MSTZ panning during route entry

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RobertC

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Great to have a forum for this software.
Going to 1.9.6 from 1.9.0, I seem to have lost the auto-panning facility during the entry of a route. Is there anything I can do to recover this?
What does the trackball mode do? I can't detect any difference when this box is ticked?
 
Hello Robert,

Are you doing this in the Planning Workspace or the Navigation Workspace?

It is recommended that you use the Planning Workspace when creating or editing routes.

While you are creating the route, the chart should move automatically to follow the route. However, you can also move the chart manually by moving the cursor to the edge of the screen, where you want the chart to scroll to.

You can also scroll the chart using the arrow keys on your keyboard.

At this point, I do not see any way to disable the automatic chart scrolling while creating routes. I will look into this further and get back to you if I come up with more information.

Hurricane
 
Hi Hurricane,

Thanks.
It's the same in Planning and Navigation workspace.

I'm running Explorer and so have two installations - one at home one onboard. Neither scroll automatically on 1.9.6 by moving the cursor to the chart edge. Does yours? I tried one at a show recently and that had lost the feature too. (But that was a pro version, I think.)
So, I've gone back to 1.9.0 on the yacht, and it's scrolling again. I find it's an essential feature to enable accurate waypoint entry. I think it's been there all along?

Any ideas about what trackball mode does?

Robert
 
RobertC
You are correct. There was a software change to 1.9.6 that changes how the auto scrolling is done when conducting a route. The software engineers explained this change to me a few months back, but the details have faded with time. Basically, they had to make the change for a programming reason. Overall if you are dropping enough points as you draw the route, the system still moves the chart for you. For example if you move your cursor to the edge of the screen it no longer "auto" scrolls the chart in that direction (as you rightly stated), but if you drop a point, it will center the new point in the middle of the screen. This will basically move the chart in the direction you are building your route “automatically”. In some ways the change make a lot of sense because the screen no longer goes flying off on its own, if you move the cursor to the side of the screen by accident; yet the chart still moves in the direction of the route you are constructing. With every change that someone asks for, or they make, you will always have someone who would have rather have it another way. If I recall correctly, there was a good programming reason behind the change and not just customer requests. I will let them know, that you prefer the other method. I personally liked the change after getting used to it. Concerning your “TRACKBALL MODE” setting question; I don’t know. I have asked MaxSea for a clarification of this setting. At this point I don’t think it changes anything even when using a trackball. It might be a setting in development because it is undocumented, and as you stated, doesn’t seem to have any noticeable effect when turned on or off. I will post more when I receive a response from MaxSea.
Johnny
 
Hi Johnny
I never had any problem with the screen flying off on it's own, but maybe because I use a trackball. Perhaps a mouse wanders about underway? Now it's impractical with a trackball in 1.9.6 without using the scroll keys (Wet fingers and laptop don't mix.)
Actually, this is about the length of each leg. The new method is not so good with longer legs. It's the same with the currents. They use a very rudimentary method to calculate CTS, corrected for current, and this becomes hopelessly inaccurate as legs have a longer durations.
Thanks for confirming that 'Trackball Mode' setting does nothing for you either! I'll be following this thread.
 
RobertC,
MaxSea has enlightened me concerning the "TrackBall MODE" setting in MaxSea TZ. It is a setting that is very useful for trackball users in scrolling around the chart. It will also work if you are using a mouse, but more useful for a trackball that is easy to keep rolling in one direction. With the mode is off; when left-clicking on the charts and moving it, you cannot get further than the border of you screen. Your mouse/trackball “hand” stops at the limits of the screen. To move the chart further, you would have to release the button go back to the center or the other side of the chart and again hold and drag the chart. When the TRACKBALL MODE setting is set to ON, the cursor is moved back to the center of the screen “AUTOMATICALLY” and allows the chart to continue being moved. (like a constant scroll/roll) Just keep the left mouse button down and drag continuously over the edge of the screen and you will understand. It is a neat feature, now that I understand it. MaxSea developers say this function may be modified in the future. The option may be replaced by a hot key. Let me know what you think of the feature.
Johnny
 
Thanks Johnny
I'm away from a MSTZ PC for a few days. I'll give it a try next week.

But, I wonder if this works while entering a route. The left button is then being used for dropping a waypoint. That is when I most miss the autoscrolling, because you need be zoomed in to drop the waypoint accurately.

Very useful this forum is!

Robert
 
RobertC
Playing with routing, if you press and hold the left mouse button and move to the edge (even with trackball mode off) it will move/scroll the screen, but it is important not to release the mouse button until you want to drop the next route point. With V1.9.0 you didn’t had to keep the mouse down. This old way was easier to “discover” BUT it could be messy at sea (where sometimes the mouse can move eratically).
Johnny
 
Excellent. I'll give it a try soon. I doubt I would ever have discovered this.
As you suggest, this must be for mouse users, so a wandering mouse does not slide across a chart table and autoscroll the chart half way across the Atlantic.
I use, and am very happy with, a Logitech trackball. Takes less space and didn't have that drawback anyway. Much better at sea.
It would be good if trackball mode reverted to the previous behaviour, I think.
Thanks again.
Robert
 
Hi Johnny
I gave this a try.
With trackball mode off, scrolling works as you describe. I can see why a mouse user might prefer this. ( But you need to use the middle finger on the scroll button. Perhaps that's usual. I had always used my index finger!)
With trackball mode ticked, scrolling happens if I hover in a very small strip at the edge of the screen. Go a few pixels further and touch the edge and the screen jumps in big leaps. I don't like that.
I thought the 1.9.0 behaviour was perfect for trackballs.
Anyway, I can turn trackball mode off and use my trackball as a mouse!
Thanks for the explanation. It's been very useful.
Robert
 
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