FYI - there is a screenshot image at the bottom of this page. It might help you decide if you want to read the rest of this long post.
What I am looking for is YOUR feedback on something important to me. I thought this would be a good place to begin to explore the demand for something I have always longed for - being able to make detailed 3D maps of my fishing area.
I am a fisherman born in Alaska and lived/fished in the NW most of my life. I have a passion for fishing and the outdoors. I have also had a passion for computers and have been a software programmer/developer for over 25 years. I have always dreamed of having a job that involved both. I have never found the perfect job.
Also, the tools I would like to see are also almost non-existent although I did FINALLY find a product that aroused my interest. But the $7,000 price ticket for one entry-level copy of the software made it impossible. In case you are interested in seeing more about that product, google Piscatus.
So I set out to create my perfect job. for myself I have decided to create the recreational tools I have always wanted but could never find (or afford).
Here is where I am. I am quite a ways into the development of what I am calling "Floor 3D" - please I welcome suggestions on a final name for this tool. It might sound like a home improvement tool but I needed something to initially call it. Floor is for "Sea Floor" or "Sea Bed" or :Lake Bed". I guess Bed 3D would be an even more interesting name, eh?
The software is designed to allow YOU to QUICKLY and EASILY get a picture of what is down there. Actually, not only get a "picture" but be able to get the most benefit from the information. I am designing it with my needs in mind since I fish so much. I think, based on that, that it is something you will find useful as well. I will also love to hear your ideas.
Here are the requirements. In addition to the software, you need a laptop or notebook to make this work. You need an interface cable from the computer to the NMEA interface on your GPS/SONAR unit. Right now, The cable is simple and I plan to provide these with the software. I am currently interfacing with Garmin GPS/SONAR combination units through the NMEA 0183 serial wires. I am not quite sure how many units DON'T have this interface, but I think it is pretty standard on many combination units. If you want to reply to let me know about what you know about your units, I would be happy to research to see if your unit has the needed connection. I know the emerging standard is NMEA 2000 and I will address this and other potential interface/connection scenarios in the near future.
I want to provide the software on a USB thumb drive (memory stick) that you plug into a USB port on your laptop. You would boot up on the USB drive as it contains all software including many additional and free tools for graphics visualization and image processing should you want to do something fancy. The thumb drive will also contain it's own operating system, meaning that you will have everything you need and it won't care what operating system you are running on your laptop or notebook.
Here is how it works. You begin the "recording" of data with a click of a button. Then drive around an area of interest. Maybe make a couple passes back and forth. The idea is to get enough information (the position and depth info) recorded to generate the contours and/or color shading that represents the collected data. With the push of a button, the contours and/or color shading is now displayed. Now if you see an area that you want to get more detail on, just move back and forth or around that area to get more data. Then click the contour button to update the currently displayed contours.
The software has a "moving map" much like your GPS plotter. You can see exactly where you are in relation to the contours. Zoom in/out, pan around, etc.
Here is how I use it to give you some ideas. I will just give one example but there are other uses as well. I am going to fish for Salmon on the Columbia. But as many of you know, you want to be in the right spot in relation to the bottom topography (contours). There are many spots that will not produce a single fish. This has a LOT to do with the bottom contour and where you are positioned in relation to it, right? Right. So I will make a few passes in the general area, back and forth across the river while keeping my distance from the last crossing. You probably do this all the time anyway, right? To get a mental picture of what it looks like down there. Of course then you TRY to position yourself where your mind thinks is just the right spot. You still never know if you are in that little trough or not. Or if you are in the swail or on the hump. Then click a button and Presto! you see that it looks like! AND you can see your boat superimposed on the map you just generated. No guess work! Drop the anchor, throw the lines in and crack open a beer
This has turned to a much monger post than I intended so I will stop for now. Just let me mention a few things about the current and planned features. You have a "drop marker" feature. Look at the screenshot below and you will see where I dropped some weed, stump, rocks and fish markers. You can define your own markers, too! These are placed while recording by clicking on a key on the keyboard. For example, I use the "S" key if I see a stump and "W" key to indicate weeds. A few other basics will be added including a measuring tool, ability to do fly-by animation for studying or planning your fishing, more stuff. You can have an unlimited number of "projects" or locations, save and share your data files, etc.
Like I said, I would like your feedback on whether this is something you would like to have. Do you think others will be interested? How much is it worth to you? What am I missing? Would you like to be a tester? Questions? Comments?
Thank you in advance!
William
Note: The "current position" and track which shows a moving boat icon is not shown on the image below. This is because I was at home and not hooked up to the GPS.
