OpenCPN Version 5 Released

Hurricane

Hurricane

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 Nov 2005
Messages
9,856
Location
Sant Carles de la Ràpita
Visit site
See here
http://www.cruisersforum.com/forums/f134/opencpn-version-5-released-215810.html

This new version has some significant improvements.
Two notible ones are:-

1.
We now have a dual screen display - two separate charts can be independently displayed on the same screen.
OpenCPN_Beta.resized.png


2.
A new chart format - MBTiles
These formats make it easy to create your own charts from internet resources.

I've already updated my home desktop and my boat's PC with the new version.
 
M, do you have to uninstall 4.8 first, or will simply downloading ver. 5.0 automatically update it?

As you've said before, it looks good and I will upgrade my version once I get back from holiday.

Andy
 
Andy Cox said:
M, do you have to uninstall 4.8 first, or will simply downloading ver. 5.0 automatically update it?

As you've said before, it looks good and I will upgrade my version once I get back from holiday.

Andy
Click to expand...

I can't remember with the Windows version but I think you just run the install again over the top of the old version.
That way all your preferences should remain.

Under Linux that definitely happens.

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install opencpn

And that was all I did.
The old PPA now holds the new version 5.
This works for Debian derivatives anyway (Ubuntu and Mint etc)
 
Montemar said:
It looks very interesting. Are charts for the UK available free from somewhere or do they need to be purchased?
Click to expand...

As with previous versions of OpenCPN, you need to obtain charts.
Either buying them or finding bogus ones that have been available over the years on the internet.

I make my own raster charts by scanning and georeferencing paper charts.
In the past, this process has been complicated.
Using the newly supported MBTiles format, the process is easier.
For example a program called SASPLanet can use freely available internet websites to create charts in MBTiles format.
OpenCPN then uses these MBTiles charts.
I use all different sources for charts - even Google Maps Salellite views can be useful.
 
Montemar: I buy legal UK raster charts for OCPN from Visit My Harbour - they come on a USB stick/dongle. Tomorrow I will be returning the stick and the slip of pink paper for a free upgrade to 2019 charts. At the moment I run the VMH raster charts in OCPN on one screen, and C-Map vector charts in an American chartplotter programme called Coastal Explorer on another, but the C-Map charts are, I think, a hazard to navigation, and anyway I find OCPN is just a bit easier to use. My friend Matt who is always 3 steps ahead of me in these things has upgraded to OCPN v5.0 and is very enthusiastic about it. He uses Ocharts for vector charts. I am going to do the same and retire Coastal Explorer, at least for the time being (it will just sit on the computer minding its own business). I also use Google Earth Professional on screen 3, and I can have raster, vector and satellite images displaying concurrently giving the most amazing overview of the boat's position. That amount of detail is not needed 99% of the time, but I like squeezing the boat into tight spots (my favourite is here). There are times when lots of different ways of looking at your position can be helpful.

Mike - looking at your screenshot, do you have a raster chart on the left side and a vector chart on the right? And can you use the v5.0 dual screen display to display 2 charts on 2 screens or do you have to use the split screen mode and have both on the same screen?

Just for fun, here's a link to a shot of our flybridge display running OCPN 4.8.4 yesterday, in the Solent - the close-up shows a few too many AIS targets for my liking. Well, it was a nice day and a lot of boats were out. In those situations I think it's best to put the tech to one side and rely on the Mk.1 Eyeball for safe navigation. :)
 
TwoHooter said:
Mike - looking at your screenshot, do you have a raster chart on the left side and a vector chart on the right? And can you use the v5.0 dual screen display to display 2 charts on 2 screens or do you have to use the split screen mode and have both on the same screen?
Click to expand...

Yep - Some old raster charts on the left and some old CM93 (CMAP) charts of the right.
Each window is completely separate.
You can have different charts on each - at different zoom level - at different locations - etc.....

The MBTiles format is an interesting new feature.
I said above that the SASPlanet program can construct charts from websites.
It does so by incorporating a "virtual screen" within its software.
This "virtual screen" can be as large as you like - it stores the website in memory at different resolutions (zoom levels).
You can then output the different zoom levels into MBTiles format which OpenCPN reads - no georeferencing required - the MBTiles contain all the georeferencing.
This process makes the production of "home made" charts easier.
A simple example could be Satellite charts created from Google Maps.
Or even a website dedicated to displaying marine charts on line.

Good to see you are using OpenCPN to display AIS.
IMO, OpenCPN's AIS display is "second to none".
 
Yes, to confirm, these are the ones I use https://o-charts.org/shop/index.php?id_category=8&controller=category&id_lang=4 but I also have Visit My Harbour charts as they're handy to look certain things up on.

I have a standalone Garmin radar/plotter onboard which only gets used as a radar generally and that has Blue charts on. Again, not too dissimilar to oCharts.

Running latest version on OpenCPN and it's top banana!
 
with windows, it installs without altering your existing settings. Wellit has done for me since before vista to and including w10.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top