Topic: Add-InWx

[Josiah]

New Thread For Add-InWx.

Visit the web page: www.addinwx.com

UPDATE (10/8/2020):
This software application is now open-sourced under the MIT license! The GitHub repo can be found here: https://github.com/Josiah-B/Addin-wx
It was a good run while I was actively working on it. However, I've gotten to busy with life to continue development. So I'm turning this over to the software development community. Thank you to all for the testing, and beta work! You guys made this possible!


Add-InWx is a Weather Program I've been working on for close to 4 years now.
I'm a self-taught programmer and have been using this program as a project to teach myself. I'm still learning, and I know I have a long way still to go, but its been fun (and sometimes frustrating, LOL) so far.

Excerpt from the older forum thread here: http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=22605.0
About 4 years ago we purchased our first real weather station (an Ultimeter 2100 from PeetBros with pro sensors) and shortly thereafter started looking at software to interface to it. What we were looking for was something that would display the data in a nice/easy to read way while still having a few good features. We started with the "WeatherText Tools" software that came with the Station then moved to software (Of which i don't remember the name of) that was originally available at N3FJP's website back in 2012. We then tried "Weather Display" and "Cumulus" neither of which we liked. After that we tried 3 or 4 other pieces of software before finally giving up. Our biggest complaint with the existing software was that they either didn't display the Station data very well or the configuration was at best a complete mess.

Being relatively new to programing at that time I started working on my own software to interface to our Station and since then it has evolved into this.


Options Window:



Its still a work in progress, but currently as of (Version 1.0.0.5 Beta) here is a list of features:
Supported OSes
        Windows 7 x32, 8 and 8.1 x64 are confirmed to work
        Windows XP and Vista have not been confirmed but should work
Supported Stations
        Davis Vantage Vue, Pro and Pro2. via USB, Serial and TCP Dataloggers.
        PeetBros. Ultimeter models 2100, 800 and 100 (2005 and later)
        I would like to add more, I just need Suggestions and someone who is willing to help debug the connection to a new type of Station.
It supports Connecting to Multiple Weather Stations Simultaneously
You can pick what units the data is displayed as Fahrenheit/Celsius, Mph/Kph, InHg/mbar etc.
Plugins: Add-InWx is Designed around supporting Plugins, Meaning that if you want to add something to it, you can do so. I've tried to keep everything simple so its easy to work with.


Tentatively planned Plugins / Features: (These are in no particular order)
   SQL DataBase Connectivity for Data Logging / Graphing
   WUnderground Radar and Forecast
   USB / TCP/IP Webcam Support
   Ocean Tide Forecasts
   Re-hosting of Weather Stations over TCP/IP (ie. if you have a Serial Connection to the WX Station, then this would allow TCP/IP Connections to be made to the Station)
   Weather Alarms
   Uploading to WUnderground and CWOP.


Previous versions can be seen on this forum thread: http://www.wxforum.net/index.php?topic=22605.0
The Old Version can be downloaded here: https://app.box.com/s/1wmunmzt5awgyu18tl9w

A Special Thanks to Forum Members: dean.martin and Beaudog for their help with debugging the Connection to the Davis stations. Thanks Guys!


I appreciate any and all questions and comments about Add-InWx. If you would like to report a bug, request a feature, or just send a comment, you can post them here on the forum thread or email me directly at Bennett_J@aol.com.

[swyman18]

Hi,

I've confirmed the software works on Win7 32bit using a Davis VP2 with serial data logger.  It started pulling data as soon as I added the station.  Looks good!

-Scott

[Josiah]

Thanks Scott.

Just curious, What do you think of the Full-screen mode?

[swyman18]

Seems to work well, although I personally wouldn't use it since I have other software running that I monitor. But good to have as an option.

[Josiah]

Alright, Thanks.

[Josiah]

Add-InWx Version 1.0.0.4 Beta is now ready for download.

Its mostly minor changes, the only big one being the user can now select what units the data is displayed in.
For those who are so inclined the full change log can be viewed here: https://app.box.com/s/8ee1i6hqmrg2kcurhv27

[Beaudog]

I have it running on win7 via tcp.

I can't find the files.      How do I delet the peet bros station and a couple of other stations I accidently made while trying to set it up.

[Josiah]

All the setting files are located in your "Documents" or "My Documents" folder under a sub folder called "Add-InWx".

The folder path for the Station Settings files is "Documents\Add-InWx\Stations".
The station files are labeled with the station Name a " - " then the name of the Plugin Type they use, so a "Peet Bros" station named "My Station" would have a settings file labeled "My Station - Peet Bros.txt".


Sorry about not posting where the files are located.

[aweatherguy]

Josiah,

I noticed you are using a file share site for distribution. You could perhaps generate more interest and traffic for your program by moving to a site like SourceForge or even starting your own web site.

SourceForge is free and you'd have more exposure to folks looking for weather software, but you would need to make your source code available.

If you want to keep the source code proprietary instead, then for as little as $10-20 a month you can grab a domain name and get a web site up and running with a hosting service.

I'm glad you're having fun; that's what it's all about!

Drop me a pm if you want more info on any of this.

[Josiah]

Add-InWx Version 1.0.0.5 Beta is now ready for download!
Look in the "Download links" section of the original post for the links to the change-log and to download it.


aweatherguy,
Thanks for the tips.
For now the file share site seems to be working fine. I will admit that gaining more interest and traffic for Add-InWX would be nice, but at this point i'm not sure if i want to release the source code. By not releasing the source code it leaves me with the ability to (If i decide to) start asking for donations or selling it.
Once I have more time and have expand Add-InWx more, then I'll start thinking about putting up a website.

[Josiah]

So I've went and spent the last 2 hours creating a webpage for Add-InWx.
The url for it is www.addinwx.net

[aweatherguy]

Very nice, good work!

I forgot to mention that with SourceForge you can setup to accept donations....but they will always be optional and you would not be able to require a donation. Probably not what you're after so the web site is probably a better choice.

[Josiah]

Very nice, good work!

I forgot to mention that with SourceForge you can setup to accept donations....but they will always be optional and you would not be able to require a donation. Probably not what you're after so the web site is probably a better choice.

Thanks!
Its amazing what you can do with Drag-And-Drop these days... 

There's a couple of reasons that I decided to go with a website, one of them is the Open-Source / Saleability thing. Another is that it gives me a place to post plugins once i start completing them. A third is that I've wanted to mess around with putting up a website anyway. And, I decided that even if I don't spend much time making the website Really, Really good, having the experience setting one up + working on it provides, would be useful.
And, Thinking about it now, it will give me a place that i can upload Weather Data to.

BTW, When I said 'Ask for donations', the idea would be that people could donate if they wanted to. In my book, requiring a donation to get a product, is the same as selling it.

[swyman18]

So I've went and spent the last 2 hours creating a webpage for Add-InWx.
The url for it is www.addinwx.net

Looks like the change log link for 1.0.0.5 is actually pointing to the program zip file... Not sure if it's because I'm on my iPhone, but but I am able to see the change logs for the previous versions.

[Josiah]

So I've went and spent the last 2 hours creating a webpage for Add-InWx.
The url for it is www.addinwx.net

Looks like the change log link for 1.0.0.5 is actually pointing to the program zip file... Not sure if it's because I'm on my iPhone, but but I am able to see the change logs for the previous versions.

Thanks, Its Fixed now.

[shirsch]

Great product......is it possible to change the background or just leave it empty?

Thanks

Steve

[Josiah]

Great product......is it possible to change the background or just leave it empty?

Thanks

Steve

You can't change the background right now, but I am planning on adding a 'Background Selection' Option later. Probably in the next release.

EDIT: When you say 'Leave it empty' do you mean something like a solid/gradient background, or more of a completely/mostly transparent background?

[shirsch]

gradient

[Josiah]

gradient

Ok, Hmm... Trying to figure out how to save a 'Key with multiple values' to the hard disk. I may need to update the 'Settings Manager'.
Aha! I've just the idea...


BTW: For those who are using Add-InWX, I've just identified a Major bug.
When you remove a station, the background thread it was running on does not stop until you close Add-InWx.
I have fixed it, so it won't be a problem starting with the next version [1.0.0.6].

There's also a problem with the Peet Bros. stations which I'm working on now. EDIT: Fixed

I'm also finishing-up a CWOP upload, and a WUnderground upload Plugin. So those should be available soon.

EDIT: and... I'm going to make a few performance optimizations for 1.0.0.6 as-well.

[Bushman]

Wouldn't the Background Option be a perfect plug-in?    Kinda lke the screensavers where you can do patterns, pictures, gradients etc.

[Josiah]

Wouldn't the Background Option be a perfect plug-in?    Kinda lke the screensavers where you can do patterns, pictures, gradients etc.

Hmm.. Interesting idea... 
That would fit in with some of my ideas as well. 
Its really the best idea for background options so far...

I think I like the idea of opening-up the background as a 'Blank Canvas' of sorts to plugins. 

[shirsch]

Question about Add-InWx
I am using Virtual VP with Weather Link and Cumulus reading data from a Vantage Pro 2....works great
Trying to add Add-InWx to the mix and Comm Port 6, 7, 8 or 9 to display in the setting tab on Add-InWx. It only shows Comm 1, 2 or 4
Any ideas

Thanks

Steve

[Josiah]

Steve,

I'm thinking it's probably the way I've setup the program to get a list of the Serial port names. It may not be searching past ports 4-5.
Looking into it now...

[Josiah]

Which of those ports are virtual, and which are 'real'?

Edit: and what program are you using to create your Virtual Serial ports?
Also, check the serial ports list in the 'Device Manager' and see which ones show up there.

[Josiah]

I know what's going on.
What's happening is the Virtual Serial Connectors and Bridges are not showing up in the 'Device Manager' for some reason. So Add-InWx doesn't see them.

I have a third idea at getting a list of valid serial port names. If it doesn't work then I'll have to do what you see in older programs, where your presented with a list of serial names ranging from COM1 to COM255.