Topic: Meso Maps

[Arthurhh]

There are a bunch of us here who all operate stations in the same town. I would like to create a Meso Map of these stations.
Anyone aware of any scripts/building blocks I could use to get myself started on this.

[Anthony]

If you use Virtual Weather Station (VWS) or Weather Display (WD). These programs already do this. Each of these are great programs. I suggest downloading the trial versions and check them out for yourself. I know for sure the trial period on VWS is 30 days. Can't remember for sure of WD is 15 or 30?

[Arthurhh]

The problem with the WD one is US$20 a year feed fee I dont run VWS but may have a look at what it uses but if it is the same as WD again there is that yearly cost. Really want to do something on my own server and using the client*.txt files from each station.

[Anthony]

There is no yearly fee with VWS. All of the data comes from Weather Underground (WU). Did not realize that WD had a $20 yearly fee.

[Arthurhh]

There is no yearly fee with VWS. All of the data comes from Weather Underground (WU). Did not realize that WD had a $20 yearly fee.

Coming from WU defeats my purpose which is real time meso map of the local stations.

Yep they want a fee for a data feed the program (lite Version) is free.

[Arthurhh]

I am not a coder in the style of Saratoga or Tnet I just pick and paste stuff and nmanage to get it working.
I cannot believe that nobody else has done something like this or that there are not snippets or samples of code around, even google fails me here.

Help 

[saratogaWX]

Mesomaps can be tricky beasts to implement.  First, if you create your own, then you need to have permission from the participants to regularly collect their data from their respective weather websites.  Second, there's the issue of getting the data in a way that doesn't impact the loading speed of the page displaying -- it's a real issue when some of the websites are home-hosted and may be quite slow in responding or if the webserver hosting the site on a commercial hoster is slow due to load.

Having created 22 regional weather networks, I've seen these problems, and it's probably not worth your time to duplicate what I'd generated in order to display a metropolitan mesomap.  Besides, there's an easy way to do that already.  Either VWS's mesomap, or WeatherUnderground's mesomap can be easily set up (for free) to do what you want.  The source of data for either mesomap is WeatherUnderground contributors.

If you want to use WeatherUnderground's mesomap on your website, just see www.wunderground.com -- select your city, then view the WunderMap for your area.  They even provide a link to the map that saves your customization.
For example, mine is
http://www.wunderground.com/wundermap/?lat=37.27153&lon=-122.02274&zoom=13&type=hyb&units=english&rad=1&rad.num=1&rad.spd=25&rad.opa=70&rad.stm=0&rad.type=N0R&rad.smo=1&rad.mrg=0&wxsn=1&wxsn.mode=tw&svr=0&cams=0&sat=0&riv=0&mm=0&hur=0&fire=0&tor=0&ndfd=0&pix=0

They used to have a simple method to embed a map like that in your own page, but it now seems to be not working..
http://www.google.com/ig/directory?url=www.wunderground.com/google/stationmap.xml

I hope they fix it soon.. my own WU-mesomap.php page is broken a bit.

Hope this was helpful..
Best regards,
Ken
 

[Arthurhh]

Mesomaps can be tricky beasts to implement.  First, if you create your own, then you need to have permission from the participants to regularly collect their data from their respective weather websites.  Second, there's the issue of getting the data in a way that doesn't impact the loading speed of the page displaying -- it's a real issue when some of the websites are home-hosted and may be quite slow in responding or if the webserver hosting the site on a commercial hoster is slow due to load.

Having created 22 regional weather networks, I've seen these problems, and it's probably not worth your time to duplicate what I'd generated in order to display a metropolitan mesomap.  Besides, there's an easy way to do that already.  Either VWS's mesomap, or WeatherUnderground's mesomap can be easily set up (for free) to do what you want.  The source of data for either mesomap is WeatherUnderground contributors.

If you want to use WeatherUnderground's mesomap on your website, just see www.wunderground.com -- select your city, then view the WunderMap for your area.  They even provide a link to the map that saves your customization.
For example, mine is
http://www.wunderground.com/wundermap/?lat=37.27153&lon=-122.02274&zoom=13&type=hyb&units=english&rad=1&rad.num=1&rad.spd=25&rad.opa=70&rad.stm=0&rad.type=N0R&rad.smo=1&rad.mrg=0&wxsn=1&wxsn.mode=tw&svr=0&cams=0&sat=0&riv=0&mm=0&hur=0&fire=0&tor=0&ndfd=0&pix=0

They used to have a simple method to embed a map like that in your own page, but it now seems to be not working..
http://www.google.com/ig/directory?url=www.wunderground.com/google/stationmap.xml

I hope they fix it soon.. my own WU-mesomap.php page is broken a bit.

Hope this was helpful..
Best regards,
Ken
 

Most useful, I have 6 sites (all on my server) and wanted to use clientraw type files since this is the common factor for all sites (as is testtags.php. Only two sites contribute to WU so that's out. Nothing too fancy is required just something along the lines of the Weather Network ones you have created. All six sites are very local (with a 10km area).

A little birdie tells me you may be down this end of the world soon

[Weather Display]

check out
http://www.nzweather.net.nz/nzwn.html

also WD can use real time clientraw HTTP downloads as custom tags on a custom screen (i.e with a map as the background)

[Arthurhh]

check out
http://www.nzweather.net.nz/nzwn.html

also WD can use real time clientraw HTTP downloads as custom tags on a custom screen (i.e with a map as the background)

Yes WD can create custom screens but not from 6 different client* files.

Yes the Weather Network Meso is what I am after, auto updates etc but where is the software. (This was what got me started on this)

I can position readings etc on a map that is easy but getting the cycling and regular update of the readings is a bit harder.

See bottom of this page http://tokoroa.dyndns.org/wxcomparision.php

[Weather Display]

Yes WD can create custom screens but not from 6 different client* files.

yes it can
up to 40

[Arthurhh]

Yes WD can create custom screens but not from 6 different client* files.

yes it can
up to 40

Care to expaian how it differentiates the same data types from the different files and then how to get the single point cycling and refreshing display (As per weather network meso maps or the gizmo on Carter Lake Templates)

[Weather Display]

see under control panel, mesomap
and there you can set the clientraw http downloads (i.e different URL's)
and then that data is also available as custom tags, so you can then use them elsewhere (e.g on a custom screen)

[Arthurhh]

see under control panel, mesomap
and there you can set the clientraw http downloads (i.e different URL's)
and then that data is also available as custom tags, so you can then use them elsewhere (e.g on a custom screen)

I can achieve that already, I can even position them on a suitable map http://tokoroa.dyndns.org/wxcomparision.php (see bottom of the page) but what I can not do yet is animate the change between the various readings.

[Hitbylightning]

Ken,
The Wunderground meso is back working.  I was just about to remove the code from my site when I noticed it was working again.  It was defaulting to San Francisco I think.

[saratogaWX]

Thanks for the WU heads-up.. I see mine is working again.  They must have fixed the WU site to (re)support their released Google Widget code.

Arthurhh, yes, my wife, MIL, BIL are going to New Zealand for a cruise from Auckland down the North and South Islands, over to Tasmania, then two stops in Australia, ending in Sydney.  I'd love to meet folks in NZ for coffee/chat as we make stops in various ports  

For your local mesomap, there are multiple options, each with pros/cons and degree of difficulty in customizing it.
Easiest is to add the WeatherUnderground Google Widget to your website.. virtually no customization needed (except to set the map center point and zoom level).  Con: only shows temperature (and wind-barb on temperature), no 'rotating conditions'
Second easiest is to use MesoMapLive with WD .. it is a Flash control, and you do need to subscribe to the MML feed for data, but it's easy to customize and presents a nice animated display with mouse-over features.  Does cost for license (1 time) and yearly subscription to the feed but is inexpensive.

Third is to  join the NZ weather network (if you aren't already joined) .. you can then offer the PHP version of the NZWN mesomap with rotating conditions and all.

Fourth is to take the NZWN mesomap display code and modify the control file and map to suit your needs .. its by far the most complicated option and will take a good bit to accomplish (I know because I wrote the mesomap and caching programs for the regional networks). 

So.. hope this helps,
Best regards,
Ken

[Weather Display]

I think the missing key thing here is that he wants to draw out the difference in readings from the different stations on the mesomap

[Hitbylightning]

There's a beer or coffee for you here if you're stopping in Melbourne Ken!

[Arthurhh]

Thanks for the WU heads-up.. I see mine is working again.  They must have fixed the WU site to (re)support their released Google Widget code.

Arthurhh, yes, my wife, MIL, BIL are going to New Zealand for a cruise from Auckland down the North and South Islands, over to Tasmania, then two stops in Australia, ending in Sydney.  I'd love to meet folks in NZ for coffee/chat as we make stops in various ports  

For your local mesomap, there are multiple options, each with pros/cons and degree of difficulty in customizing it.
Easiest is to add the WeatherUnderground Google Widget to your website.. virtually no customization needed (except to set the map center point and zoom level).  Con: only shows temperature (and wind-barb on temperature), no 'rotating conditions'
Second easiest is to use MesoMapLive with WD .. it is a Flash control, and you do need to subscribe to the MML feed for data, but it's easy to customize and presents a nice animated display with mouse-over features.  Does cost for license (1 time) and yearly subscription to the feed but is inexpensive.

Third is to  join the NZ weather network (if you aren't already joined) .. you can then offer the PHP version of the NZWN mesomap with rotating conditions and all.

Fourth is to take the NZWN mesomap display code and modify the control file and map to suit your needs .. its by far the most complicated option and will take a good bit to accomplish (I know because I wrote the mesomap and caching programs for the regional networks). 

So.. hope this helps,
Best regards,
Ken

Well I fancy my chances of modifying the NZWN Meso but first I need to get my hands on the code to modify. Novemeber is during into a all priavte activities on hold month as I will be flitting all over the country for work etc for most of the month.

GS and I will indeed work out some way to catch up to you while your out here in our fair counrty.

[Arthurhh]

Result achieved  Still needs a bit of style applied to it but it works exactly as I wanted (gee wonder what it would take to add a few more readings like solar and Uv etc)
My thanks to Ken True Saratoga Weather, his help was instrumental in getting this working.

[saratogaWX]

You're very welcome, Arthur!

Best regards,
Ken

[Arthurhh]

You're very welcome, Arthur!

Best regards,
Ken

Hehe Watched you come onto the site (Love that Who's OnLine Vanity prog).

Playing with a slightly different version of Who's Online acts more like Google Analytics. Still having a few issues with it principally around how my PHP is set up.

http://piwik.org/

[Weather Display]

its a good looking result
http://tokoroa.dyndns.org/wxcomparision.php