and save. Go to VF and upload. Done. Now these depths are immediately available to anyone.

If you have any questions about the VF side of things just let me know.

 

[Heckler]

Hi all, Jon from VentureFarther (WF) here. Is this new plugin the same as GE2KAP, well as they say in Thailand "same, same but different". The biggest difference I see is with VF the creation of the KAP happens on a web server. Creating KAPs is also available directly on www.venturefarther.com with no software to install and will work on any computer platform. I also purposely built it to be simple and fast to use. The API that Mike used to request the KAP has been around for about 3 years now and is also used by SEAiq (navigation app on the iPAd, Mac and Android) and now OpenCPN . Also KAP creation being server based this plugin also works on Linux (and cross your fingers, hopefully on Android).

I am a full time cruising sailor and I develop VF part time.

So, the plugin does need an internet connection to GET the image, but once it loads the KAP it works just the same as GE2KAP. No live internet for further use.

Now about the comment about depths. Here is where using a web server to build the KAP gets interesting. On VF I allow uploads of NMEA data recorded by the OpenCPN VDR plugin (really an easy plugin to use). IF you have depths coming in to OpenCPN then these are recorded. When you upload the NMEA stream, VF grabs the current state of the tide and then loads your depths into the database (with your transducer offset in your VF profile). These depths are then available online and as an overlay on the KAP. The recording.upload might sound difficult but it is not. Click the record button, stop it and save. Go to VF and upload. Done. Now these depths are immediately available to anyone.

If you have any questions about the VF side of things just let me know.

Woo! some clever stuff going on!
S

 

[bats]

Using Linux the directory name for saving the charts is not retained between sessions of using OpenCPN. This results in the charts ending up in the users home directory, not the directory they requested in the previous session.

This may be a bug in wxWidgets wxDirPickerCtrl (using 'setDirName()'). Workaround is to set the directory name at the start of each session or to accept that they will end up in home and copy them to another directory.

Mike

 

[bats]

BETA version 0.5 of vfkaps has now been published.

https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=opencpn:developer_manuallugins:beta_plugins:vfkaps:5.vf.png

Installers are here:

https://github.com/Rasbats/vfkaps_pi/releases/tag/v0.5

The manual has been updated and can be found here:

https://opencpn.org/wiki/dokuwiki/doku.php?id=opencpn:developer_manuallugins:beta_plugins:vfkaps

The problem with the directory for Linux users may now be resolved.

Reports on bugs and features are always welcome.

Mike