Sandaysoft

Apart from the errors which the tabs can cause (which I can probably fix), I have decided that I don't actually like what I've done with all of those tabs.

I am considering making the Cumulus 2 layout more like the Cumulus 1 layout, i.e. one simple window. I would hope that I will eventually be able to make the layout and contents of the single window configurable, but for now my proposal is that it mimics the Cumulus 1 window (but keeping the more modern WPF look and feel).

To take this slightly further, I am beginning to think that if I am to progress towards making Cumulus 2 a usable piece of software before I die, for now I should just be aiming to do more-or-less a copy of Cumulus 1, and then take it from there.

Thoughts? Questions? Suggestions?

_________________
Steve
Sanday Weather
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Like Cumulus and want to support it? Please donate!

The tabbed version is brilliant and judging by the comments I've seen across the web Cumulus 2 is getting a lot of positive vibes. Scrapping the interface would be a mistake.

I do think the tabs are brilliant in Cumulus 2, although if they cause problems I can see why you need to re-work them.

It is a brilliant way to show all the graphs easily on one screen by having it tabbed like that.

From a graphical point of view, rather than the tabs 'falling' to one side, it may be better if they were to slide out of the way to reveal the one behind, etc, etc? What do you think?

Other than that, Cumulus 2 is the best looking weather software I've ever seen, graphically, so hope it stays as clean and graphical as that. And the black interface as it is currently is also very very good.

Whatever you decide with the tabs, the most useful thing is the easy access to graph data via them, one click away on the home screen, rather than from a standard menu list of two clicks (open menu, select item from list).

Anyway, that's my input from a graphical point of view, but of course the programming side is not my strong point!

Good luck with it, and more donations heading your way soon!

Steve

_________________
Steve J
Image Architect
http://www.imagearchitect.co.uk


http://www.imagearchitect.co.uk/weather/index.htm

Since you're soliciting comments....

Though I really like the look and feel of the C2 console, I've always hoped for a screen with just gauges...round gauges like the wind gauges in realtime. For me, its much quicker and easier to be able to simply glance at the data in gauge form than it is to actually have to study it. With gauges you can do that.

Depending on the size of the gauges, I would think they could all be placed on one page and then historical data could either be tabbed or paged. Your gauges page was, in my humble opinion, on the right track but the vertical gauges are more difficult to read than are the round wind gauges.

I don't know how difficult all that would be...seems you already have a template with the wind gauges and Silverlight seems to be functioning as advertised.

But hey...its your call. I don't think anybody would drop Cumulus support regardless of what the finished product looks like in C2. You may get requests for changes but the support will linger. It is, after all, not just the visual layout of the data that makes it so good...its the accuracy and quantity of the presented data that makes it so valuable. The GUI is the icing on the streudel.

Just my opinion.

_________________
Steven



http://cactusjunction.info/weather

Hi Steve,

As someone who has been running both versions since C2 became available I do prefer the greater amount of information C1 displays without the need to move away from the main interface. But I do prefer the look of C2. If you can make C1 look like C2 then that would be fine by me.

I do think those very small graphs on the main C2 screen are not very useful. The larger graphs available from the menu are much better and I hope you can keep and expand those. I do like the large gauges window on C2 and hope you intend keeping that. The only way it could be improved is to show the wind direction tendency over the last few hours.

I do like the Select-A-Graph feature in C1 and would like that available in C2. If you are able to allow the user to customise their C2 interface then I think that would be a real winner. For example if hot keys could display a certain graph that would be very handy.

Finally, C2 lacks a New Record light which I really like. I hope you'll be introducing that soonest.

Hope that helps.

_________________
Cheers,
Ray, Cheshire.

I can't offer too much on this as I honestly spend very little time looking a the windows interface and get most of my data needs from the web pages and graphs generated by C1

I would say I prefer the more modern C2 look, but maybe the main screen would be more 'gauge' based with all the textual data in a screen behind it. Maybe let the user chose which one is the default -- pretty pics or text first.

I would be happy for C2 to be a clone of C1 but use the SQL DB as it's first radical change from C1

_________________
David
Contact Me

Hi Steve; personally I prefer all the info on the main page like C1.
The tabs are OK but I never use them and would prefer to look on the main graphs like C1.
However I do like the modern look of C2, especially the new graphs.
I suppose for people with high res. screens the answer would be to have all the data, including dials, thermometer displays, text data and small graphs on one large page, but that would be a massive project I think.
Mike.

_________________
Retired Radio and Electronics Engineer residing in Cambridgeshire, UK.

I prefer the look colour and feel of C1, I don't like the big dark screen of C2

_________________
Regards Mike

hey steve...does this reminds you something?

_________________
Ma station meteo http://meteoduquebec.ift.fr

Mike suggested all the gauges could be accommodated on one large screen. If we all had large screens that would be great but unfortunately many run Cumulus on either laptops or in my case, a netbook with a screen res of 1024*600.

All those smaller vertically aligned gauges are clear but might benefit if the scales could be altered. For example pressure ranges from 950 to 1050 but those extremes are rarely reached. Is it possible for them to be scaled by either user-settings or by using the lowest / highest reading for the last week? I think I probably know the answer but it's still worth asking.

_________________
Cheers,
Ray, Cheshire.

In Weather Display the graphs are all shown on one graph, with different vertical scales for each graph line, the same colour as each graph item, which means it very easily shows the relationships between the various elements on the graph, eg pressure, rain, humidity air temperature and wind speed/gusts. Maybe that might be an option for the main screen with buttons to click to select which items actually appear on the graph.

So just one graph for whatever selected elements, plus the textual data as on the current Cumulus.

Maybe also a group of buttons below alongside or above to change the graph timescale, eg, 1hr, 3hr, 6hr, 12hr, 24hr, 1wk, month, year. Plus a group or line of buttons to select which elements to show on the graph.

Just some thoughts. I still like the tabbed inrterface idea for individual graphs though.

Steve

_________________
Steve J
Image Architect
http://www.imagearchitect.co.uk


http://www.imagearchitect.co.uk/weather/index.htm

Thanks for the comments, everyone. I guess I'll stick with the tabs.

I've already addressed elsewhere some of the questions raised here, but to summarise those and some of the new questions:

It will be possible to change the colours. But why would you want to? Black is the new black.
There may be options for different types of transitions on the tabs, including turning off the transitions altogether.
The gauges will auto-scale.
There will be a Select-A-Graph equivalent.
There will be a 'new record' indicator.
There may be an option to have the main screen displayed as gauges.
I hope to make it so that you can choose the shape of each gauge.

_________________
Steve
Sanday Weather
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Like Cumulus and want to support it? Please donate!

Or....that works too!

_________________
Steven



http://cactusjunction.info/weather

great. You've got a lot of work ahead of you. I only wish we could help in some way

_________________
David
Contact Me

Hi Steve,

For my 2 cents worth, perhaps all the tab info could be available, in its present form, but from the "view" menu as a "summary", and be viewable in its current space over the top of say 6 user selectable dials?
Very happy about select-a-graph and new record light, love the black, and the look and modern feel of the page, and the new graph and gauge screens are awesome!

Peter

_________________
Peter Pritchard
http://coromandeltownweather.net