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Radar images as underlays

 
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Bill Diaz  



Joined: 24 Jul 2004
Posts: 21
Location: Lockport,IL

PostPosted: Sat Jul 24, 2004 5:51 am    Post subject: Radar images as underlays Reply with quote

I wrote NWSGet to automatically import radar images as underlays in Ui-View / PMap 6.0. Currently you can import radar images from individual NWS doppler radar stations or one image covering the entire US. NWSGet also works with the retail versions of PMap, but does not automatically update the map/underlay.

I will be adding the ability to download a radar image centered at a user specified Lat, Lon and radius. The actual radar image from Texas A&M is 6000 by 2500 pixels and 0.01 degrees per pixel.

Looking for suggestions of features to add.

NWSGet is available at http://www.billdiaz.dynip.com

Bill
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KC9DBE  



Joined: 30 Aug 2004
Posts: 5
Location: Metamora, Woodford, IL

PostPosted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 11:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I was having an email discusstion about NEXRAD and availality of SRM and resolution on the internet after the July 13 F4 that visited us here in Woodford County. There really is a lack of radar images, other than base reflectivity, and the resolution could stand to be better but due to dial up constraints the size of image files are limited. I started looking around for something that could fill this gap

Take a look at a product called Digital Atmosphere Workstation by Tim Vasquez. I run on a dial up connection (yes, some of us are stilll neanderthal man and technology has passed us by and we can ONLY get a dial up connection). It's a new addition to the product, and it has a few 'kinks' in it still but basically this is what it does with NEXRAD.

Instead of downloading the radar image it downloads the NEXRAD RCM data then generates the radar image on the local machine. With my dial up connection, and having never actually tested such statement, I would estimate I get the radar image in 1/4 to 1/3 the time it would take to download the image. I also get it in full resolution. It will currently render SRM (4 tilts), GRM (4 Tilts), Reflectivity (4 Tilts), Extended Composite Reflectivity (Normal Composite is a bit flaky), Meso, TVS, Hail, Tops, 1,3 and Storm Precip graphics at the best resolution your system can generate. It also does Spectrum Width at 124 and 32 nm (admittedly limited utility). I has severe weather probablility and storm tracking information but those are a bit flaky at this time. It does have a limited mosaic funtionality as well but won't do nationwide at this time.

I did manage to get it to export a gif from DAWS and have WinAPRS open the file. Downside is WinAPRS shows it as a B&W and much of the resolution is lost. The bmp format DAWS exports makes WinAPRS choke but if you externally change the bmp format it will work and in color.

I made a couple requests in addtion to the bug fixes. Those where:

1. A compatible graphics format export with WinAPRS
2. A GeoTIFF file with graphics top left/bottom right coordinates
3. A multi panel display where all four tilts of a product can be shown so you can compare them in real time.
4. Timer operation based on x minutes elapsed - currently only does time (i.e. 2245, 2248) based scheduling.

The third isn't much good to APRS but a good graphics export (1) with a associate geotiff (2) would be a blessing for using as an overlay with UI-View or WinAPRS.

Think if we get the kinks out of DAWS export your application could be modified to pickup the files output by DAWS on a schedule basis?

Thanks to a helpful meterologist at ILX I've become somewhat copetent (even if I can't speel this morning) at reading the NEXRAD images. I ran DAWS at my shack and communicated phone back and forth with the EOC and found DAWS was running about 2-4 minutes ahead of their commercial radar provider. I also ran DAWS against an outbreak of severe weather in the Gulf states and found I was 100% accurate with my rotation recognition for the two hours I was testing. The three rotations I recognized came in on EMWIN but there was a 2-4 minute lag time in the warning between my recognition and the warning on EMWIN.

Before anyone asks...no I do not see myself as a replacement for NWS...more as a supplement. I am fortunate that I get to see the NEXRAD data real time - same time the NWS people are do analysis I'm doing analysis. The difference being that I concentrate basically on a single county in the CWA where they are working an entire CWA and have the added latency of the warning systems - that can't be avoided.

IMHO - if I can get one of my people moving out of harms way 2 or 3 minutes early I personally think that using DAWS and APRS at the village/city/county level is perfectly justified.

All of that being said I'm interested now. I looked over the images and a couple things seem to jump out at me. The first is that it looks like watch and warning boxes are displayed (red, green and yellow 'rope' boxes). Radar image imformation is displayed (all those pretty colors). What are the solid yellow and red boxes? Are those STI (storm tracking information) overlays from the NEXRAD STI data? I also see the CWA County and Zone alarms (counties that are in alarm mode - red, orange,etc).

Since I haven't gotten ahold of a licensed copy of precision maps I'm not sure how it works but I presume you can push down to street level mapping with it. How does the radar image resolution hold up at that level?

I haven't but barely began using UIView so I haven't looked over the programmer's reference. What are you writing in (if you care to say). Does UI-View expose an interface of some type that can be exposed to something like a ActiveX DLL? As you can tell, I'm sure, my curisoity is now peaked. Once I get some decent maps in this thing I'll probably give up my WinAPRS completely.

David C - KC9DBE
Cazenovia, Woodford, IL
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Bill Diaz  



Joined: 24 Jul 2004
Posts: 21
Location: Lockport,IL

PostPosted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 12:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

KC9DBE wrote:
I was having an email discusstion about NEXRAD and availality of SRM and resolution on the internet after the July 13 F4 that visited us here in Woodford County. There really is a lack of radar images, other than base reflectivity, and the resolution could stand to be better but due to dial up constraints the size of image files are limited. I started looking around for something that could fill this gap

- Dave, What is SRM?

Take a look at a product called Digital Atmosphere Workstation by Tim Vasquez. I run on a dial up connection (yes, some of us are stilll neanderthal man and technology has passed us by and we can ONLY get a dial up connection). It's a new addition to the product, and it has a few 'kinks' in it still but basically this is what it does with NEXRAD.

-URL for Digital Atmosphere?

Instead of downloading the radar image it downloads the NEXRAD RCM data then generates the radar image on the local machine. With my dial up connection, and having never actually tested such statement, I would estimate I get the radar image in 1/4 to 1/3 the time it would take to download the image. I also get it in full resolution. It will currently render SRM (4 tilts), GRM (4 Tilts), Reflectivity (4 Tilts), Extended Composite Reflectivity (Normal Composite is a bit flaky), Meso, TVS, Hail, Tops, 1,3 and Storm Precip graphics at the best resolution your system can generate. It also does Spectrum Width at 124 and 32 nm (admittedly limited utility). I has severe weather probablility and storm tracking information but those are a bit flaky at this time. It does have a limited mosaic funtionality as well but won't do nationwide at this time.

-One of the problems encountered with RCM conversions is that many applications select different colors for different levels of reflectivity. You can see converted radar images from different applications that do not agree.

-Another problem is clear air mode. Some applications reject the majority of the data and others don't. It really gets down to what reflectivity levels you will display and how many colors you use to display them. Very often the colors selected may conflict with other colors used on the map used to display the radar data.

I did manage to get it to export a gif from DAWS and have WinAPRS open the file. Downside is WinAPRS shows it as a B&W and much of the resolution is lost. The bmp format DAWS exports makes WinAPRS choke but if you externally change the bmp format it will work and in color.

I made a couple requests in addtion to the bug fixes. Those where:

1. A compatible graphics format export with WinAPRS
2. A GeoTIFF file with graphics top left/bottom right coordinates
3. A multi panel display where all four tilts of a product can be shown so you can compare them in real time.
4. Timer operation based on x minutes elapsed - currently only does time (i.e. 2245, 2248) based scheduling.

The third isn't much good to APRS but a good graphics export (1) with a associate geotiff (2) would be a blessing for using as an overlay with UI-View or WinAPRS.

-Geotiff is not supported in Ui-View or PMap. NWSGet converts .png and .gif files to .bmp file for use by Ui-View/PMap underlays.

Think if we get the kinks out of DAWS export your application could be modified to pickup the files output by DAWS on a schedule basis?

-NWSGet presently downloads radar images from the web, changes background color if necessary, creates the .sat and .bmp files required by PMap, writes the files to a user specifiied directory, and will refresh Ui-View map when a new image comes in, if requested.

-The NWSGet downloads use a URL for each NWS radar site or the conus image from Iowa State University. It has the bounding Lat, Lon co-ordinates for each image which are required to create the .sat file needed by PMap.

-Would need to look at DAWS to determine if it can provide the necessary information to enable NWSGet to create the necessary files etc. The major issues would involve determining which radar site/file(s) the user wants to convert, image format, and bounding co-ordinates etc.

Thanks to a helpful meterologist at ILX I've become somewhat copetent (even if I can't speel this morning) at reading the NEXRAD images. I ran DAWS at my shack and communicated phone back and forth with the EOC and found DAWS was running about 2-4 minutes ahead of their commercial radar provider. I also ran DAWS against an outbreak of severe weather in the Gulf states and found I was 100% accurate with my rotation recognition for the two hours I was testing. The three rotations I recognized came in on EMWIN but there was a 2-4 minute lag time in the warning between my recognition and the warning on EMWIN.

Before anyone asks...no I do not see myself as a replacement for NWS...more as a supplement. I am fortunate that I get to see the NEXRAD data real time - same time the NWS people are do analysis I'm doing analysis. The difference being that I concentrate basically on a single county in the CWA where they are working an entire CWA and have the added latency of the warning systems - that can't be avoided.

IMHO - if I can get one of my people moving out of harms way 2 or 3 minutes early I personally think that using DAWS and APRS at the village/city/county level is perfectly justified.

All of that being said I'm interested now. I looked over the images and a couple things seem to jump out at me. The first is that it looks like watch and warning boxes are displayed (red, green and yellow 'rope' boxes). Radar image imformation is displayed (all those pretty colors). What are the solid yellow and red boxes? Are those STI (storm tracking information) overlays from the NEXRAD STI data? I also see the CWA County and Zone alarms (counties that are in alarm mode - red, orange,etc).

-Are you referring to WinAprs generated watch and warning boxes? Don't recall what WinAprs does. If you are referring to Ui-View, the mesoscale information relayed by WxSvr is used to plot the WWA areas as polylines of different colors and textures. If you have UI-NWS and required shape files installed in Ui-View, the individual counties (Polygons, not Polylines)under WWA will display in the colors you select under Ui-NWS options.

-The radar image data provided by NWSget is UNDERLAYED, not overlayed onto PMap Maps. Streets and highways will display over the radar data (IOW, the road network will not be obscured by the radar image viewed as an overlay).

Since I haven't gotten ahold of a licensed copy of precision maps I'm not sure how it works but I presume you can push down to street level mapping with it. How does the radar image resolution hold up at that level?

-It works ok until you get down to a scale of 100's of feet, then the radar image may disappear. It really depends on the size of the image imported as an underlay. Bigger images will disappear quicker than a smaller image. No problem viewing radar on a map covering a few square miles. You can get down to street level, but usually when getting down to PMap Double Lined street level, they will disappear.

-You can see an example of the maps by visiting:
http://www.billdiaz.dynip.com This shows radar images, WWA areas etc at various zoom levels. WinAprs does not even come close to what can be done with weather in Ui-View IMO.

I haven't but barely began using UIView so I haven't looked over the programmer's reference. What are you writing in (if you care to say). Does UI-View expose an interface of some type that can be exposed to something like a ActiveX DLL? As you can tell, I'm sure, my curisoity is now peaked. Once I get some decent maps in this thing I'll probably give up my WinAPRS completely.

-The latest versions of Ui-View support Precision Mapping Underlays. When UiView is directed to import a given Underlay file, it will automatically reload the underlay when the map is refreshed. NwsGet does not really communicate with Ui-view except to refresh the map when a new image comes in. The major function of NwsGet is to write the files to the Ui-View PMapServer6\PMap Underlays directory. No direct interaction with Ui-View. Ui-View supports plug-ins, but NWSget does not need to use them. I program in Delphi.

-Bill KC9XG

David C - KC9DBE
Cazenovia, Woodford, IL
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KC9DBE  



Joined: 30 Aug 2004
Posts: 5
Location: Metamora, Woodford, IL

PostPosted: Thu Dec 09, 2004 1:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

-URL for Digital Atmosphere?

My apologies again...my single brain cell works faster than my fingers can type - hence the typical absent minded professor.

http://www.weathergraphics.com

-Kinda of expensive compared to most products used with APRS. Also, the maps may be a little "busy" for inclusion with road maps, and WWA areas.

-One of the problems encountered with RCM conversions is that many applications select different colors for different levels of reflectivity. You can see converted radar images from different applications that do not agree.

Yes, I cacn see that. That one I don't have a good answer for. I normally use the 'AWIPS' color scheme on DAWS which for the most part gives me good resolution within DAWS. However, since AWIPS uses a black background I can see where that would interfer and I'd have to go to one of the white 'clear' background even. I've never been much of a front end programmer myself - I've always done mostly database-to-frontend and integrating current applications with new functionality so graphics is a bit out of my scope.

-Another problem is clear air mode. Some applications reject the majority of the data and others don't. It really gets down to what reflectivity levels you will display and how many colors you use to display them. Very often the colors selected may conflict with other colors used on the map used to display the radar data.

Ditto from above paragram.

-Geotiff is not supported in Ui-View or PMap. NWSGet converts .png and .gif files to .bmp file for use by Ui-View/PMap underlays.

Actually, I should restate that. What I asked for was that any graphic exported be exported with a file that as a minimum gave filename, Long/Lat for top left and bottom/right.

-As long as it is in .bmp, gif, .png, or .jpg. GeoTiff is a problem since there are so many versions floating around and not all are compatible.

-NWSGet presently downloads radar images from the web, changes background color if necessary, creates the .sat and .bmp files required by PMap, writes the files to a user specifiied directory, and will refresh Ui-View map when a new image comes in, if requested.

-The NWSGet downloads use a URL for each NWS radar site or the conus image from Iowa State University. It has the bounding Lat, Lon co-ordinates for each image which are required to create the .sat file needed by PMap.

-Would need to look at DAWS to determine if it can provide the necessary information to enable NWSGet to create the necessary files etc. The major issues would involve determining which radar site/file(s) the user wants to convert, image format, and bounding co-ordinates etc.

Well, I think we can handle most of those. The biggest though would be which radar site since that would be variable depending on which radar site was being exported as a graphic. It's quite possible I may be looking at ILX for this export and the next one may be LOT.

As for image format, I would assume that depends on what we can get from DAWS and works well for NWSGet. I think the information contained in the exported 'def' file for a lack of a better word and a exported bmp file would be best since bmp is already a supported output format. The thing that would have to be tested in this case is if the exported bmp is compatible with NWSGet. WinAPRS has been know occasionally to 'glitch' with some of it's functions so it may be misreading the bmp file given.

So I guess the easiest thing is to ask exactly what you want for parameters...

1. Filename? Extension would give format
2 Long/Lat for Top Left
3 Long/Lat for Bottom Right.
4 ??? Any additional requirements ???
-No,

-Are you referring to WinAprs generated watch and warning boxes? Don't recall what WinAprs does. If you are referring to Ui-View, the mesoscale information relayed by WxSvr is used to plot the WWA areas as polylines of different colors and textures. If you have UI-NWS and required shape files installed in Ui-View, the individual counties (Polygons, not Polylines)under WWA will display in the colors you select under Ui-NWS options.

Yes, I was referring to the pictures - actuallly I don't think WinAPRS displays the watch boxes and or MD's exactly. I'm not even sure it displays watches. Just the warnings, advisories, and one other category. That did answer my question though - what each of the different colored/textured lines do.

-The radar image data provided by NWSget is UNDERLAYED, not overlayed onto PMap Maps. Streets and highways will display over the radar data (IOW, the road network will not be obscured by the radar image viewed as an overlay).

-It works ok until you get down to a scale of 100's of feet, then the radar image may disappear. It really depends on the size of the image imported as an underlay. Bigger images will disappear quicker than a smaller image. No problem viewing radar on a map covering a few square miles. You can get down to street level, but usually when getting down to PMap Double Lined street level, they will disappear.

-You can see an example of the maps by visiting:
http://www.billdiaz.dynip.com This shows radar images, WWA areas etc at various zoom levels. WinAprs does not even come close to what can be done with weather in Ui-View IMO.

You are absolutely right about that. The only issue I really had with it was the difficulty in finding street level mapping for my area and I resolved that after I wrote the first message. I discovered the DOS/WinAPRS Map Server that gives me the same maps and resolution I had with WinAPRS. I have a copy of SA 2005 (which, of course, works with absolutely nothing). I have been scouring the internet for a legal copy of SA 9 or under and/or PM 6 or under - neither of which are plentiful. So for the time being I'm happy with the resolution of the WinAPRS Map Server for UI-View.

-The latest versions of Ui-View support Precision Mapping Underlays. When UiView is directed to import a given Underlay file, it will automatically reload the underlay when the map is refreshed. NwsGet does not really communicate with Ui-view except to refresh the map when a new image comes in. The major function of NwsGet is to write the files to the Ui-View PMapServer6\PMap Underlays directory. No direct interaction with Ui-View. Ui-View supports plug-ins, but NWSget does not need to use them. I program in Delphi.

Okay....I see now...I think. Putting it in very simplistic terms NWSGet acts as an interpreter for UI-View /PMapServer/PMap and occasionally taps it on the shoulder to let it know it needs to look for a new file. I've never had the opportunity to work with Delphi or to try to interface an application with a Delphi application but I have heard good things about it. I write in Visual Basic, normally with a ADO connection to Oracle or SQL Server and a bit of mysterious interfacing trying to get my data into a format the existing application likes with a minimal re-coding of the new application. Occasionlly I get to make VB(6) think it's a real programming language that has interfaces and polymorphism Smile.

-NWSGet does not act as in intreperter, it simply obtains and converts incompatible file formats to PMap underlay compatible files, converts black backgrounds to white if necessary and creates the .sat file.

I guess my last question would be is if NWSGet would be happy with a URL of file:///c:\<whereverthedatais\filename.xxx

-Not at present. I could add that capability, but you would have to also have Lat,Lon information at that same location. Not too comfortable doing that since I have no idea what the file looks like and what needs to be done to it to be viewable in Ui-View etc. Not interested in purchasing the package either.

-Also, don't know if I want to spend time modifying NWSGet to work with an application that few users would be willing to buy. I would rather spend my time providing freeware which will be used by a large number of users. A commercial venture would be another matter entirely.

-Bill KC9XG

David C - KC9DBE
Cazenovia, IL
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Bill Diaz  



Joined: 24 Jul 2004
Posts: 21
Location: Lockport,IL

PostPosted: Sun May 22, 2005 10:52 am    Post subject: New version of NWSGet coming soon Reply with quote

Once beta testing is complete, I will be releasing a new version of NWSGet which will allow users to animate Radar images.

NWSGet will provide an option to accumulate radar images. When the "Loop Radar" popup menu selection is activated via the system taskbar, NWSGet will display in UiView, up to 10 previously downloaded radar images.

Unfortunately, NWSGet cannot determine when UiView has finished drawing the previous image. If the target system redraws slowly, some images may be skipped. If this is encountered, the workaround is to turn off station icon display in UiView (via Ctrl F5), or to zoom in to a smaller area.

Bill
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n9ij  



Joined: 13 Feb 2005
Posts: 7
Location: Grayslake, Il.

PostPosted: Mon Jul 11, 2005 8:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bill,
Just found your app Sunday and installed it to watch Dennis. Kudos to you! What a slick installing and functioning add-on for Ui-View!

Too bad there's no reliable way to grab maps when mobile. Hmmm, slowly cruise through truck stops with WiFi active????
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Bill Diaz  



Joined: 24 Jul 2004
Posts: 21
Location: Lockport,IL

PostPosted: Mon Jul 11, 2005 8:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

n9ij wrote:
Bill,
Just found your app Sunday and installed it to watch Dennis. Kudos to you! What a slick installing and functioning add-on for Ui-View!

Too bad there's no reliable way to grab maps when mobile. Hmmm, slowly cruise through truck stops with WiFi active????


There are some solutions, at a cost. T-Mobile offers a PCMCIA card which provides about 64kbs for unlimited use for $30 per month. Coverage along and near Interstates is supposed to be good. Other providers (such as Nextel) have similar offerings. I used Nextel during field day and it downloaded the radar images without complaint.

Bill KC9XG
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