PNG Output

PNG format provides static map visualizations for cruise planning, documentation, and presentation. CruisePlan generates PNG maps in two ways, depending on whether you just want operational locations (cruiseplan map) or also scheduling/transit information (cruiseplan schedule) to be plotted.

Purpose and Use Cases

Primary Uses:

• Proposal and funding application documentation

• Cruise plan visualization and review

• Scientific presentation and publication figures

• Field operation reference maps

Command Comparison: Schedule vs Map

CruisePlan generates PNG maps through two commands with distinct characteristics:

PNG Output Comparison: Left shows cruiseplan map output (configuration-based), right shows cruiseplan schedule output (timeline-based). Note the key difference: schedule output includes departure/arrival ports and lines to show transits, while map output focuses purely on station configuration.

PNG Output Comparison

Feature	Schedule PNG (cruiseplan schedule)	Map PNG (cruiseplan map)
Data Source	Generated timeline with scheduling	YAML configuration only
Port Visualization	✅ Shows departure and arrival ports	❌ Ports not displayed
Station Order	Scheduled sequence (leg-based execution order)	Configuration order (definition sequence)
Cruise Track Lines	Complete executed route between all operations	Basic station connections only
Station Visualization	Uniform markers (operation type from timeline)	Differentiated markers (stations vs moorings)
Use Case	Schedule and execution planning	Proposals (port independent) and overview
Prerequisites	Requires successful validation and scheduling	Works directly with YAML configuration
Performance	Slower (includes scheduling calculations)	Faster (direct from configuration)

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Schedule PNG Output (Timeline-Based)

Generated via: cruiseplan schedule -c cruise.yaml --format png

Characteristics:

• Shows operations in scheduled execution order

• Includes complete cruise track with all transits

• Requires prior validation and scheduling success

Example Command Usage:

# Basic schedule PNG generation
cruiseplan schedule -c cruise.yaml --format png

# High-resolution output with custom bathymetry
cruiseplan schedule -c cruise.yaml --format png --bathy-source gebco2025

# Combined outputs for complete documentation
cruiseplan schedule -c cruise.yaml --format png,html,latex

Output File: {cruise_name}_schedule.png

Shows a cruise track with a single operation (mooring) and two ports.

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Map PNG Output (Configuration-Based)

Generated via: cruiseplan map -c cruise.yaml --format png

Characteristics:

• Shows stations in YAML configuration order

• Displays differentiated station types (stations vs moorings)

• Works with any valid YAML configuration

Example Command Usage:

# Basic configuration map
cruiseplan map -c cruise.yaml --format png

# Custom figure size and bathymetry
cruiseplan map -c cruise.yaml --figsize 14 10 --bathy-source etopo2022

# Specific output file and directory
cruiseplan map -c cruise.yaml --output-dir maps/ --output planning_map

# Interactive preview before saving
cruiseplan map -c cruise.yaml --show-plot

Output File: {cruise_name}_map.png

Shows the station naming for a section which has been expanded by cruiseplan enrich.

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Integration and workflows

Both PNG outputs include bathymetric background visualization. For cruiseplan map, the bathymetry source can be selected, while for cruiseplan schedule, GEBCO 2025 is always used.

Bathymetry Sources:

• GEBCO 2025: High-resolution global bathymetry (default)

• ETOPO 2022: Lower-resolution for faster generation

Contour Styling:

• Depth contours at standard oceanographic intervals

• Color-coded depth ranges from land (yellow) and water (blues) ranging from shallow (light) to deep (dark)

Configuration Options for cruiseplan map only:

# High-detail bathymetry (slower generation)
--bathy-source gebco2025 --bathy-stride 1

# Fast bathymetry for quick previews
--bathy-source etopo2022 --bathy-stride 10

Station Markers (Red Circles):

• Labels with station names

Mooring Markers (Gold Stars):

• Distinctive star shape for easy identification

Line Operations (orange lines):

• Represent underway operations (e.g., ADCP surveys)

Area Operations (when present):

• Polygon outlines with semi-transparent fill

• Center point routing anchors

These are not user-configurable unless you clone the repository and edit cruiseplan/utils/plot_config.py. See the file on GitHub: cruiseplan/utils/plot_config.py on GitHub.

Figure Size Options for cruiseplan map only:

# Standard size (default)
--figsize 12 10

Note that making the figure size smaller will increase the relative size of the fonts, so if you want fonts to be more legible, make the figure size smaller.

Output Quality:

• 300 DPI resolution for publication quality (not configurable)

• PNG for lossless compression and clarity

Initial Planning Phase (use cruiseplan map):

1. Create initial YAML configuration

2. Generate configuration-based PNG for review

3. Iteratively refine station positions and operations

4. Share planning maps with collaborators

Final Planning Phase or for cruise reports (use cruiseplan schedule):

1. Validate and enrich configuration

2. Generate timeline-based PNG

3. Review execution order and timing

4. Generate final documentation set

Schedule PNG Files:

• Format: {cruise_name}_schedule_map.png

• Example: Arctic_Survey_2024_schedule_map.png

Map PNG Files:

• Format: {cruise_name}_map.png (or custom via --output)

• Example: Arctic_Survey_2024_map.png

Command Examples for Organization:

# Planning phase outputs
cruiseplan map -c cruise.yaml --output-dir planning/ --output initial_config

# Final schedule outputs
cruiseplan schedule -c cruise.yaml -o schedules/ --format all

Visual Quality Checks

Review Checklist:

• All stations visible and labeled

• Bathymetric context appropriate for operation depths

• Track lines connect logically between operations

• Proper scaling and geographic projection

Common Issues and Solutions:

Figure Issues

Issue	Solution
Overlapping station labels	Use custom figure size: --figsize 16 10
Unclear bathymetry	Reduce stride: --bathy-stride 3
Slow generation	Use ETOPO: --bathy-source etopo2022 (cruiseplan map only)
Missing geographic context	Check coordinate validity and map projection

PNG output provides visualization capabilities for cruise planning, helping you to review the initial configuration and the routing. If you use and update the yaml during a cruise, then the final yaml can be used to generate the actual cruise track with the schedule command—useful for cruise reports.