Storm
Cell Attribute Table Creator
GRLevelX,
StormLAB Add-On
Version 1.03a - FINAL (Upgrade)
Jordan Gerth
July 15, 2007
About
There is a wealth of radar data available on NWS/NOAA FTP servers for
public consumption. However, these files are often in raw
formats and not easily opened and viewed without a special utility.
With the scripts included in this package, a webmaster can
bring his/her viewers real-time storm cell attribute information in the
form of a table, decoded from the composite reflectivity, tornado
vortex signature, and mesocyclone radar products. With the
tables produced by these scripts, all that is needed is a image with cell identification tags uploaded from a popular weather radar rendering
software client, such as GRLevelX or StormLAB.
In less than five minutes, your online visitors can get radar
information in an entirely new frame!
Version 1.00 is the first final release. Any release after
1.00 is an upgrade. Please upgrade to the latest version and
make sure the requirements are satisfied before requesting support.
Note that the Forecast Arrival Times pop-up window shown in the online
example is
not available for distribution at this time. However, donors are
able to link to it at this site.
Requirements
A web server with PHP 4.0 or greater installed and 100 kB of
disk space available.
Files
You should
read this
page entirely before you download. Remember to e-mail support
or submit a donation when you start using these scripts on your web
site!
scripts.zip
(crrdr.php, rdrcfg.php, table.php, tvsta.php, mesta.php, icongen.php, colors.txt, sitesk.txt, sitesp.txt, and
sitest.txt; these components are required, also these
instructions)
New in 1.01 and 1.03
- Minor fixes to
suppress numerous notices in server logs. Also, changed row counting
algorithm. (crrdr)
- Added
I support for table columns that contain a slash. Inequality comparison
can only be done with data that follows the slash. (crrdr, rdrcfg)
- Ability
to graphically render position of storm with GD, as in our example.
E-mail support to inquire. (sidgen, for donors only)
New in 1.00
This is the primary release. Key features of this release
include:
- Limit
the number of storm cell rows shown in the table.
- Ability
for webmaster to define color thresholds for alert values.
- Advanced
TVS and MESO information rendered in text format.
Instructions
Obtain scripts.zip and extract the files within it into a new folder.
Open rdrcfg.php with your favorite text editor (WordPad is
fine) and adjust
the configuration variables to your preference. A description
of each variable exists in rdrcfg.php. Make sure you set the radar site correctly.
The FTP location of the necessary radar files requires an
accurate site identification. Upload all of the *.php and
*.txt files to the same host directory as the PHP file which will
call/use them.
In that file, you should type '<?php require("table.php"); ?>'
where you want the table to appear.
The colors.txt file determines what color to shade a table cell, if
needed. Examine the following line and notice the fields are
separated by exclamation points:
POH!I!100:red!90:orange!80:yellow!70:white
- POH is the
name of the column header and column footer as it will appear.
- I
is the comparison type, which is inequality. E is for
equality, and N is for no comparison. For example, E is used
for TVS and MESO since there are not numbers in those columns.
- The
remaining fields have the format of a number and color separated by
a colon. The number represents the lowest threshold
(for I, only threshold for E) to shade a cell the post-colon color,
which can be entered in any proper HTML format. In the above
example, cells with a value of at least 100 will be red, at least 90
will be orange, at least 80 yellow, and 70 white. Below 70
will yield the default color set in the configuration PHP file.
The other *.txt files match a radar identification
code to a full location name. Editing these files should not
be needed.
An example
of a PHP file displaying the table for a default radar site (KMKX,
Milwaukee/Sullivan) is available.
Problems?
Try example.php on your web server, and/or modify the
requested radar site in rdrcfg.php: download example.zip.
Price
These scripts are offered free of charge provided credit is given and
you inform Jordan Gerth (via the support e-mail) of the site on which
the scripts are used. However, if you
find the scripts useful, you are asked to make a donation of
between USD
$20.00 to $30.00 (suggested), or less, to the
author. Donations are by never compulsory, but you should
take the time to consider the work that has gone into their production.
For a college student, USD $30.00 covers a week's worth of
hardy lunches!
Please use PayPal
through
the secure link below. Thank you!
Support
Jordan Gerth can be contacted best via e-mail
(remove '_NOSPAM_'),
and a reasonable attempt will be made to reply. However,
technical support and maintenance of this package should not be
expected due to the author's busy schedule. When time allows,
priority will be given to those who have supported the author, but
donations should not be made to induce support.
Author
Jordan Gerth is a junior undergraduate at the University of Wisconsin
at Madison,
majoring in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences. He is employed
by the University's Space Science and Engineering Center to develop a
research installment of the Advanced Weather Information Processing
System (AWIPS), which is in use by the National Weather Service.
These scripts were developed on private time. In
2002, Jordan Gerth wrote the composite reflectivity help file for
StormLAB.
The
following link must appear on any web page using any form or version of
the scripts offered here:
This table has been made possible using scripts
written by Jordan Gerth. Obtain these
scripts for your web site.
This
table has been made possible using scripts written by Jordan
Gerth.
Obtain <a href="http://www.wiscwx.com/jordan/crrdr/index.html">these
scripts</a>
for your web site.
This
credit may only be removed after a donation of no less than USD $25.00
through the link above.
USING THESE SCRIPTS
WITHOUT CREDIT OR PAYMENT IS A SERIOUS CRIME!
These scripts should not be part of any distribution sold for
profit without the expressed written consent of Jordan Gerth.
Distribution between third parties is permitted without
monetary exchange, as long as the scripts are in their original form
without credit removed. If any instances of these scripts are
found to be in violation of the above agreement, which you consent to
upon download, the administrative contact of the domain on which they
appear will be liable for no less than USD $10,000.00 in damages, plus
profits and attorney fees.
Disclaimer and Exclusion
of Liability
Jordan Gerth, in no event or situation, will be liable for direct,
indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages resulting from
the use of these scripts, including an improper or inaccurate rendering
of the storm cell attribute table. Webmasters should use
these scripts at their
own risk, and are encouraged to review them prior to installation.
Some states do not allow for the exclusion or limitation of
implied warranties or liability for incidental or consequential
damages, so the above exclusion or limitation may not apply to
you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you
may have other rights which vary from state to state.