HTML5/JavaScript Alternative Opportunity

Hello all,

It seems to be a recurring effort to find an alternative to WDL that does not require Flash. Obviously there is Steel Gauges, but it seems that it is often not the look that people are going for.

I finally decided that it may be worth my time to develop a pure HTML5/JavaScript alternative. On top of gaining a lot of knowledge, I can also use this as a final project for an educational scholarship, so this will be largely beneficial to me.

I am trying to judge if there is any interest for this here, and if people would be willing to provide regular feedback as prototyping continues.

At this stage it would have a similar appearance to the old WDL, and if all goes well most of the different styles will be able to be added and, time dependently, possibly even some form of customiser/configurer (that does not rely on coding knowledge to use).

Please, please let me know if this would be of any interest to anyone out there, it would be a tremendous help!

Thank you,
-Yerren

what is so wrong with the Steel gauges?
e.g check out mine
http://www.weather-display.com/windy/gb/gauges-ss.html

which you can customise

and I have added a youtube video, showing step by step, how to set that up

I agree that the steel gauges is nice, but there’s no harm in options :slight_smile:

I know that some people like the option for variation (Bar dials etc.), and from what I’ve seen the graphs don’t always work perfectly for the steel gauges (but that might be something I am missing :wink: )

However, I think overall steel gauges is a perfectly fine, and quite attractive option, but I don’t see any harm in a possible alternative, just to give people more options :slight_smile:

Either way, I’m somewhat committed to seeing this through, so if others would be interested in giving some feedback later on it would be useful, but if not I’ll still be working on it for personal use.
Just looking to see if there was any interest :slight_smile:

Thank you,
-Yerren

My beta version

http://www.meteotemplate.com/templateTest/testing/index.php

I’ve seen your one, and I quite liked the overall design of it :slight_smile:

But the person I’m designing this outcome for in particular wanted something a bit simpler and more like classic WDL feel (and that is streamlined for mobile devices, such as Steel Gauges is).

Really this is getting designed to match someone’s needs, and I was just curious if anyone else could benefit from it at the same time :slight_smile:

Sure, it is always better when there are alternatives and one can choose whatever they prefer the most 8)

I like the way you think! :smiley:

@Sun Bay: I’ll be happy to give you feedback on your project. If you can come up with a single, no-scroll required, page display with all the WDL data elements, and that doesn’t take forever to load then you’ll get my vote :smiley:

Thank you! :slight_smile: Well that’s the plan at the moment, so hopefully it’ll all go to that plan! :wink:

However, I think overall steel gauges is a perfectly fine, and quite attractive option, but I don't see any harm in a possible alternative, just to give people more options
Fair enough :)

Hello to all fans by WDL.
About 5 years ago I stumbled upon this application that I quite liked.
I bought a Davis weather station and gradually to all sensors capable WDL represented on the website.
I am not an opponent of steel gauges or whatever you call it, but if you mean like Cumulus and I must emphasize that not all sensors can view this program.
All transmitters and sensors which I bought for little money then I could throw away because they could not appear on the website.
Brian, what would have been the same problem to build the WDL, but HTML 5?
You are a professional, and I know what you hesitate and so here I go.
Nowhere is it written that you have to make an application for naught, one who is interested can get a new program to repurchase, and I think people like that a lot.
Just look at how many people use this software, there are a lot.
If in a few years is over flash, and reduces the traffic on sites, and it is then better for me to stop broadcasting and sell weather station.

you can add more gauges to the Steel gauges, e.g to show extra sensors, if you really needed to
(its open source)

And what about the moisture leaves?
Soil moisture or cloud from which it rains?
This program can not do this.
Also records in the WDL.
No, this software spoke to me.

that could all be done
as you just add in that extra data to your customclientraw
and you add in the gauges and set the scripts to use that data, and set how the gauge would look etc etc
all very customisable, if you know what to do

I would say that all this is already advanced for the man for me was difficult enough to send WDL config on the web.

I am sure if you asked the author of the Steel Gauge he could add in those extra sensors you required?

And who is the author of the program?

Sorry, this has probably been asked/answered before, but:

Why not move WDL across to the JS/HTML5 ‘library’? I don’t know whether it’s as simple as ‘recompiling’ (probably not the right word) for the JS etc version, but it might be. Is it just the cost of the relevant licence from FusionCharts that’s the problem?

That said, WDL is perhaps starting to look a little tired, which is perhaps unsurprising given that it’s now, what, 10 years or more old is it? And some cosmetic updating might be good to see.

But the underlying principles of WDL remain perfectly sound IMO, using a combination of text and mixing appropriate graphic elements to give a good, easy to read and flexible UI. The problem with SteelSeries, again IMO obviously, is not with the individual gauges - it’s difficult to see how these could be improved, though subtle variations are always possible - but with too many similar looking gauges presented in a single block. To a casual viewer, the eye doesn’t know where to look at a glance, to see the key information. My template would limit circular gauges to wind speed and direction, plus maybe pressure and possibly RH, because I’d argue that these are the only parameters that it’s natural to display on such a graphic. Other parameters are better displayed as text and/or other types of graphic, such as a thermometer graphic for temperature, which is just such a familiar depiction for temp that it’s the obvious choice. Then a daylight hours graph for solar and UV seems to me the best option for those parameters.

Overall, what I’m personally keen to see more than anything is clarity and efficiency in communicating the key pieces of weather information. Keep it as simple and limited as possible so that the eye can focus on the headline weather readings.

don't know whether it's as simple as 'recompiling' (probably not the right word) for the JS etc version
no its not, its completly different

Yes, Brian is right, think of it as a normal human language.

Imagine you speak very well French. And an analogy to what you are suggesting would be - "Ah, great, well given you know