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This project involves creating a C++ pre-processor to parse weather data and visualize it with multiple layers including map, temperature profiles, wind vectors, and precipitation glyphs. The tool allows users to adjust transparency and focus for effective cognitive comprehension. Future work includes refining streamline parameters, generating adjustable glyphs, and implementing a month selector. References include sources from the Illinois Climate Network and DeLorme's "Illinois Atlas & Gazetteer."
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Weather Viewer –A Progress Report John T. Bell CS 526 Spring 2004
Project Plan • C++ Pre-Processor to parse data • Visualization based on data analysis, HCI • Multiple layers of data presentation: • Map layer • Temperature profiles • Wind vectors and streamlines • Precipitation and humidity glyphs • All with adjustable transparency John T. Bell - CS 526 - Spring 2004
Pre-Processor • Can read any month’s data • Parses and processes requested fields • Implements Shephard’s method over IL • Stores results in a VTK format file • Structured grid, NX * NY * nDays, IL shaped • 2 Vectors: Grid topology & wind vectors • 4 Scalars: Air / soil temps, rain, % humidity • Future: Allow specification of any fields John T. Bell - CS 526 - Spring 2004
Data Analysis • Want to use pre-attentive factors for effective cognitive comprehension • Temperatures can be negative. • Rainfall, humidity can be 0, latter <= 100% • Streamlines require starting seed locations • Humans familiar with classic weather maps • Allow adjustable focus & detail John T. Bell - CS 526 - Spring 2004
Map Layer & Coordinates • Coordinate system based on latitude & longitude, East & North • Coordinate data for edges of grid outline from a detailed map – Interior calculated. • Map image downloaded from CNN • Map layer polygon located & scaled to match grid alignment. John T. Bell - CS 526 - Spring 2004
Temperature Plane • Banded contours, following paradigm of traditional weather / planting maps • Colors from purple ( cold ) to red ( hot ) • Toggle air & soil temperature display, … • OR use contour bands for air and contour lines for soil temperatures, with adjustable parameters, colors, and transparencies. John T. Bell - CS 526 - Spring 2004
Wind Direction Display(s) • Hedgehog plot shows wind vector at every grid location. • Streamlines show wind paths & velocities • Data station locations used as seed points for the streamline generation • Independent transparency adjustment for hedgehog and streamline displays. John T. Bell - CS 526 - Spring 2004
Precipitation & Humidity • Custom glyph design, to show both values with a single graphic. • Either value ( or both ) can go to zero, but the glyph still needs to be visible. • Humidity is bounded by 0 and 100 % • Solution is a pie chart, on top of a cylinder • Cylinder height indicates rainfall, zero is okay • Pie chart shows relative humidity, 0 to 100 % John T. Bell - CS 526 - Spring 2004
Glyph Design is Feasible: John T. Bell - CS 526 - Spring 2004
Project Status • Preprocessor works beautifully • All months have been run, ~ 2 seconds each • Map layer & hedgehog layers functional • Transparency adjustments functional • Sample cylinder generated & rotated • Problem: Extractors lose all scalar data! • Problem: Streamlines require seed points John T. Bell - CS 526 - Spring 2004
Problem: Extractor Losses vtkStructuredGridReader tempReader tempReader SetFileName May.vtk tempReader SetScalarsName AirTemp tempReader Update puts "Temperature Reader Data:" puts [ [ tempReader GetOutput ] GetNumberOfPoints ] puts [ [ tempReader GetOutput ] GetScalarRange ] vtkExtractGrid tempExtractor #tempExtractor DebugOn tempExtractor SetInput [ tempReader GetOutput ] tempExtractor SetVOI -1000 1000 -1000 1000 -1000 1000 #$day $day tempExtractor SetSampleRate 1 1 1 tempExtractor IncludeBoundaryOn 3720 Points Range ~ 50 to 70 0 Points ! Range 0 to 1 John T. Bell - CS 526 - Spring 2004
Problem: Streamline Seeds • Streamlines need seed points from which to solve differential equations • Station locations will be seed points • VTK doesn’t seem to like any seed source: • vtkPoints • vtkPointSet • vtkPolygonData John T. Bell - CS 526 - Spring 2004
Future Work • Solve problems listed above • Generate n Glyphs, adjustable with data • Created temperature ( banded ) contours • Refine streamline ( and other ) parameters • Fine tune map coords; Increase resolution? • Implement month selector • Allow flexibility in pre-processor John T. Bell - CS 526 - Spring 2004
References • Water and Atmospheric Resources Monitoring Program. Illinois Climate Network. (2004). Illinois State Water Survey, 2204 Griffith Drive, Champaign, IL 61820. • DeLorme, “Illinois Atlas & Gazetteer”, 1996 • http://www.mapathon.com/il.html • http://www.cnn.com/TRAVEL/CITY.GUIDES/US/ illinois/bigmap.html John T. Bell - CS 526 - Spring 2004