Tracks - properties and use

[mguryan]

Greetings,

I'm an editor for the 5.9 user manual and have a few questions about the operation and use of tracks. Some clarification of the existing text is needed.

Existing text:

=== Sorting ===

Tracks can be sorted by clicking the column headers. Tracks are extended backward, based on the time-stamp sequence, a track is selected, which ends as the latest one before the start of current track. Tracks are extended as a single segment if they share the extending point. If they have no common point a new "empty" segment, with no visible track, is added.

I understand sorting. No issues there. The text beginning with the second sentence is difficult to understand. What is meant here?

=== Joining ===

Joining two tracks (i.e. extending a track) results in just track one remaining. It may look like two tracks but the Route Manager treats it as a single track.

When I combine 2 tracks, the older dated track disappears from the track list and a new, combined track with "underscore plus" appended is added to the track list. The combined track appears to be a single track.

===Merge Selected Tracks===
When merging 2 tracks, they become one track. The older track disappears from the track list. The newer track retains the name, rather than creating a new track entry as when joining tracks. Is this the expected behavior?

Thanks for your help.

[rgleason]

@bdbcat Can you advise Mike? Thanks.

@mguryan Mike I'm making two new pages for Tracks for your use.

• Track Properties
• Use Tracks

Thanks.

[mguryan]

Good idea. Do you concur that joining and merging tracks (and other operations) should go under Use Tracks?

[rgleason]

Yes I think I'd put those under Use Tracks. Thanks.

[rgleason]

"When I combine 2 tracks, the older dated track disappears from the track list and a new, combined track with "underscore plus" appended is added to the track list. The combined track appears to be a single track."

Confirm that this happens at least twice, then I think you can describe what happens with reasonable assurance.
Thanks.

[rgleason]

"Tracks are extended as a single segment if they share the extending point."
"if they have no common point a new "empty" segment, with no visible track, is added."

I think this might be after some pause or stopping. Then the track continues uninterrupted without an "empty" segment if when it starts at the most recent point of the previous track.

Why not test it and see what actually happens? You'll be able to describe it better.

[mguryan]

I'm taking the boat out next week and will test (and screenshot) all manner of tracking. Anything for the cause!

[mguryan]

I would like to use VDR to test some aspects of tracks that I find confusing in the manual. Is it possible to spoof the VDR playback to start at a specific time, such as 5 minutes before midnight?

[rgleason]

Hmm, I hadn't thought of this problem and your idea. TransmitterDan has a VDRplayer that uses scripts. You might be able to modify the script. Alsothis might be a perfect time to contact Tony who is the Author of Javascript_pi, because he has just built a script for a VDR Player and I will bet that he'd really like someone to test it, and he might even modify it for you. You would need the javascript plugin and his script for that. I hope that is a help. I haven't used his VDR script yet.

[mguryan]

I installed the Javascript plugin and was able to run the driver.js script. It created a track which is what I need. If I can get the track to start at a specific time, it should serve my purpose. How do I contact Tony?

[leamas]

How do I contact Tony?

The easiest might be to use zulip. Go to https://opencpn.zulipchat.com, log in with Github credentials. It's reasonably intuitive. A list of users is in the rightmost pane, click on Tony and send him a message

[mguryan]

Thanks. It might work simply by changing the changeover time for Automatic Daily Tracks. I'll give that a try and report back.

[mguryan]

I'm getting unexpected results, but I don't know whether it's because I don't fully understand tracking or whether it's because I'm not using the driver.js script as intended. My test is:

1. Load driver.js into a Javascript console
2. Open Options>Ships>Own Ship
3. Confirm Automatic Daily Tracks is on
4. Set time Changeover time to 2-3 minutes in the future, and select the Computer time radio button. Close Options
5. Toggle tracking on.
6. Start Ship Driver script by clicking Compass Course. Clicking Port or Starboard Tack seems to inconsistently generate a track. More to come on that.
7. Allow tracking to proceed.

Changeover set to 12:25 UTC
Tracking started at 12:23 UTC

Results:
The measured distance of the entire track is 0.25 NMi. Hovering over the track shows the first segment of the track as starting at 12:25:01. There is no data when hovering over the second segment of the track.

The corresponding segment in the Tracks tab has a Zero length.

I would expect the Automatic Daily Track to end the current track and begin a new track at the Changeover time. Is this how it's supposed to work?

[rgleason]

@mguryan Mike, where are you on Tracking? Any further developments/answers?

[mguryan]

Just got in from my trip. Driving home this weekend. Captured more than enough tracks to finish the writeup.

…

------ Original Message ------ From "Rick Gleason" ***@***.***> To "OpenCPN/OpenCPN" ***@***.***> Cc "Mike Guryan" ***@***.***>; "Mention" ***@***.***> Date 5/11/2024 5:40:44 AM Subject Re: [OpenCPN/OpenCPN] Tracks - properties and use (Discussion #3854)

@mguryan <https://github.com/mguryan> Mike, where are you on Tracking? Any further developments/answers? — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#3854 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ACD6KG4UKHJWELQAC7T5BB3ZBYGUZAVCNFSM6AAAAABG4OT5YWVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43SRDJONRXK43TNFXW4Q3PNVWWK3TUHM4TGOJVGI2DK>. You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[rgleason]

Hope you had a good trip. Thanks. Hopefully someone will be able to answer your questions.

[mguryan]

I have updated Use Tracks, except for the Extend Track function. Please review. You can release it on the To Do page.

[rgleason]

Thanks mguryan.

[rgleason]

Mike,
I am sorry I changed the underlying edit_manual to editor_manual and did not set the ACL allowing access for all managers.
I hope it is fixed now. I did not know about it until Terry sailor1024 told me about the access problem to editor-manual pages.
Very Sorry.