Saab TransponderTech

OPERATORS MANUAL
Coast Watch AIS
i Copyright

The entire contents of this manual and its appendices, including any future
updates and modifications, shall remain the property of Saab
TransponderTech AB at all times. The contents must not, whether in its
original form or modified, be wholly or partly copied or reproduced, nor
used for any other purpose than the subject of this manual.

ii Disclaimer

While reasonable care has been exercised in the preparation of this manual,
Saab TransponderTech AB shall incur no liability whatsoever based on the
contents or lack of contents in the manual.

iii Software

This manual reflects the capabilities of Coast Watch AIS Presentation Client
software version 2.10.5 and Coast Watch AIS Standalone version 2.10.5.

iv Operators Manual Part Number and Revision

Part number 7000 111-001, revision G.

v Contact Information

For installation, service and technical support please contact Saab

TransponderTech AB support.
E-mail: support@transpondertech.se
Phone: +46 13 18 94 20
Fax: +46 13 18 23 77
CONTENTS Page i

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION 1
1.1 About this Manual 1
1.2 System Overview 1
2 GETTING STARTED 2
3 USER INTERFACE 3
3.1 Main menu 3
3.1.1 File 4
3.1.2 View 4
3.1.3 Vessel 4
3.1.4 SRM – Safety related messages 4
3.1.5 Rules 4
3.1.6 Data 4
3.1.7 Screen Recorder 5
3.1.8 Help 5
3.2 Tool bar 5
3.2.1 Zoom 5
3.2.2 Zoom in 5
3.2.3 Zoom out 5
3.2.4 Pan 6
3.2.5 Measure 6
3.2.6 Layers 6
3.2.7 Figure 6
3.2.8 Area 6
3.2.9 Find 6
3.2.10 Filter 6
3.2.11 SRM 6
3.2.12 Rules 7
3.2.13 Data playback 7
3.2.14 Screen recorder 7
3.3 Status bar 7
3.4 Chart display 8
3.5 Vessel Information display 8
3.6 Vessel list 8
3.7 Alarms and Events display 9
3.8 Area and Vessel Tracking windows 10
3.9 System Status window 10
4 CLIENT CONFIGURATION 11
4.1 Preferences 11
4.1.1 Windows 11
4.1.2 Vessel Representation 12
4.1.3 Miscellaneous 13
5 OPERATOR FUNCTIONS DESCRIPTIONS 15
5.1 Using the charts 15
5.1.1 Basic chart navigation 15
CONTENTS Page ii

5.1.2 Vessels 15
5.1.3 Selecting vessels 17
5.1.4 Chart grid 17
5.1.5 Chart object information 17
5.1.6 Map Layers 17
5.1.7 Measuring distances and bearing 19
5.1.8 Area display chart 19
5.1.9 User Objects 19
5.2 Using vessel lists 21
5.3 Using the Vessel Information Display 22
5.4 Figures 22
5.4.1 Creating and managing figures 22
5.5 User Areas 28
5.5.1 Creating and managing user areas 28
5.6 Finding vessels 31
5.7 Filtering vessels 32
5.7.1 Activate / Deactivate filtering 33
5.7.2 Add new filters 34
5.7.3 Editing present filters 34
5.7.4 Delete filters 34
5.8 Vessel Operations 35
5.8.1 Labeling vessels 35
5.8.2 Vessel notes 36
5.9 SRM 37
5.9.1 Inbox 37
5.9.2 Send SRM 39
5.10 Data Playback 40
5.10.1 Searching for logged data 40
5.10.2 Loading previous data searches from file 41
5.10.3 Playing back data 41
5.11 Screen Recorder 42
5.11.1 The Screen Recorder GUI 42
5.11.2 A note on video playback using Windows Media Player 42
5.12 Rule states and rule management 43
5.12.1 Edit Rules 44
5.12.2 Edit Rule 45
Appendix A.1 – Glossary 48
CONTENTS Page iii

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 Coast Watch AIS system overview 1

Figure 2 Coast Watch AIS user interface 3
Figure 3 Status bar 7
Figure 4 Alarms and Events display 9
Figure 5 System Status window 10
Figure 6 Preferences, Windows dialog 11
Figure 7 Preferences, Vessel Representation 12
Figure 8 Preferences, misc settings 13
Figure 9 Dangerous Cargo symbol 15
Figure 10, AtoN in overview 16
Figure 11, AtoN in medium zoom 16
Figure 12, Fixed AtoN in close zoom 16
Figure 13, Floating AtoN in close zoom 16
Figure 14 Map settings component 18
Figure 15 Measure tool 19
Figure 16 User Object component 20
Figure 17 Edit user object dialog 20
Figure 18 Import icon dialog 21
Figure 23 Figures dialog 22
Figure 24 General figure settings 23
Figure 25 Line settings 25
Figure 26 Fill settings 26
Figure 27 Security settings 27
Figure 19 User areas 29
Figure 20 Creating a new user area 29
Figure 21 Converting a user area to figure 30
Figure 22 Creating a figure copy of a user area 31
Figure 28 Find vessel dialog 31
Figure 29 Filter vessel dialog 33
Figure 30 Label vessel dialog 36
Figure 31 Vessel note dialog 37
Figure 32 SRM inbox dialog 38
Figure 33 Send SRM dialog 39
Figure 35 Data playback, expanded 40
Figure 36 Screen Recorder 42
Figure 37 Rules overview 45
Figure 38 Edit rule 46
INTRODUCTION Page 1

1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 About this Manual

This manual describes the operation of the Saab TransponderTech Coast
Watch AIS presentation client and Coast Watch AIS Standalone application.

1.2 System Overview

The system consist of one or more Coast Watch AIS presentation clients
which each are connected to one primary Coast Watch AIS Server and,
possibly, one backup Coast Watch AIS server. The presentation clients
visualize and present the available information to the operators of the
system.
In a standalone system, no Coast Watch AIS Server is available – instead
the Coast Watch AIS Standalone Client connects directly to the NMR 800,
or directly to a base station via TCP/IP or serial cable.

Coast Watch Client Coast Watch Client

Private Network

Coast Watch Client

Coast Watch Server NMR 500

Figure 1 Coast Watch AIS system overview

GETTING started Page 2

2 GETTING STARTED
The operator station shall previously have been installed with Coast Watch
AIS client or Coast Watch AIS Standalone application. If this is not the
case, please contact your service technician or refer to the installation
manual (product no 7000 111-004).
On the operator station, click the start button in the windows task bar,
choose “All Programs “ → TransponderTech → Coast Watch and left click
on the short-cut Coast Watch AIS Client or Coast Watch AIS Standalone,
depending on which software you have installed.
A splash screen will appear. If the selected application is Coast Watch AIS
Client, it will now search for updated versions of the client software. If a
new version is found a dialog will appear and the operator will be prompted
to upgrade the software. If the operator chooses to upgrade, the new
software will be downloaded to the operator station and installed
automatically and then started. If no new software is found the client
software will just start as normal. If the operator for some reason chooses
not to upgrade, he / she will be prompted again at the next start-up.
When the main interface has opened, a login prompt will be displayed and
the operator shall enter the user name and password provided by the system
administrator.
When the login credentials has been checked against the user database the
main components of the operator interface will be shown, and the Coast
Watch client is ready.
Note: The operator’s windows account must be able to write files in the
Coast Watch AIS Client install directory (usually C:\Program
Files\TransponderTech\Coast Watch\Client) in order for the automatic
software update to work.
USER INTERFACE Page 3

3 USER INTERFACE
This section describes the operator main interface of the Coast Watch AIS
system. The picture below shows the default layout.

Figure 2 Coast Watch AIS user interface

Components shown in figure above are

1. Main menu, see section 3.1
2. Tool bar, see section 3.2
3. Status bar, see section 3.3
4. Chart display, see section 3.4
5. Vessel information, see section 3.5
6. Vessel list, see section 3.6
7. Alarm display, see section 3.7
8. System Status, see section 3.9

3.1 Main menu

In the top of the main window the main menu is found. Items selectable
from this menu and their sub items are described below.
USER INTERFACE Page 4

3.1.1 File
Preferences – Access to the Coast Watch client settings, see section
4.1.
Configuration (available in Coast Watch AIS Standalone only) –
Opens the Coast Watch AIS Configuration GUI, as described in the
Installation Manual.
Login – Used to change the user that is logged in on the operator
station. The currently logged in user will be logged off
automatically.
Exit - Exits Coast Watch AIS client.

3.1.2 View
The View menu is used to activate or hide the user interface controls.
The first Item, Arrange, is used to automatically place and resize the GUI
windows so they will cover the entire screen. Using Arrange is a quick way
to order the GUI if some components have been moved or resized for some
reason.
Note that the Arrange function will check the size of the Chart Display, and
arrange the other windows around it. If the desired result is not achieved, try
resizing the Chart Display and select Arrange again.
The item User Objects brings up the tool for adding custom symbols to the
charts. See section 5.1.9 for further description of this functionality.
The rest of the items in this menu represent the different window
components showed on the screen. A check mark means the window is
visible and no check mark means it is hidden. If area watch and vessel
tracking windows are present, they will also show up in this menu.

3.1.3 Vessel
Find – Opens up the vessel search dialog.
Filter – Opens up the Coast Watch GUI vessel display filter settings.
Information – Opens the extended vessel information dialog.

3.1.4 SRM – Safety related messages

Inbox – Opens the SRM inbox where all outgoing and incoming
SRMs are shown.
Send SRM – Shortcut to the send SRM functionality

3.1.5 Rules
Edit – Opens the edit rule component

3.1.6 Data
The Playback item will bring up the data log playback component
that allows replay of previously collected AIS data. See section 5.10.
USER INTERFACE Page 5

[Stand Alone Version]

Start and stop file logging. Allows for logging of incoming AIS data
to file.

3.1.7 Screen Recorder

Open Screen Recorder - brings up the screen recorder dialog. See
section 5.11.

3.1.8 Help
About Coast Watch AIS - Displays the About dialog with version
number of the current software.
View manual – Displays Coast Watch AIS manual, provided that a
PDF reader is installed on the system.

3.2 Tool bar

The toolbar is by default located under the main menu. The different
components of the toolbar can be placed either under the main menu, on the
left side of the screen or on the Tool Palette window. To move a component,
just left click on the drag bar on the left side and drag it to its new location.
To bring up the Tool Palette window, check the Tool item in the View
menu, see section 3.1.2
The different tools available in the toolbar are described in the sections
below.

3.2.1 Zoom

Zoom tool is used for zooming in the chart displays. When this tool is
active, left click and hold the left mouse button and drag the mouse. The
marked area will fill the chart after the button is pressed.

3.2.2 Zoom in

Clicking on this tool with the left mouse button will zoom in on the center
of the active chart in the chart display.
This function is also available by pressing „+‟ on the numeric keypad.

3.2.3 Zoom out

Clicking on this tool with the left mouse button will zoom out from the
center of the active chart in the chart display.
This function is also available by pressing „-‟ on the numeric keypad.
USER INTERFACE Page 6

3.2.4 Pan

When this tool is active, pressing and holding the left mouse button while
moving the mouse will pan the map. Note that panning a Vessel tracking
window will just return the center of the map to the tracked target.
This function is also available by using the arrow keys on the keyboard.

3.2.5 Measure

The measure tool will allow the operator to measure bearing and distance
between objects on the charts.

3.2.6 Layers

Clicking on this icon will bring up the map layer settings. Here the operator
can choose which features that should be shown on the chart displays.

3.2.7 Figure

The figure tool is used to manage figures.

3.2.8 Area

The area tool is used to manage areas.

3.2.9 Find

Clicking the find tool will bring up the vessel searching dialog.

3.2.10 Filter

Clicking the filter icon will bring up the vessel filter dialog.

3.2.11 SRM

Clicking this icon will bring up the SRM inbox.

USER INTERFACE Page 7

3.2.12 Rules

Clicking this icon brings up the rules dialog.

3.2.13 Data playback

Clicking this icon brings up the data playback dialog

3.2.14 Screen recorder

Clicking this icon brings up the screen recorder dialog.

3.3 Status bar

Below is a figure showing the status bar

Figure 3 Status bar

Displayed data in the status bar is from left to right

Coast Watch server that the client is connected to (not available for
Coast Watch AIS Standalone).
Region that the client belongs to
Operator login name
Position of the mouse cursor when it is moved in a chart window
Overall system status, indicated by three different colors:
o Green: Primary server is available
o Yellow: Primary Server unavailable, Backup Server is
available
o Red: Both servers are unavailable

Clicking the System Status lights opens the System Status

window (see section 3.9).

The status bar also indicates if maps are imported, either from local or
central storage. „Loading maps‟ means maps are loaded locally, „Importing
maps from server‟ means that a map is not available locally so it is loaded
over the network.
If a new SRM is received it is indicated by the SRM symbol. Clicking the
SRM symbol opens the SRM window.
USER INTERFACE Page 8

3.4 Chart display

The chart display consists of several charts of the different areas in the
system, each accessed by a tab control in the top of the display. Each chart
tab has a default start position and scale which will show the total area. See
section 5.1 for details on how to operate the charts.

3.5 Vessel Information display

In the vessel information display, all current available information of the
selected vessel is shown. Operations on the selected vessels can be initiated
by right clicking the mouse somewhere in the information display.

3.6 Vessel list

The vessel list consists of several lists of vessels.
The left-most vessel list („Overview‟) contains all vessels visible to the
operator.
The second list is the user list. This list allows the operator to make an own
list of vessels that are of interest for some reason.
The third and fourth list contains Aids to Navigation and Base Stations,
respectively.
The rest of the lists correspond to the areas defined in the GUI.
See section 5.2 for details on using the lists.
USER INTERFACE Page 9

3.7 Alarms and Events display

When an alarm is generated in the system (for example a vessel breaking a
rule) an alarm entry is shown in the alarm display to alert the operator.

Figure 4 Alarms and Events display

In the Status column, buttons are displayed that indicate both the status and
if the entry is an alarm or an event. The different buttons are:

Active alarm – the condition that caused the alarm is

still ongoing.

Active alarm that has been acknowledged by the user

by clicking the button.

Inactive alarm – the alarm is not acknowledged, and

the condition that caused the alarm is no longer in effect, e.g. a
vessel that was speeding is not doing so anymore.

Event – a type of alarm that does not have a state or

condition, but indicates that something has happened at a specific
point in time. An example is the “New Target” rule that triggers an
event the moment a vessel is seen in the specified area for the first
time.

The operator can chose to acknowledge a single alarm or event by clicking

the corresponding button, or by right-clicking on the selected row all alarms
or events of the same type can be acknowledged at once.
When an alarm is acknowledged it is removed from the ”Unhandled” tab,
but can still be seen in the “All” tab.
An alarm that is both inactive and acknowledged is removed from both tabs.
An event that is acknowledged is removed from both tabs.
The “History” tab shows a record of what has happened to the alarms and
events, for instance when they were activated, when they went inactive and
when they were acknowledged.
USER INTERFACE Page 10

3.8 Area and Vessel Tracking windows

These windows are special chart windows that are not shown by default.
The area windows allows an operator to always display an area in a separate
window, and the vessel tracking window is a window that is always
centered on a specified vessel which allows the operator to follow a vessel
all the time.

3.9 System Status window

The System Status window consists of two tabs. The first, called “Server
Status”, shows information about the two servers, Primary and Backup. A
green light indicates that the system has detected that the server is available,
while a red light indicates that the server is currently unavailable.

Figure 5 System Status window

The text area below the lights shows messages related to server operation,
such as connections and disconnections.
The second tab, called “System Log”, shows system messages of a more
technical nature and is mainly used by support technicians.
CLIENT Configuration Page 11

4 CLIENT CONFIGURATION
The behavior of the Coast Watch AIS client is configured in the Preferences
form. It is accessed by pressing the Preferences… entry in the File menu.
Note that the logged in user must have administrator access rights in order
to access and change the preferences.

4.1 Preferences
The preferences form contains three different tabs of settings, for Windows,
Vessel Representation and Miscellaneous settings respectively. Each tab is
described in the following sections.

4.1.1 Windows
The windows tab holds information on the startup location and size of each
form, as well as start up location to show on the main chart in the chart
window. To update the form sizes and their location, press the Get current
settings button. To update the startup position of the chart, press the button
Get current map position.

Figure 6 Preferences, Windows dialog

CLIENT Configuration Page 12

4.1.2 Vessel Representation

The Vessels Representation tab is used to
define the color of the Dangerous Cargo symbol, and whether it
should be shown
define various custom colors for specific ship types.
define the color of the distance circle, and the radius of each distance
circle (in nautical miles).
define the history time span to include in each vessels track
Note: You need to be at least member of the Site Admin group to change
ship color and Dangerous Cargo symbol settings.

Figure 7 Preferences, Vessel Representation

CLIENT Configuration Page 13

4.1.3 Miscellaneous
The miscellaneous tab is used to define miscellaneous (but important!)
settings. Note: The Software Update Location, Vessel Server (Backup) and
Vessel Server (Primary) are not available in the Coast Watch AIS
Standalone version.

Figure 8 Preferences, misc settings

CLIENT Configuration Page 14

Table 1 Miscellaneous parameters description

Parameter Description

Alarm History
Alarm History Lifetime The time before an entry in the Alarm History is deleted.
Extremely large history files may cause decreased
performance, so this setting can be used to tune the system
to the user‟s needs.
Alarm Sound Path
Alarm Sound Path The path to the sound that plays when an alarm is activated.
Event Sound Path
Event Sound Path The path to the sound that plays when an event is activated.
Manual Path
Manual Path The path to the Operators Manual document.
Map panel factor
Height Height factor for the map panels in the tab chart display. A
number bigger than 1 means that a chart bigger than the
display size is drawn. This makes panning the map look
nicer, but also has a performance impact. Most of the time
leave this to 1.
Width Width factor for the map panels, see Height.
Region
Region The region to which the Coast Watch AIS operator station
belongs to.
S57
Max S57 Scale Limit The scale where the chart display switches between showing
S57 / S63 chart information and the generated bitmap
overviews.
Software Update (Not available for Coast Watch AIS Standalone)
Software Update The URI of the web server hosting the Coast Watch Client
Location update information and the location of the update manifest.
Vessel
Get track from server True if the client should fetch track information from the
server at startup, else false. To improve startup performance
(especially at low bandwidth), set this to false.
Vessel Server(Primary) (Not available for Coast Watch AIS Standalone)
Address The IP address of the primary Coast Watch Server
Port The port of the Coast Watch Server to connect to. Do not
modify unless the Coast Watch server port settings has
been changed!
Vessel Server(Backup) (Not available for Coast Watch AIS Standalone)
Address The IP address of the backup Coast Watch Server
Port The port of the Coast Watch Server to connect to. Do not
modify unless the Coast Watch server port settings has
been changed!
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 15

5 OPERATOR FUNCTIONS DESCRIPTIONS

5.1 Using the charts

This section describes the chart operations.

5.1.1 Basic chart navigation

Navigating that charts is done by using the Zoom, Zoom In, Zoom out and
Pan tools that are found in the tool bar (see section 3.2). Returning to the
default position and map scale is done by right click the mouse in the chart
and select Zoom Default from the pop-up menu. (Zoom in and out can also
be performed by choosing the corresponding alternatives in the pop-up
menu).
Hotkeys for chart navigation are:
+ (numeric keypad): Zoom in
- (numeric keypad): Zoom out
Arrow keys: Pan the chart

5.1.2 Vessels
Vessels are shown in three different modes depending on zoom factor of the
maps.
In overview zoom vessels are shown as dots. Flashing dots indicates that a
position report has not been received during a specified time interval
(inactive vessel). This interval is specified at the server.
In medium zoom vessel are shown as triangles with heading and speed
vectors. An inactive vessel is indicated by a flashing cross.
In close map zoom, vessels are shown using their real dimensions.
If a target has been inactive for a specified period of time, it is lost and will
not be visible anymore.
Vessels that are not moving do not have speed vectors and is displayed as a
smaller triangle in the medium zoom level.
Vessels carrying dangerous cargo will be marked with a symbol (see Figure
9). This symbol can be turned off, and its color can be changed in the
Preferences (see section 4.1.2).

Figure 9 Dangerous Cargo symbol

OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 16

Aids-to-navigation (AtoN) are shown as diamonds. In close map zoom, the

physical dimensions of the AtoN are displayed as a rectangle for fixed
AtoNs and as a circle for floating AtoNs (see Figure 10 - Figure 13).

Figure 10, AtoN in overview

Figure 11, AtoN in medium zoom

Figure 12, Fixed AtoN in close zoom

Figure 13, Floating AtoN in close zoom

OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 17

5.1.3 Selecting vessels

To select a vessel that is displayed in a chart, just left click the mouse when
the cursor is positioned over the vessel. The vessel is now selected which is
shown by that either a red circle or a black frame is drawn around the target,
depending on zoom level. The selected targets data is shown in the vessel
information display (see section 3.5).
When a vessel is selected and the mouse cursor is above another vessel, the
distance and bearing from the selected vessel is shown in the displayed
tooltip that appears next to the target.
If several vessels are under the mouse cursor, the tooltip will show all the
vessels distances and bearings.
If a vessel is right clicked, the special vessel pop-up menu is showed where
more vessel operations are available, see section 5.8.

5.1.4 Chart grid

A chart grid is available, showing latitude and longitude lines on the chart.
The grid is turned on and off by pressing the „g‟ character on the keyboard.

5.1.5 Chart object information

If S-57 maps are present for the area shown in a map, S-57 object data can
be displayed by right clicking the mouse on the object and choosing „Geo
object information‟ from the pop-up menu.

5.1.6 Map Layers

Configuring which map layers that should be visible is done through the
layer tool in the tool bar (see section 3.2.6). The picture below shows the
layer settings dialog.
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 18

Figure 14 Map settings component

Each map feature that is available is listed in the feature column. For every
map feature row there are five columns corresponding to five map profiles
that can be configured individually. To choose a profile keyboard keys F1-
F5 are used. This functionality enables the operator to have different map
details when performing different tasks and switch off features that is not
wanted at the moment.
All features in a profile can be selected or deselected by clicking the profile
header (Number 1 – 5) which highlights all features in that profile. By
pressing „Select all features in profile‟ or „Deselect all features in profile‟ all
features is selected or de-selected.
The first four features in the feature list is
DCW - Digital chart of the world based map data, used for
overview purposes
S-57 – S-57 or S-63 based map data
Raster – Raster based map data or photographs
User – User defined objects
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 19

The next 6 features (Overview to Berthing) are used to select what detail
level of maps that are displayed in each profile.
The rest of the features are used for controlling the display of S-57 object
classes.

5.1.7 Measuring distances and bearing

Using the measure tool (for icon representation see section 3.2.5) allows the
operator to measure bearing and distance between objects on the charts.
Clicking the tool icon in the tool bar will activate the tool and bringing up
the measurement display. Left click on the first point on the chart, move the
mouse to the end point of the intended measurement and left click again.
The measurement display now shows the range and bearing between the two
points. Left clicking once again will select another start point. If one or both
of the selected points are a vessel, it will stick to the selected vessel even if
the vessel moves. This allows to continuously monitoring the bearing and
distance between two vessels, or a vessel and a fixed point.

Figure 15 Measure tool

5.1.8 Area display chart

A separate chart showing an area can be opened by placing the mouse
cursor inside an area, right click the mouse, and select „Area watch‟ in the
pop-up menu. The chart window that is opened can be resized and placed
were the operator wants it. The new chart display is visible in the Windows
menu (section 3.1.2) until it is closed.

5.1.9 User Objects

The operator is able to add local custom objects to the map displays. The
User Objects dialog is located in the Windows menu.
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 20

Figure 16 User Object component

To add one of the present icons to the map, the operator just drags it to the
desired location on the map using the mouse. If the position needs further
adjustments later, it can be dragged by holding down left-control and then
pressing the left mouse button.
To delete or edit position and other object properties, right-click on top of it
and chose „Edit object‟. This brings up the Edit Object dialog shown below.

Figure 17 Edit user object dialog

The operator is able to change position of the object by using the keyboard,
change the description of the object (which shows up as a tool tip when the
mouse cursor is over the object) and below what map scale the object
becomes visible on the map.
To import new objects the operator brings up the User Object dialog and
presses the File menu item. That brings up the import dialog shown below.
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 21

Figure 18 Import icon dialog

To import a new icon perform the following actions:

Press the browse button („…‟) and select the file that should be
imported
Enter a name for the symbol in the Name field
Click with the mouse on the icon to select the hotspot (the pixel in
the icon that is considered centre of the icon). It gets marked by a
small red circle in the icon
Enter a default description for the tool tip
Press „OK‟

The new symbol will now be ready for use and displayed in the User Object
dialog.

5.2 Using vessel lists

There are several vessel lists in the vessel list display. At least there are the
overview list that displays all current available and active targets and the
user defined list. If any defined areas exist there is also one list for each
area, listing the vessels that are currently present inside the area.
Each vessel list can be sorted by pressing the headers. This allows sorting
on name and position.
Selecting a target can be done by left clicking on a target in a list. The
selected target‟s info is shown in the vessel info display (see section 5.3)
and the vessel is also selected in the chart displays.
Right clicking on a target brings up a pop-up menu which displays more
vessel operations, see section 5.8)
Adding a vessel to the user defined list can be done in two ways. The first
way is to right click the target in another list or in a chart display and choose
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 22

„Add Vessel to User List‟ in the pop-up menu. The second way is to hold
down the left control key on the key board and drag the target from a chart
to the user list.
Removing a vessel from the user list is done by right clicking the vessel in
the user list, and choose „Remove vessel from list‟ in the pop-up menu.

5.3 Using the Vessel Information Display

The vessel information display displays all available data for the selected
target. This includes name, call sign, flag state and all present AIS data.
Right clicking in this window brings up vessel operations in a pop-up menu
which is described in section 5.8.

5.4 Figures
Figures are used to visualize important areas and objects in the chart layer.
The main difference between figures and areas is that figures are non heavy
CPU consumers that run on client machines, with no effect on server load or
performance. Furthermore, figures do not have any rules associations and
cannot be used for alarm triggering.
In case of area visualization in the chart window, it is strongly
recommended to use figures instead of user areas, to reduce server load and
enhance system performance.

5.4.1 Creating and managing figures

Clicking the figures icon on the toolbar will bring up the figure creation and
management window, see Figure 19.

Figure 19 Figures dialog

OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 23

Using the figures dialog, operators and administrators can create new
figures, edit and/or delete existing ones.
In order to edit or delete an existing figure, select the figure from the Figure
list and click the edit or delete buttons. These buttons are not always
available, it depends on the operators access rights for each figure.
Administrators always have full access and are able to edit and delete all
available figures in the system. The figure list always lists all available
figures in the system if logged in as administrator, even though all figures
are not displayed normally in the main chart window. These settings are
individual for each figure in the system.
When creating a new figure, press the Create new figure button and the
figure settings dialog will appear, see Figure 20.

5.4.1.1 General settings

When creating or editing a figure, the first dialog window shown is the
general settings. For each figure settings window, the Apply settings button
must be pressed before changing to another figure settings window in order
for all changes to apply.

Figure 20 General figure settings

The figure name is used to identify the figure in the system and must be a
unique name.
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 24

Figure notes are used to describe the figure. The notes will appear on the
chart window when the mouse point is hovering over the figure.
The figure type determines the figure to be drawn. Changing between figure
types is possible; however the number of vertices and their meaning
depends on the figure type.
The available figure types are:
Line: represents one line drawn from one vertex to another. If there
are more than two vertices in the list, only the first two are used to
draw a single line.
Multiple lines: represents multiple lines drawn from the first vertex
to the last. Several vertices can be used to define a chain of lines
drawn from the first vertex to the last.
Circle: represents a circular figure. Only two vertices are required in
which the first vertex indicates the centre of the circle and the second
vertex indicates the circle‟s radius. All proceeding vertices are
ignored.
Polygon: represents a user defined polygon figure. At least three
vertices are needed in order to draw the polygon.
Bitmap image: represents a user defined bitmap. One or two vertices
can be used, all proceeding vertices are ignored. If one vertex is
defined, the top-left corner of the image will be drawn at that
position (the full image is drawn). If two vertices are defined, the
image will be scaled and drawn inside the rectangle defined by the
two vertices. The first vertex defines the top-left corner of the
rectangle and the second vertex defines the bottom-right corner of
the rectangle. Proceeding vertices are ignored (if such exists).
The min- and max scale levels define at which scale level the figure should
be displayed (intended for future use only).
The Fill mode, Tension, Start angle and Sweep angle are used with other
figure types and are intended for future use only.
The figure vertices define the vertices of the chart region where the figure
should be drawn. The number of vertices and meaning of each vertex
depends on the figure type. To define a vertex, click a position in the chart
window.
The clear button empties the figure vertices list.
The apply button can be used to set the current settings for the particular
figure. The apply button must be pressed before switching to another
settings window in order for the new settings to be applied.

5.4.1.2 Line settings

In the line settings dialog window, users can change the look of the line
(contour) drawn around the figure. The apply settings button must be
pressed before changing to another figure settings window in order to apply
the new line settings.
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 25

Figure 21 Line settings

The type determines the brush type of the line (pen) used to draw the
contour of the figure. The different types are:
Solid: the color of the brush/pen is solid (one single color).
Texture: the color of the brush/pen is a texture (bitmap image).
Transparency indicates the line transparency, 000 indicates no transparency
and 255 indicate full transparency (invisible).
The color field opens a color selection dialog where the user can select
different types of colors.
The second color field is not used, intended for future use only.
The filename field is applicable to texture bitmaps when the brush/pen type
is texture. The bitmap file used is stored locally on each client and not
synchronized with the server. If an administrator (or user) selects a local
bitmap to be used, the bitmap will only be available for the local client,
other users will not be able to see the bitmap unless the file already exists on
their own machine.
The style field is intended for future use.
The wrap mode is available when selecting texture brush/pen types. The
mode indicates how the brush/pen should be used when the bitmap image is
too small to fill the entire region of the figure. In cases when the bitmap is
too large, the wrap mode has no effect.
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 26

Brush width is intended for future use.

Brush angle is intended for future use.
Pen width determines the pen size in pixels. The pen size is not scaled
according to zoom scale level of the figure.
The dash style determines how the line (contour) is drawn for example as a
continuous line of as a dashed line.
The apply settings button is used to apply the current line setting changes to
the figure.

5.4.1.3 Fill settings

In the fill settings dialog window, users can change the filling type of the
figure. The apply settings button must be pressed before changing to another
figure settings window in order to apply the new fill settings.

Figure 22 Fill settings

The type determines the brush type used to fill the figure. The different
types are:
Solid: the color of the brush/pen is solid (one single color).
Texture: the color of the brush/pen is a texture (bitmap image).
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 27

Transparency indicates the fill transparency, 000 indicates no transparency

and 255 indicate full transparency (invisible).
The color field opens a color selection dialog where the user can select
different types of colors.
The second color field is not used, intended for future use only.
The filename field is applicable to texture bitmaps when the brush/pen type
is texture. The bitmap file used is stored locally on each client and not
synchronized with the server. If an administrator (or user) selects a local
bitmap to be used, the bitmap will only be available for local clients, other
users will not be able to see the bitmap unless the file already exists on their
own machine.
The style field is intended for future use.
The wrap mode is available when selecting texture brush/pen types. The
mode indicates how the brush/pen should be used when the bitmap image is
too small to fill the entire region of the figure. In cases when the bitmap is
too large, the wrap mode has no effect.
Brush width is intended for future use.
Brush angle is intended for future use.
The apply settings button is used to apply the current fill setting changes to
the figure.

5.4.1.4 Security settings

In the security settings dialog window, users can change the access rights of
the figure. The apply settings button must be pressed before changing to
another figure settings window in order to apply the new access rights
settings.

Figure 23 Security settings

There are three types of access rights that must be set for each figure. The
user that has created the figure always has full access to the figure. Such a
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 28

user can edit all different visualization settings and remove the figure.
Administrators can however change the access rights for all figures.
The figure users is a list of users that are allowed to see the figure. The
available users list shows all the users that can be given access to see the
figure. Users can be moved back and forth between the two lists by
selecting and moving a single user or move the entire list.
The figure regions, is a list of all regions that the selected figure users are
allowed to the see the figure in. This way, a user can see a specific figure in
one (or several) region(s) but not all. Regions can be moved from the
available regions by selecting an individual region or by moving all regions.
The figure administrators are users with full access rights and can change
figure settings and/or delete the figure. Administrators always have full
access and can change any settings to any figure.
The apply button is used to apply newly changes settings for the selected
figure.

Note: the available users, regions and administrators lists can only be
accessed when logged in as administrator for system security reasons. An
operator can always edit and/or delete his/her own figures.

5.5 User Areas

User areas can be defined by users (operators) to mark special areas/regions
of interest on the chart. Note that user areas shall only be used if the user
requires that rules are connected to the area. If no rules are required, figures
shall be used as an alternative for user areas, see chapter 5.4 for more
information. Each user area will have its own chart tab, and can be
associated with rules.

5.5.1 Creating and managing user areas

Clicking the area icon on the toolbar will bring up the area creation and
management window. Users (operators) can select the user area of interest
and convert the area to a figure, make a figure copy of the same area, delete
the user area or create new user areas, see Figure 24.
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 29

Figure 24 User areas

5.5.1.1 Creating a new user area

To create a new user area push the Create Area button and the user area
creation dialog window will appear, see Figure 25.
The user can create a new area by first entering a unique name to the user
area and second press the left mouse button (multiple times) in the main
chart window to define user area vertices. At least three vertices are needed
to define a user area. Finally the Create Area button should be pressed to
apply the settings

Figure 25 Creating a new user area

OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 30

The name field is used to identify the user area and must be unique in the
system.
The vertices list is the area vertices that define the area of interest in the
chart display window.
The clear button removes all defined vertices in the list.
The Create Area button is used to apply the new changes and create a new
figure in the system.

5.5.1.2 Deleting a user area

To delete a user area, select the user area of interest in the user area list and
press the Delete Area button, see Figure 24.

5.5.1.3 Converting a user area to a figure

User areas can be converted to figures by simply selecting the user area of
interest in the user area list and pressing the convert to figure button, see
Figure 24. The user will then be shown a new dialog window to enter a
unique name for the figure, see Figure 26. Pressing the Apply button will
create a figure looking identical like the selected user area and the user area
itself will be removes from the user area list.
This is recommended for all user areas not associated with rules, since
figures runs on client machines and consumes less CPU power from the
server(s).

Figure 26 Converting a user area to figure

5.5.1.4 Creating a figure copy of a user area

In special situations, users can create a figure copy of an existing user area.
Simply select the user area of interest in the user area list and press the
Create a figure copy button, see Figure 24. The user will then be shown a
new dialog window to enter a unique name for the figure, see Figure 27.
Pressing the Apply button will create a figure copy looking identical with
the selected user area. The user area itself will remain as a user area in the
system.
This method is not recommended, however in certain situations, a figure
copy can be used to fill the interior of the figure (user area) with different
colors or bitmaps and have rules associated with the user area at the same
time.
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 31

Figure 27 Creating a figure copy of a user area

5.6 Finding vessels

Clicking the find tool in the toolbar or choosing find in the vessel main
menu will bring up the vessel searching dialog, see figure below.

Figure 28 Find vessel dialog

Using the find vessel dialog allows the operator to search for vessels based
on vessel name, callsign, MMSI, IMO, ship type, navigational status, vessel
dimensions, speed over ground or a geographical area.
When searching for vessels by name or callsign, all vessels that have names
or callsign starting with the entered string will be listed.
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 32

When searching for vessels by MMSI or IMO number wild card searching
is allowed, using the „*‟ symbol.
Leaving a field blank means that all values will match the search.

Example:
Entering „S‟ in vessel name and „265*‟ in MMSI number will show all
vessels that have a name starting with „S‟ and MMSI number that starts with
265 (note that only valid MMSIs, that is MMSIS with 8 figures will be
found using wildcards).
Entering „S‟ in vessel name and „12345678‟ in MMSI number will show all
vessels that have a name starting with „S‟ and MMSI number that is exactly
12345678.

Length, width and SOG searches has a minimum and a maximum value
field, so in order to search for SOG between 10 and 20 knots, „10‟ is entered
in the left field and „20‟ in the right.
In order to search for vessels in a defined geographical area, first click the
„Define Search Area‟ button, then click on the chart display to define the
corners of the search area and then click the same button again. This will
import the positions of the search area vertices from the map. Please note
that when defining the search area, there must be at least three vertices to
produce a meaningful search, but there are no constraints on the maximum
number of vertices. The area does not need to be closed when defined; the
first and last vertex is automatically connected in order to produce a closed
search area. Defining an area that intersects itself is not allowed.

5.7 Filtering vessels

Clicking the filter icon in the toolbar (for icon representation see section
3.2.10) or choosing „Filter‟ from the main menu will bring up the vessel
filter dialog.
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 33

Figure 29 Filter vessel dialog

The vessel filter allows the operator to see just the vessels that is interesting
for him / her at the moment.
The filter dialog is divided into two parts. To the left there is a view that
shows all filters that are in use at the moment. To the right is a view
showing all possible filter types that are available.
It is possible to combine different filter types and many filters of the same
type in any way. The combined filter expression is constructed by logical
OR operation between filters of same type, and logical AND operation
between filters of different types.

Example:
One vessel name filter (NAME1) and two SOG filters (SOG1 and SOG2)
will construct the following logical filter expression;
NAME1 AND (SOG1 OR SOG2)

Example:
Two vessel name filters (NAME1 and NAME2) and two SOG filters (SOG1
and SOG2) will construct the following logical filter expression;
(NAME1 OR NAME2) AND (SOG1 OR SOG2)

5.7.1 Activate / Deactivate filtering

To activate the filter functionality and use the filters defined in the left view,
check the „Use Filter‟ check box and click „Apply‟ or „Ok‟. A filter icon
will now be visible in the map displays, alerting the operator that it is a
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 34

filtered view that is presented at the moment. To deactivate filter

functionality uncheck the check box again.

5.7.2 Add new filters

Adding new filters is done by dragging a filter type icon from the right view
to the left with the mouse.
In the left view, double click on the new filter to set its parameters.
Depending on what type of filter it is, the operator has to enter minimum
and maximum filter threshold values, or select a threshold value from a list.
Entering both maximum and minimum values will filter out everything
outside the value span. Entering just minimum or maximum value will filter
out everything below or above the entered values.
When desired filter values are entered, the resulting filter parameters are
shown together with the filter in the left view. In the figure above a ship
type filter with value „Cargo Ship‟ is created, showing just cargo ships in
the display.

Example:
Drag and drop a SOG filter. Double click on the new filter in the left view
will bring up a dialog where the minimum and maximum speed over ground
values should be entered. Enter 5.0 as minimum and 10.0 as maximum will
create a filter that shows vessels with SOG between 5 and 10 knots.
Double click on the SOG filter again. Remove the maximum value. This
will create a filter that shows vessels with SOG greater than 5 knots.
Double click on the SOG filter again. Remove the minimum value and enter
15 as maximum value. This will create a filter that shows vessels with SOG
less than 15 knots.

5.7.3 Editing present filters

To edit a filter, just double click on the filter in the left view. This brings up
the edit value dialog and new values can be entered.

5.7.4 Delete filters

Deleting filters is done by right click on the filter icon and choose „Delete‟.
To remove all filters that are currently present choose „Clear all filters‟.
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 35

5.8 Vessel Operations

By right clicking the mouse either on a vessel in a chart or on a vessel list
will show a pop-up menu consisting of several operations that has to do with
the selected vessel. In the menu these alternatives are present:
Track Vessel – Opens a separate window that will automatically
center on the selected target all the time. This allows close
monitoring of a vessel.
Center map on vessel – Centers the selected map on the vessel.
Send SRM to vessel – Opens the send SRM dialog, see section 0.
Extended Information – Opens a special information display for the
selected vessel, see section 5.8.1 and 5.8.2.
Copy vessel information to clipboard – Stores the information
displayed in Vessel Information in the Windows clipboard, as text
only. This text can then be pasted into another application.
Add vessel to user list – see section 5.2.
Request nr of persons on board from vessel (only available if inland
vessel) – Sends nr of persons on board request message to the vessel.
When the “Nr of persons on board” message is received from the
vessel the “Nr of crew/passengers/personal on board” fields in the
vessel information display will be updated.

5.8.1 Labeling vessels

A labeling functionality is available to the operators, allowing pinning a
label to a specified vessel in order to easily find or attract special attention to
it. The label is visible to all Coast Watch Clients in the system and sticks to
the vessel as long as it is not actively removed by an operator.
For a Standalone system, the labels are visible to all users of the installation.
If the vessel is lost and later reappears, the label will still be visible. The
label is also global in the Coast Watch system, which means that if it is set
in one region, the label will be attached to the vessel when it enters another
region.
To place a label on a vessel, right click the vessel either on the map or on a
vessel list. Choose „Extended Information‟ in the pop up menu. This brings
up the Extended Vessel Information dialog in the picture below.
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 36

Figure 30 Label vessel dialog

If a label is currently present, it is shown in the „Current Vessel Label‟ field.

To add a new label, enter the label in the „New Label‟ field and press
„Apply‟. When the label is applied it is shown in the „Current Vessel Label‟
field and in the Label history list where all labels for a vessel is shown and
which operator that created and removed the label.
To remove an active label, click „Remove‟ button.

5.8.2 Vessel notes

To add notes to a vessel, right click the vessel either on the map or on a
vessel list. Choose „Extended Information‟ in the pop up menu. This brings
up the Extended Vessel Information as described in 5.8.1. Click the „Notes‟
tab to access the note view shown in the picture below.
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 37

Figure 31 Vessel note dialog

This shows a list of all notes for the selected vessel and which operator that
created the note.
To add a new note, press the „New Note‟ button.

5.9 SRM
Access SRM Inbox by clicking the SRM icon in the toolbar (for icon
representation see section 3.2.11) or by selecting SRM Inbox in the SRM
main menu.

5.9.1 Inbox
The Inbox is used to send and receive SRMs (Security Related Messages).
In a Coast Watch AIS Client system, SRMs are handled per region. All
operators in the region will see the SRMs sent to and from the region. For
each sent SRM, it is also shown which operator that sent the SRM. The
Inbox is illustrated in the below figure.
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 38

Figure 32 SRM inbox dialog

The SRMs sent by the currently logged in operator is shown under User
SRMs. Received SRMs, and all SRMs sent by operators of current region,
are shown under Region SRMs.
To show the full details of a SRM, mark it in the list. The lower part of the
window will then show the details of the SRM.
To reply to a SRM, mark it in the list and press the Reply… button.
To forward a SRM, mark it in the list and press the Forward… button.
To delete a SRM, mark it in the list and press the Delete… button.
To send a new an SRM, press the New SRM… button.
Any of the buttons except „Delete‟ opens the Send SRM form, which is
further described in section 5.9.2.

SRM Status
Received SRMs always have a status of Received. Sent SRMs can have
several different statuses depending on both which type of SRM was sent
and if the transmission and reception of the SRM was successful or not. The
different statuses are described in the below table.

Table 2 SRM Statuses

SRM Status Description

Received The SRM has been successfully received by this region

Sent The SRM has been sent to the AIS Network or Base
Station but its success or failure is not yet known
Acknowledged The sent addressed SRM has been successfully received
and acknowledged by the destination
Broadcast The broadcast SRM has been successfully broadcast by
the AIS Network or Base Station
Failed The transmission of the sent SRM failed
No acknowledge No acknowledge was received for the addressed SRM
within 40 seconds
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 39

Find SRM
At the top of the SRM is a find box used to filter the SRMs shown. To apply
the filter to find SRMs of a specific type, enter the text to search for in the
text box and select in the drop-down box what fields you want to search. It
is possible to search in the To, From and Message fields as well as all fields.
To begin filtering SRMs, click the Search button. Now only SRMs
matching the set criteria will be shown in the different lists.
To clear the search, press button Clear.

5.9.2 Send SRM

The Send SRM form is used to send SRM to remote units. Four kinds of
SRMs can be sent: broadcast, regional broadcast, addressed and to Vessels
in Area.
Broadcast SRMs are sent to the entire AIS Network (or to the Base Station
in the Standalone case) and sent out by all base stations in the entire
network. Obviously, this method should be used with caution!
Regional broadcast SRMs are sent out to the base station group defined for
the current region in the NMR AAA configuration. The purpose of this is to
transmit the SRM to the vessels in the area of the current region. The result
is that broadcast SRMs are transmitted, but only from some base stations in
the AIS Network. Regional broadcasts do not work for Standalone system.
Addressed SRMs are sent to one particular vessel. The destination vessel is
selected in the drop-down list. It is possible to type in the list to quickly get
to the correct vessel. It is also possible to enter a numeric MMSI as
destination.
Vessels in Area SRMs are sent to all vessels within a particular area. The
destination area is selected in a drop-down list. The result is that addressed
SRMs are sent to each vessel currently inside the area.
The Send SRM form is illustrated bellow.

Figure 33 Send SRM dialog

OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 40

5.10 Data Playback

Access data playback functionality either by clicking the data playback icon
in the tool bar (illustrated in section 3.2.13) or by selecting Playback in the
Data main menu.

Figure 34 Data playback, collapsed

Figure 35 Data playback, expanded

The Data Playback component is divided into two areas. The upper part is
the part which is used to make Datalog searches and the lower part is the
playback control. Collapse the component by pressing the „Hide search‟
button at the top. This will make only the control part of the component
visible.

5.10.1 Searching for logged data

This section is only valid if a Datalog is present in the system configuration.
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 41

In the search area of the Data Playback component there is possibility to

limit searches by time, SOG, COG, length, draught, geographic area,
MMSI, Name, Callsign, destination, ship type and IMO.
The search time period is defined by typing the desired UTC Time values in
the time fields.
The two fields each for SOG, COG, Length and Draught is minimum and
maximum values.
To limit the search to a geographical area, press „Mark Area‟ button and
press and hold the mouse on the map display and drag until the area is big as
desired.
To define MMSI, name, callsign, destination, ship type and IMO, type the
desired value in the textbox and press „Add‟ (For ship type the type is
picked from a drop down list).
It is also possible to drag a vessel from the map to the MMSI list by holding
down left-control and left mouse button.
When all desired search constraints area defined press the „Search‟ button to
initiate the search. While searching „Receiving data‟ will flash in green
indicating that data is being received.
Please note that resulting data from a search can be very extensive if not
cautions is taken when defining the search constraint!
When the resulting data has been received, the message “Data loaded” is
displayed in the status bar of the playback component. If something went
wrong during the search „No data loaded‟ is displayed.
The result of the data search is stored as a file in the Coast Watch AIS
directory and is named <nnn>.log where <nnn> is a timestamp indicating
when the search was performed.
The result can also be saved to a file manually using the “Save result to
file...” button.

5.10.2 Loading previous data searches from file

The result file from previous searched can be loaded into the playback
component by pressing „File‟ in the top bar. Select the log file that should be
loaded and the message “Data loaded” is displayed in the status bar of the
playback component. If something went wrong during the load „No data
loaded‟ is displayed.

5.10.3 Playing back data

When data has been loaded into the playback component, either by Datalog
search or from file, it is possible to enter playback mode by pressing the
play button. The slider will indicate the position in the playback data that is
currently replayed.
When playback is stopped it is possible to drag the position slider to the
desired position in the data and start playing back or forward from that
position.
Replay speed is changed either by pressing the „x2‟ button or by selecting
the speed in the bottom bar.
To return from playback mode, close the playback window.
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 42

5.11 Screen Recorder

The Screen Recorder function can be used to record a video file of what is
happening on the screen.

5.11.1 The Screen Recorder GUI

Figure 36 Screen Recorder

The components of the Screen Recorder GUI are:

Video Folder – use the Browse button to select a folder where
recorded video should be stored. This setting is remembered for
future recordings.
Output Frames per Second - (Possible values: 0,1 – 15,0 fps) – This
is the desired frame rate for the recording. Note that the higher the
frame rate, the higher the processor load will be. The maximum
possible frame rate depends on many factors, such as screen
resolution, processor speed, graphics hardware and so on.

While a recording is in progress the actual frames per second

achieved is displayed in the Screen Recorder GUI. For the video to
play correctly, the chosen Output Frames per Second should be
lower than the Actual Frames per Second.
Compress Video – choose between uncompressed video (which will
give very large, but more portable files) or compressed video, which
compresses the video on-the-fly using the Microsoft Video 1 codec,
that comes bundled with Windows.
Start / Stop recording buttons – starts and stops the recording. While
a recording is in progress it is recommended to click on the title bar
of Coast Watch AIS, which will hide the Screen Recorder GUI
behind the Coast Watch AIS GUI – otherwise the Screen Recorder
GUI itself will be visible in the recording.

5.11.2 A note on video playback using Windows Media Player

The default playback application for video files in Windows is the Windows
Media Player (WMP). By default WMP is usually optimized for viewing
film content, and will add a slight blur to the image when a file is played.
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 43

This gives a softer image when viewing film, but will not look good when
viewing a recording of a computer screen, such as a recording of Coast
Watch AIS in action.
If the playback of a Coast Watch AIS video appears blurred when viewed in
WMP, please try the following:

- In the WMP menu, choose “Tools”, and then “Options”.

- Click the “Performance” tab.
- Click the “Advanced” button
- In the area marked “Video Acceleration”, turn on the option “Use high
quality mode” and turn off “Use overlays”.
- Close all open option windows and try playback again
- If this does not work try to turn off the option “Use video mixing
renderer”.
- Close all open option windows and try playback again

If the settings have taken effect the image should be sharp and the text easy
to read.

Note also that the effect of these settings may differ depending on the
graphics hardware on the computer. Other playback applications may have
similar settings, or may display a sharp image by default.

5.12 Rule states and rule management

The Coast Watch AIS System supports several different kinds of rules.
Rules are intended to support the operator in surveying the traffic situation,
monitoring restricted areas and traffic separation zones, and so on. The
current version of the Coast Watch AIS System supports the rules described
below.
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 44

Table 3 Available rules

Rule Description Alarm /
Event

New target The rule is activated momentarily when a new vessel Event
is available in the associated area
Lost target The rule is activated momentarily when a vessel Event
leaves the associated area
Speed above limit The rule is activated when a vessels SOG is above Alarm
the specified limit, and stays active as long as the rule
is broken
Speed below limit The rule is activated when a vessels SOG is below Alarm
the specified limit, and stays active as long as the rule
is broken
Course deviation The rule is activated when a vessels COG is not Alarm
within the specified course interval, and stays active
as long as the rule is broken
Dangerous Cargo in The rule is activated when a vessel whose Ship Type Alarm
area indicates that it is carrying dangerous goods of
category A, B, C or D enters the given area, and stays
active as long as the vessel remains in the area, and
the Ship Type does not change.

See also section 3.7 for more information about alarms and events.

5.12.1 Edit Rules

The Rules dialog is used to view and edit the rules that are available in the
current region. The dialog lists the available rules with their name, rule type
and which area they are associated to.
Note: You need to be at least member of the Site Admin group to be able to
modify or create rules. The Delete, Edit and New rule buttons are not
available if you do not have privileges to modify the rules.
OPERATOR FunctionS DescriptionS Page 45

Figure 37 Rules overview

To create a new rule, press button New rule. The Edit Rule dialog is shown
as described in section 5.12.2.
To edit an existing rule, press button Edit. The Edit Rule dialog is shown as
described in section 5.12.2.
To delete a rule, mark the rule in the list and press Delete and answer yes to
the confirmation dialog.

5.12.2 Edit Rule

The Edit Rule is used to create a new rule and edit an existing rule. When
editing an existing rule, the rule type can not be modified. The dialog is
illustrated in the below figure.
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Figure 38 Edit rule

The Rule type can be one of the rule types described in section 5.11. The
name field should include a descriptive name of the meaning of the rule.
If Region is selected, the rule will apply to all vessels inside the current
region. If the rule should be bound to an area, select Area and select the
intended area in the drop-down list.
For some rules the rule criteria can be dynamically specified, as an upper
speed limit for a speed limit rule. To edit the criteria when the rule is
activated, press the button Edit criteria and specify the max and / or min
limits.
Rule Actions
To each rule several types of actions can be bound. The actions will all be
performed each time the rule is activated. No actions are performed during
the time the rule is active, but if the rule becomes inactive and then active
again, all actions are performed again.
If the rule is modified then all vessels will be re-evaluated against the rule,
and all actions will be executed again for the vessels that violate the new
rule definition. The available actions are listed below.
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Table 4 Available rule actions

Action Description

Addressed SRM to rule violator When the rule is activated an addressed SRM with
the specified text will be sent to the vessel breaking
the rule
Addressed SRM to MMSI When the rule is activated an addressed SRM with
the specified text will be sent to the specified MMSI
Broadcast to current region When the rule is activated an regional broadcast
SRM with the specified text will be sent to the virtual
MMSI of current region (if one is configured)
USE THIS ACTION WITH THE UTMOST
CAUTION
System wide broadcast When the rule is activated a system wide broadcast
SRM with the specified text will be sent to all vessels
in the system.
USE THIS ACTION WITH THE UTMOST
CAUTION
Raise alarm to operators of When the rule is activated an alarm will be generated
current region for all operators currently connected to current region
Notify operators of current region Obsolete function
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APPENDIX A.1 – GLOSSARY

DCW Digital Chart of the World

Dongle Hardware license key, often USB interface
DGPS Differential GPS
GPS Global Positioning System
N/A Not Applicable
UTC Universal Time Coordinated