slide 1 19th egows, ljubljana, 9 - 12 june 2008 1 metview 4 the next generation of meteorological...

19th EGOWS, Ljubljana, 9 - 12 June 2008

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Metview 4Metview 4The next generation ofThe next generation of

meteorological workstation meteorological workstation at ECMWFat ECMWF

Stephan Siemen

Graphics Section

ECMWF


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Overview

News

Magics++ updates

Metview updates

Metview 4

Other developments


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NewsMagics++ updatesMetview updatesMetview 4Other developments


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Changes since last EGOWSThe development of MAGICS 6 has been frozen

- Only minor updates are planned

Magics++ developments continued with various releases

New Metgrams have been released (Wavegrams)

Two new versions of Metview have been released:

- 3.10: New VarEps support

- 3.11: Major internal change moving from gribex to GribAPI

Start of installation of new super computer (IBM Power 6)


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11th Workshop on Meteorological Operational Systems

12th – 16th November 2007at ECMWF, Reading, UK

Speakers were invited to report on “new trends in meteorological visualisation applications”

Focus was on web servicesand applications. We had discussions on how useful Rich Internet Applications can be.

Calls for a separate Workshop to discuss OGC web standards / services

The presentations and conclusions are available at www.ecmwf.int/newsevents/meetings/workshops/2007/MOS_11/


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EGOWS 2010

ECMWF is happy to offer to host EGOWS 2010

Will be at the weather centre in Reading, UK

We will inform / invite Member States


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Magics++


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Magics++ - MagML

XML based format to describe Magics++ plots

Descriptive, not procedural

some support of variables and global definitions

No need for (re-)compilation

magml interpreter program processes a MagML file and produces output graphics

Interpreter can be easily called in user code

Description close to Metview’s icon convention

Can be integrated into more complex XML request descriptions


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Magics++ - MagML usageMagML is very popular with users

Main aim is the large scale automatic production of plots

MagML enables easy use of new features of Magics++ to make it more attractive for producing web output

- Generating meta information / JavaScript code to support interactivity of web output

- Layers

- New formats: SVG, GIF, PDF, KML

Used in this way in the Plot-On-Demand project at ECMWF

Ideal as backend for web interfaces with static layout and visual properties but changing data


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Metgrams


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Magics++ 2.6 - new featuresRotated grids

Observation plotting

Support for BUFR metgram data

Python interface


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Magics++ - next stepsStart testing new ECMWF interpolation library

Develop features to support Metview 4

“Style sheets” for data types / products(possible replacement for specification groups)

Investigate streamlines

Introduce new projections (e.g. tephigrams)

Investigate advanced GIS features (e.g. shaded relief maps)


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MetviewECMWF's meteorological data visualisation and processing tool

Complete working environment for the operational and research meteorologist

GRIBBUFRMatrixother

PostScriptPNG, JPEGMacro

Metview Visualisation Processing

Interactive Batch scriptroutine production

Mars


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Metview 3.11 – developments

Support for Grib 2 through migration from gribex to GribAPI

- Meant many internal changes

- Internally we still convert Grib 2 to Grib 1 for visualisation only

Support for inline C/C++ in Metview Macro (same as inline Fortran)

New features to support ECMWF’s Observations DataBase (ODB)

- Allows examining and reading for visualisation and processing

- Only released inside ECMWF


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Metview 4 - AimsTake full advantage of features from support libraries:

- Magics++

- GribAPI

- New Interpolation library

- Terralib (INPE / Brazil)

Address issues reported by users:

- More options to work with satellite data

- Enhanced Macro editor

- Easier installation (e.g. binary distribution)

- Integrate Magics++ tools (MagML, Metgrams)

- Improved NetCDF support


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Metview 4 - improvements Magics++ and Metview will both use C++

- Interface between both is generated from the same XML description files as the Fortran and MagML interface is

More sharing of code between Magics++ and Metview

More input and output formats (Magics++)

Improvements in user interactivity, such as layers

- The ability to dynamically toggle certain graphical objects, such as contour labels and maxima/minima

Querying the properties of graphical objects displayed on screen

Generate MagML for plot-on-demand (web)


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Metview 4 - statusCurrently in alpha status

User can switch between current, MAGICS 6 based plot module or new, Magics++ based plot module

New plot module, using OpenGL, is working as first prototype

- Better fonts

- Improved zooming functions

Thanks to modular architecture, Metview 3 modules continue to work alongside new Metview 4 modules

Some Metview 3 modules might be removed later or redirected to a ‘translator’ to call a respective new module


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Metview 4 - new display


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Metview 4 - Next stepsStart having users testing Metview 4 this summer

- Mainly for new ODB / NetCDF features

Release future test version of Metview including new Metview 4 modules

Currently non-invasive work on Metview 3

Review of ‘old’ features - some might be rewritten or even removed

Consider new GUI toolkit additional to Motif - stepwise transition

First release in 2009


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WMO symbols fonts (1)

Wmo.jhf (Java - VisAD)

Suggestion for a Wiki

ERSI font files

Disadvantages: inclusion in vector formats, no layouts

Possible commercial fonts

Thanks for all your feedback!


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WMO symbols fonts (2)

We test now TTF fonts in Magics++

We test Pango as the layout engine

Inclusion in vector formats (SVG, PS) a real problem

We still look for a ‘full’ set of WMO symbols

We will keep you informed about our progress!


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OGC web services

Web standards defined by Open Geospatial Consortium

WMS - Web Map Service

- Examples: Google Earth

WFS - Web Feature Service

- Retrieving or altering feature descriptions

WCS - Web Coverage Service

- Provide ‘coverage objects’

File formats

- GML

- KML (Google Earth)


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OGC services - our plans

Support KML output in Magics++ / Metview 4

- Start Google Earth from Metview

Support of OGC description of projections

- Terralib supports EPSG codes

- Possibility to use Magics++ to build WMS service

Enable definition of WMS request and import of results

Add support for GML and WCS as input?

There are plans to hold a Workshop about OGC web services end of November 2008!


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SummaryMetview

- Metview 3.10 export version

- Next export version 3.11 planned this June

Magics++- Magics++ 2.4.3 export version

- Next Export 2.6 version planned 3Q 2008

For more information and to keep up-to-date with developments, please

visit our webpage or subscribe to our RSS at

http://www.ecmwf.int/publications/manuals/magics

http://www.ecmwf.int/publications/manuals/metview


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Metview 3.11.1 demo


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Metview Principles

First MetviewPrinciple:

“Everything in Metview is an Icon”

Second Metview Principle:

“Every Metview Task is a sequence of actions on icons”


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Metview user interface

Edit to open Desktop

Click-Right for Desktop Menu

Main DesktopOpened Desktop

Icon Drawers

Menu Bar

Desktop Menu


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Metview Icon Editors (1)

Graphical editor (Display Window)

Standard editor (MARS Retrieval)

Family editor (Simple Formula)

Text editor (Macro)


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Icon Id(click to see contents in plain text format)Input area

Input element: Check Button

Templates Drawer:Stores predefined (frequently used) icons

Save/Exit area

Help Button (linked to HTML Help Pages)

Input element: Icon Field

Input element: Option Menu

Input element: Alphanumeric Field

Metview Icon Editors (2)


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Metview - Display Window

Menu Bar

Frame Menu(Click-Right)

Content Tab Controls Tab

Command Buttons (‘Tool Tip Help’ when pointing to)

Plot Size Control

slide 1 19th egows, ljubljana, 9 - 12 june 2008 1 metview 4 the next generation of meteorological...

Documents

th egows

developments slide

interpreter slide

data slide

z500 contour plo slide

th workshop

magml usage magml

new versions of metview