Since taking over MacENC at the end of the year 2020, become MacENCx64 (¹), it took three painstaking years for the company NavStation LLC to finalize the implementation of a global charting. Since January 1 2024 it is now done. A long negotiation with the ENC charting distributor ChartWorld (²) has enabled the creation of a range of vector charts in ENC S-57/S-63 format (³) as in-app purchase.
Implementation
A new interface called NavStation ChartStore provides access, once an account is created, to the online store of the provided regions. The agreement with this supplier has made it possible to create geographical zones including all the cells in ENC format available at all scales, grouped together for each zone.. This is not possible when you want to download charts directly from the ChartWorld website where the cells must be selected one by one and added to a cart, particularly tedious process.
While the price of some regions may seem prohibitive, It should be noted that the addition of all the cells included in each of them, purchased directly from ChartWorld, will be much more expensive. This is a computer software, compare this with the price of charts sold for Windows PC software. The business model of tablets and smartphones does not apply here. The price includes one year of updates.
Once the purchase procedure is completed, simply reopen MacENC to see the selected region appear in the ChartStore window. It is automatically downloaded because the software connects directly to the account created on the NavStation website.
The data is downloaded into two folders : that of encrypted charts and that of the User Permit (⁴)
Display
By displaying charts boundaries, you can see all the downloaded cells. Details appear as you zoom in.
We find the typical graphics of ENC vector charting, bland, effective, and no frills. For the rest, MacENC interface is unchanged, users won't be disoriented.
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(¹) MacENC is back
(²) https://www.chartworld.com/shop
(³) See Glossary > Charting
(⁴) ENC User Permit, what is ?
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In reality none. But there are still fans.
After having been obliged to’ Abandon MacENC , replaced by Weather4D , I don't see any’ Interest of’ Go back … For new customers , what is the interest of MacENC compared to Weather4D ?