How can raster charts replace paper charts when only a portion of a chart can be seen at any one time?
RCDS offers exactly the same field of view capability as ECDIS which has already been accepted by the IMO/IHO. Both RCDS and ECDIS specify a 270mm x 270mm screen size. Whether displaying a 1:40,000 scale RNC or 1:40,000 scale NOAA ENC® data, the width of the computer screen will only show approximately 5.8 nm. RCDS and ECDIS deal with a computer’s limited field of view in a similar way. RCDS users load the next smaller scale chart. ECDIS users zoom out and let the software suppress information and resize the remaining text and symbols — in essence creating a smaller scale chart dynamically. Also, the ability to pan across a chart or to open multiple charts of different scales at the same time gives RCDS and ECDIS increased viewing capability.
