Humminbird Side Imaging Forums

Software and Software Development => ReefMaster Software => Topic started by: matt@reefmaster on February 24, 2013, 11:27:50 PM

Title: Multi coloured contours on HB
Post by: matt@reefmaster on February 24, 2013, 11:27:50 PM
This is an answer to Dave's post on another thread - I thought it was worth a new topic.

Quote
Matt what are the display options on HB?
Im still looking for software that will display contours in different colors similar to a contour map on Lowrance ...
all options ive seen out there so far will only let you display one color
 or shades of green on a HB unit??


Quote
Unfortunately Humminbird do not proved a mechanism for displaying third party maps as 'genuine' contours.
The best we can do is as you have already experienced - faking contours with segmented tracks - which can in many instances provide just as much information when on the water, and look good with the right choice of line-style.

We have already experimented with a method for cycling through colours on consecutive contours, and felt that the setup process on the unit was too convoluted for the user, but perhaps it can be included in the next incremental update for those that are willing to spend the time setting it up. I'll outline what we did:

* create a number of separate tracks (this could be user defined, but 3 is enough to be able to discern the direction of a gradient)  for a user map, with separate tracks for alternating contours.
* on the unit, you need to set a line style for three tracks, not just one, and pick the cycle of colours/styles. This is the extra effort that we worried about.

The extra effort can be somewhat mitigated by the fact that separate map areas can be combined into single, larger maps, so limiting the total number of tracks that needs to be configured for display.

I have resurrected the code that we had for the process I described above, and produced some screenshots from a 997 to show the finished result.
I think the contours look good - the only reservation I have is the one I mentioned above - there is an overhead in having to set the style for each of the cycled colours, and also the minor contours if you choose to export them separately. Having said that, it is just a case of setting the styles of 3 or 4 tracks versus one, and it is not a procedure that needs to be carried out very often. Also, you can store a reasonable number of mapped areas within a single set of tracks.

In the example below I have exported two reef patches off Sydney that are stored in a single user map. These have been exported as 4 separate tracks; colours 1-3 and minor contours. What ReefMaster does on export is sort the contours by depth, and move alternating depth ranges into different tracks (1 - 3), then loops and continues. Three colours means that you can discern the gradient direction of the depth change. I set the line styles for the major contours to three different colours (these can of course be any three colours, the ones I chose are perhaps too similar), and the style of the minor lines to a light dash.

[attachimg=1]

The example above has 1m major lines and 0.25m (about 1ft) minor lines

[attachimg=2]

This example has just major lines, and is part of the same set tracks as the first example.
Incidentally, that small loop at the bottom center of the image, and the line across the right/top are the only contours present on the Navionics gold card for this area - 2 miles from the most populous city in Australia!


I think we will include this option in the next incremental release, but would be keen to hear some feedback.

thanks,
Matt
Title: Re: Multi coloured contours on HB
Post by: Gimp on May 01, 2013, 04:11:57 PM
I won't have the funds until early this summer (Northern Hemisphere) but you are tempting me.
Title: Re: Multi coloured contours on HB
Post by: Jdeee on May 02, 2013, 12:08:11 PM
When selecting a contour, let's say 1 metre, does the program select every 1metre contour on the map or do you have to assign a color to each one metre contour ?

Is it possible to use waypoints as numeric contour markers by putting a number as a symbol?  >:D

Thanks
Title: Re: Multi coloured contours on HB
Post by: matt@reefmaster on May 02, 2013, 12:58:42 PM
Hi Jdee,
This feature is not actually in release yet, but the way it works is that it cycles the the major contour lines over three colours - this lets you see the direction of the depth gradient. In order to show the contours in multiple colours on an HB unit, ReefMaster exports three tracks - one for each colour set of contours. This is a bit more fiddly to configure on the unit, as you have to set the colours for three tracks instead of one, but it does look better.
matt
Title: Re: Multi coloured contours on HB
Post by: D S on May 02, 2013, 02:02:30 PM
matt
when do u think the feature will be released I am interested to try the trial version with this capability.
BTW  software looks impressive so far
ds
Title: Re: Multi coloured contours on HB
Post by: matt@reefmaster on May 02, 2013, 04:11:45 PM
matt
when do u think the feature will be released I am interested to try the trial version with this capability.
BTW  software looks impressive so far
ds

I'll get it in the next feature release Dave - probably about a month.
matt
Title: Re: Multi coloured contours on HB
Post by: D S on May 02, 2013, 11:20:44 PM
matt,
 here is what I tried on my 798 with separate contour tracks at depths (eg 12 feet 15 feet 18 feet...)
 each with different color and then
 underlaying a  track with 1 foot contour dotted lines
Is  this  a reasonable attempt similar to what u propose...
.ps....  is a fair amount of work on HB unit  ....sorry about pic quality
[attachimg=1]
Title: Re: Multi coloured contours on HB
Post by: matt@reefmaster on May 03, 2013, 03:59:09 AM
I think you could get pretty much the same effect by doing that Dave, but it would be a bit of a fiddle! The way it is implemented in the up-coming release is that you would get a total of 3 tracks - one for each colour. Say you had contours at 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 meters - then track one would hold the contours for 1, 4, 7, track two 2, 5, 8 etc. Each track can hold a large number of separate contours, up to a total of about 21k points per track (a lot of contours, especially when simplified). This also means that you could export a number of different maps within the same set of tracks - so you would only need to set the linestyle of three tracks in the total on the unit. There would also be the possibility of exporting a fourth track for minor lines, and yet another track for shorelines - which is also coming in the next release.
cheers,
Matt
Title: Re: Multi coloured contours on HB
Post by: D S on May 03, 2013, 12:35:09 PM
thanks matt   sounds great ....i look foreward to your  next  release and will chime back in once i give it a try?

dave
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