SeaClear II

[ccrider]

I have been frustrated in getting charts into SeaClear. Does SeaClear II work with Windows Vista Home Edition?
In the instructions, two statements are not clear to me:
"Before using BSB/KAP charts in SeaClear they should be registered."
and "Start MapCal and make sure all KAP files are in the chart path."
I have downloaded a set of charts from NOAA in BSB/KAP format and saved them to a file on the desktop. Using MapCal I can open the charts, but somehow they don't get saved into SeaClear and when I try to find them, they do not appear.
I am new to this windows world and compared to MAC, it seems awfully difficult and confusing.
Can anyone help me with this?
John

[CharlieCobra]

I use it on a Vista machine without issue. Move your charts to a sub directory called Charts under the Seaclear directory and retry with Mapcal. Seaclear doesn't step down paths so ya have to make sure each file is registered separately with the program. It's a pain but it works well enough.

[ylluston]

As Charlie says

Seaclear doesn't step down paths so ya have to make sure each file is registered separately with the program.

MapCal will not find them if they are in subdirectories / folders.
You need to get all the BSB and Kap files into one folder.

BTW Winzip lets you expand the files into one folder.

Paul

[ccrider]

Thanks for your response. So now the question is how do you move a folder to a sub directory? I went through the Windows help but did not find an answer.
Thanks, John

[CharlieCobra]

Right click on Computer and select Explore. Go to the location of the charts, select each BBS chart, right click on it and move it to the Seaclear/Charts directory using the cut option and then selct the new folder, right click and select paste. If there are multiple charts in a given directory, select them all by selecting the top one, hold down shift and select the bottom one. Then either use cut and paste or simply drag them to the new destination folder. Once you have all of the charts in one place, run Mapcal again. BTW, to create a new directory in windows, select the desired parent directory, right click and select New Folder.

[ccrider]

Wow, this is getting ridiculous. Thanks CharlieCobra for you help. The situation now is that under SeaClear there are four folders: charts, routes, traces and waypoints. Expanded, the charts folder shows the eight charts that I downloaded and cut and pasted to this folder. These charts represent my local waters.

Now when I run SeaClear Calibration, Tools>autoload>scan for new charts, I get a window that shows only four charts, the four basic charts that were included in the SeaClear installation program, with no mention of the charts I have moved into the SeaClear Charts Folder.

When I open SeaClear>File>List All only the basic four charts come up, but when I go File>Charts>Not Listed, I get a window that lets me open any one of the eight charts I downloaded, but there does not seem to be a way to save them into SeaClear/SeaClear Calibration for automatic loading.

My ignorance of how to use Windows is really showing, but "help" appears dumber than me.
Again, thanks for your help.
John

[Alchemy]

Unfortunately, SeaClear, while functional, is clearly the work of someone who learned to code for DOS in the '80s. I find it somewhat obtuse by current standards, but it's quite workable if you had experience with PCs from those distant, dark days.

You get what you don't pay for.

[CharlieCobra]

I had that same issue when I put Seaclear on my Vista box but it's been so long ago that I don't remember exactly what I did to fix it. I downloaded ALL of the NOAA files and it was a pain to get it to work.

Here ya go, use the Set Directory function in Mapcal. Add each chart directory as you need to:

[ccrider]

Thanks Charlie Cobra.
Would have never guessed.
John

[AllThumbs]

In seaclear ll, click "File", "Chart", "Not Listed", go fish out any chart, anywhere on the computer.

[Rick Donaldson]

I dont know if anyone has covered this, but... I went to NOAA and downloaded ALL the charts, then unzipped the entire lot to a directory.

I then had windows do a search for all .KAP files. When it was finished, I MOVED all of those files over to the /seaclear/charts directory, then opened Mapcal, ran that and read all the charts back in.

Worked fine.

[Rick Donaldson]

Unfortunately, SeaClear, while functional, is clearly the work of someone who learned to code for DOS in the '80s. I find it somewhat obtuse by current standards, but it's quite workable if you had experience with PCs from those distant, dark days.

You get what you don't pay for.

I have no issues at all with Seaclear so far. Other than I CAN NOT locate a couple of charts I REALLY need. NOAA doesn't seem to have some of the charts I need for the Caribbean atm.

[ChucklesR]

Carib isn't U.S. waters. you have to look to those countries that own it for charts of it, and unlike NOAA, you will likely have to pay for the charts.

Your tax dollar only spends in the U.S.

[Rick Donaldson]

I found the paper charts I need. NOAA told me that NIMA carries the digital versions. All of them cost money unless they are from NOAA, so I can't get them just for general use (I'm not going to all those places and just need something to look at for general ideas of what I'm getting into).

Anyway, I'm ordering the paper charts I need shortly. Thanks for your help Paul.

Rick