WorldWeather plugin v1.10.0 for MediaPortal 1.3.0 and higher (1 Viewer)

[catavolt]

Hi weather freaks,
here the new xmls for WW 0.5.0 RC.
Changes:

• Fixed (hopefully) the issue with the separator lines when scaling to full HD (lines now have a fixed x-/y-position and are no longer grouped)
• Set satellite selfdefined to first position in image list
• Fixed cropped satellite images by setting the correct width (DefaultWide)

Test and enjoy

 

[Micropolis]

Dear community,
attached at the first post you can find a small update for WorldWeather release candidate v0.5.0. This version contains architecture related changes and updated skin files for Default and DefaultWide skin (thx to catavolt).

Important hint: Due to these changes small manual configuration changes are required, please delete the line <entry name="ProviderHourCondition"></entry>in your mediaportal.xml file (section "World Weather") or reset the value to "0". Sorry for any inconveniences.

Cheers, Micropolis

 

[catavolt]

THX Alex, tested and works fine here

 

[rsbrux]

• The idea to change the order of displayed weather images depends on skin specific settings and cannot be changed by the plugin itself. It's possible to include this feature in a future version, but costs deep skin changes, e.g. changed property names etc.

Micropolis
As the original proponent, I am satisfied with Catavolt's workaround of putting the "self-defined image" first.
As a general rule for all suggested changes, I would vote against anything which makes maintenance more difficult, even though I sympathize with the wish to use different providers for different locations.
WorldWeather already includes a remarkable range of features, and I find it more important to keep these stable and reliable than to add more.
Thanks again for this great contribution to MP!

 

[Micropolis]

Dear community,
parallel to the current release candidate phase and as a result from the community feedback regarding requested changes, I've build a proof-of-concept version for better weather image handling and configuration.
The attached version is a fully functional version and contains the required libraries, a weather profile and generic skin file for testing purposes.

Plugin related changes:

• the reworked configuration dialog allows you to define the order and type of a weather image
• maintainable code due to simple structure enhancements, no translation changes required

Skin related changes:

• the well known weather image properties like "WeatherImageWorld", "WeatherImageSatellite"... doesn't exists any longer and are replaced by properties like "Weather<digit>Image" (<digit> is a number between 0 and 10)

PROS: These changes solves the "problem" of hardcoded image order, skin changes doesn't cost big effort and can be realized by search/replace

CONS: Old profile weather image settings will be invalid and must be configured/entered again.

I would be happy, if some skin/test experts can give me feedback regarding this solution. If it's useful and configuration related adjustments are manageable, we have 2 opprtunities: I'll postpone the release candidate version by 1 week (my preferred decision) or I'll include these changes into a future release. Otherwise I must assume that these changes are not required, the code changes will be discarded.

Note: the attachment will be deleted after 24 hours to prevent users from version confusions.

Cheers, Micropolis

 

[catavolt]

Hi Alex,
thx for the new version. IMHO this will be the best way for all users to define their favorite images in the sequence they want.
My additional proposal is to have also name properties, e.g. "#WorldWeather<digit>ImageName" which is used as button label and set in Config, too.
So a user may define the desired images in the desired order from 0 to 9 and name it in his language, which then shows up as label on the respective button.
This way every user has it´s own set of images named to his/her preferences and we can deliver a generic skin file where the buttons have the appropiate labels set.
This also reduces the translation for the different images.

 

[Micropolis]

Dear community,
the feedback from catavolt and short personal conversations sounds like a clear decision for my proof-of-concept.
What's mean this? In the next few days I'll create a new stable release candidate, the official version v0.5.0 doesn't come at the end of this week, the testing and skinning phase will be extended by 1 week and skinners accept the described skin changes.

@catavolt: Your proposal cannot be realized, it would break the whole functionality for predefined weather images (see worldweatherwebsites.xml) and selection. Each line in the configuration dialog needs a unique identifier to load and display the appropriate website urls. The only possibility is a) to remove this functionality (for me the worst decision), b) to add optional textboxes and c) image specific properties, which contain translatable values like "World", "Satellite" and so on. The last one doesn't need any code changes. So, please feedback to this.

Thanks for your feedback and cheers, Micropolis

 

[catavolt]

Hi Alex,
my proposal is to use optional textboxes (solution b), so the URL is coupled to "#WorldWeather<digit>Image" and the button label is coupled to "#WorldWeather<digit>ImageName" (new properties with new textboxes in Config).
This way a user may choose a predefined weather image (or add a personal one), but name it to his preference.
Example: User selects a predefined URL for "Precipitation", but is able to change the predefined word "Precipitation" to "Rain Radar Germany".

Actual WorldWeather.xml (Config) looks like this:

<entry name="ImagePrecipitationURL">http://www.wettergefahren.de/wundk/radar/Radarfilm_WEB_DL.gif</entry>

With new properties and renamed image properties it would look like this:

<entry name="Image2URL">http://www.wettergefahren.de/wundk/radar/Radarfilm_WEB_DL.gif</entry>
<entry name="Image2Name">Rain Radar Germany</entry>

Actual button description in WorldWeather.xml (skin folder):

<control>
<description>Satellite image Precipitation</description>
<type>button</type>
<id>11</id>
<onup>10</onup>
<ondown>12</ondown>
<label>#WorldWeather.TranslationPrecipitation</label> <visible>string.equals(#WorldWeather.View,Image)+string.equals(#WorldWeather.ImagePrecipitationEnabled,true)+string.equals(#WorldWeather.ImageView,Flat)</visible>
</control>

Button description in WorldWeather.xml (skin folder) after proposed changes:

<control>
<description>Satellite image Precipitation</description>
<type>button</type>
<id>11</id>
<onup>10</onup>
<ondown>12</ondown>
<label>#WorldWeather.2ImageName</label>
<visible>string.equals(#WorldWeather.View,Image)+string.equals(#WorldWeather.Image2Enabled,true)+string.equals(#WorldWeather.ImageView,Flat)</visible>
</control>

Actual image description in WorldWeatherImage.xml (skin folder):

<!-- *** Satellite Precipitation Image *** -->
<control>
<description>Satellite image</description>
<type>image</type>
<id>0</id>
<posX>370</posX>
<posY>150</posY>
<width>1000</width>
<height>562</height>
<keepaspectratio>yes</keepaspectratio>
<texture mask="osd_mask.png">#WorldWeather.ImagePrecipitation</texture>
<visible>string.equals(#WorldWeather.View,Image)+control.hasfocus(11)+string.equals(#WorldWeather.ImageView,Flat)</visible>
<animation effect="fade" time="300">visiblechange</animation>
</control>

Image description in WorldWeatherImage.xml (skin folder) after proposed changes:

<!-- *** Satellite Precipitation Image *** -->
<control>
<description>Satellite precipitation image</description>
<type>image</type>
<id>0</id>
<posX>370</posX>
<posY>150</posY>
<width>1000</width>
<height>562</height>
<keepaspectratio>yes</keepaspectratio>
<texture mask="osd_mask.png">#WorldWeather.2Image</texture>
<visible>string.equals(#WorldWeather.View,Image)+control.hasfocus(11)+string.equals(#WorldWeather.ImageView,Flat)</visible>
<animation effect="fade" time="300">visiblechange</animation>
</control>

IMHO this should be feasable - skin changes are marginal

 

[Micropolis]

Dear community,
attached at the first post of this thread you can find the updated release candidate for version 0.5.0 of this plugin.
Included changes based on my last proof-of-concept version and contains major weather image related skin changes. These changes are not upward compatible to prior plugin versions, so please use this version at your own risk.

Plugin related changes:

• merge of proof-of-concept weather image routines
• enhancements to the weather image configuration section (see feedback from catavolt)
• skin property additions and changes
• updated version of sample weather profile

Skin related changes:

• rename of weather image related properties (ImageWeather<digit>, ImageWeather<digit>Enabled)
• new properties (ImageWeather<digit>Description, ImageStarrySkyDescription, FeedDescription)

@catavolt: I'd start with the adaptation to the default wide skin file, please finish this version with your personal ideas, thank you for your support and feedback.

Tomorrow I'll start a full regression test, the deadline for error reports, skin or translation file changes is saturday, 3/31/2012.

Cheers and happy testing, Micropolis

 

[catavolt]

Wow, that was fast! THX