X-Git-Url: http://pileus.org/git/?p=aweather;a=blobdiff_plain;f=docs%2Fuserguide.ad;h=16b8c0f25763b39ab73c11ff32fe9947b88ae80b;hp=113e0bc3b894aea5ef399a0acc1a55e771738ceb;hb=f3a11247e091ee9c50e50f402500fdfa29c68245;hpb=61c00571244f73a357de9d9a247a8dee426e1113 diff --git a/docs/userguide.ad b/docs/userguide.ad index 113e0bc..16b8c0f 100644 --- a/docs/userguide.ad +++ b/docs/userguide.ad @@ -2,9 +2,9 @@ AWeather Users Guide ==================== :Author: Jason Holmes :Email: -:Date: 2011-12-27 -:Revision: 0.6.1 -:Website: http://lug.rose-hulman.edu/proj/aweather/ +:Date: 2013-01-28 +:Revision: 0.8 +:Website: http://pileus.org/aweather/ About and contact information ----------------------------- @@ -14,24 +14,25 @@ providing ample weather information without excessive cost and size that is not limited to the Linux operating system. It is written in a standard GTK+/GObject architecture and features an -interactive display utilizing libgis and OpenGL technologies. +interactive display utilizing Grits and OpenGL technologies. -The software source code for Ubuntu and other operating systems is available for -download on the RHLUG server at git://lug.rose-hulman.edu/proj/aweather. +The software source code is available for download at +git://pileus.org/aweather. -AWeather relies upon the following dependencies: http://www.ijg.org/[jpeg], -http://hdf.ncsa.uiuc.edu/hdf4.html[hdf4], http://www.gnome.org/[libsoup] 2.26 or -later and http://www.gtk.org/[gtk+] 2.16 or later +AWeather relies upon the following dependencies: http://www.gtk.org/[gtk+] 2.18 +or later, http://www.gnome.org/[libsoup] 2.26 or later, http://bzip.org/[bzip], +http://trmm-fc.gsfc.nasa.gov/trmm_gv/software/rsl[rsl] 1.42 or later, and +others. -Compiled packages of the software are currently available for the Gentoo, -Debian, and Microsoft Windows operating systems. +Packaged versions of the software are currently available for Gentoo, Debian, +Ubuntu, Microsoft Windows, and Mac OSX operating systems. -The program currently provides data viewing from the standard one dimensional +The program currently provides data viewing from the standard two dimensional plan view to user-defined three-dimensional dynamic views of current and recent radar data. -The software was developed and is maintained by Andy Spencer. He may be -contacted through e-mail at andy753421@gmail.com and chat through IRC at #rhlug +The software was developed and is maintained by Andy Spencer. He may be +contacted through e-mail at andy753421@gmail.com and chat through IRC at #pileus on irc.freenode.net. @@ -44,30 +45,46 @@ Public License (version 3 or later) as published by the Free Software Foundation Data types and sources ---------------------- -AWeather displays U.S. National Weather Service NEXt generation RADar data -(NEXRAD) Level II data. This is the highest resolution form of radar data -available in the public domain and consists of multiple tilts of data updated -every 5 to 10 minutes depending on the current scan mode of each radar. +AWeather displays U.S. National Weather Service NEXt generation RADar (NEXRAD) +Level II data. This is the highest resolution form of radar data available in +the public domain and consists of multiple tilts of data updated every 5 to 10 +minutes depending on the current scan mode of each radar. The following Level II data types are supported by this program: -Base reflectivity (power return of current precipitation intensity) +- Base reflectivity (power return of current precipitation intensity) -Base velocity (Doppler-derived speed and direction of radar returns) +- Base velocity (Doppler-derived speed and direction of radar returns) -Spectrum width (The variation of velocity detected within each radar pixel or -bin) +- Spectrum width (The variation of velocity detected within each radar pixel or + bin) +- Differential Reflectivity (The ratio of the reflected horizontal and vertical + power returns) footnoteref:[dualpol] + +- Differential Phase (A comparison of the phase difference between the + horizontal and vertical returns) footnoteref:[dualpol] + +- Correlation Coefficient (A statistical correlation between the reflected + horizontal and vertical power returns) footnoteref:[dualpol,Only available at + WSR-88D sites that have been upgraded to support dual-polarization] Level II data has been available through private weather data vendors for some time but recently has been generously provided by some universities. -AWeather requires an active internet connection along with a data feed source in +AWeather requires an active internet connection along with a data source in order to retrieve, decode and display current or recent radar data. -The default radar feed is publically accessible thanks to Iowa State University +The default radar feed is publicly accessible thanks to Iowa State University and is located at: http://mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/data/nexrd2/raw/. +AWeather also displays some severe weather alerts provided by the NOAA weather +alerts http://alerts.weather.gov/[feed]. + +When run under Linux, AWeather can interface with the +http://www.catb.org/gpsd/[GPSd] location services to track and display the +user's current location. + Program layout -------------- @@ -78,11 +95,18 @@ and a bottom data status bar. The file menu commands ---------------------- -The program file nenu consists of 3 entries: +The program file menu consists of 5 entries: File ~~~~ Offline:: stops the program from downloading data through the internet +Refresh:: reloads the current display +Auto-update:: automatically refresh the the radar after a certain delay +Clean cache:: removes data files from the program's internal cache +Quit:: closes the program window and exits from memory + +Edit +~~~~ Preferences:: opens the preferences window, which contains the following commands @@ -91,8 +115,11 @@ Preferences:: opens the preferences window, which contains the following [horizontal] Offline checkbox:::: if selected keeps the program from connecting to the internet + Update Freq:::: sets the timeout value for automatic updating Initial site listbox:::: allows the user to select a default radar site to jump to when the program loads + NEXRAD URL text box:::: allows the user to select a different server to + download Level-II NEXRAD data from Debug level text box:::: allows the user to select what level of debugging the program should conduct while running (7 is recommended only for debugging) @@ -100,15 +127,16 @@ Preferences:: opens the preferences window, which contains the following Plugins tab::: [horizontal] - elev checkbox:::: ??? - env checkbox:::: ??? + alert checkbox:::: allows the user to toggle the weather alerts + elev checkbox:::: allows the user to toggle terrain rendering + env checkbox:::: allows the user to toggle a blue atmosphere and + compass rose + gps checkbox:::: allows the user to toggle gps tracking + [Linux only] map checkbox:::: allows the user to toggle the map overlays radar checkbox:::: allows the user to toggle the radar data - sat checkbox:::: allows the user to toggle satellite data - test checkbox:::: ??? - -Clean cache:: removes data files from the program's internal cache -Quit:: closes the program window and exits from memory + sat checkbox:::: allows the user to toggle satellite ground images + test checkbox:::: used by the developers for debugging View ~~~~ @@ -116,13 +144,19 @@ View Zoom in:: decreases the viewing area Zoom out:: increases the viewing area Fullscreen:: maximizes the window and only displays the button menu bar along - with the map and data viewing pane -Refresh:: reloads the current display + with the map and data viewing pane when the mouse is moved to the + edge of the screen + +Radar +~~~~~ +The radar menu contains list of all the support NEXRAD radar sites sorted by +state. Selecting a site will zoom AWeather to that location. Help ~~~~ [horizontal] -Contents:: displays this documentation of program operation and features +User Guide:: displays this documentation of program operation and features +Man Page:: displays a HTML version of the UNIX man page About:: contains current program version, copyright, development site, credits and licensing information @@ -149,7 +183,9 @@ The date and time side bar resides on the right side of the program window, it c * The time button, which reveals a list of each hour when clicked ** Clicking on an hour will reveal a list of times in 5 minute intervals that - the user can select to load radar data from + the user can select to load radar data from footnote:[Radar data can only be + loaded if it has been previously cached or is from a recent enough date and + can still be obtained from the NEXRAD server] The map and data viewing pane @@ -157,6 +193,10 @@ The map and data viewing pane On program startup and when zoomed far from the earth's surface AWeather displays a national radar composite image. +Each available radar site is displayed on the map using the name of a nearby +major city. Clicking on the city label will activate the radar site and center +it in the viewer. + As the user zooms closer to the earth AWeather will automatically activate nearby radar sites. @@ -169,18 +209,43 @@ data will display to the right of the tab. Simply click on a button to display that product/tilt in the map window. An isosurface slider is shown below the product/tilt buttons. Slide the -selector to reveal the rendered isosurface structure of the selected -product/tilt. +selector to reveal the rendered isosurface structure of reflectivity data. A color scale will automatically appear at the top left corner of the map window corresponding to each available product. +Viewing severe weather alerts +------------------------------ +When the alert plugin is enabled, AWeather will automatically shade each county +that is under a weather alert in a color corresponding to the type of alert. + +For storm based warnings, AWeather will also draw a polygon representing the +warning area. + +Individual alert types can be enabled and disabled by clicking on the toggle +button in the alert tab at the bottom of the screen. + +To view more information about a particular alert, click on one the shaded +county or inside the polygon warning area in the viewing pane. This will bring +up the alert details dialog with a tab for each alert that is active for the +location that was clicked. + +The alert dialog displays the alert title and valid time along with the text +descriptions provided by the weather service. Clicking the "Full Text" button +will open the full text of the alert in a web browser. + + Panning, zooming and tilt functions ----------------------------------- AWeather supports the use of the mouse and keyboard commands to change the map window settings. +When the map is rotated, a red and white compass in the top right corner shows +the current direction of North. Clicking on the compass will reset the rotation +so that north points toward the top of the screen and the viewer is pointed +towards the ground. + Mouse usage:: [horizontal] Left click and drag::: Pan the surface of the earth @@ -202,13 +267,14 @@ Keyboard shortcuts:: w::: Draw wire frame of the earth (for debugging) q::: Exit the program Tab::: Cycle through available plugins + Escape::: Close the currently active dialog box CTRL+R::: Refresh the display Command Line Options -------------------- -The following commands can help advanced users take full advantage of the -AWeather program: +The following command line options can help advanced users take full advantage +of the AWeather program: aweather [*-hoaf*] [-d 'level'] [-s 'site'] [-t 'time'] @@ -238,7 +304,7 @@ aweather [*-hoaf*] [-d 'level'] [-s 'site'] [-t 'time'] *-f*, *--fullscreen*:: Run in fullscreen mode, AWeather start up using the entire screen as he - main display area. Toolbars and side panels are hidden by default and + main display area. Toolbars and side panels are hidden by default. Future Features @@ -248,13 +314,11 @@ conditions allow. Some of these enhancements include: - * Vertical cross sections, volume display + * Vertical cross sections * Support for derived L3 data (storm relative motion, echo tops, composite - reflectivity, etc) - * Additional data sources for watches, warnings, surface data, etc - * Auto-updating of data + reflectivity, etc.) + * Additional data sources for surface data, etc. * Animation support - * A 3D volume browser * API for radar algorithms * Additional features