What the app takes into account, or not
BeginnerThe essentials
| Obstacle | Drawn on the map | Avoided by the routing | Setting that concerns it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | the coastline of the map | always | “Anti-grounding safety pixel” (one-pixel margin) |
| VR zones | red outline | yes by default | “Avoid VR and own zones” |
| The ice limit (AEZ) | very light blue line | always | none |
| Your zones that are on | orange outline | yes by default | “Avoid VR and own zones” |
| Your zones that are off | not drawn | no | the zone’s own switch |
The two settings in this column are reserved to Expert mode. As long as you have not changed them, they keep their default value: safety pixel on, zones avoided.
Going further
What is checked. Each leg of the routing is compared with land, the ice limit and the avoided zones. A leg that crosses one is discarded. The final route (the “polishing”) respects the same obstacles, and the order editor checks them again on the orders you are about to send.
What is not taken into account.
- The safety pixel only protects from land. It leaves no margin around zones or the ice limit: a routing can hug a zone very closely.
- A zone has no schedule. An outline applies for the whole duration of the routing; you cannot say “from this time to that time”.
- Your zones belong to one race. They do not carry over from one race to another, or from one leg to another.
- Your zones are not sent to VR. The game does not know them: only eSail4VR’s routing and order editor respect them.
- A zone does not change the wind. A zone forbids passing; it does not change the weather. Unlike land, a zone does not slow the wind down (according to the eSail4VR FAQ): optimal routes often pass right next to them.
- A boat already inside a zone is not blocked there by the order editor, so that it can get out.
Target and start. The routing refuses a start or a target on land. With the safety pixel on, it also refuses a boat or a target within one pixel of land. A target inside an avoided zone is refused too (see avoiding zones).
If the boat is enclosed. When land, ice or zones leave no path, the routing stops with: “The routing could not reach the target: no valid path is left. The boat may be enclosed by land, ice limits or exclusion zones.”