OSTC Tools support

[Willem Ferguson]

On 01/05/2015 19:44, Salvador Cuñat wrote:
> Hi Willem.
>
> 2015-05-01 17:23 GMT+02:00 Willem Ferguson 
> <willemferguson at zoology.up.ac.za 
> <mailto:willemferguson at zoology.up.ac.za>>:
>
>     When we say Subsurface supports OSTC Tools, what exactly does this
>     mean? Is OTC Tools the regular download
>     software for OSTC? I see its divided into 3 parts with separate
>     functions, some of it overlapping with Subsurface.
>
>
> OSTCTools is a set of tools windows based.  H&W didn't developed 
> software for their devices, except a little bootloader for firmware 
> updates.   While Subsurface and other softwares which support OSTC 
> devices tend to be universal, OSTCTools only supports OSTC computers.
> One of the tools is used download dives from the computer and store 
> them in individual files one dive per file.  It just do that, almost 
> raw downloaded data,  no gear, no notes ...  It's not a true diving log.
>
> What Subsurface does is just import this files into its own regular 
> format, so a user can import to subsurface any dive he had previously 
> downloaded with this software, but, off course, the user will need to 
> add data to the import as the OSTCTools files only have computer 
> related data.
>
> In the manual, I think, this should only be mentioned as another file 
> format supported for import with a warning about the information 
> limitations, and, may be, a recomendation about selecting every file 
> to import in a single operation instead of picking them one by one.
>
>     Is there anyone with an OSTC who can help?
>
> Well, I'm proud owner of a OSTC-2N   };-)
>
> If you want to try it,  there are two samples in the dives directory 
> the *.dive files.
>
> Regards.
>
> Salva.
>
Salva,
Thank you for your kind response. I know nothing at all about the HW 
dive computers.

It looks like the OSTC2 has a miniUSB port. I would assume, with 
Subsurface, as with other dive computers, one selects Import -> Import 
from dive computer. Then, in the download panel, one selects Heinrichs 
Weikamp and (in your case) OSTC 2N. I am not sure if Subsurface 
automatically sets the correct mount point. Then, If one selects 
Download, the profile is loaded into Subsurface. Until here, it is more 
or less the standard procedure with most dive computers. The profile is 
shown.

Now, if you say there are more than one file that needs downloading, 
exactly what do you mean? Are there many files, one for each dive? What 
do you mean by "import in a single operation"?. Or do you mean importing 
the dive files NOT from the OSTC2 but from a file on disk or some other 
media? When I import the sample file, there is no HW option in the 
dropdown list at the left bottom of the import dialogue. I need to 
select "All file formats" and then I can see the file and the import 
goes smoothly. The imported file has a lable "Imported from OSCTS Tools".

A few specific questions:
1) I assume one can download dives directly from the OSTC without 
involving OSTC Tools. Is this correct?
2) Is it normal to import dives from OSTC Tools? It looks to me that the 
OSCTC tools route becomes relevant if one wants to import a whole dive 
log comprising many dives that were downloaded from the dive computer 
onto some other disk or computer. Is this correct?
3) Then I deduce that the OSTC Tools divelog on disk comprises mare than 
one file? Is this correct?
4) If so, do they represent different dives? Or do they represent 
different data (perhaps profile on one file, other dive information in 
another file?)
5) How does one tell Subsurface to load all the files in a single 
option? With a simple selection of several files in the file selection 
panel using Ctl-click or Shift-click?

I tried opening one of the OSTC dive logs with a text editor and it 
appears to be binary data. But it looks like Subsurface immediately 
recognises the file as OCTC.

We really need a OSTC item on the dropdown list of the file import panel.

I apologise I sound so really stupid, but I am not close to anyone with 
this equipment.
Kind regards, and thank you again for your time.
willem

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