Author Topic: GW1000 - How to Run WS View app on a Computer: Live Data!  (Read 6085 times)

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Offline galfert

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GW1000 - How to Run WS View app on a Computer: Live Data!
« on: May 01, 2019, 03:46:31 PM »
Problem: There are a few negatives about using a console without a display such as the GW1000. Namely that there isn't a display and it requires a mobile device to view Live data, to configure the device, and to manage and calibrate it. Here is a solution to run the Android app on a PC computer (on a Mac it may work...untested). Although you can have a GW1000 and a separate display console (such as a WS-2000 or HP2551) at the same time (actually as many display consoles as you want.)

Solution: Run NoxPlayer which is Android running as a virtual OS from Nox on your computer. It is important to run Nox's Multi-Drive setup to manually select Android 7 as a base OS install for the VM. Otherwise it defaults to creating an Android 5 instance and a lot of apps will not work. You'll also need to add network bridge software adapter in the the NoxPlayer. Then you install and run the WS View app. Although this will only work for viewing Live data and managing and calibration. You will not be able to use this for initial network setup of the GW1000.

The reason you will not be able to use this for initial network setup of the GW1000 is because that process requires that the mobile device switch off the local network over to the default pre-setup wireless connection on the GW1000 to give it the network settings. That is something the NoxPlayer Android emulator cannot do.

Download and install NoxPlayer (very easy): https://www.bignox.com/
* If you have thought about using Bluestacks instead it will not work. Bluestacks does not have a way to bridge the network connection and thus the WS View will not be able to see your GW1000.

How to set up Bridge Connection in NoxPlayer
* These steps need to be done again if Nox Player software gets a major update.
https://www.bignox.com/blog/new-feature-tutorial-set-bridge-connection-play-multiplayer-game-noxplayer-v5-2-0-0/
  • Go to System Settings
  • Select Property settings
  • Click on link to Install Network Bridge Connection
  • Enable Bridge Connection and select DHCP mode

Installing and running WS View app
  • Open the Google Play Store and log in with your Google account.*
  • Install the WS View app using the Google Play Store.
  • Run the WS View app and you should see the GW1000. (If you skipped the Bridged Connection setup or didn't do that step correctly it won't show you the GW1000. Go back and fix that then close and re-open the WS View app.)
* The Google Play Store does not work unless you sign in to that app with your Google account. The NoxPlayer does also support side-loaded .apk files if you prefer but it is then up to you to get the .apk file and maintain the app updates without the Google Play Store. So I don't recommend going that route unless you know what you are doing.

TIP: If you don't like the NoxPlayer look and feel and all those game icons that you can't get rid of then I recommend installing Nova Launcher which changes the Android experience to be more standard and gives you great customization options. If fact I like Nova Launcher so much that I upgraded to the premium paid version to gain extra features and I use it on my Samsung Galaxy phone, as I prefer it to the Samsung launcher that came with the phone.

Screenshot of WS View running in Windows 10 via NoxPlayer
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Yes it is LIVE and refreshes automatically just like on your mobile device. You can resize the NoxPlayer to be just about any size you want on your computer.
« Last Edit: August 16, 2020, 11:31:58 PM by galfert »
Ecowitt GW1000 | Meteobridge on Raspberry Pi
WU: KFLWINTE111  |  PWSweather: KFLWINTE111
CWOP: FW3708  |  AWEKAS: 14814
Windy: pws-f075acbe
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Offline galfert

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Re: GW1000 - How to Run WS View app on a Computer: Live Data!
« Reply #1 on: May 01, 2019, 03:50:52 PM »
Another solution for seeing the live data from the GW1000 is to use a Meteobridge. Using a Meteobridge has numerous other advantages.  Although the Meteobridge Live Data page does not auto-refresh like the WS View app. But the Meteobridge can enable you to send your Live data to your own personal website and many other online services. You can then also send your data to an SQL database.

The GW1000 paired up with the Meteobridge I covered here:
https://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=36772.0

In the not so far future Ecowitt will make the API available and open the possibility for other weather software to talk directly to the GW1000.
« Last Edit: May 01, 2019, 06:59:13 PM by galfert »
Ecowitt GW1000 | Meteobridge on Raspberry Pi
WU: KFLWINTE111  |  PWSweather: KFLWINTE111
CWOP: FW3708  |  AWEKAS: 14814
Windy: pws-f075acbe
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Offline galfert

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Re: GW1000 - How to Run WS View app on a Computer: Live Data!
« Reply #2 on: May 01, 2019, 04:40:55 PM »
By the way this also works for the Ambient awnet app also. But with Ambient stations so far all you'll be able to do is change the weather services that you report to. On the WS-2000 the only way to configure WeatherCloud is with the awnet app. Also on the WS-2902A console you can not disable WU uploads. On the WS-2000 console you can disable WU uploads but it requires erasing everything rather which makes it tedious to have to re-enter your WU credentials. They really should add an Enable and Disable feature with a future firmware. But regardless this is very simple to do with the mobile apps as there is an Enable and Disable button for each service and it keeps your settings. It is good to disable all uploads if you are servicing the sensors. You could just turn off the console but what if you are checking the rain gauge manually and don't want to send that data to WU? Then disabling uploads is the only way and you can't do that on the console (unless you factory reset and that is not a good solution).

TIP: If you want to run both awnet and WS View apps on the same device you have to know how to do it. You can install both of them but you have to swipe close the other in order to make either work to communicate with your consoles over the network. To swipe close first click on the Android app switcher then swipe close one of the apps. But that still won't fix it as you'll have to close both of them to then freshly open the one you want.

Why would you need both awnet app and the WS View app? Well if you have both Ecowitt and Ambient consoles you'll need both. For example if you have a WS-2000 display console and a GW1000 console. You'll only be able to update the firmware with the correctly matched app. There are also some other anomalies and minor differences between apps.

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* Don't forget to close both of them. Then try then relaunch the one you need.
« Last Edit: May 01, 2019, 05:28:35 PM by galfert »
Ecowitt GW1000 | Meteobridge on Raspberry Pi
WU: KFLWINTE111  |  PWSweather: KFLWINTE111
CWOP: FW3708  |  AWEKAS: 14814
Windy: pws-f075acbe
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Offline Lighty269

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Re: GW1000 - How to Run WS View app on a Computer: Live Data!
« Reply #3 on: May 03, 2019, 08:47:57 AM »
I have been using Blue Stacks for years, how does this differ, any faster?

Offline galfert

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Re: GW1000 - How to Run WS View app on a Computer: Live Data!
« Reply #4 on: May 03, 2019, 09:14:17 AM »
Very similar to Bluestacks. It feels a bit faster than Bluestacks or at least the same. The problem with Bluestacks for this application is that it will not work because Bluestacks does not have network bridged connection capability.  Which means that when you run WS View app in Bluestacks it will not be able to see your GW1000 on your local network. Bluestacks puts your virtual Android device behind a different subnet VLAN than your local network.
Ecowitt GW1000 | Meteobridge on Raspberry Pi
WU: KFLWINTE111  |  PWSweather: KFLWINTE111
CWOP: FW3708  |  AWEKAS: 14814
Windy: pws-f075acbe
Weather Underground Issue Tracking
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Offline galfert

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Re: GW1000 - How to Run WS View app on a Computer: Live Data!
« Reply #5 on: May 03, 2019, 10:32:58 AM »
Extra Configuration Tips for NoxPlayer

Set Aspect Ratio to be phone size
  • Open NoxPlayer Settings
  • Go to Advanced Settings
  • Change Resolution setting to Mobile phone
  • Click Save setttings
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Change Home Screen and overall experience Launcher
  • Install Nova Launcher from the Google Player Store
  • Make it your default launcher*
  • Install other apps that you may want
  • Download and Customize the wallpaper and Home Screen icons

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Custom experience with Nova Launcher - Gets rid of game icons

* I've not been able to get the Nova Launcher to stay as the default launcher after closing and restarting NoxPlayer. UPDATE: I found a way, read next post You can set Nova Launcher to be the default launcher and then pressing the Home button does take you to the Nova Laucher as the default but if you close NoxPlayer and open it again that setting will not be retained unless you take the extra steps in the next post. To temporarily set Nova Launcher to be the default Home Screen and Launcher follow these steps:
  • Run Nova Launcher
  • Open Android Settings from the app icon (not NoxPlayer settings)
  • Select Home from Android Settings menu
  • Select Nova Launcher to be the default
  • Click Home button

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« Last Edit: May 05, 2019, 09:35:59 AM by galfert »
Ecowitt GW1000 | Meteobridge on Raspberry Pi
WU: KFLWINTE111  |  PWSweather: KFLWINTE111
CWOP: FW3708  |  AWEKAS: 14814
Windy: pws-f075acbe
Weather Underground Issue Tracking
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Offline galfert

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Re: GW1000 - How to Run WS View app on a Computer: Live Data!
« Reply #6 on: May 03, 2019, 11:05:32 AM »
How to Permanently Disable NoxPlayer Launcher and keep Nova Launcher as Default

*** It is very important that you first install Nova Launcher before doing these steps ***
  • Make sure Nova Launcher is installed
  • Go to NoxSettings (gear icon on top title bar)
  • Under the [General Settings] enable Root as a Startup item.
  • Click Save settings
  • Restart NoxPlayer when prompted
  • *** Set Nova Launcher  to be default launcher NOW (see previous post) *** You've been warned do not skip this step!
  • Open File Manager app
  • Navigate in File Manger to /system/app/Launcher/ folder
  • Click and hold on launcher_x.x_en_singned.apk file to be prompted for options
  • Select Rename and change the name to launcher_x.x_en_singned.apk.bak (x.x is just the version number, you keep that) you are basically just appending a .bak to the file name
  • Click Back button several times till you back all the way out of File Manager app. *Do not click Home button*
  • Open Android Settings app and go to Home menu and ensure Nova Launcher is still default
  • Click on NoxPlayer setting icon on top title bar
  • Uncheck Root from Startup items in General Settings section
  • Restart when prompted

After following these steps NoxPlayer Launcher should be permanently disabled and you'll have Nova Launcher greeting you all the time. Nova Launcher will be the only launcher in Android. Do not click on the Trash icon to delete it, because I don't know what will happen if Android doesn't have a launcher...it might not boot and you might have to reinstall NoxPlayer.
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« Last Edit: May 03, 2019, 03:11:01 PM by galfert »
Ecowitt GW1000 | Meteobridge on Raspberry Pi
WU: KFLWINTE111  |  PWSweather: KFLWINTE111
CWOP: FW3708  |  AWEKAS: 14814
Windy: pws-f075acbe
Weather Underground Issue Tracking
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Offline Lighty269

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Re: GW1000 - How to Run WS View app on a Computer: Live Data!
« Reply #7 on: May 03, 2019, 06:40:16 PM »
Lot's of good information here, thanks!

But it seems to work fine, on my PC.




Offline galfert

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Re: GW1000 - How to Run WS View app on a Computer: Live Data!
« Reply #8 on: May 03, 2019, 07:12:10 PM »
Lot's of good information here, thanks!

But it seems to work fine, on my PC.

Well that is very interesting. What did you do to get it to work with Bluestacks? I tried it and it woudn't work. When I first tried NoxPlayer it wouldn't work there either until I did the Network Bridge with Windows 10. I don't see a way to do a Network Bridge with Bluestacks. So something must be different with your setup. Are you perhaps running an older version of Bluestacks before they implemented the VLAN subnet? Are you running on PC or Mac? I'm running the latest Bluestacks version 4.70.0.2003.  To find the Bluestacks version got to Settings gear on title bar then About. I also installed in Bluestacks an app called Net Analyzer. When you run Net Analyzer app under Information you can see that the IP address the device is using is 10.0.2.15 in my case which is a separate VLAN subnet than my real network. If you run Net Analyzer what IP address is your Bluestacks using?
« Last Edit: May 03, 2019, 07:16:21 PM by galfert »
Ecowitt GW1000 | Meteobridge on Raspberry Pi
WU: KFLWINTE111  |  PWSweather: KFLWINTE111
CWOP: FW3708  |  AWEKAS: 14814
Windy: pws-f075acbe
Weather Underground Issue Tracking
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Offline Lighty269

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Re: GW1000 - How to Run WS View app on a Computer: Live Data!
« Reply #9 on: May 03, 2019, 08:16:59 PM »
Looks like I am running an older version 4.60.20.1002, IP 10.0.2.15

I see you also have Smartthings, this was the main reason why I installed BlueStacks.

Running Windows 10 Pro, latest
« Last Edit: May 03, 2019, 08:20:40 PM by Lighty269 »

Offline galfert

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Re: GW1000 - How to Run WS View app on a Computer: Live Data!
« Reply #10 on: May 03, 2019, 09:51:28 PM »
Okay you have the same IP address as me with Bluestacks. Which means that in your case somehow your virtual network adapter is being routed to your local network. Maybe a function of the older version. Or maybe something else. Big mystery. I'll have to do some digging and testing to find the answer.

Yes SmartThings classic works. But the new SmartThings Connect does not let me log in as it crashes. I like the classic anyway as I have some custom integrations and device drivers there. I've long had Bluestacks for years only started with NoxPlayer this week for this issue of local network access. I just can't remember if I ever before needed to talk to a local network device. I now run Bluestacks for testing apps (using snapshot clones) and for running other apps that don't have equivalent on PC. Started with Bluestacks just because it was a thing to do that was cool and originally I had no real purpose for it. It's come a long way.
« Last Edit: May 03, 2019, 10:00:41 PM by galfert »
Ecowitt GW1000 | Meteobridge on Raspberry Pi
WU: KFLWINTE111  |  PWSweather: KFLWINTE111
CWOP: FW3708  |  AWEKAS: 14814
Windy: pws-f075acbe
Weather Underground Issue Tracking
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Offline kan6526

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Re: GW1000 - How to Run WS View app on a Computer: Live Data!
« Reply #11 on: May 04, 2019, 09:55:05 PM »
Hi
I noticed "Live Data" not live (16sec) on WSview

Offline galfert

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Re: GW1000 - How to Run WS View app on a Computer: Live Data!
« Reply #12 on: May 04, 2019, 10:10:56 PM »
Hi
I noticed "Live Data" not live (16sec) on WSview

That is as good as it gets. That is how often the sensors send out the radio broadcast to the console. Now the sensors are keeping track of things internally and then sending out all data collected within those 16 seconds. Meaning for example if in the span of 16 seconds the rain gauge would tip 2 times then on the next radio broadcast to the console it would send that. Same thing for wind speed...etc. So no data is missed.

If you want a faster refresh the get a Davis which is 2.3 seconds.

Acurite Atlas 7/8 has the following reporting periods:
Temperature: 30 seconds
Humidity: 30 seconds
Wind Speed: 10 seconds
Wind Direction: 30 seconds
Rainfall: 30 seconds
UV Index: 30 seconds
Light Intensity: 30 seconds
« Last Edit: May 05, 2019, 09:25:04 AM by galfert »
Ecowitt GW1000 | Meteobridge on Raspberry Pi
WU: KFLWINTE111  |  PWSweather: KFLWINTE111
CWOP: FW3708  |  AWEKAS: 14814
Windy: pws-f075acbe
Weather Underground Issue Tracking
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Offline kan6526

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Re: GW1000 - How to Run WS View app on a Computer: Live Data!
« Reply #13 on: May 04, 2019, 10:15:44 PM »
WSview Live Data seems to be the same as www.ecowitt.net

Offline galfert

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Re: GW1000 - How to Run WS View app on a Computer: Live Data!
« Reply #14 on: June 25, 2019, 07:12:28 PM »
I just updated my Nox Player and although all my apps and app settings kept just fine the major settings to the emulator program did not keep the Network Bridge. So if you update you just need to perform the 4 steps to install and enable the network bridge again. You also have to redo the default launcher steps.
Ecowitt GW1000 | Meteobridge on Raspberry Pi
WU: KFLWINTE111  |  PWSweather: KFLWINTE111
CWOP: FW3708  |  AWEKAS: 14814
Windy: pws-f075acbe
Weather Underground Issue Tracking
Tele-Pole

 

anything