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Board » General Discussion » Router Shootout - Software Test (Review)

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Posted by
AGage


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2008-12-27 10:31:57
2010-12-07 19:19:10 - Re: Router Shootout - Software Test (Review)
How long did it take you to optimize routes in Bluewater using a grid size of 1.0nm, even 0.25nm, and such a small time-step of 0.1667?

I have only just given it a look, but most often it really doesnt like grid size < 10.0nm! almost useless...
I help develop the client interface for the best online ocean racing sim there is... __/)/)_/)__
Posted by
BER_Baggus


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2008-12-26 18:46:10
2011-10-03 15:18:34 - Re: Router Shootout - Software Test (Review)
Just resuscitating this old classic!

Does anyone use routing software IRL. If so, what is the favourite?
Posted by
AGage


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2011-10-09 09:19:21 - Re: Router Shootout - Software Test (Review)
1st I will amend my previous question - having worked out how to get more high-res routes in BWR - as a test case I managed to route 120nm course with a grid res of 0.05nm, and 0.00833h time res, which is 30seconds! Sure very OTT, but I just wanted to see how far I could push it - its not worth waiting 30+ minutes for the job to complete for the extra enroute time saving - better to do that 'in-client' ;-)
[NOTE: to route such high-res, evem 1nm@5mins, you need to use smaller polar files (than brainaid's csv), such as produced by my PolarCreator/Converter for SOL, & 'trim' away excess wx data from the gribs - which Schakel kindly saved me from explaining on the soltools blog, by doing so on his own]

Now, I don't personally use any IRL (not that type of sailing) but I know a few who do, & a few I have also helped out with some setups and small custom utilities that tie into their router - 4/5 of those use Expedition, and the other used completely custom software.

In the process of aiding these guys I have been able to check out Expedition quite well, and if you can afford one of those yachts, then you can afford to buy it, and should - for anything & everything other than computing a basic route between 2 points given a polar and grib, it eats Bluewater alive - but given it costs 1200+ US smackos, and BWR is written by a sole developer, it should! Given its background, BWR is very good software indeed, and as I said, will produce just as good a route as Expedition...

So, for use in SOL - there is not much between the 2 (in terms of producing good route)
IRL - BWR shouldn't even be considered, given all the non-routing functions Expedition has. (unless budget is a concern?)

For instance, currently Expedition also supports NMEA and AIS data streams from COM or network ports, and will display the data very nicely (& customizable), and has a *few* other features that make it slightly nicer for SOL use than BWR - but I repeat, the routes from each will be well within statistical insignificance (of each other)... And BWR is showing indications of such support soon, but unlikely as aesthetically pleasing as Exp.

Expedition also has the ability to compute routes with a user specified scaling of the polar or wx data, for example you could tell it to plot a route multiplying all polar BS values, or TWSs by 90%. Also, you can load multiple gribs (ie, official SOL, standard GFS & PredictWind's GFS (even try CMC?)) and either plot 1 route using the wx averages, or see routes for all gribs, which can be useful when trying to plan 6+hrs ahead more accurately.
I help develop the client interface for the best online ocean racing sim there is... __/)/)_/)__

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