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Text File | 1992-03-09 | 24.1 KB | 511 lines

LORAN Notebook (LNB) V1.4 August 17, 1991 This program is free for the taking. It may be uploaded on any BBS and added to any public domain library as long as the following conditions are met: 1. This documentation is included with the executable program. 2. Neither the executable program or this documentation is altered. (I would be VERY interested in trading loran numbers with other LNB users. I may even be willing to convert other database formats to LNB.) I can supply the data format if anyone has a need for it. As you have probably guessed from my icon, I use a Micrologic Voyager SportNav (hand heald) loran. It carries the TDs out two decimal points and this program allows for that. (Version 1.0 was not released) Release 1.1. Fixed a problem with the IDCMP messages that caused some gadgets to stop if you moved the pointer while holding them down. Release 1.2. Added error checking to the number fields. Fixed a bug that could hang the system if an invalid output file was given. Added graphic plotting of longitude/latitude data. Read about the plot screen towards the end of this file. Release 1.3. Made the Box Marked routine faster. The F1 key will locate the current site on the plot. The F1 key will also find the current site on the main window (previously used the help key) Allow user to toggle the title bar on the plot screen Fixed a bug in the Print Current Site option. Standardized some of the terms in this doc file. (I did not uploaded 1.3 this on any BBS) Release 1.4 Added Latitude and Longitude scale to the graphic display with pointer guidelines The plot speed has been improved slightly. Land can be drawn and edited (see the plot menu) This has been bugging me since V1.0... The LONGITUDE now comes before the LATITUDE everywhere (screen, printouts) There was something warped about having the y-axis first. Allows you to place a hurricane icon to plot hurricane movement. Included in the archive: LoranNotebook - The program LoranNotebook.doc - The program's instructions Loran_Data - Some sample Florida sites. (Each file also has an icon) NOTE 1: The map of Florida in the sample data was hand drawn and is very rough. I hope to have a more accurate version soon. NOTE 2: There is a hurricane plotted in the Loran_Data file. Press the shifted minus a few times to zoom back far enough to see it. >>> BETA NOTICE If you start the Loran Notebook from the CLI and follow the program name with a questionmark ('LoranNotebook ?') you will get a revision number and a template. If the revision number is followed by a Beta character (a strange looking capitol 'B') you have a Beta Test. Beta tests are still in testing and not intended for release. If you want to play with it anyway, go ahead. The testing has pretty much been limited to whatever time that I can play around with the program. Since I would rather add features than play around this is limited even further. I need to learn to multitask. >>> THE BEEF The LORAN Notebook (LNB) is a dedicated database for LORAN users. It may be started from the CLI or workbench. If started from the CLI the database file name may follow the program name. It detaches itself from the CLI so there's no need to use the 'run' command with it. If you are starting the LNB from the workbench you may double click on its icon or double click on the icon of a previously created LBN database. The latter will run LNB and load the selected database. The notebook is based on North Latitude and West Longitude (U.S.A.). If you are starting a new database you will be limited to 500 entries. If you hit that limit save the database and reload it. You will have another 500 entries available in addition to the previous entries. The size of each of your databases is limited to your Amiga's memory (1700 entries is about 250K). Every time you load a database you will have 500 'blank slots' available. This should be enough for additions. You must select ADD SITE from the menu (or Right-Amiga-A) to actually add a new site. Since the working database is in RAM it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that you re-save it after any changes. The program will remind you to save when you exit. I strongly recommend that you save the database after any significent changes, even if you are not ready to exit. Always keep a backup of the LNB and, more importantly, your database on a separate disk. In the title bar the current number of sites loaded into the database as well as the number of sites that are selected. These will be updated as needed during your session. While the current database in memory is being deleted the counter will reflect the status. The string gadgets are, I hope, self explanatory. Lon, Lat & TDs are stored as floating point numbers. This will prevent you from using minute marks, hyphens, etc. in these fields. Waypoint and Depth are stored ad intergers, thus whole numbers only will be accepted in those gadgets. There are three QUICK gadgets. These are built-in descriptive info for the site. The first one is the most important because it is on the printouts. The other two are handy for future searches. The left side of each QUICK gadget will cycle backwards through the options and the right side will cycle forwards. If you have any suggestions for the list let me know. The program will not allow the same item twice in a site. The list is: WRECK, REEF, LEDGE, SAND, BRIDGE, ROCK, PASS, PORT, MARKER, CHANNEL, DANGER!, ANCHORAGE, SPEAR FISHIN, FISHING, DIVING and CONFIRMED. >>> COLORS (assuming that you have the original WB colors) These are the colors in the select box (The large box at the bottom of the window that shows up to eight sites at a time.) NORMAL........ Red letters with a black background. SELECTED...... White letters with a black background. CURRENT SITE.. Blue background (letters same as above). There can only be one current site at a time. Sites may be selected and deselected my clicking on them with the mouse pointer (left button). You may also drag the mouse across multiple sites while holding the button down. If you move the pointer above or below the select box while holding the button down the sites will scroll. All sites are deselected when loaded. >>> THE MAIN MENU NEW - Clears memory of the current database. OPEN - Loads a LNB database. If you try to load a file that is not an LNB database you will be yelled at. SAVE - Saves the entire database. (I STRONGLY recommend that you save the database, and ALL valuable info on at least two separate disks. A faulty disk is a terrible thing!) SAVE MARKED - Allows you to save the sites that you have selected (white text). This is handy in breaking up a large database. NOTE 1: This does not delete the selected sites from the current database. NOTE 2: Currently there is no way in the program to merge databases. If this is needed let me know. ABOUT - Does nothing useful. QUIT - Exits the program. ADD SITE - Creates a opening for a new site. DELETE SITE - Deletes the current (blue background) site. DELETE MARKED - Deletes all of the selected sites (white text). TO PRINTER - Sends output to the printer if checked. The check mark status is saved with the file. TO FILE - Sends output to a file if checked. You will be asked for a file name. The check mark status is saved with the file. ONE LINE - If checked, each site will be printed on one 80 column line. If it is not checked each site will print on three lines. The check mark status is saved with the file. PRINT CURRENT - Prints the current site only. The format will depend on if ONE LINE is checked or not. ALL MARKED - Prints all selected sites. The format will depend on if ONE LINE is checked or not. ALL SITES - Prints all sites in memory. The format will depend on if ONE LINE is checked or not. WITH ICON - If checked, all databases and text files and land point lists will have an appropriate icon saved with them. If you alter or add your own icon the program will not overwrite it. The check mark status is saved with the file. PLOT MARKED - Plots the individual sites that have long/lat numbers entered AND are selected (white). The sites will be scaled to fill the screen. PLOT ALL - Plots the individual sites that have long/lat numbers entered. The colors match the select box: Red for normal and white for selected. >>> KEYBOARD (No string gadgets can be selected for these keys to work) F1............... Locates the current site. F2............... Toggles the way sites are sorted (Site Name or County) UP ARROW......... Scrolls up one site. SHIFT UP ARROW... Scrolls up one window of sites (8). DOWN ARROW....... Scrolls down one site. SHIFT DOWN ARROW. Scrolls down one window of sites (8). LEFT ARROW....... Scrolls current site up one. RIGHT ARROW...... Scrolls current site down one. >>> SEARCHING All of the string gadgets except ERR have a search button connected to them. To search for a specific county make sure that the county name is in the string gadget (or part of the name, case doesn't matter) and click on the word 'County:'. When the search is done all of the matches will be highlit and at the top of the list. All string searches are non-case sensitive (upper case and lower case are the same). Leading and trailing spaces are stripped prior to the search. All number searches (Lon, Lat, TDs, Depth & WP) work with the ERR factor. An Error factor of 0 (zero) would require an exact match. An error factor of 10 (ten) would match if the site is -10 to +10 from the search number. In this way you could search for all sites with a depth between 60 and 80 feet by entering 10 for the error factor and 70 for the depth to search for. The plus sign between LAT and LON does a double search. It searches a rectangle around the entered numbers. The size of the rectangle will depend on the error factor. TDs may be searched the same way but since they are not parallel and at right angles to the equator the results could be a strange shape. (I know, Latitudes are not parallel either, but they're close enough for most purposes). Error factors may be entered in decimal points or whole numbers. For depth searches only whole numbers are used (no rounding). The error factor is saved with the file. Searches on the QUICK gadgets must match any that are not blank. If you have REEF, FISHING and a blank gadget and start the search all sites REEF and FISHING will be found, the blank will be ignored. The match may be in any of the three QUICK boxes. (Remember to use the LOCKED gadget described below to prevent changing the current site.) >>> LOCKED GADGET This allows you to enter text or numbers into a string gadget without actually changing the current site's info. The QUICK gadgets will also be locked. This is handy for searches when what you are looking for is not currently on the screen. When you deselect the locked gadget the current site's information will be redisplayed. >>> MARKED SEARCHES If you click the MARKED gadget your next searches will only be against the previously selected sites. By using this you could isolate a group of sites 10 miles E-W and 100 miles N-S in a particular county. You will not be able to select the MARKED gadget if there are no selected sites. >>> SORT ARROW At the bottom of the window is a small arrow pointing either left or right. If it points left the sites will be sorted by the site name. If it points right the sites will be sorted by county. Any sites that are selected will be moved to the top of the list and sorted independently of unselected sites. The arrow's direction is saved with the file. >>> SELECT/DESELECT GADGET Located to the left of select box is a tall, thin gadget that will select or deselect all of the sites in memory. What it does depends on the condition of the first site in the list. If it is active clicking this will deselect all of the sites and if it is not active it will select all of the sites. >>> ABOUT THE PLOT SCREEN First things first... DO NOT USE THE GRAPHIC PRINT FOR NAVIGATIONAL PURPOSES! Whenever you select plot from the menu there will be a slight delay while the program scales the data. A minimum of three sites with longitude and latitude must be available for plotting. (If I knew how to turn TDs to long/lats I would use them too.) The plots will have the latitude and longitude scale at the left and bottom, respecivately. These will be anamorphically adjusted to fit the chosen display. Minutes markers are displayed without numbers. There are two guidelines that follow the pointer for reference, they are cleared before printing. Because of the scaling you have to be a little careful. If you have 300 numbers for Florida and one for New York the plot will have one dot for New York at the top, a big gap, and a bunch of dots at the bottom. My testing consisted of 1775 Florida numbers and when plotted the entire outline of the state is visible (without the land). The plot screen has the usual forward/backward gadgets in the upper right corner, but you can't see them. They're actually quite easy to find. I like using the LEFT-AMIGA-M and LEFT-AMIGA-N keys to flip screens. You may also turn on the title bar for the usual gadgets (see below). There are three menu choices from the plot screen. They are: PLOT SCREEN MENU ******* PRINT SCREEN - To successfully pull this off you need a graphic compatable printer and the proper driver selected in preferences. During the print the screen will change colors to reflect the printed output (and save your ribbon or toner). The background will be white with the sites represented as black dots. Currently selected and unselected sites print the same unless boxed (see below). PLOT MARKED - Plots the individual sites that have long/lat numbers entered AND are selected (white). The sites will be scaled to fill the screen. This is the same as the menu option from the main loran window. Sites that are not selected will not be displayed. PLOT ALL - Plots the individual sites that have long/lat numbers entered. The colors match the select box: Red for normal and white for selected. PLOT ALL will also return the display (zoom %) to the original settings. This is the same as the menu option from the main loran window. BOX MARKED - This will draw small boxes around all selected (white) sites. This can be handy prior to printing to show selected sites better. REDRAW - Redraws the screen clearing any boxes. This is also used to update plot screen if you make any changes (add/delete/ select/deselect) on the main window. (This isn't done automatically because it would take too long every time that you made a change.) REDRAW is the same as PLOT ALL except that it keeps the current zoom level. TOGGLE TITLE - Selecting this will either display or hide the title bar. Showing the title bar will allow you to drag the window up and down. When the title bar is not visible the hidden forward & backward gadgets are still available in the upper right hand corner. The way that you leave the title bar will be saved with the file. FUNCTION MENU ******* NORMAL - This is the 'Normal' arrow pointer. It will allow you to draw boxes around any areas that you want. It does not select, zoom or clear anything. MARK - This is the 'Crosshair' Pointer. Selects all sited within the box (inclusive). All other selected sites are deselected and any boxes are erased. Any selected sites will also be selected in the normal loran window on the workbench screen. The pointer will return to NORMAL after the sites are selected. ZOOM - This is the 'Double Box' Pointer. The boxed area will be enlarged to fill the screen. All selected sites will remain selected. The pointer will return to NORMAL after the sites are selected. To 'unzoom' choose PLOT ALL from the menu. LAND MENU ******* CREATE - Allows you to draw a land area by selecting points with the left mouse button. Up to 1000 points may be created. To separate land areas select a point outside of the main display area (left or bottom of screen). Points may be added at any zoom level. Choosing any other menu item will cancel CREATE. When in CREATE the pointer will become a small arrow. NOTE: A file with ANY land points will be about 8K larger on disk than a file without land points. EDIT - Allows you to EDIT any land points previously created. All land points will become white dots and all loran sites will be deselected and displayed as red. As you position the single crosshair pointer over a white dot arrow heads will be added to it. When this happens you may use the left mouse button to move the point. If you have many land points the guidelines may be a little slow. IMPORT - Reads an ASCII file to create the land points. If land already exists the program will ask you if you want to delete it first, otherwise it will be appended. NOTE 1: This file may be edited with any word processor that does not add any formatting information. the format is: +AAAA.AA +BBBB.BB Where 'A' is the LONGITUDE and 'B' is the LATITUDE. They may be separated by spaces, commas or tabs. The longitude must begin with a plus (+) sign to let the program know to convert it to the internal format. A plus before the latitude is optional. To separate land areas enter zeros, the plus sign is optional. This will allow advanced users to create map files from nautical maps. Numbers with plus signe may be mixed with exported data. NOTE 2: IMPORT will attempt to read whatever file that you tell it to, even if it isn't a long/lat list. EXPORT - Writes the current land points to an ASCII file that is compatable with the IMPORT option. This is handy to move land points from one file to another. If the WITH ICON menu item (main window menu) is selected a palm tree icon will be created also. NOTE: The program does not store land points as longitudes and latitudes, but with a more base 10 friendly system to speed things up. Therefore if you attempt view this file you will find that the numbers are similar to, but NOT longitudes and latitudes. CLEAR - Asks you if you want to delete all of the land points. If there are no land points nothing will happen. KEYBOARD F1 .............. Locates the current site by drawing a box around it. The box color will depend on if the site is selected (white) or not (red). F6 .............. Adds a hurricane symbol at the present pointer location. This will be saved with the file ONLY land has been created. The size of the symbol remains the same regardless of the magnification. F7 .............. Deletes the hurricane symbol. F10 ............. While you are in EDIT and have a land point selected (arrow heads on the crosshair) this will insert another land point. You may then move land point freely. (sorry, but my old A1000 doesn't have an insert key) If you have many land points there will be a slight delay. DEL ............ While you are in EDIT and have a land point selected (arrow heads on the crosshair) this will delete the current land point. If you have many land points there will be a slight delay. - .............. (Unshifted Minus Key) Will zoom the display out about one minute from each side. There are no limits on how far out you can zoom. _ .............. (Shifted Minus Key) Will zoom the display out about one degree from each side. = .............. (Unshifted Plus Key) Will zoom the display in about one minute from each side. The maximum zoom in is two minutes on the screen (The program will tell you). + .............. (Shifted Plus Key) Will zoom the display in about one degree from each side. The maximum zoom in is two minutes on the screen (The program will tell you). NOTE: You can zoom in closer with the ZOOM pointer. LEFT ........... Moves the display 1/4 of the current resolution (screen that's visible) to the left. (SHIFTED LEFT moves 1 screen left) RIGHT .......... Moves the display 1/4 of the current resolution to the right. (SHIFTED RIGHT moves 1 screen right) UP ............. Moves the display 1/4 of the current resolution up. (SHIFTED UP moves 1 screen up) DOWN ........... Moves the display 1/4 of the current resolution down. (SHIFTED DOWN moves 1 screen down) You may have noticed that there is no way to close the plot screen once it has been opened. It will close up when you quit the program. >>> DOCUMENTATION I really hate writing these doc files. >>> COMMENTS & FLAMES Comments and suggestions are welcome. Allen Maroney 2009-66th Ave. S. St. Petersburg, FL 33712 813-867-4781 GEnie - A.MARONEY