Author Topic: Ambient Weather Windows Store (UWP) Dashboard APP  (Read 3659 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline cheeroip

  • Holocene human / dev / tinkerer
  • Senior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 91
  • Developer
    • DTVRC
Ambient Weather Windows Store (UWP) Dashboard APP
« on: November 14, 2020, 01:04:31 PM »
Published.
Windows Store URL:
https://www.microsoft.com/store/apps/9P6R53XPVB77
 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
14 days trial -> 0.99 USD
ms-windows-store://pdp/?productid=9P6R53XPVB77
 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Stay safe everyone, we are almost there.

------



 
« Last Edit: January 29, 2021, 02:44:48 AM by cheeroip »

Offline FW8379

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 44

Offline FW8379

  • Member
  • *
  • Posts: 44
Re: Ambient Weather Windows Store (UWP) Dashboard APP
« Reply #2 on: November 14, 2020, 02:13:59 PM »
Also check out page 31 of 52; 6.16 Weather Forecasting

https://ambientweather.com/mwdownloads/download/link/id/567/

Offline cheeroip

  • Holocene human / dev / tinkerer
  • Senior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 91
  • Developer
    • DTVRC
Re: Ambient Weather Windows Store (UWP) Dashboard APP
« Reply #3 on: November 14, 2020, 05:09:10 PM »
Not sure if this helps, but found this....

https://help.ambientweather.net/help/my-weather-forecast-is-incorrect-it-does-not-reflect-the-weather-outside/
Thanks a lot! I didn't even think about checking the manual... I erroneously presumed was a value the base station would receive from the server and not and internal calculation.
I didn't considered that the base station functions are suppose to work without an internet connection...
I'll just pull the forecast from the "Never praised enough National Weather service API" that luckily will not have to fight another 4 years of defunding and sharpie attacks.

If somebody can replicate the Ambient Weather results could be fun to have both value side by side.


Offline cheeroip

  • Holocene human / dev / tinkerer
  • Senior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 91
  • Developer
    • DTVRC
Re: Ambient Weather Windows Store (UWP) Dashboard APP
« Reply #4 on: December 21, 2020, 01:06:52 PM »
Ok, start deploying the UWP (Universal Windows Platform AKA Windows Store) app.
I need beta testers to keep me motivated for the final, and more boring, refinement process.
This is the deal: the app is in the store but not public and I can add people for an "early access" to the closed beta.
So write me if you want be part of the history and Ill add you to the list.
 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

The app will have a 14 days trial and I'm thinking to start charging 0.99USD  instead of going for hateful Ads. I'll deploy a free a lifetime version  for the early birds and they'll obviously get the future updates (thinking about supporting multiple stations, forecast from the NOAA and  ore computer friendly "skins" ).

The app will be avaible at:
URL   https://www.microsoft.com/store/apps/9P6R53XPVB77
URL if your app is only visible to certain people (requires authentication)   https://www.microsoft.com/store/r/9P6R53XPVB77
Store ID   9P6R53XPVB77
Store protocol link   ms-windows-store://pdp/?productid=9P6R53XPVB77

The app is an Ambient Weather(tm) Station dashboard that access data using the APIKEY that the owner will have to provide from their Ambientweather.net account.
It mean to mimic the WS-2902C hardware (the one I actually own) because it felt like a fun idea but I'll probably do a pretty-er version.

Stay safe everybody and wish an Happy(er) and great(er) 2021.

Offline galfert

  • Global Moderator
  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 6822
Re: Ambient Weather Windows Store (UWP) Dashboard APP
« Reply #5 on: December 21, 2020, 03:00:40 PM »
It is coming along really nice. Just an idea... if you do get bored you could add additional screens with graphs!
Software is never complete is it? :)

I sent you PM to become beta tester.

Ecowitt GW1000 | Meteobridge on Raspberry Pi
WU: KFLWINTE111  |  PWSweather: KFLWINTE111
CWOP: FW3708  |  AWEKAS: 14814
Windy: pws-f075acbe
Weather Underground Issue Tracking
Tele-Pole

Offline cheeroip

  • Holocene human / dev / tinkerer
  • Senior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 91
  • Developer
    • DTVRC
Re: Ambient Weather Windows Store (UWP) Dashboard APP
« Reply #6 on: December 22, 2020, 12:08:38 AM »
It is coming along really nice. Just an idea... if you do get bored you could add additional screens with graphs!
Software is never complete is it? :)

I sent you PM to become beta tester.

I'm Still worried/fighting with different (undocumented?) JSON versions that the ambienteweather.net API return  and how fonts are managed... graphs could be a thing if I could find a decent UWP library..;

I think UWP apps are a bit like mobile apps that are suppose to be simple. Maybe I could do complete separate app ( graphs don't need  fresh data as often as a dashboard app and deserve their own logic) I'm sure there are plenty or more serious desktop apps that can manage weather graphics much better.
This is more a joyful toy that fill the PC client void. Plus I definitely dont want piss the hardcore weather geeks that would want be interested in graphs.

Offline galfert

  • Global Moderator
  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 6822
Re: Ambient Weather Windows Store (UWP) Dashboard APP
« Reply #7 on: December 22, 2020, 12:21:17 PM »
Some feedback...

- I think the application needs to more clearly let the user know that this application requires a station that reports to Ambientweather.net
- The user must create an API key in Ambientweather.net ( some instructions for this or a link would be helpful)
- In the case that the user has more than one device on Ambientweather.net (as I do) it is necessary for the application to be able to pick which device to use. For me it defaulted to on of my devices but it wouldn't have been the one I would like have picked.
- Once connected to my device via API key I never got any data. The time showed up for a second and then blank, but temp showed 88°F and no other data filled in. After a couple seconds the app closed itself. Under Settings API key it showed all the live data. So not sure why the display didn't work.
- The app opens up with extra white space at the bottom

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]

 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Ecowitt GW1000 | Meteobridge on Raspberry Pi
WU: KFLWINTE111  |  PWSweather: KFLWINTE111
CWOP: FW3708  |  AWEKAS: 14814
Windy: pws-f075acbe
Weather Underground Issue Tracking
Tele-Pole

Offline cheeroip

  • Holocene human / dev / tinkerer
  • Senior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 91
  • Developer
    • DTVRC
Re: Ambient Weather Windows Store (UWP) Dashboard APP
« Reply #8 on: December 22, 2020, 02:35:21 PM »
Some feedback...

- I think the application needs to more clearly let the user know that this application requires a station that reports to Ambientweather.net
- The user must create an API key in Ambientweather.net ( some instructions for this or a link would be helpful)
- In the case that the user has more than one device on Ambientweather.net (as I do) it is necessary for the application to be able to pick which device to use. For me it defaulted to on of my devices but it wouldn't have been the one I would like have picked.
- Once connected to my device via API key I never got any data. The time showed up for a second and then blank, but temp showed 88°F and no other data filled in. After a couple seconds the app closed itself. Under Settings API key it showed all the live data. So not sure why the display didn't work.
- The app opens up with extra white space at the bottom

Thanks for trying it out. Not sure how interesting would be for the forum to share these boring progress but I don't mind.

API KEY:
I didn't put any efforts into trying to explain how the APIkey works. It is a geek things and it will stay a geek things for a  while. Ambient Weather and pretty much every company/product that offer an API don't make any efforts into simplify or explain anything. It's account/username/password VS APIkey.
Of course in the final version I'll point the user to the ambientweather.net and from there I let them decide how manage their users. Plus Ill point to my own page I created to support the android dashboard app and the widget app.

MULTIPLE STATIONS:
I didn't even considered the fact that people could own multiple stations and the API would return multiple results...
I'll ask you to send me your JSON or idially to let me use your APIKEY.

DATA NOT SHOWING:
I'm surprised it even parsed enough JSON to show anything in the setting recap considering that I didn't build any array for multiple stations. The app crash probably because the JSON try to return multiple stations. I could easily intercept all the exceptions and avoid crashes but that would  assume I know exactly what expect from an app and exactly what expect from an API...
In general I much prefer a crash than returning wrong values (even if it make me and the application look bad... the user is never right anyway).

GRAPHIC ISSUE:
It's the most fun and frustrating part of the app. I'm using a very underutilized automatically resizable layout.
The dashboard graphic is suppose to have a fixed aspect ratio. I'm not using any advantage of a flexible modern interface.  it's being dull by design. There is going to be empty ugly spaces, it's not that other UWP apps are much pleasant anyway. Maybe I'll automatically resize the  application window but that would be an even uglier hack.
When I'll add the NOAA forecast I'll probably use some space to show some extra data. Not my priority so far.

If anybody want design a different Layout I'm more than happy to provide a vector template and discuss what the framework allow or not.

It's always nice to work together on a project and a learning tool for everybody involved.

 
 

Offline galfert

  • Global Moderator
  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 6822
Re: Ambient Weather Windows Store (UWP) Dashboard APP
« Reply #9 on: December 22, 2020, 03:15:56 PM »
If you would rather deal with bugs and feedback privately let us know. I submitted the feeback in public because I thought it would drive excitement in the developing process and maybe cause others to want to jump in on helping with the project as discussing it creates buzz. So either way let us know what you prefer.

I agree with you that people don't need to know what an API key nor how it works. What I'm saying is that when you buy and Ambient station and you see that it sends data to Ambientweather.net it will not be immediately obvious that the API key need to be requested and generated. Some people will get lost and so all I'm saying is to have some simple instructions in the application to guide them to ensuring that they have an API key and where to find that on Ambientweather.net as I stumbled myself to find where it was.

I sent you PM with my Ambientweather.net API key so that you can have a looksee of what that looks like with multiple stations. I have 7 devices defined (not all active).
 
Ecowitt GW1000 | Meteobridge on Raspberry Pi
WU: KFLWINTE111  |  PWSweather: KFLWINTE111
CWOP: FW3708  |  AWEKAS: 14814
Windy: pws-f075acbe
Weather Underground Issue Tracking
Tele-Pole

Offline cheeroip

  • Holocene human / dev / tinkerer
  • Senior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 91
  • Developer
    • DTVRC
Re: Ambient Weather Windows Store (UWP) Dashboard APP
« Reply #10 on: December 22, 2020, 05:36:17 PM »
If you would rather deal with bugs and feedback privately let us know. I submitted the feeback in public because I thought it would drive excitement in the developing process and maybe cause others to want to jump in on helping with the project as discussing it creates buzz. So either way let us know what you prefer.
totally agree, I just dont want hijack the forum.

I agree with you that people don't need to know what an API key nor how it works. What I'm saying is that when you buy and Ambient station and you see that it sends data to Ambientweather.net it will not be immediately obvious that the API key need to be requested and generated. Some people will get lost and so all I'm saying is to have some simple instructions in the application to guide them to ensuring that they have an API key and where to find that on Ambientweather.net as I stumbled myself to find where it was.
You are right, it is confusing and it is sorta the way it is for now. I think the best strategy for now would be to just link to AmbientWeather website and hope they'll streamline and make things a bit more userfriendly (as much as an API/APIKEY solution would/could want be).
The general attitude is that APIkey are just not considered Average Joe material. They should implement a an webservice that just return the APIKEY, QRcodes and a bunch of other solutions that very few companies so far study/implement.

I sent you PM with my Ambientweather.net API key so that you can have a looksee of what that looks like with multiple stations. I have 7 devices defined (not all active).

Excellent, Thanks. That will be very helpful.

Offline galfert

  • Global Moderator
  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 6822
Re: Ambient Weather Windows Store (UWP) Dashboard APP
« Reply #11 on: December 22, 2020, 09:04:31 PM »
You aren't hijacking the forum. You are totally welcome to use the forum to reach out to our fellow weather enthusiast members. You are helping us out by providing a great service with your software. On this forum many independent software developers use it to continue to improve their work. The members really enjoy being able to be better connected to those developing solutions to augment their enjoyment of their weather stations.
Ecowitt GW1000 | Meteobridge on Raspberry Pi
WU: KFLWINTE111  |  PWSweather: KFLWINTE111
CWOP: FW3708  |  AWEKAS: 14814
Windy: pws-f075acbe
Weather Underground Issue Tracking
Tele-Pole

Offline davidmc36

  • He who dies with the most toys wins!
  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 1246
  • FN25ie61jw
    • MorewoodW34
Re: Ambient Weather Windows Store (UWP) Dashboard APP
« Reply #12 on: December 23, 2020, 07:13:55 AM »
Even if a project I do not intend to undertake I read a lot of threads. Anywhere there may be a nugget of knowledge that is useful in some other arena.

Just the story of your journey from bug to squashing is a tome I enjoy devouring.

Carry on with verbosity.

Offline cheeroip

  • Holocene human / dev / tinkerer
  • Senior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 91
  • Developer
    • DTVRC
Re: Ambient Weather Windows Store (UWP) Dashboard APP
« Reply #13 on: December 23, 2020, 02:19:10 PM »
Even if a project I do not intend to undertake I read a lot of threads. Anywhere there may be a nugget of knowledge that is useful in some other arena.

Just the story of your journey from bug to squashing is a tome I enjoy devouring.

Carry on with verbosity.
well, I'll try to alternate "fun" posts with things more boring or exciting. 

Offline cheeroip

  • Holocene human / dev / tinkerer
  • Senior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 91
  • Developer
    • DTVRC
Re: Ambient Weather Windows Store (UWP) Dashboard APP
« Reply #14 on: December 26, 2020, 02:45:49 PM »
Cleaning up the protocol parsing and adding support for multiple stations I noticed  the Elevation precision:

elevation 9.92491054534912
compared to every other value returned by the API.
I assume is just sloppy programming but maybe there is a particular reason for such high level of precision (?)
 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]


« Last Edit: December 26, 2020, 02:55:41 PM by cheeroip »

Offline galfert

  • Global Moderator
  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 6822
Re: Ambient Weather Windows Store (UWP) Dashboard APP
« Reply #15 on: December 26, 2020, 02:57:51 PM »
I agree. That is ridiculous when 8 decimal places gives a precision for 1 mm.

Ecowitt GW1000 | Meteobridge on Raspberry Pi
WU: KFLWINTE111  |  PWSweather: KFLWINTE111
CWOP: FW3708  |  AWEKAS: 14814
Windy: pws-f075acbe
Weather Underground Issue Tracking
Tele-Pole

Offline cheeroip

  • Holocene human / dev / tinkerer
  • Senior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 91
  • Developer
    • DTVRC
Re: Ambient Weather Windows Store (UWP) Dashboard APP
« Reply #16 on: December 26, 2020, 04:30:02 PM »
I agree. That is ridiculous when 8 decimal places gives a precision for 1 mm.
Ill round it up to 0 decimals, how do the station try to guestimate the elevation anyway?
Ill keep show the "raw" data in the settings anyway in case somebody is a purist

Offline galfert

  • Global Moderator
  • Forecaster
  • *****
  • Posts: 6822
Re: Ambient Weather Windows Store (UWP) Dashboard APP
« Reply #17 on: December 26, 2020, 10:37:36 PM »
Unfortunately all Fine Offset clone stations do not have a way to directly enter elevation. What is required is to properly configure the Relative pressure offset. This indirectly is ones elevation. The user can see Absolute pressure and then see by how much the two differ. Some math is required and using an online calculator solves that problem.

https://keisan.casio.com/exec/system/1224579725

All the user needs to do is to enter in their elevation into that online calculator. Then they can see the difference between Sea Level Pressure (Relative) and Atmospheric Pressure (Absolute). Then they can dial in that difference into their Relative pressure as an offset and then they are almost done....

If the station still needs calibration then that is done by adjusting the Absolute pressure which will impact a change by the same amount to the Relative pressure.
Ecowitt GW1000 | Meteobridge on Raspberry Pi
WU: KFLWINTE111  |  PWSweather: KFLWINTE111
CWOP: FW3708  |  AWEKAS: 14814
Windy: pws-f075acbe
Weather Underground Issue Tracking
Tele-Pole

Offline cheeroip

  • Holocene human / dev / tinkerer
  • Senior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 91
  • Developer
    • DTVRC
Re: Ambient Weather Windows Store (UWP) Dashboard APP
« Reply #18 on: February 01, 2021, 11:17:29 AM »
 :?:
Quick question:
How different console manage (additional?) temperature sensors?
I got this answer from a user feedback.
The JSON have temp1f (secondary sensor?) and doesn't even bother to have the empty tempf (I always assumed was the main sensor)

Code: [Select]
"lastData":{
      "dateutc":1612192980000,
      "tempinf":61.7,
      "humidityin":28,
      "battout":1,
      "temp1f":33.2,
      "humidity1":83,
      "batt1":1,
      "feelsLike1":33.2,
      "dewPoint1":28.6,
      "feelsLikein":61.7,
      "dewPointin":28.3,
      "tz":"America/New_York",
      "date":"2021-02-01T15:23:00.000Z"
    },...

Which model rely only on secondary sensors? How do they manage different "channels?" ?
I wish AmbientWeather API just had a "version" value that would simplify a lot all the exceptions ...




Offline cheeroip

  • Holocene human / dev / tinkerer
  • Senior Member
  • **
  • Posts: 91
  • Developer
    • DTVRC
Re: Ambient Weather Windows Store (UWP) Dashboard APP
« Reply #19 on: February 01, 2021, 11:36:13 AM »
OK, mystery solved, was a WS-8482
 [ You are not allowed to view attachments ]
Not sure why they didn't use tempf for the 1st sensor.... grrrr

:?:
Quick question:
How different console manage (additional?) temperature sensors?
I got this answer from a user feedback.
The JSON have temp1f (secondary sensor?) and doesn't even bother to have the empty tempf (I always assumed was the main sensor)

Code: [Select]
"lastData":{
      "dateutc":1612192980000,
      "tempinf":61.7,
      "humidityin":28,
      "battout":1,
      "temp1f":33.2,
      "humidity1":83,
      "batt1":1,
      "feelsLike1":33.2,
      "dewPoint1":28.6,
      "feelsLikein":61.7,
      "dewPointin":28.3,
      "tz":"America/New_York",
      "date":"2021-02-01T15:23:00.000Z"
    },...

Which model rely only on secondary sensors? How do they manage different "channels?" ?
I wish AmbientWeather API just had a "version" value that would simplify a lot all the exceptions ...

 

anything