ManualOperator

User's Data

Drawing layer's catalog

All drawing user's data layers presently opened, are grouped in a catalog.

To display the Drawing layer's catalog:

•Choose [Catalog] from the [Display] menu to bring up the catalog's window

To choose the layer that you wish to show or hide on the chart:

•Click in each boxes nearest of each layer to specify which layer you wish to display on the chart.

To quickly show or hide all together the selected layers:

•Click the box nearest the first level Drawing layer.

Showing and Hiding user's data layers

To specify which layers you wish to display or hide.

1.Click on the Layer zone button.

2.Check or uncheck each opened layer in the drop down list to show or hide it on the chart.

Note: when the active layer is hidden and you plot marks, the layer is automatically activated and appears again on the chart.

To hide all User's data layers :

1.Click the Layer zone button, at this moment all layers are hidden

Closing user's data layer file (s)

The different user's data layer files that you have created or opened can be displayed on the chart.

To save computer memory and speed up the software, it is best to close all user data layers that are open but not being actively used.

To close one of these open layer files (it will be on the hard disk, but will not be immediately available in the software).

To close a data file which you have opened before and which is displayed on the chart:

1.select [Close] from the [File] menu.

2.choose the file

3.to simultaneously close several files, press the "Ctrl" key while selecting the files from the close dialog box.

4.click on close to validate.

IMPORTANT

Layer.ptf is the active layer by default and can never be closed.

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Note:

(1)- when you quit the software the list of files which are currently displayed is saved and the next time the software is launched these files will automatically be opened.

(2)- if the user's data layer file(s) that you have closed has/have been modified since the last save, the software informs you that the corresponding file(s) has/have not been saved and offers you the option to do so.

(3)- if the user data layer closed was the active layer, the following layer in the list of layers becomes the active layer (its name is displayed in the chart window).

Saving User's Data layer file(s)

IMPORTANT - Each time that you add or modify marks on a user's data layer, the modification is saved in the Layer.ptf file by default. The save is only permanent on different layer files once you have explicitly saved the corresponding user's data layer file (this avoids saving modifications which have been made mistakenly).

YOU SHOULD MAKE REGULAR SAVES ON USER'S DATA LAYER FILES ON WHICH YOU ARE WORKING. YOU SHOULD ALSO BACKUP THIS DATA IN CASE YOUR HARD DRIVE FAILS.

Saving permanently in the active user's data layer file

1. Once you have plotted marks and you wish to save them, press "Ctrl" + "s" or choose [Save] under the [File] menu, this will save automatically all plotted marks in the active layer.

2 - If you have plotted marks and the active file is Layer.ptf (the default layer). When you quit MaxSea, your marks will automatically be saved in "Layer.ptf" file under your "My documents" folder.

3 - when you quit the software or close a user's data layer on which information has been modified, MaxSea gives you the option to save the changes.

Saving in a chosen file

1 - Once you have plotted marks you wish to save them to a file:

2 - Choose [Save as...] under the [File] menu and select a file and folder in the location window.

3 - The file save dialog box which is displayed allows you to save onto disk in " My documents" folder user data which may be loaded at a later stage and displayed on the chart.

4 - After saving, the new user data layer file is automatically activated and displayed on the chart.

Note:

(1) - a file called Layer.ptf exists and it is the User's data layer file by default. You can choose which layer you want to be activated and to be "shown / hidden" (related topics: Activating a User's data layer and Show and Hide user's data layers).

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(2) - only the layers modified since the last backup will appear in the list and will be displayed on the chart.

Creating user's data layer file (s)

To create a new data layer file:

1 - select [New...] from the [File] menu.

2 - assign a name and specify the path where you want to save the user's data layer file.

Whatever the active layer geodesy is, a layer so created is always defined in the WGS84 geodesy

Note:

The created user's data layer is now the active file and its name is displayed in the Chart palette. At any time you can hide this layer or change the active layer you want to display on the chart.

Import user's data layer from other plotters

It is possible to read plans from other plotters directly into MaxSea simply by selecting the import item from the MaxSea File menu.

Data is automatically converted into (.ptf) files that can be modified as desired.

To import a file:

1.select [Import to PTF] from the MaxSea [File] menu:

2.Select the format type of the file you want to import:

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3.Click on the Next button,

4.Choose the file source directory and click OK,

5.Save the file under the name you have chosen.

6.The file is converted to a (.ptf) file format and you can open it at any time in MaxSea.

Note: the software generates a "Conversion_Log.txt" file with the description of the conversion.

Advanced mode:

Choose this mode if you need to configure the type of conversion in separate files.

•Click on the View log button to see the Conversion Results.

•You will have to proceed in the same way for the other Conversion types.

File Import formats

Fishing plan from QuodFish plotter

There are 4 QuodFish file formats on the market. V1 and v2 are from DOS software, v3 and v4 are from Windows software. All formats have different import requirements.

The QuodFish import is similar to other imports:

•You can create one single PTF file from several QF files.

•Conversion_log.txt file records the work done.

•MaxSea looks for QF files in subfolders of the selected folder.

Expected files: (*.UDB) and (*.TDB)

Expected file versions: version V4.11 (other versions are not imported)

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Note: in case of a bad version or any bad file format error, a message is displayed.

Shipmate RS 2500 - Dumped file

A software utility is delivered with the software which allows to create dumped file. This software is named "ANADISK".

This software is available on the DOS environment.

RS 2500 files is exported using the ANADISK software to PTF format.

Note: the original files can be imported one by one, imported several files into a single PTF file is not available.

Before importing plan from OLEX

To convert the data coming out from Plotter Olex, it is necessary to replace 2 files of the system LINUX by scripts which were developed by MaxSea International. When these scripts are loaded, the safeguard of the data saved on a diskette is automatically redirected in a specific files.

The files thus obtained could be transferred on a diskette.

This show you how to convert Olex file before importing into MaxSea:

Steps to be following under LINUX

Copy I&M scripts

Save the data

Copy the files on a diskette

Replace the original files

Steps to be following under Windows

Merge the files

The files must be uncompressed and renamed

Convert the data

Then import the data in MaxSea

To get the scripts and / or to obtain more information about the process contact MaxSea International

support@maxsea.fr

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Before importing data files from FURUNO plotter

If the Windows system cannot read the files which are contained in the disk from Furuno, you have to use before a specific program to make the files available. The program that you have to use is named Swapfuruno.bat and it's run on Windows 98 SE system. This program will read, convert and copy all the files on the computer.

To make the User's data file from FURUNO plotter available on Windows 98 SE system :

1.Insert the FURUNO disk in the disk drive

2.Launch the program from Windows [Start] menu point to [Programs] then [MaxSea

Utilities] and click on [Swapfuruno]

3.Then all the files are automatically converted and saved on your computer in "C:Furunomx" folder .

Now the files are ready and to continue the Imported data process in MaxSea refer you to the "Import user's data layer from other plotters" paragraph .

Importing files data from FISH12 plotter

MaxSea can convert directly fishing plans from FISH12 plotter to MaxSea PTF files. To do this you have to insert the floppy disks from the plotter into the floppy driver of your computer. Then you have to activate the import function under the File menu of MaxSea. Then, search and choose the file you wish to convert.

Marks, Tracks, MOB, Routes and waypoints are automatically saved and converted as PTF lines. As well the icons, color, date and label are also converted as attributes of MaxSea's objects.

Expected file versions: version FISH12 V1.10.0; File system v1.2.16; CMAP file system v3.0.08.

Vector Data Plan

Vector Plan (SHP and MIF)

MaxSea allows you to display your own vector plan in compatible format (SHP and MIF from MapInfo) as well the Rockeries layers showing you fishing protected zones.

These file formats are currently used in the applications like DAO / CAD and SIG.

IMPORTANT - MaxSea automatically display Rockeries plan in the good geographic system datum.

If user has created its own vector plan, he have to apply some correction to correctly open it:

•The original values X0/Y0 must match the geographic coordinate point in the good geographic system datum.

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•The AutoCAD file has to respect the projection associated to the geographic system datum.

To open a vector plan:

1.Select the option [Open] from the [File] menu

2.Search and select the file either on your hard disk and Click Open

Once shown, the Vector plan is used as any type of layers and Vector plan item is added in the Layer Zone Menu as the other layers. You can show and hide them each time you need.

Each Zone Area category from Rockeries plan is displayed with the official color and pattern defined from International Oceanography Centers.

Opening the plan in the good datum system

Open the file by using manual opening function.

Go to [File] menu, select [Open]

Choose "Chart AutoCad (*.dxf ;*.dwg ;*.dgn,*.mif ;*.shp)." file format.

Select the datum system

The following window will appear :

Select the datum system

Then click Ok.

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The plan will be opened

According to the size of the file, displaying the file can take a lot of system (RAM) memory and can take time. It is recommended to not open other applications nor continue with operations needing system memory.

When a AutoCAD plan is already geo-referenced in MaxSea, the selected geographic coordinate system is recorded and called by default when a new file is opened: It is enough to confirm or to modify if need be.

Events

Events

Manual or automatic events are saved as in the case of the marks that were shown in the previous chapter onto the active User Data Layer.

When you create a manual or automatic event, a mark is saved onto the active fishing plan at the present position of the ship.

IMPORTANT

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Plotting and modification of events is saved in the RAM. The save is only permanent once you have explicitly saved the corresponding fishing plan (this avoids saving modifications which have been made by mistake). You should save regularly the layer you are working on.

Related topics:

1.Opening user's data layer file(s)

2.Saving User's data layer file(s)

3.Closing user's data layer file (s)

Events palette

Each time you want to display the Events palette, go to the [Display] menu and select [Events Display].

This palette allows you to create events with a simple click on an icon symbol. Each symbol is according to a number key or a number of your numeric keypad if you have.

Note : The Events Palette represents the exact image of the Numeric keypad as it is shown in picture above.

The "Enter"event is one that takes in account the actual symbol selected in the Toolbar

To add an event click on a number key or display the Event palette and click a symbol.

As The other palette you can move the Events palette and change its size display on the screen.

To change Symbol see related topic: "Option: Events..."

Manual event

Different manual events can be assigned to the number keys (0, 1, 2, etc.) or number keys on the numeric keypad located to the right of your keyboard.

Each key corresponds to an icon that you choose beforehand.

Related topics:

1.Events palette

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2.Configuring the numeric keypad

Press one of the number keys and note that an event is saved at the present position of your boat.

Note:

(1)- if a sounder is connected, the associate value is the one of the sounder.

(2)- if you press Enter (on the right-hand side of your keyboard) you save an event mark as the icon presently selected in the Toolbar.

See also related topic:

Marks for more information on icon choice

Automatic events

Select [Automatic Event On] from the [Route] menu to begin automatically saving events. (Shift + F7)

Note:

A check mark is now displayed in front of the [Automatic Event ON] menu to indicate that this function is active.

If a sounder is connected, the depth associated with this mark is recorded.

Select [Automatic Events On] again from the [Route] menu to deactivate the saving function.

See related topic: "Option:Events..." to customize the numeric keys on keyboard or keypad (choosing the symbol according to an event ) when automatic events are saved

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