WXTide32
Home Download Screen Shots FAQ Tools&Toys Forums

Download

WXTide32 is distributed as a single ZIP file with a small setup program. Downloading is hosted by Simtel.net which has mirrors worldwide.

Download the latest version wxtide47.zip (1,599,337 bytes, February 25, 2007) from:
wxtide47.zip from simtel.net (recommended) or
wxtide47.zip from wxtide32 ( downloads since February 2007)

Also see the optional download of World Vector Shoreline map files and ship's bells sound files below.

Install

An automatic install using WinZip or other commercial unzip program is the easiest. Many unzip programs will offer an Install option using the installer included in the zip file. This installer will generate a program folder in the apps folder on the system drive then make start menu items for the program and help file. The install folder is usually "C:\Program Files\WXTide32\" but may vary.

If you prefer to do a manual install or if an automatic install fails:

  1. Create an empty folder for the program, usually "C:\Program Files\WXTide32\" but any folder will do.
  2. Unzip all files into that new empty folder. The files "setup.exe" and "wxtide43.inf" are not needed.
  3. Find "WXTide32.exe" in the new folder and right click drag it to your desktop to make a shortcut for the program.

Uninstall

If the program was installed using the default installer, you can uninstall from the Control Panel->Add/Remove Programs list.
- or -
WXTide32 does not modify any files outside it's install folder so you can safely just delete all files in that folder and the folder itself.

Optional World Vector Shoreline (WVS) data

The program can use World Vector Shoreline (WVS) map data in place of the map picture included in the program. This map is displayed from the Station Locator window when the Map option is checked. WVS data is public domain high detail gridded vector representation of the coastal shorelines of the world.

While support for the WVS files is in the program, the WVS map files themselves are not. The WVS files used with this and the XTide program are the same as those from those distributed on the National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) Global Relief Data CD-ROM.

As of May 2006, sources of WVS map files compatible with WXTide32 were:

To install the files just unzip them into the WXTide32 program folder; they will be automatically detected when the program is next started. Not all files are absolutely needed; the program will find the best available match for any given zoom factor. The file wvs43.dat is essential for speed when drawing the entire world. Other files give increasing detail and allow higher zoom factors. We found that using only wvs43.dat and wvs250k.dat gives great detail with no speed impact.

The full set of WVS map data consists of the following files: 

wvsfull.dat - full resolution - 25,313,280 bytes
wvs250k.dat - 1:250,000       - 18,232,320 bytes
wvs1.dat    - 1:1,000,000     - 4,896,768 bytes
wvs3.dat    - 1:3,000,000     - 5,121,024 bytes
wvs12.dat   - 1:12,000,000    - 2,933,760 bytes
wvs43.dat   - 1:43,000,000    - 2,233,344 bytes

Optional ship's bells sound files

The program has the ability to play Ship's bells sound files on the half-hour. The general population may not be interested in this option, but for us sailors, it is comforting to hear the bells while far away from the sea. Ship's bells count the number of hours and half hours on a 4-hour cycle. The cycle starts with one bell at 12:30 (or 4:30, or 8:30), followed by 2 bells at 1:00, 3 bells at 1:30 and so on until 8 bells at 4:00. Then the cycle repeats for the 4:30 to 8:00 watch, then finally 8:30 to 12:00.
Note: The dog watch sequence from 4pm to 8pm is not supported (yet).

To use this feature you must have 8 sound files named 1bells.wav, 2bells.wav through 8bells.wav where the name gives the number of bells in that sound file.
A set of 8 files in one 304kb zip file, shipsbells.zip from wxtide32 or shipsbells.zip from savefile.
A much richer sounding set of files, size 1163kb, submitted by Stuart H. is wxtide32_bells.zip from wxtide32.

Once the file has been downloaded, unzip them into the WXTide32 program folder. The next time the program is started, you will see a new main menu item named Play ship bells.