New Digital Atmosphere release (Nov 2016)

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Tim Vasquez
Administrator
Posts: 534
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2003 10:47 pm

New Digital Atmosphere release (Nov 2016)

Post by Tim Vasquez »

I am letting you all know that a Digital Atmosphere release is scheduled for the next 1-2 weeks.

I know in the past year or two I have been mentioning an upcoming update, but I have been dealing with a tremendous amount of stuff going on in family life. Things have been difficult for about 4-5 years and this has made it difficult to focus on programming (the toughest part of work) and has spread me pretty thin. I have been gradually getting a handle on this since last winter and I am now in a much better position to get back into programming.

Digital Atmosphere is at a very high priority right now for a short fuse update. This will be the one built under Delphi 5, not the slick Delphi 7 version I had been working on 2012-2013. This is because many of the radar modules do not compile in Delphi 7. Since some of this involves low-level component fixes, it will require several hundred dollars of hired programming work. Money is a bit tight right now I don't have the budget for this right now (this is one reason upgrade fees help), so I am building from the Delphi 5 codebase version.

Some of the immediate changes will be the station data being updated through 2016, radar data fixes, and changes to data sources. I plan to add support for Level II radar very soon, too.. this might be an extra add-on (I'm not sure) but you're not a DA user and register now you'll get it free so you don't get hit twice.

The documentation is being rewritten extensively in PDF format. This has been going on awhile. I would like to ask which documentation format you prefer. I am torn between which format to focus on. Windows F1 .HLP format has been the standard for awhile but Microsoft has been changing formats and broke the old one, so the alternatives are to re-do the help to support new F1 help, use PDF, or online HTML web help. PDF will allow for color manuals to be printed fairly easily, which we haven't done since 1996.

If there are any urgent problems with the board I need to address, please e-mail me (servicedesk@weathergraphics.com) as I check this almost daily. You can also communicate your ideas to me via e-mail too. Otherwise I will be on the board off and on as time permits.

Tim Vasquez
Tim Vasquez
Administrator
Posts: 534
Joined: Sat Nov 22, 2003 10:47 pm

Re: New Digital Atmosphere release (Nov 2016)

Post by Tim Vasquez »

Also thanks to those of you (Wally, Carseman, etc) who have been assisting other users with problems here. This has been a great help to me.

Tim
Phil Layton
Junior Member
Posts: 9
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2016 11:41 am

Re: New Digital Atmosphere release (Nov 2016)

Post by Phil Layton »

Tim,

as far as bugs are concerned, the only one that comes to mind are METARs when there is RVR included. At least in Europe. For example take:METAR EGLL 010650Z 28002KT 1300 R09L/P1500 R09R/0600
BR BCFG NSC 06/06 Q1023 TEMPO 0500 FG BKN001=
The ceiling will take the Temperature i.e. C6 will be displayed (instead of C1) As I say its probably the way the RVRs and the / is causing it to process differently. I think visibility has a problem too when sky is Obscured VV///

Requests:
Can TCU and CBs in the METARs be plotted.

Any chance of past weather to be an option on synops? Talking of synops - has the BUFR format been cracked?

Thanks
mrwx
Junior Member
Posts: 8
Joined: Mon Jul 18, 2016 1:52 am

Re: New Digital Atmosphere release (Nov 2016)

Post by mrwx »

Hey Tim, Hope all is well, and happy holidays - Happy New Year.
Just wanted to know when the next DA Pro update will be released. I
am still using v2.09 with it's known issues.

Thanks,

Ron
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