[brak]

This topic is a catch-all feedback thread. Please post all your comments, suggestions, bug reports that you would like to discuss "in public"

Now, don't all go posting at once!

[dutyhog]

I'm new to using electronic charts, so struggling. I've installed PolarView 0.7.104 on my MacBook Pro under 10.4.11. Just using the world chart enlarged I can download and view GRIB files, so that's OK. I bought a 3 months licence for an ENC chart from Chartworld today "GB100011 - Scotland - West Coast", from a menu of S63 format UKHO charts. After downloading the folder I unzipped its two files to get two subfolders, including GB100011_DATA_9_16_2.ZIP.S63 Folder. I went to the Chart Manager and clicked Add Directory, and navigated to the folders containing the chart folders. I get " Chart Manager Error: unable to add cell GB100011.000".

Any suggestions? Gordon

[brak]

A first step to adding S63 chart is to install a license for the chart. You should have received the license together with your purchase, either bundled or as a separate file.

The license file name is usually either PERMIT.TXT or ENC.PMT (if you purchase charts from ChartWorld it seems to be the former).

Open "Chart Manager" in PolarView and click on "Manage Permits" button. A new dialog for "Chart Permit Manager" should open. Click "Add", browse to permit file identified above and select it. If this works correctly, you will have one or more new permits visible in the permit list. Permit entry includes corresponding chart cell name (GB100011 in your case) and expiration date.

Once you have done that, close "Chart Permit Manager" and you should be able to add a new cell. If this does not help - let me know here or by email through http://www.polarnavy.com/feedback

Thanks!

[rsdavis9]

Hey I really like your viewer. I look forward for new features. I have loaded enc and rnc for my area. New England and it works great.
Some enhancements:
1. View which enc or rnc chart is under cursor
2. Ability to change from one chart to another under cursor. Maybe right click menu.
3. View topo's dont know what format they are.

bob

[brak]

Bob,

Thank you for the feedback!

1) You can see a current ENC chart name in the chart object information window (Cmd + I), usually under "Nautical Publication Information" item.

RNC chart name is not yet available. It is on a TODO list along with improvements to chart information box in general.

2) Could you elaborate on "ability to change chart under cursor"? Do you mean by this going to a different location or using another chart that covers the same location?
You can generally switch specific charts on and off in the Chart Manager (Cmd + O).

3) Other chart formats may come in time. Some of the chart formats out there are proprietary and, as such, may not be easily available to us - but we are working on it

[Ron]

I can not add Permits. Downloaded PolarView 0.7.104 today. I have MacBook running 10.5.8 and Australian ENC Charts. When I try to add a valid Permit (it works on Mac ENC) the message "Unable to Read Chart Permits from PERMIT.TXT". I folowed your instructions to dutyhog to no avail. Any suggestions?

[brak]

This may be a trivial question, but just to be sure - you purchased this permit using the "userpermit" value provided in Chart Manager in PolarView?

Due to design of S63 scheme chart permits are tied to a specific individual installation of each product, and can't be shared between products.

If you did purchase the chart permit using PolarView "userpermit" value - the best way to proceed is to send me your e-mail address (through a PM here or by direct contact form on our website at www.polarnavy.com/feedback) and I will work with you on resolving the issue.

P.S. My apologies for the late reply. This forum is best for general discussion, feature requests and other non-urgent issues. If you have a technical problem, for fastest response do not hesitate to contact me through email or web-site contact form.

[chriscokid]

I just found out about this program and tried it out. It is very nice. I have a directory with all the NOAA ENCs for the east coast and it just indexed them nicely. I have the following feedback:

1. It would be nice to be able to scroll using the mouse wheel like google earth and many others.

2. It would be useful to have a function to switch the current screen from ENC to RNC like MacENC's cmd-R. Going to the chart manager is very tedious when there are hundreds of charts there.

3. Do you intend to add features like GPS input to show vessel position on the charts?

I also tried PolarCom and it looks nice but I cannot get it to connect to a TCP server of NMEA information. I press on 'start' but nothing happens. (Mac OSX 10.6.1)

[brak]

Thank you for the feedback!

1. It would be nice to be able to scroll using the mouse wheel like google earth and many others.

As it happens, quite a few users asked about mouse wheel functionality - though most requested that mouse wheel control zoom level, so that's on the TODO list.

2. It would be useful to have a function to switch the current screen from ENC to RNC like MacENC's cmd-R. Going to the chart manager is very tedious when there are hundreds of charts there.

Because of the way our application treats chart cells, this is somewhat difficult to do. Outside the Chart Manager a cell is a cell regardless of it's format. That said, I will definitely think of the appropriate solution.

3. Do you intend to add features like GPS input to show vessel position on the charts?

A "live GPS" product that combines PolarView and PolarCOM into a cohesive system is currently under development. It should be released shortly, pending finalization of documentation.

I also tried PolarCom and it looks nice but I cannot get it to connect to a TCP server of NMEA information. I press on 'start' but nothing happens. (Mac OSX 10.6.1)

Network ports (both TCP and UDP) are "listening" server ports in current PolarCOM. They permit external connections from other applications.

A client TCP port (to connect to other systems) is on the TODO list, and should be available shortly.

[brak]

New PolarCOM has just been released (along with the complete navigation application).

The new version includes outbound TCP client ports, as well as a whole bunch of other fun stuff including analog dials, route support, alarms and a barrel of trained monkeys.

[luigi.gazzotti]

hi to all and sorry for my elementary english
I was trying to understand if TCP client ports is supported and now I can buy the whole package

In the next future will be welcome very much a sailing application.
A very nice and complete sw example is downlodable into www.laurence.com/rusalka/ (they are missing at all)
Thanks in advance

alcaso mio

[oceandove]

I have just starting to look for Mac Chart software and found this Forums.
I download PolarView. I am running on MacPower Pro 13" I would like to see the use of the two finger scroll that OS 10.62 can use, it would make it a lot easier to navigate my small screen.
So far I like the software. I am install new Raymarine instruments, Autopilot this winter, and will try it out in the spring
Keep up the good work.

Regards
Derek
Ocean Dove

[brak]

Derek,

Thanks for the feedback!

What functionality would you like to see controlled by a "two finger" scroll?

[oceandove]

Hi Sea Slacker
With limited time I have used PolarView I would like to see two finger scrolling on the chart and Two finger Pinch for zoom in and out. This is a feature of OS 10.6 Macbooks and the new Apple magic mouse.
It would be also be nice to scroll in the windows in the Routes & Waypoints Manager and the Chart Manager.

Thanks Derek
Ocean Dove

[brak]

As far as scrolling in windows goes - this is a function of operating system and GUI library we use.

I am able to scroll in chart manager using two-finger slide on the touchpad (just tested). This is, to the best of my knowledge, defined by the configuration of touchpad.

Zoom in/out using the pinch motion is something that would definitely be nice to have. Incidentally, one of the most common requests from Windows users is to the use mouse wheel for the scaling, and in principle these two are functionally equivalent. However, as it is, scaling speed of PolarView will make this a somewhat unsatisfactory experience. This is on a TODO list, however - pending some research and probably will be available with the touch screen interface (eventually )

[oceandove]

Yes the Two finger works in the Chart Manager. The two finger scroll works on the MacENC but I can't get it to work on PolarNavy View Charts.
I am doing it wrong?

Regards
Derek
Ocean Dove

[brak]

I just realized that you probably mean panning actual chart view with the "two finger" scroll. That does not seem to work - I'll look into this issue and what can be done.

[brak]

Derek,

I looked into it and added support for a "two finger scroll" chart panning. It will be available in the next release of PolarView.

Pinch zoom is, evidently, a relatively new feature. Until we remove support for OS X 10.4 and 10.5.0, it probably can't happen. Perhaps one of these days.

Thanks again for the tip!

[Nereus32]

So, I gotta say, I looked at your app a while back (more than a year ago), but had felt it had a way to go. I am now in full on demo mode of your latest version and I like what I am seeing!

I've been a MacENC user for a loooong time. But, I gotta tell you, this thing is great. It's fast, and I love having the tide and Active Captain info right on the chart. Plus, letting the software handle the chart management/updating makes it so easy. I'd rather spend my time navigating than updating charts and dealing with chart management.

As a long time Mac user (like since 1984), the interface took me a minute to get used to. I do like things to be "Mac" like and this admittedly is not. However, after using it for an evening I now see and appreciate the simplicity of it all - "0" for "North Up" - can't get much easier than that. The main thing I notice is the speed of everything. This app is much faster and that is very important.

I also see the potential benefit of spinning off the interface to a separate app like PolarCOM. With Marine networks being what they are, put all that into its own thing and let the plotting software worry about plotting. I can't wait to get this onto my boat and interface it with everything on board to see how it works.

I'm going to put this through the paces on my upcoming 300 km trip from Long Island to Annapolis next month on a friends boat. I've already laid in the course. Again, the Active Captain overlay is awesome for planning. I also love that routing is not tied into Waypoints - I've dropped a few emergency Waypoints along the way, but making the route was so simple without having to constantly insert waypoints to make happen.

Any plans for adding in RADAR in the future? AIS is great, but I don't have that onboard yet. One more thing I have always enjoyed on my old dedicated chart plotter was "Highway Mode," so that could be a nice side window to PolarCOM also?

Keep up the good work. This is shaping up nicely and the price is incredible.

[brak]

Radar would be a great addition, but virtually all radar manufacturers keep their protocols proprietary.

About the only relatively accessible radar protocol is the one by Koden. However, their radars cost north of $3K for a base model - so it is quite unlikely that our user bases intersect much.

[Nereus32]

Yes, but aren't there some sort of NMEA 0183 standard sentences which are output by most, if not all RADAR devices?

I suppose, with AIS, the whole RADAR thing doesn't have the appeal it used to have. Mine is so old (an currently non-operational) that I am questioning whether or not to bother with a replacement. AIS seems much more "useable" and cost effective. It does output some sort of NMEA sentences, though.

Along those lines, one feature I miss since I've dumped my old Standard Horizon chart plotter in favor of PolarView is DSC/MMSI integration. Might be cool to be able to receive a DCS signal and give the user the option to reroute to the received location as a waypoint. Perhaps even have a "Little Black Book" of friends boats (through their MMSI #) with the ability to plot location and set waypts, etc. Although, now that I explain it, it seems redundant with AIS. Hmmm. But then again, a DSC alarm seems to fit in with the whole PolarCOM senario.

[brak]

There is MARPA radar that sends sentences similar to AIS for certain tracked targets. As far as I know, it often requires user intervention in selecting these targets. More importantly, virtually no one uses this technology, even when available. When talking about radar integration, users generally expect a full radar return image on a chart.

DSC integration is on a long term TODO list. It is an interesting project, but based on current user statistics, DSC still appears to be used relatively rarely.