Plot wind direction over time using a circular graph ?

[Ozziefirebee]

Can I plot wind direction on a circular graph such as the Wind Direction jpeg ?

It would be useful to see the wind direction on the face, giving a plot over time from latest to past time (hours, days), plotted from outer to centre, as well as the direction arrow.
Any second plot I add is linear and plots from top North clockwise over time which is wrong.
Am presently using graph with plot that gives me a linear display - looks kinda wrong with North at top and bottom. Unable to find a VWS function that calls up this data.
Have seen this done with FreeWX.go here:
http://insvr1.midcoastwater.com.au/FreeWX/_sgg/m3_1.htm

Cheers,
Ozzie

[sam2004gp]

Yep, if memory serves me right, I have it setup at home, but I am at work right now.   Just activate the Wind direction gauge, and make the second plot a scatter plot of windspeed.  Set your plot interval for like a few hours and a range from 0 to 30mph. 

[SLOweather]

Nope. Been asking Ed for this for years... The first program I ever used, Weather Monitor, I think it was called, had a plot like this:



Weather Display has a graph like this:

[sam2004gp]

My "plot" shows the direction and speed that occured over a given amount of time (IE: 3 hours), and does not show them in a chronological order.  When I get a chance to get back to my weather computer tonight, I will post a visual sample to convey my meaning.   But basically the faster the wind the further out from the center of the graph it is.  The direction is plotted on the 360 degree circle of the graph similiar to the first image that SLOweather posted.

[Dropje]

Is it " display" "winddirection" with the second plot the windspeed, what you want?


cheers

[sam2004gp]

Is it " display" "winddirection" with the second plot the windspeed, what you want?


cheers

Yes that is what I have.  Thanks.
Then I make it like a 3 or 4 hour plot to sort of get an idea what my trends have been.  My center point is 0 MPH and I set it to plot out to 30MPH on the outer edge of the "circle".

[Ozziefirebee]

The second graph shown by SLOweather is what I am after.

I did try adding a second plot, Wind Run to the Wind Direction circle and it does give a plot of sorts, but it is wrong as it indicates the wind is averaging East but observations tell me it is actually averaging from the North.
Here in the Capes region of the Sou West corner local air currents are notorious for constantly changing over short periods of time due to local land and sea features, but overall come from one direction, so I'm trying to average the direction from the data I get and display a general direction of the wind, over say 24 hours. Average direction over time, no need for speed.

I'm not clear on your explanation of the plot Sam, however sounds like it might be what I'm after - will wait with interest for your graphic.
Cheers,
Ozzie

[sam2004gp]

Still I have not got a chance to get on the home computer....

Perhaps I can explain my graph a little clearer for those of you following at home.

My plots work like this.   When a 15 MPH from the North is recorded it is plotted halfway from center (scaling 0-30mph on the graph) on the North Axis.  When I get a 30 MPH from the North West it is plotted on on the edge of the graph on the North West Axis, and so one.  Since I have my plots set at about 3 hours.  All of the plots are within the last 3 hours, and will disappear after each individual plot point is older then 3 hours.  So therefore my chart shows me the prevailing wind direction and speeds for the last 3 hours.  I found this a much better way to understand than trying to read the following two "old fashioned graphs".  It does not show the last 3 hours in an chronological manner (Like Sloweathers graph), but in a cumulative manner (like dropje's-which I believe is an exact replica of mine.).  Thus I can look at the graph and see that for the last 3 hours that wind on the average has come from the North(or more plot points around the North Axis) for example.



I need to get my circular graph on my "custom graphs" webpage on my site.

[sam2004gp]

The second graph shown by SLOweather is what I am after.

I did try adding a second plot, Wind Run to the Wind Direction circle and it does give a plot of sorts,.....
Cheers,
Ozzie

Wind Run is not what you want.  Wind Run, just basically tells you how "far of a distance" that your wind has moved or blown.   You want to use "Wind Speed" or "Wind Gust" for your second plot selection.

When I do get back to the home computer, hopefully today,  I will post a screen capture of my "wind area" of my VWS Desktop for everyone to see.

[sam2004gp]

Ok here is what I got, as you see it is much eaiser to read my "circular graph" then "Grid Graph" when determining where the prevailing winds for the last 2 hours are coming from.



Here are the settings I use for that Graph.

[Ozziefirebee]

Thanks Sam, will set it up as per your advice and observe for the next few days.
Looks about right tho.
Cheers,
Ozzie

[sam2004gp]

no problem

[dsscheibe]

   I've been wanting a wind distribution graph like Citizen Weather Observer uses since I saw it on their page. It shows direction and then speed by the length of the line.  I'd barrow it for my page by I know they have band width issues..  http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/wxpage.cgi?CW2069 towards the bottom of the page.

   Sam your circular graph is interesting, I'd been doing direction rate with the same thing but had been using lines instead of scatter and decide to try it your way.  For some reason Wind Speed displays nothing at all, but Wind Gust does, don't know why.

[Ozziefirebee]

Have set up as suggested Sam, and it is plotting a true average direction. (blink)

I need a bit more scale and as we are using wind speed as the plot, when the wind is low everything clusters around the centre unless I open it up by reducing the top speed of wind say from 30 kph to 15 kph then it spreads outwards, but then the plot can go out beyond the edge if the wind is high. Will auto scale do this for me, I have not enough time and wind variance yet to know.
Scott, Looked at the CWO line plot suggested and I like it, think I have seen something before on government weather sites here.

[dsscheibe]

I need a bit more scale and as we are using wind speed as the plot, when the wind is low everything clusters around the centre unless I open it up by reducing the top speed of wind say from 30 kph to 15 kph then it spreads outwards, but then the plot can go out beyond the edge if the wind is high.

  I figured out the problem with mine was I had the top speed at 100 MPH.. It regularly gets up to 30 this time of year but putting it that high the dots mostly hide behind the needle. Actually it hit 37 MPH last night during a monsoon storm, I'm a few blocks into a neighborhood with some tall trees around so I don't get as much wind as the more open parts of town.

  For some reason my dots are twice the size of yours.  Wind Gust produces a lot more scatter than Speed does.