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Data exchange between MacENC & iNavX - Printable Version

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+--- Thread: Data exchange between MacENC & iNavX (/thread-1311.html)

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- antipole - November 18, 2010

Moving waypoints or tracks between a Mac and iNavX uses the X-Traverse site, and this depends on Internet access, which is often not available. As far as I know, local transfer is not yet supported.

I see this as a high-priority. Having to enter waypoints and routes on both systems separately is a pain. Please iNavX can we have an update on this?

- jagasail - November 18, 2010

I absolutely agree. It's the one thing that keeps me from giving my whole-hearted endorsement of iNavX to friends, and recommending the iPad as a navigation platform. However, I'm not hopeful as this has been mentioned as an issue for some time.

Scot

- GPSNavX - November 19, 2010

While not the perfect solution, any waypoint or route activated on MacENC is automatically transferred to iNavX when using the TCP/IP NMEA client as described here ..

http://www.gpsnavx.com/iNavX/help/macenc.htm

Otherwise yes, X-Traverse is currently the way to transfer waypoints, routes, tracks and GRIB files.



- antipole - November 20, 2010

The solution you refer to only transfers the current waypoint. I think we really need to be able to transfer batches of waypoints and routes, as via X-Traverse. For one thing, this provides independence - the iPhone/iPad can be used independently of a Mac, which is important to provide some resilience in the event of system failure, power shortages etc.

I know this has been discussed before, and I think you were holding off pending some earlier development in iOS? Other applications provide data transfer via a local connection. Is there some difficulty in this case? It would be interesting to know. This capability really would make iNavX 5*+ Regards.

- Googull - November 23, 2010

Nice to see this post. This is the very reason I decided not to purchase iNavX.

- bobetter - November 23, 2010

Not to sound like a fanboi (although I probably am....), it's my experience that functionality like this eventually gets implemented depending on where it sits on GPSNav's To Do list.

Does any other app have this capability at present?

- GPSNavX - November 23, 2010

Most of the apps that do support some sort of waypoint import, one must email a GPX file to some server. Then you get an email back on your iDevice, you click on a link and the waypoints are imported. This requires an internet connection.

The advantage of using X-Traverse is one does not need to have a PC/Mac to import/export waypoints, routes, tracks, GRIBs, and charts. Just a working internet connection which is becoming more common on the water.

Guides on how to use X-Traverse can be found in the Tips and Tricks forum..

http://www.macsailing.net/fbb/showforum.php?fid/23/

- antipole - November 23, 2010

We seem to differ here. Although Internet connections are becoming more available in marinas, they are still unavailable elsewhere, such as in an anchorage. And even if you happen to have 3G coverage, it would require a 3G facility and service on both MacBook and iPhone/iPad. And for those of us outside the USA, once we are away from native shores roaming charges become enormous, especially if having to use two devices.

I am still curious why you are so reluctant to provide this. Is there a technical difficulty?

I really love iNavX and MacENC looks great too - I really appreciate what has been created here. I just need the ability to transfer between them to make it outstanding!

- Copprhead - November 23, 2010

I've been using GPSNavX for a long time now and I'm ready to add iNavX to my setup with my new iPad Smile. I want to use the iPad for sailing during the day as it needs much less power than the Macbook and is easier to have in the cockpit. Then at night get the day's track from the iPad back into GPSNavX, make the plan for the next day and copy the route onto the iPad.

Now I found this thread and what I read basically breaks my use case because I won't have an Internet connection much of the time where I'm sailing and even if I wouldn't want to mess around with several SIM cards, connection settings etc. - not even talking about the additional cost for 3G/WiFi use.

All apps that work with files on the iPad can sync their files using iTunes in a quite simple way. iNavX should offer the same! It's ridiculous to have to use an online service to copy a couple of kB of data from the Mac to the iPad, especially when the app is for sailing (=> no land, no Internet connection).

Please add this feature and you'll have a new customer for iNavX.

Oh and - off topic - is it true that the track in iNavX can only be 50nm long? That's not much for a day of sailing. Can this limit be changed if enough memory is available?

- GPSNavX - November 23, 2010

No need to use X-Traverse if you want to export an iNavX track into GPSNavX or MacENC. Simply email the track (or for that matter waypoints, or routes) from iNavX to your Mac.

- Copprhead - November 23, 2010

That would be ok if I set up a mail server on my Mac, so that the iPad can send the email via WiFi to the Mac and I can receive it locally on the Mac. (Otherwise I would need an Internet connection again)

But what about the other direction? Routes from the Mac to iNavX?

- GPSNavX - November 23, 2010

That will be in the next release of MacENC to send the active route over the TCP/IP NMEA connection to iNavX. Currently the active waypoint is sent (and imported into iNavX).

- Googull - November 23, 2010

I can't imagine where you boat to believe that Internet is common on the water.  While many marinas in the US have some sort of wifi service the same can be hard to find out of country.    I cruise 4-5 months a year and rarely is Internet available other than at larger ports. The idea that Internet or even cell coverage is generally available is a huge misunderstanding.  Yes I have a satellite phone but the idea of making two calls to send and receive email via satellite is cumbersome and expensive, let alone the challenge of integrating the iPad into the system. iNavX cleverly relies on navigation and AIS data from other systems via wifi.  Unclear why it is reluctant to make my created route data available via wifi for the benefit of other systems.  I am with the other posters, please consider delivering on what users need instead of forcing them through impractical and/or expensive hoops.  The whole concept of planning with an iPad is elegant.  Getting our route plans to other systems should be simple and ALWAYS available as well.  Then I will buy and recommend iNavX to my fellow boaters.

- GPSNavX - November 23, 2010

Can you clarify which systems you want iNavX on your iPad to export routes to over WiFi (but no internet)? Other than NMEA data I do not know a standardized way of accomplishing that. The next version of iNavX does add the ability to send NMEA data to the NMEA server (i.e. a WiFi multiplexer or it could be a PC or a Mac).

Today, if iNavX receives a route or waypoint over WiFi (TCP/IP) NMEA it imports it. For example if you had routes or waypoints on a Garmin chart plotter they could be transferred (assuming the Garmin is interfaced to WiFi).

Soon, MacENC will transfer the active route (already does the waypoint) over WiFi (TCP/IP) NMEA to iNavX.

I agree WiFi connectivity is the way to go and how iPad is envisioned to be used. iNavX was designed so there is no dependence on having a PC or Mac aboard. Yet will optionally connect to NMEA data over WiFI which can be provided by a Mac or a PC or several other stand alone WiFi devices.

As usual iNavX will continued to be improved.


- Copprhead - November 24, 2010

The sky is beginning to clear up Smile

But please also consider enabling waypoint/route/track-file exchange via USB-cable/iTunes, this would be very helpful.


- Copprhead - November 24, 2010

I'd like to add another reason for iTunes file exchange: That way one could copy additional charts from the Mac to iNavX, for example non-DRM, older or self-made charts. (NOAA chart download is great but limited to US waters)

- Googull - November 24, 2010

I understand that direct transfer via wifi is pointless given that none of the existing NAV systems are listening on the other end. Wifi though is the most efficient mechanism to transfer files out of the iPad to a local file service (Mac File Service, FTP, WFS, etc). iNavX could support exporting routes in Open Navigation Format (ONF) by writing these to network file shares directly or simply making these files sharable with other iPad applications (like GoodReader) that already support network file transfers. Up to us of course then to import on the other end - just as if route had been sent via email. But this would be leagues ahead of having to recreate routes manually.

- GPSNavX - November 24, 2010

Yes, NMEA does support route transfer and iNavX is already listening for both route and waypoint via NMEA over WiFi (TCP/IP). What needs to be added is for MacENC (and iNavX) to send the active route over WiFi (TCP/IP). I have chosen to use NMEA data (in addition to the X-Traverse and email) as it is most commonly supported in the marine electronics world. Now with more NMEA WiFi devices available (iMux, iAIS, Digi WiSP) this makes the most sense.

Maybe other marine navigation apps will take a different approach. That's the great thing about iOS, one can use many different tools.



- Googull - November 24, 2010

No question that NMEA is the ideal and that there are indeed many cool devices to bridge NMEA to TCP and more devices made with integrated Ethernet like Furuno's FA50.  I totally agree that what needs to be added is for MacENC (and iNavX) to send the active route over WiFi (TCP/IP). Actually the other NAV systems (Coastal Explorer, Nobeltec, NavNet) need to do likewise.  Perhaps they will in the future, peraps as you say, they will use other solutions. In the meantime, there is a large installed base of these systems that support importing nav data from files in the Open Navigation Format (ONF).  I expect you could broaden the appeal of iNavX if you supported this lowest common demoniator for transferring route data as well.  Not to suggest that iNavX doesn't have other great features but the big iPad appeal is route planning and without the ability to export routes to existing systems locally it is no different from the other lesser expensive iPad applications on that front.

- antipole - November 24, 2010

Well... for the last 6-7 years I have kept my waypoints and routes in a FileMaker database I developed, and then transfer those I need on a particular voyage into my GPS and now iNavX. The transfer to or from the GPS was done by MacGPS Pro.

Tonight I finally purchased MacENC and have now transferred all my waypoints and routes into that. The waypoint groups are really great for organising the waypoints by region. I intend to abandon my old system.

What I really want (I think) is a way to synchronise these waypoints and routes between MacENC and iNavX, so that they all (or selected groups) are transferred. I say synchronise, because when I add, amend or delete a waypoint in MacENC, that needs to be reflected in iNavX, and, conversely, if a waypoint or route is added, amended or deleted within iNavX it needs to find its way into MacGPS.

I am aware synchronising is a complex task, especially as conflicts need resolving, and you cannot rely on a waypoint or route name to identify it because the name may be changed, and that needs synchronising. But the techniques are well known now.

This would be way beyond NMEA data streams, so some other protocol would be needed, such as is used to synchronise various Mac and iPhone databases. If it means suspending NMEA data transfer while synchronising, that's fine - it can be an off-line task.

I realise this may be a big task, but you did ask what was wanted.

PS I am really enjoying exploring MacENC - just need some charts and connections now.

- Copprhead - February 10, 2011

Are there any updates on this yet? I'm going to start the sailing season in a couple of weeks with recently purchased iNavX and MacENC.

I'll be using the iPad as a primary chart plotter since it needs much less power than the Macbook Pro. And at the end of the day (or trip) I need to get the track off of the iPad/iNavX and into MacENC on the Macbook Pro. Since I won't have an Internet connection most of the time, how can I do that? Does the NMEA transfer work for tracks from iNavX to MacENC?


- GPSNavX - February 10, 2011

NMEA data transfer via TCP/IP will only work for transferring active waypoint or route to iNavX. Soon I will have a post in the tips/tricks section for iNavX on how to use the NMEA data transfer.



- GPSNavX - May 2, 2011

Transferring Waypoints and Routes to iNavX via MacENC/NMEA data over TCP/IP ..

http://www.macsailing.net/fbb/showtopic.php?tid/1374/

- GPSNavX - May 29, 2011

The next release of iNavX (v3.2.7) will support importing of waypoints, tracks, routes, GRIB files via email in addition to X-Traverse and NMEA data. iNavX already supports exporting of these items via email and X-Traverse.

- Copprhead - June 2, 2011

This is good news, and another example of the excellent support and continuous development.

However, for me, this still doesn't solve the problem: How do I sync waypoints and routes without an internet (/ ip) connection? I wish this would be possible either using iTunes or a direct WiFi connection (e.g. the way 1Password syncs directly from Mac app to i-app).