User Manual

This page describes how to use the features found in SEAiq apps. Documentation here applies to version 2.5.0.


You can also download a copy of the full manual, SEAiq.pdf (Version 2.6.0 Manual).

Navigate Tab

SEAiq works like most iPad apps using the standard gestures for panning, zooming, and rotating the display.
When you first open SEAiq you will see the base chart of the world. Any charts you have downloaded will show up as light magenta outlines on the display. You can see the chart by zooming into the display.
SEAiq uses "chart quilting" algorithms to automatically select which charts to display depending on what charts are covered by the area of the display, the scales of the charts, and how far zoomed in you are. Additionally, most vector charts provide so-called SCAMIN information that tells SEAiq at what scale different features should show up. This helps reduce clutter and is part of what gives vector charts their "smooth scaling."
The chart display aims to follow the relevant International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) standards. Symbols and other display characteristics come from the S-52 standard. Symbols are specifically generated for your displays characteristics.
A number of aspects of the chart display can be changed according to your preferences.These include: units for depth soundings, colors to assign different water depths, and color modes to protect your night vision. See the Settings section for more information.

"Details for this Location"

If you want to know what any symbol represents you can double tap on it and select "Details for this Location".You will be presented with a list of symbols near where you touched and what feature is represents.Most features have more information and you can read it by pressing the detail button on the row.
We strongly encourage new users to try this feature out.Most mariners are not aware just how much information is stored in vector charts, in part because most chart plotters either strip this information out or don't make it accessible.SEAiq attempts to make it easy for you to access all information.

Scale Bar

On the left side of the display is a scale bar indicating the current display scale. If the scale bar is black and grey then the scale bar is 10nm in length, divided into 5 2nm black or grey segments. Note that in some cases the entire scale bar may not be visible.
At smaller scales, an orange and grey 1nm scale bar is used. It is divided into 8 orange or grey segemnts, each 1/8nm in length.

True North Compass

The top left corner of the Navigation tab is an orange compass rose indicating direction of True North on the display. If you rotate the display, this symbol will rotate as well.If you want to rotate back to True North-up, you can touch this symbol and the display will rotate back to True North being up.

Follow Vessel and Course-Up Mode

If you have a GPS fix, the display will show your vessel in its current location. If course information is also available, it will show that as well using an arrow. If you want the display to follow your vessel's location, you can touch the grey arrow in the top left of the display. It will turn magenta and center your vessel on the display.
You can enter Course-Up Mode from Follow Vessel Mode by touching the arrow again. The magenta arrow will change to pointing upwards and the display rotated so the vessel's current course is upwards.

Status Bar

The top of the display gives a list of common sensor readings.Most require a GPS fix. Depending on the width of your device, all of the values may be displayed at once, or you may need to scroll through them by touching the status bar and sliding your finger.
Here are the items listed in the status bar:

• LAT: Latitude
• LON: Longitude
• ACC: Horizontal Accuracy of current GPS fix
• COG: Course Over Ground
• SOG: Speed Over Ground
• BTW: Bearing To Waypoint
• DTW: Distance To Waypoint
• VMG: Vector Made Good

Note that the units and display mode for these depend on Settings you can change. For instance, bearings may either use True North or Magnetic North. Distances may be in nautical miles, statute miles, or kilometers. And so forth.

Waypoints

Waypoints are simple to create and manage. You can create a waypoint by double tapping in the Navigation window and selecting Add Waypoint Here. You will then be presented with a small dialog where you can edit the waypoints name, latitude, longitude, and enable Go To mode.
When creating a waypoint, you can add the new waypoint to an existing route or create a new route with the waypoint. When adding a waypoint to a route, SEAiq selects the best location in the route for the waypoint, based on the relative locations of the existing waypoints.
You can move a waypoint after it is created. Single tap to select the waypoint you want to edit. Then touch and drag the waypoint to the new location; the latitude and longitude are displayed next to the waypoint as it is dragged.
You can double tap on a selected waypoint to bring a dialog to edit the waypoint, including change its name, change its description, add it to a route, manually edit its location, delete it, etc.
You can also bring up waypoints by selecting the Route tab and then selecting All Wayponts to list all waypoints.

Routes

You can create and edit routes either graphically or through menus. A route is created by

1. Creating a waypoint
2. Adding it to a new route
3. Creating a second waypoint
4. Add second waypoint to route
5. Select the route by tapping on the line segment

When a route is selected:

• You will see it highlighted
• Bearing between waypoints in the route are displayed
• You can move any waypoint in the route by touching it and dragging it
• When any new waypoint is created it will be added to the select route, at the location SEAiq selects as the best location (you can edit the order of waypoints manually by going to the Route tab and selecting the route.

The route tab has a list of all the routes you have created. You can also edit a route by selecting it there and editing the waypoints in the route using normal iPad/iPhone interfaces.
If you want to follow a route, just select the route and press the Follow button. You can press the Advance button to advance to the next waypoint in the route. Note that the waypoints in the current route are colored red and the current waypoint you are going to has a second inner circle.

Settings

All the settings for SEAiq are controlled from the Settings tab.

Show Status Bar

This controls whether the status bar should appear at the top of the Navigation Display. Turning off the status bar leaves extra space for the chart display.

Keep Awake

When this is enabled, your iPad/iPhone will not go to sleep while SEAiq is running. If you want it to go to sleep, you can disable the Keep Awake mode or just press the Home button to put SEAiq in the background.

Legend

This section of the settings controls which units are used for various displayed values.

• Depth: meters, feet, fathoms
• Distance: nautical miles, miles, kilometers
• Speed: knots, miles-per-hour, kilometers-per-hour
• Bearing: true North, magnetic North
• Latitude/Longitude: DDMMSS or DDMMFF (FF is fractions of minutes)

Shallow Contour, Safety Contour, Deep Contour, Safety Depth, Shallow Pattern

These settings customize the chart display to your vessel. These control how water areas and depth soundings are depicted. It can even cause wrecks and other obstructions to be displayed differently, depending on these settings and the depth of the object. The idea is that by setting these appropriately, it will be easier for you to identify possible dangers to your vessel.
The shallow contour setting causes water areas at least that shallow to be colored dark blue; the safety contour colours area at least that shallow medium blue; the deep contour light blue. Additionally, safety contour value causes the contour next shallower to that depth to be highlighted.
The safety depth primarily controls the coloring of depth soundings. Depths at least as shallow as the safety depth are black; deeper soundings are grey.
The Shallow Pattern setting is either on or off.When On, any areas shallower than the Safety Contour have a hash pattern drawn on them to highlight the possible danger. This is particularly useful for the night color modes (see below).
Normally, you want to set these according to the depth of your vessel so that dangerous and safe areas are clearly identified.

Display

This section control other aspects of the chart display.

Color Display

This setting controls the colors that are used for the display. You can select either Day (normal), Dusk, or Night color modes, depending on the current lighting conditions. You may also want to adjust the iPad/iPhone brightness setting in conjunction with this.

Use Simplified Points

When enabled, charts are displayed with simplified symbols for buoys and other aids-to-navigation.

Use Plain Areas

When enabled, charts are displayed with simple boundaries that may decrease clutter in some situations.

Identify features with extra information

When enabled, features that have extra information associated with them have a special symbol highlighting them. You can access this information by double tapping on the highlighted feature and selected "Details for this Location."

Vessels (Ownship & AIS)

These settings control how your vessel and other vessels (AIS targets) are depicted on the Navigation display. Most settings apply equally to your vessel and to AIS targets. Note that your vessel will only be depicted if its location is known from the devices integrated GPS or from GPS information supplied from external NMEA.

Course Vector

The speed vector controls how long of a vector to display for vessels. You can disable the course vector entirely or select 5, 10, or 60 minutes. The vector will be displayed so it shows where the vessel will travel in the given amount time if it maintains current course, speed, and rate-of-turn.

One Minute Ticks and Six Minute Ticks

These control whether tick symbols are drawn on course vectors. When enabled, tick marks are drawn at the location corresponding to the given time values.

Scale Ship Outline

When enabled, AIS targets are drawn to scale and with correct location relative to the antenna, when their size on your display is at least 6mm.

Show Beam Line

When enabled, beam lines are drawn perpendicular to the vessel.

Enable Tracks

When enabled, SEAiq will track the past course of your vessel. This does not apply to AIS vessel.

Erase Tracks

This button is used to erase previous tracks for your vessel.

Display AIS Targets

This setting controls whether AIS targets will be displayed. By disabling this, AIS targets will be removed immediately.

About

The final section of the Settings contains information about the app you are running.

• Application: indicates whether you are running SEAiq Free, USA, or Open
• Version: the current version of SEAiq
• Send us an Email: press the button on the right to send us an email. Some basic information will be filled out, such as the app and version you are running and the current location being displayed. We try to respond quickly to any comments or questions users send us.
• SEAiq Web Site: A link to this web site

NOAA Tab and Chart Tab

Depending on which SEAiq app you are running, you will see either a NOAA tab or a Chart tab. These function differently, but have the same purpose: loading charts into SEAiq.

NOAA (SEAiq USA and SEAiq Free)

On SEAiq USA and SEAiq Free, you select the NOAA tab to download and update charts from the NOAA web site. As soon as new charts are posted by NOAA, they can be downloaded by SEAiq.
Pressing the NOAA tab first causes SEAiq to check if it has the current "chart catalog" from NOAA. If there is a newer one, it will download that. Then it presents you with a list of NOAA regions by geographic area. You simply select the regions for which you want charts. If you have already selected regions, you will see regions that are out of date or missing some charts marked in red.
When you are done making changes to the regions you want, just press the Update button and SEAiq will download the charts it needs to bring itself up to date. The number of charts is also indicated on the NOAA icon and the SEAiq Icon so you know if there are still charts to be downloaded.
Note there is a Help button as well with some further information.

Charts (SEAiq Open)

SEAiq Open works a little differently. With SEAiq Open, you use iTunes to transfer charts from your laptop onto your iPad or iPhone.
When you press the Chart tab you will see a list of any charts that have already been installed (it starts off empty). You can get simple but detailed instructions on how to transfer your charts by pressing the Help button.