Real-Time U.S. Composite Satellite Animation

[Bunty]

Well, I'm happy for you that you got it centered just fine now.

[jgillett]

Well, I'm happy for you that you got it centered just fine now.

Centered, yes - but the submenus still open behind the map.

Thoughts?

Thanks.

[Bunty]

Well, I'm happy for you that you got it centered just fine now.

Centered, yes - but the submenus still open behind the map.

Thoughts?

Thanks.

From what I can tell, I can see all the submenus with plenty of room to spare.

[jgillett]

From what I can tell, I can see all the submenus with plenty of room to spare.

Unfortunately, not all folks open their browser windows full screen width (speaking from 19+ years as a web developer). 

Thanks.

[jgillett]

Hidden submenu problem solved (with thanks to Ken). The fadeslideshow.js script was using zindex values somewhere in low-earth orbit, which conflicted with the flyout-menu script. Brought them back down to reasonable values and all is now well.

Just FYI...

[jay_hoehn]

jgillett,

Care to share where the changes were made to the script and what you used.

Jay

[jgillett]

Care to share where the changes were made to the script and what you used.

There are actually three of them. I found mine at lines 145, 163, and 235 - or just search for 'zindex' if for some reason your script is different. I used the initial values as suggested by Ken - 100, 99, and 101 respectively, and if that doesn't work, then try 10, 9, and 11 as the values.

Remember, this script is not part of the standard Carter Lake, Ken, Scott combo, so if that's all you're using then you won't find this script on your system.

[jay_hoehn]

jgillett,

Thanks.  I have it working here: http://www.jayswoodfurniture.com/wx/wxsat1.php

Jay

[TNETWeather]

That composite looks pretty cool.

I've been doing GOES loops for years.  Normally only Infrared and Vapor maps for GOES-WEST since they were more relevant to my site. Visible is dark at night for obvious reasons.

I capture 96 frames (aprox once every 15 mins) and then display them in a Flash Slide show that I use for a number of other projects.

This gives me a much longer loop of almost 24 hours which I find interesting to see how things progressed.

Might look into doing the same with the composite sat stuff.. would be cool to have a nice long loop more than the typical 6-8 frames it typically is.

Ref:
http://cumulus.tnetweather.com/radar/noaagoeswest
Click on the images to see the loop.

Do the same thing with my GRlevel3
http://cumulus.tnetweather.com/radar/grlevel3

Wasp2
http://cumulus.tnetweather.com/radar/swnwasp2

And some local webcam's
http://cumulus.tnetweather.com/webcam

[jgillett]

Might look into doing the same with the composite sat stuff.. would be cool to have a nice long loop more than the typical 6-8 frames it typically is.

Ref:
http://cumulus.tnetweather.com/radar/noaagoeswest
Click on the images to see the loop.

Kevin, your stuff looks really great. I'd be very interested in both the longer comp sat and the noaagoeswest, if/when either/both become available.

Thanks.

[TNETWeather]

Kevin, your stuff looks really great. I'd be very interested in both the longer comp sat and the noaagoeswest, if/when either/both become available.

The biggest problem with that is that I am using tools you may not have access to.    I use Perl which is using wget to collect the images via a cron scheduled process.  I also use a commercial flash display app on my page to display it.  While there is (or was) a free version, it might not work the same way.  The script underlying it are not easy to understand and support.

Assuming you can come up with a collection script for the images, and be able to schedule them, you could use the same tools you are using now to display them.

Instead of hotlinking to the wisc.edu site for the images like:

   ["http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/data/us_comp/image0.jpg"],
   ["http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/data/us_comp/image1.jpg"],
   ["http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/data/us_comp/image2.jpg"],
   ["http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/data/us_comp/image3.jpg"],
   ["http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/data/us_comp/image4.jpg"],
   ["http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/data/us_comp/image5.jpg"],
   ["http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/data/us_comp/image6.jpg"],
   ["http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/data/us_comp/image7.jpg"]
      
You could collect the images in a similar fashion that I am and store them on your own server.

Then you could change the script so that you are getting the images to a PHP script that generates the necessary code from the current list of valid images in your cache.

   ["wischist/201108160410.WISC.jpg"],
   ["wischist/201108160433.WISC.jpg"],
   ["wischist/201108160503.WISC.jpg"],
   ["wischist/201108160533.WISC.jpg"],
   ["wischist/201108160603.WISC.jpg"],
   ["wischist/201108160633.WISC.jpg"],
   ["wischist/201108160703.WISC.jpg"],
   ["wischist/201108160733.WISC.jpg"],
   ["wischist/201108160803.WISC.jpg"],
   ["wischist/201108160833.WISC.jpg"],
   ["wischist/201108160903.WISC.jpg"]
      
This would allow you to have a longer loop using the same tool you are using now to display them.

You would need:

o Cron scheduling or some sort of alternative
o A collection script. I use Perl and wget, but you could do the same in a PHP script
o Storage place for the files
o Make sure that older files are removed as you collect newer ones.
o Modify the tool you are using to display the images (most likely be easier to just create   a PHP script to include on your page to do the same thing you are doing now hard coded.

[TNETWeather]

24 Hour Loop

Unlike the GOES images, these appear to be updating once every 1/2 hour.  GOES was every 15 minutes.

My loop cache started collecting last night (10:00UTC), so it doesn't have many images yet.  It will end up collecting a total of 48 for 24 hours worth of loop.  The older images will fall off as new ones are collected.

http://cumulus.tnetweather.com/radar/composite

How this is done... (basically like the way the other loops I use do it).

o Cron runs a Perl script once every 15 mins and looks for new images from the SSEC site.
o If a new image is found, it is timestamped and stored in a history cache folder.
o Older images (after a total of 48) are removed automatically.
o The webpage static image is the most recent images collected.  In fact, all images viewed by the visitors to the website are from the server cache.  We only pull a total of 4 images an hour from SSEC to keep bandwidth use to them at a minimum.
o When the visitor clicks on the image, the flash slideshow (PHP/SWF Slideshow) runs, It uses a PHP script to collect the image data from the cache folder and format the data for the slideshow to run.  The slideshow is setup to run through all the images with the oldest to the newest.   There is a control that lets you step through them manually if desired.

[CNYWeather]

Very impressive Kevin! 

[jgillett]

Kevin,

Unfortunately I have no Perl experience, and my PHP "skills" are still in the kindergarten stage. However, I did get the free slideshow script you referenced and will see if anything clicks.

Thanks!

[TNETWeather]

Send me a PM with your email address.  We can look into what you have for hosting to see if we can work something up.  I might be able to play a bit this weekend.

[TNETWeather]

Now that it has captured the full 48 images and continues updating, it is kind of cool to see an aprox 24 hour loop now.

http://cumulus.tnetweather.com/radar.composite

[jgillett]

Now that it has captured the full 48 images and continues updating, it is kind of cool to see an aprox 24 hour loop now.

Definitely much better!

[TNETWeather]

Not sure that better is the right word... different might be it.

I had planned on playing with the display function you are using on your site to get it to work with the same data, but work got in the way.  Maybe tonight.

[jgillett]

Not sure that better is the right word... different might be it.

'Better' because a more complete picture of conditions is now given...

I had planned on playing with the display function you are using on your site to get it to work with the same data, but work got in the way.  Maybe tonight.

No problem.

Did you get my PM?

[TNETWeather]

yes... got your PM...


I setup a test page using the fadeslideshow stuff...   it is pulling the same cached images that I use for the other.  Seems a bit on the slow side though.

Still playing with it.


http://cumulus.tnetweather.com/test/fadetest.php

[Strgazr27]

Wonderful work guys The level of "Smarts" on this site never fails to impress me.

I have poured over this thread, clogged file-zilla with bogus pages and have come up drawing a blank. I could use a push in the right/general direction.

Do I need to use a Cron job for this? I think I can handle that just not sure if it's needed.

This is what I have so far. Any thoughts?

Thanks guys!

www.kingsparkweather.com/wxsat.php

[jgillett]

I setup a test page using the fadeslideshow stuff...   it is pulling the same cached images that I use for the other.  Seems a bit on the slow side though.
http://cumulus.tnetweather.com/test/fadetest.php[/url

Speed looks good here, Kevin. If you have Cox (as I do, and am getting ready to leave), speeds will vary wildly.

[jgillett]

This is what I have so far. Any thoughts?

Currently seeing just a blank page (header, footer, and nav only).

Just FYI.

[TNETWeather]

See the thread http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=12735.msg123706#msg123706 for the source of my test script.

Started a new thread as it will also have info on the Perl script too (perhaps a PHP script to do the same).

[Strgazr27]

This is what I have so far. Any thoughts?

Currently seeing just a blank page (header, footer, and nav only).

Just FYI.

Hence the reason for my post Lol. The code is there just obviously not correctly placed or implemented.