I'm trying to create an all vector map that contains structure outlines (created with lines & points) located in various positions within the map boundaries. I want to have a vector map instead of raster to keep the the data size down, therefore increasing the overall area of coverage.

I downloaded a clipped area map in .pdf format file from the NEXTGIS site which is manageable (in data size) and relevant to my area (instead of the stock .pbf files off the OSM site that are just huge and unmanageable).

In RM, created a project, then
1. Imported small areas of data points to serve as "pads" for my structure outlines to sit on.
2. Imported my structure outlines (as Track layers) to sit on the data points layers
3. Generated the map so the data points display their respective isobath color pallets and structure outlines sit on those layers.
4. Now I go to Export Map Project -> Export Using Preset Style -> Vector Street Map with Open Street Map Data
5. Configure options and associate the clipped .pbf background OSM that I procured from NEXTGIS.

After the at5 files are generated and loaded into the chartplotter, the background map is blank. Nothing but a light blue blank map. My isobath circles and structure outlines are there, just no features in the background map. NEXTGIS advertises that there are features in the pbf version of the OSM maps, so not sure if this an issue with their product, or how RM is generating this pbf map.

Below are pics of the structure outlines (these are vector files when imported into RM, that sit on the pads (seafloor) generated from XYZ data points. And pic of the before and after of the map project export.
















BEFORE EXPORT (as seen in RM)



WHEN VIEWED ON CHARTPLOTTER



Thanks for help on this and I really appreciate all the hard work you do to make RM such a cool and useful map making tool.

OSM files are processed directly by the IMC, and all we do in ReefMaster is add the OSM file as one of the set of vector files used during processing. I suspect this is an issue either with your OSM data file, or with the way that the IMC is processing it. Note that open oceans don't always come out as you would expect, which I believe is due to the way that OSM defines them.
One test that you could do would be to run the IMC independently of RM, using just the OSM data file that you have as an input (vector mode). It would be interesting to see how this output compares. Note that you can often get away with generating the OSM background independently in this way, and just combining the output with RM output on the SD card, for display on the unit. No need to regenerate the time-consuming OSM part every time you export a new map from RM, although of course no harm in doing so, either.

Ocean won't generate in this case because there's no shoreline included in your clip.

If possible, always include a shoreline and always clip a rectangular area.

That last pic may be misleading as that polygon in the middle of pic is not the maps area of extent, it's meant to mark the general area where my structure outlines exists within the larger map's area. The total area of extent should be the area of my pbf clip which includes shoreline.

It's possible there's some other issue there. There are regularly issues with the shoreline.

You can always download ocean data from OSM - wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Coastline

Thanks for the responses.

Correct me if I'm wrong but when exporting a map project, ReefMaster will only accept background maps that are in .pbf format (not .OSM) to be associated to the map project that's being exported.

SkunkApe wrote: reefmaster.com.au/reference2/index.htm Background Images

I was able to open the above referenced .pbf in QGIS. I've attached a screen shot of what that looks like. (BTW I only loaded the PBF's lines and multipolygos layers. When I try to add the PBF's multilinestrings, other_relations and points layers, QGIS freezes up and crashes).

I also added a screen shot of the project I tested this with. As you can see based on the big polygon I used as the map's boundary, I should have some shoreline and land features when viewing the exported map project on a chartplotter.

But really, there's way too much detail in that .pbf that I don't need. I can't image how this map with all the layers activated, would not cause problems with creating the at5 files during export, or overwhelming my chartplotter when it tries to draw them all. It kills QGIS will less than half the data in the pbf loaded in the application.

Would Reefmaster ignore a pbf during the export map project if it contains an unreasonable amount of points and lines in it?

SkunkApe wrote:
Just to be clear, ReefMaster doesn't do anything with pbf files beyond supplying them to the IMC to be used as part of the map generation process. We don't look at the .pbf file internally in any way.
I'd suggest running the IMC outside of ReefMaster, with just your pbf file, and see what results you get.

This isn't that much data. It's a pretty standard density of data for OSM. Not all data is displayed at the level you are displaying it.

The IMC has been tested on a planet file which was 30 GB compressed when we were testing this which requires approximately 3 GB of caching and quite a bit of temporary files. That area is maybe 50 MB. Relatively speaking, that's a pretty small file.

When maps are compiled into At5, they are compiled to minimize necessary resources during display. Issues can happen with high densities of data on older devices but this probably isn't the case here and is certainly not the case in the middle of the ocean.

Thank for the replies. My comment about too much data causing possible performance problems was based on QGIS's grinding and hanging when attempting to load it. But QGIS, IMC and chartplotters are all different animals, so thanks for clearing that up.

I'm going to run that pbf through IMC (outside of Reefmaster) and see what I get.

Thanks again.