[macsolve]

Wow, this new feature in 7.30 is a great thing!

- "Add To Route..." on the Chart context menu will work with the selected annotation in addition to a selected waypoint. When an annotation is selected by selecting the annotation mode in the toolbar and moving the cursor over the desired annotation (annotation turns dashed), waypoints that follow the selected annotation are created an added to the selected route.

Could the auto created waypoints be named in a way that makes it easier to identify them as autocreated? Maybe giving them a name based on the route's name and a incrementing number.

Routename0001, Routename0002 etc instead of WP0001 etc.

[littlechay]

I like this too, but it would be a lot more useful to me if the bearing distance measuring tool could be used in the same way, and if the bearing distance tool could leave multiple legs displayed on the chart.

I think I mentioned this on here before but I like to use GRIBs to manually weather route a couple of days ahead on a passage. The work method is like this:

1. display GRIB for the next 24 hours and decide likely course or courses and speed.
2. Mark course and speed on chart with line for each expected segment
2. repeat for next day

There is no need for waypoint just the lines marking the course and expected run for each segment. You can't predict the weather and sea-state that accurately. All you need is something to draw approximations on the chart to get a feel on where to place the boat. Along the lines of - OK I can see that I'll be running next day with 25 knots of breeze, boat speed will be 10 knots, more or less, so I can expect to do 220(ish) miles on this course - draw line on chart. Look at next days weather, Ok we need to come up on course to stay in the system, sea-state will have built, can expect to do about 190 miles, draw line and repeat. Have a look at where it leaves us in three to five days time... OK that's fine we'll just run for the next day... or damn that'll put us in front of big blow in five days, lets look at other options to climb over or duck under the blow.

Nothing fancy in that methodology, but it works and all it needs is a line drawing tool, which we already have with the bearing distance tool, that gives your bearing and distance from a point marked with a mouse click that draws a line to where you make the second click. The lines stay until you turn off the tool. Or I suppose the ends of each line could be made into waypoints.

What do others think? Anybody else use a simple tool like this for offshore work?

Overall a nice improvement and I can use this to draw in routes but I have to guess the distance runs for each segment and that aint easy!

Cheers
Chris

[Ron]

I too, would like the ability to lay several lines on a chart for both weather and to see what we will be sailing over. Handy in coastal areas that have big tides and dotted with numerous reefs, islands, capes, narrow passages, overfalls and whirlpools.

On the same track, is it possible to lay a straight line using the annotation tool? The lines I draw with the track pad wander all over the place.

Ron.

[GPSNavX]

I will look at extending the annotation tool to support lines, ovals and rectangles.

[Ron]

Great. Thanks. Look forward to it.

[JoMeKe]

Wow, this new feature in 7.30 is a great thing!

Very cool indeed! Thanks