Trixology

General Category => New Member Introductions => Topic started by: Alan Rowley on July 15, 2015, 05:49:24 PM

Title: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Alan Rowley on July 15, 2015, 05:49:24 PM

Hi everyone,

I am Alan Rowley and I live in Selston, Nottinghamshire, UK. I own a Vantage Pro2 with UV and solar sensors.

For the last six years, I have been running the Windows version of Weather Display in a Parallels Virtual Machine on my creaking old MacBook Pro. I have wanted to ditch Windows for ages, but I never had the courage to change to the Mac version of WD until I had some problem with my MacBook Pro, which I still haven't got to the bottom of.

Anyway, neither the Windows version of WD, nor the Mac version, would communicate with the data logger. Incidentally, neither would WeatherCat. I eventually put it down to the latest USBtoUART drivers being incompatible with my old Mac, but that's a guess.

In desperation, I moved the weather station console to my new Mac Mini and installed WD for Mac, and WeatherCat. I was very impressed with WeatherCat and decided to go with that, despite 'losing' six years of data. The data is still there, and when I have completed my website, I will ensure that users can easily find the old data.

I also decided to go with the Leuven template as I felt that my old site needed a makeover. So, not only do I have to get to grips with WeatherCat, I also need to learn the new template. You can see my efforts at the links below ...

Old site (http://www.brackenhouse.net/weather/index.php) | New site (http://www.brackenhouse.net/weather27/index.php)

I know I have a long way to go to get back to where I was, and I will certainly be asking for advice. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying WeatherCat, which has now been running for three days with no errors or crashes.

ALAN

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: xairbusdriver on July 15, 2015, 06:50:35 PM

Welcome AboaRd, Mr. Rpwley!

I doubt you'll get any help from me; I ask a lot of questions but rarely have answers for others! But I can certainly attest to this being a great place to present questions and problems. You'll have almost direct contact with both the WC and the template Devs. And there are probably people here that have even used WD! Now, I'm off to visit your two sites! 8)

Title: Welcome! (Re: New convert from Weather Display)
Post by: elagache on July 15, 2015, 10:43:21 PM

Dear Alan, X-Air, and WeatherCat welcome wagon . . . (http://www.canebas.org/WeatherCat/Forum_support_documents/Custom_emoticons/welcomewagon.gif)

Indeed welcome Alan to the WeatherCat forum and to the fans of WeatherCat!

Quote from: Alan Rowley on July 15, 2015, 05:49:24 PM

For the last six years, I have been running the Windows version of Weather Display in a Parallels Virtual Machine on my creaking old MacBook Pro.

. . . .

In desperation, I moved the weather station console to my new Mac Mini and installed WD for Mac, and WeatherCat. I was very impressed with WeatherCat and decided to go with that, despite 'losing' six years of data.

If you have the data in Weather Display format, you might be able to import it into WeatherCat.  Try doing some searches of this forum.  This problem hasn't come up in a long time, but I believe it has been solved at least once.

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Alan Rowley on July 15, 2015, 11:35:52 PM

Thanks Edouard,

I will investigate in the morning. It's getting a little late here now. However, I was under the impression that you couldn't import WD data, but I've put it on my growing list a things to do.

ALAN.

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Blicj11 on July 15, 2015, 11:47:05 PM

Alan, welcome to WeatherCat. We are glad to have you here.

I took a pretty good look at your old and new websites. I like the changes. I generally like the Leuven Template.

The one thing that I like the most about WeatherDisplay is that it supports the Davis Vantage2 console online. Although that is something that only a Davis weather geek finds fascinating, since I am one, it fascinates me. No WeatherCatter has yet tackled that here. I am waiting for Reinhard or Steve to do this, as Edouard is too busy installing nuclear powered headlights on his old Buick.

Welcome aboard, mate.

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Steve on July 16, 2015, 12:34:09 AM

Hi Alan, and welcome to the WeatherCat forum. I recognize your name from the Weather-Watch forum, from when I tried tackling WeatherDisplay for Mac. I'm glad you've found us.

Steve

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Alan Rowley on July 16, 2015, 06:42:47 AM

Hi Steve,

It took a while for me to dump Weather Display, but I'm glad I've finally rid my life of Windows. I know WeatherCat doesn't offer the same features as WD, and there aren't as many scripts, but the program is very stable and I can rely on it to keep running when I'm away from the machine. I can live without the missing features.

To be honest, I have struggled with the Leuven template, but I'm getting to grips with that now, and I hope my site will soon resemble something similar to what I used to have.

ALAN

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: awilltx on July 16, 2015, 12:09:42 PM

Welcome to WeatherCat, Alan...from another Alan!

I use the Leuven templates on my site and might be able to offer some help as well. It takes a while to get everything as you like it, but that's part of the fun.

Alan from Dallas

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Alan Rowley on July 16, 2015, 12:14:14 PM

Great site Alan. That's how I would like mine to look. I may have to pinch a few ideas.

I've been struggling a little today due to an almost sleepless night. I think I should have a break for a while.

ALAN

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Bull Winkus on July 18, 2015, 08:21:35 AM

Welcome to the forum, Alan! Love the new web layout. Impressive job.

I'm the resident Arkansas Hillbilly, here. I just like hanging out with the high IQ types in the hopes it might rub off.

(http://media.giphy.com/media/6459ZFRF1Wxna/giphy.gif)

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Alan Rowley on July 18, 2015, 09:29:30 AM

Hi Bull,

Thanks for your comments. I'm very impressed with WeatherCat, and I will be registering when my trial expires. I'm still finding new features in the program, and although I'm disappointed that I can't import my six years of Weather Display data, I'm happy to have finally rid my household of Windows.

At the moment, I am spending all my spare time setting-up the Leuven template and adapting it to my tastes and my site. I have dozens of page on my old site (http://www.brackenhouse.net/weather/msindex.php) that I will be transferring into the template as time permits.

ALAN.

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Alan Rowley on July 26, 2015, 11:11:29 AM

Program purchased and registered. Well pleased with the software and glad I made the switch.

ALAN.

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Blicj11 on July 26, 2015, 04:43:42 PM

Well done, mate.

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Bull Winkus on July 28, 2015, 06:53:22 AM

 [cheers1]
Cheers!

Title: You'll like da' Cat . . (Re: New convert from Weather Display)
Post by: elagache on July 28, 2015, 10:56:33 PM

Dear Alan, Blick, Herb, and WeatherCat fans, . . .

Quote from: Alan Rowley on July 26, 2015, 11:11:29 AM

Program purchased and registered. Well pleased with the software and glad I made the switch.

You'll like da' Cat! . . .  [WCSmall]  Even if, you don't like cats!! . . .  [cat] . . . .  [lol2]

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Alan Rowley on July 29, 2015, 04:33:44 PM

Finally got the site how I want it. Still got a few alterations to make and new pages to add, but the site is now re-launched.

Please take a look and leave your comments, especially if you find something that's not right.

Thanks to everyone who has helped and who I've pinched ideas from.  :)

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Blicj11 on July 29, 2015, 05:05:45 PM

Looks good Alan - you've done a lot of work in a short period of time.

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Alan Rowley on July 29, 2015, 05:07:57 PM

One of the joys of retirement, helped by the cold, wet days we've had recently.

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: xairbusdriver on July 29, 2015, 05:30:11 PM

First of all, Congratulations on getting things set up so fast and so well! Your skills are far superior to mine! [tup] If I were you, I'd skip reading this and just observe the real experts above and below this post!

OTOH, you asked for it! [woohoo]

Everything below is a quibble, not to be confused with anything published in <The Quibbler (http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/The_Quibbler)>! Nothing more than my opinions for which I am amply compensated by SWMBO*.

It may be a setting on my end, but the link to "enlarge" the video simply takes me back to the home/index page.

<a href="http://brackenhouse.no-ip.info/mjpg/video.mjpg" 
rel="lightbox" title="Click image to enlarge">

Maybe it's the "lightbox" function, or I'm blocking something. ???

I have my browser window usually set at 1200 pixels wide, so I end up with a horizontal scroll bar on your site. That's not unusual, really. I think that template sets the page width to 1200 pixels, but that may not include the side menu bar. I changed that width in my use of the 2.6 version of the template.

While I enjoy looking at your prize-winnings-property, I think many, if not most, here, will be expecting to see weather info on the initial/home/index page.

* SWMBO: Rumpole's wife <Rumpole of the Bailey (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumpole_of_the_Bailey)>

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Alan Rowley on July 29, 2015, 05:52:00 PM

Many thanks for your comments - they are much appreciated.

I've been wondering about the 'enlarge' link in the webcam, precipitation, lightning and clouds images. That's how the template was set-up. Even before I started tinkering, the links led back to the start page. I'll dig a little deeper later.

The template settings have the width at 1200 pixels. As the settings stated 'optimal for most screens and pages' I decided to leave it as is. Maybe I will change it if others find it a problem, but it looks fine on my Mac Pro, MacBook and iPad.

Instead of creating two sites, one for my home and one for the weather, I tried to incorporate them all into one site. The drawback to this is that there can be only one landing page if you type in www.brackenhouse.net. At the moment, when I type in the url, I go to the weather page, maybe you're seeing something different. If I set the site up to go to the weather page, the rest of the site will get overlooked.

I'll give that some thought.

ALAN.

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: xairbusdriver on July 29, 2015, 06:42:17 PM

The page size probably relates to my minimum font size setting in Safari (16 px). That causes most of the templates showing the count-down timer until refresh to chop off the leading digit! Unfortunately, most of these things are hidden deep within the php or even javascript. In this case it was the use of the 'canvas' system which is another way of creating a box to put thing into. I eventually found the exact one and edited the width a bit for my site. [lol] Everybody else probably wonders why my count-down timer box is so wide! [banghead] Oh well...

I'm not not quite there yet with my new site, but I like 'fluid' pages that will stay usable at almost any screen width. The main site I created for a completely different reason can be viewed on an iPhone or a wide-screen monitor without requiring a separate 'mobile' version. And it still never shows a horizontal scroll bar! [cheer] That's just one of my pet peeves, most of my older ones have gone on to that old Navigator site in the sky! [lol]

As for the 'landing' page, I think it's probably the index.php file in the template. I just used the 'link' in the 'globe' under your Profile next to your posts. <http://www.brackenhouse.net/weather27/ (http://www.brackenhouse.net/weather27/)> Even though there is no file named after the last "/", most browsers will default to a file named "index" or "home".

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Alan Rowley on July 29, 2015, 07:01:02 PM

I see what you mean about your font size. Although your existing site is fine on my machine, the font is on the large size.

When I click on the globe in my profile, it takes me to the weather start page. However, first time visitors are directed to what I call the front page - the one with the images of the house.

ALAN.

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: LesCimes on July 29, 2015, 10:44:52 PM

Incredible web site. I'll have to wait until I retire to try and figure something like that out. Super work. Looks great, quite versatile! (I depend on Weather Underground, mostly, for my web design.  :-[ )

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: elagache on July 30, 2015, 12:57:05 AM

Congratulations Alan!

Very nice!  [tup]

Cheers, Edouard  [cheers1]

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Alan Rowley on July 30, 2015, 06:21:12 AM

Thanks Les and Edouardo.

The congratulations should really go to the designer of the Leuven template. Although I struggled with it at first, not being very literate in PHP and HTML5, I am starting to get the hang of it now. I have tried to get as many features of my old site working with WeatherCat and Leuven, but some features I used regularly have had to go. I spent many hours trying to get some features working only to find that they would only work with other programs.

Still, I'm very pleased with the site and I'm especially glad to have finally rid my home of the dreaded Windows.

ALAN

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Blicj11 on July 30, 2015, 06:30:28 AM

Micro$oft Windoze and Exploder have crashed many a time on my computers over the years. I haven't seen the Blue Screen of Death for quite a while now. I still have a US$199 Acer netbook that runs XP in case I get a craving for torturing myself with Properties settings.

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Alan Rowley on July 30, 2015, 06:39:12 AM

I moved over to Apple in 2008 and I now own a Mac Pro, Mac Mini (which runs WeatherCat), an iPad and an iPhone. My first Apple device, a 2008 MacBook Pro, finally died last week after almost seven years non-stop working.

I ran Weather Display for Windows on my MacBook Pro using Parallels emulation for six years. This slowed my computer down to a crawl and crashed frequently. Now I'm with WeatherCat, I don't have to put up with the regular Windows updates and the yearly Parallels updates, which were never free.

My life is frustration free again.

ALAN

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: awilltx on July 30, 2015, 02:58:30 PM

Nice job from a fellow Leuven template user!

Alan

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Steve on July 30, 2015, 04:48:24 PM

Very nice results, Alan!

I still have Windows XP Pro running under Parallels. Since XP isn't being updated any more, there's no real need for the constant $49 Parallels updates for me. I only use Windows to occasionally run an old version of the CAD software I used when I was working, and to use Mike's excellent SebecTec image software with on old Olympus camera (which you probably saw referenced by several users on the other weather forums.) I only use that during the winter for my SnowCam.

If you do give EvoCam a try and it doesn't meet your needs, give version 3.7.5 a test, too. It had features that were removed or changed for the worse on version 4.X The only problem I have with it is that it quits twice a day like clockwork, based on using some bits that are no longer used in OS X 10.10. I have a simple AppleScript running to check to see if EvoCam is running, and if not, to launch it. With this problem, I no longer have 24 hour video, but if I wanted, I could splice the chunks together.

Steve

Quote from: Alan Rowley on July 30, 2015, 06:39:12 AM

I ran Weather Display for Windows on my MacBook Pro using Parallels emulation for six years. This slowed my computer down to a crawl and crashed frequently. Now I'm with WeatherCat, I don't have to put up with the regular Windows updates and the yearly Parallels updates, which were never free.

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Alan Rowley on July 30, 2015, 05:13:02 PM

I don't think I'll go with any external programs to create a time-lapse, I could use Weather Underground, or patch all the hourly videos together and create a daily time-lapse. It's time-consuming, but I can spare the time to do it.

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Blicj11 on July 30, 2015, 07:13:50 PM

Quote from: Alan Rowley on July 30, 2015, 05:13:02 PM

<snip>  or patch all the hourly videos together and create a daily time-lapse. It's time-consuming, but I can spare the time to do it.

Please share if you tackle this.

Title: Re: New convert from Weather Display
Post by: Alan Rowley on July 30, 2015, 08:30:46 PM

You can join movies together in QuickTime. Look in 'Edit / Add Clip to End'. Start with the 00:00 to 00:59 video and add all the others at the end. Doesn't take too long - maybe five minutes. When the daily movie is complete, close QuickTime and the program will ask you to save it.