Sandaysoft

When the public wants everything, make it a configuration setting... As long as you are using user controls flexible layout should be easy with no regression testing overhead.

I'm in the "at a glance" camp but I would like tabs that allow me to drill into history and determine trending.

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Dave Scheffer
http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/wxpage.cgi?call=CW6618
http://www.softdevc.com/

If I were to create a weather station software package, I would completely separate the collection and processing module from the display module having the display module simply pickup the data that has been already collected and processed.

Using raw data formats that are fixed for collection, you can then display the data in any format you want without any effects on what was collected and process to begin with.

You also end up with a small, tight easy to maintain processing program that can be run on just about any type of computer without worrying about computing speed, graphics ability etc.. Even some of the Atom based processor boxes that are extremely low power boxes could be used to obtain and collect the data and then push it where it is displayed.

My own weather "workstation" that does all my weather stuff, is a headless box... it has no keyboard, display or mouse attached as I don't use it to see what was collected.

Instead, I look at the various websites the data is sent to, to see what the data is. Something that I can do from anywhere including my cell phone.

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Kevin

All you need is Time, Aptitude and Desire ... and you can build just about anything...
Cumulus User Maps

I was thinking about this myself earlier today. It had always been my intention that Cumulus 2 would be like this from the outset. I'm not really sure how it got to where it has; I think basically I knocked up the prototype to play with WPF, and just carried on from there. What I've been thinking about today is to rip C2 apart and get back to my original plan...

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Steve
Sanday Weather
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Steve

I love the tabs in C2. I think they make the product especially the transform effect you use. For the people who don't like the black background, what about an option where you can choose your own color schemes.

Personally I think C2 has a better looking interface than C1. I think all the menu, graphing, chart options are much better looking too.

Steve, I fully endorse and support Kevin's suggestion: Design a weather 'captor' (software) that is simple to install and easy to operate, with a few setup screens and a very basic on screen display (the KISS principle) - what is the purpose of having an intricate screen display (as is now available with Cumulus 2) when it is to be seen/viewed by only one person.

What is important (to me), thought, is that the 'captor' produces a good number of real time information, a good number of tags, in a good number of file formats so that those files can be used with different Web programming languages...

I would make the collector as generic as possible and wouldn't bother with languages, formats, or tags. Just saving the data in raw format into either a flat file or common database format.

Weather Station interfaces would be created as input modules. Davis VP/VP2/Vue, Oregon Scientific, Fine Offset/EasyWeather, La Crosse, Model 2040 Ultrasonic Wind Sensor, Orion 420, Pool temp sensor, etc...

Then you can add modules to extract the data in whatever format, language, tags you want or display it.

Imagine a module for Tags, CWOP, WeatherUnderground, Twitter, Facebook, Awekas, Groundhog network etc..

None of which interferes with the actual collection and storage of the data.

The modules can have a language section that allows easy creation of multiple languages, selection of what units to use (mph, kph, meters, mach, Fahrenheit, Celsius etc...)

Then it would be simply creating an input module or output module what comes along.

A new weather station or instrument would have a new input module created, and placed on the download list. Someone comes up with a cool set of tags, they create an output module to output whatever format they want. etc...

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Kevin

All you need is Time, Aptitude and Desire ... and you can build just about anything...
Cumulus User Maps

Becuase people find it attractive and want to try the program. Plus some poeple llike me like see a lot of info on the screen.
I agree with the module idea though. Should make bug fixing a lot easier.
I suspect weather display for example isn't modular which is why theres constant fixes for it.

I agree with Kevin - modular at every level -even down to the console display. Perhaps the same Silverlight widgets you are conjuring up for Cumulus 2 could plug into a generic console as well. You might provide a few model web pages and a model console. At that point it would be up to Cumulus users to plug and play your widgets in custom console combinations and page designs if they wish. This most likely will encourage custom widgets, skins, page designs from Cumulus users - much as is done today but with the advantage of creative console design. You, of course, need to keep yourself removed from support for custom stuff - that should be a function of the forum.

Now - Steve - are you able to telegraph what you are thinking for data uploads - are you thinking of something similar to the Realtime.txt plus some custom xxxxx.txt uploads based on the Sqlite database residing on the Cumulus 2 collection module.

GW
gwheelo

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Speaking as a software professional, I agree absolutely with the idea of a 'data collection' module and a display module - or of course modules in both cases. Separating the two functions should make writing each easier, not to mention it's the trendy way to write this sort of software!

However I do appreciate the benefits of simply diving in to show what a new interface could do. Sometimes it's hard to know when to stop and go back to basics...

But speaking as a newbie to Cumulus, is there a list of features in the new version? Before I open my mouth and ask for something that is already there?

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Pegase 101a
Pentax K7
Weather Station: Not currently available
Photography: http://www.fifescapes.co.uk
Cats: http://shunracats.wordpress.com

I'm currently in the process of rewriting Cumulus 2 as a Windows Service and a separate client. I may come to regret this...

At the moment there's not really much point in asking for Cumulus 2 features as I still have so much to do at the 'basic' level.

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

As they say "never look back!" Then no regrets.

GW

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Wow !

Got wx station for Christmas; damaged Easyweather disk; found source on net; and a reference to something called Cumulus. Ignored; loaded EasyWeather got auto station up & running.

Mounted sensors in garden (nice UHI & horrible wind effects ! ) and then had a look at Cumulus

Now that was a lot lot better than Easyweather.

Then discovered Cumulus II - sometimes life really does get better !

Here's my obs ...

Can we have the update status back please ? I do like to see positive confirmation of (correct) operation...

How about giving an option on which tab to have as the default tab ?

I think I'd like the Gauges page as the main page too ..

great software; thanks for making my Christmas present even better

Pete

I know that feeling, hopefully you will emerge at the other end thinking it was worth all the grief. Will be very interested to try it when the beta appears.

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Pegase 101a
Pentax K7
Weather Station: Not currently available
Photography: http://www.fifescapes.co.uk
Cats: http://shunracats.wordpress.com

I refer the honourable gentleman to the answer I gave a few posts above...

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

Good luck with the re-design! I'm sure it will be worth the effort. I hope it retains some of the design style of the current Cumulus 2 when completed which is very very smart, but however it turns out it will be worth waiting for, good luck!

Steve

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


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