====================
:Author: Jason Holmes
:Email: <Doppler5@aol.com>
-:Date: 2012-01-10
-:Revision: 0.6.3
+:Date: 2013-01-28
+:Revision: 0.8
:Website: http://pileus.org/aweather/
About and contact information
The software source code is available for download at
git://pileus.org/aweather.
-AWeather relies upon the following dependencies: http://www.gtk.org/[gtk+] 2.16
+AWeather relies upon the following dependencies: http://www.gtk.org/[gtk+] 2.18
or later, http://www.gnome.org/[libsoup] 2.26 or later, http://bzip.org/[bzip],
http://trmm-fc.gsfc.nasa.gov/trmm_gv/software/rsl[rsl] 1.42 or later, and
others.
Packaged versions of the software are currently available for Gentoo, Debian,
Ubuntu, Microsoft Windows, and Mac OSX operating systems.
-The program currently provides data viewing from the standard one dimensional
+The program currently provides data viewing from the standard two dimensional
plan view to user-defined three-dimensional dynamic views of current and recent
radar data.
The software was developed and is maintained by Andy Spencer. He may be
-contacted through e-mail at andy753421@gmail.com and chat through IRC at #rhlug
+contacted through e-mail at andy753421@gmail.com and chat through IRC at #pileus
on irc.freenode.net.
Data types and sources
----------------------
-AWeather displays U.S. National Weather Service NEXt generation RADar data
-(NEXRAD) Level II data. This is the highest resolution form of radar data
-available in the public domain and consists of multiple tilts of data updated
-every 5 to 10 minutes depending on the current scan mode of each radar.
+AWeather displays U.S. National Weather Service NEXt generation RADar (NEXRAD)
+Level II data. This is the highest resolution form of radar data available in
+the public domain and consists of multiple tilts of data updated every 5 to 10
+minutes depending on the current scan mode of each radar.
The following Level II data types are supported by this program:
Level II data has been available through private weather data vendors for some
time but recently has been generously provided by some universities.
-AWeather requires an active internet connection along with a data feed source in
+AWeather requires an active internet connection along with a data source in
order to retrieve, decode and display current or recent radar data.
The default radar feed is publically accessible thanks to Iowa State University
AWeather also displays some severe weather alerts provided by the NOAA weather
alerts http://alerts.weather.gov/[feed].
+When run under Linux, AWeather can interface with the
+http://www.catb.org/gpsd/[GPSd] location services to track and display the
+user's current location.
+
Program layout
--------------
[horizontal]
alert checkbox:::: allows the user to toggle the weather alerts
elev checkbox:::: allows the user to toggle terrain rendering
- env checkbox:::: allows the user to toggle a blue atmosphere
+ env checkbox:::: allows the user to toggle a blue atmosphere and
+ compass rose
+ gps checkbox:::: allows the user to toggle gps tracking
+ [Linux only]
map checkbox:::: allows the user to toggle the map overlays
radar checkbox:::: allows the user to toggle the radar data
sat checkbox:::: allows the user to toggle satellite ground images
On program startup and when zoomed far from the earth's surface AWeather
displays a national radar composite image.
+Each available radar site is displayed on the map using the name of a nearby
+major city. Clicking on the city label will activate the radar site and center
+it in the viewer.
+
As the user zooms closer to the earth AWeather will automatically activate
nearby radar sites.
AWeather supports the use of the mouse and keyboard commands to change the map
window settings.
+When the map is rotated, a red and white compass in the top right corner shows
+the current direction of North. Clicking on the compass will reset the rotation
+so that north points toward the top of the screen and the viewer is pointed
+towards the ground.
+
Mouse usage::
[horizontal]
Left click and drag::: Pan the surface of the earth