Offline use ability
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GRIB2 files are directly available on NWP providers repositories, e.g. here for GFS 0.25°.
Of course, only for public, free of charge models.
Be aware that the size of global models is not cheap: about 300 MB for each GRIB2 file (i.e. for each forecast validity, all grids)... -
Actually it does not matter what format Windly would use (GRIB or not) - it can be anything that transfers data economically from their servers to the app. To keep the file small, one should be able to choose only a number of variables, say wind (at ground level), gusts, waves, swell, etc. for a particular region and a defined timeframe (2 to 5 days ahead). This is what TimeZero provides when donwloading weather files.
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I don't know TimePack, but after a glimpse on their prices here , I understand better...
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This is a really interesting problem. It sounds like people would gain enormous benefit just from GFS, and leaving ECMWF data to times when Wifi is plentiful. @vsinceac, just want to point out that full GFS files are indeed about 300MB, but you don't need most of the model fields – and NOAA lets you filter out smaller files with just the data you want.
@idefix37 could I ask out of interest: do you tend to sail with a laptop, or just a cellular phone, or would you perhaps use special equipment inbuild on the boat to visualize these GRIB files? Because you could use GRIB software to your heart's content on a laptop, but trickier to deal with raw GRIB files on a phone!
Really, the coolest solution would be for Windy to create a way to cache or save (in an offline Google Maps-type way) the maps on files on your device, and load them on request with the app. Then you could keep all the front-end javascript magic too... but I'm sure that's also the most difficult-to-implement solution :)
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@johnckealy said in Offline use ability:
It sounds like people would gain enormous benefit just from GFS
You know there are already several app using GFS files at sea. But people could prefer to get these files and visualize them on Windy with the same features and friendly UI as they have online.
Sailors using GRIB files at sea get them via internet if they are close to the coast or via sat phone if they have this equipment and are offline.
In the first case you can imagine using a cellular phone, a tablet or a laptop.
In the second case a tablet or mostly a laptop. Then it can be connected to the NMEA equipment on board.
Personally I use an iPad at sea, but no satellite connection.@johnckealy said in Offline use ability:
but trickier to deal with raw GRIB files on a phone!
This is possible. Try it with Squid Mobile which is a good and free app, both on iOS and Android.
With Squid Mobile when offline you can also receive GRIB files via Iridium Go.
These screenshots are from my iPhone, with GFS data, in Irish Sea and close to Dublin.
When max zooming with GFS 0.25° (15 NM), here is the distance between wind barbs on your screen.
@johnckealy said in Offline use ability:
Really, the coolest solution would be for Windy to create a way to cache or save (in an offline Google Maps-type way) the maps on files on your device,
If I understand you, this is the solution I propose: keep in memory some layers on a limited area?
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Has there been any progress on this? If the app would simply cache what you were last looking at allowing you to view it offline later that alone would be extremely useful.
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@jessh Hi, we have been working on different tasks, so we cannot say when we start considering adding this feature.
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@korina After quick inspection of the requests made during dataset switch, I believe the online feature would not require ton of work, since the data appears encoded in the jpegs. I do volunteer to help implementing the offline mode. Pretty sure other mariners may jump and contribute as well..
The question is whether Windy will feel comfortable opening a snapshot of the site code, so we can begin collaborating on this feature. Getting started directions on how to setup a development environment would suffice, so your overhead would be minimal.
If opening to the public is something Windy will not do, I am ready to sign NDA and begin collaborating with you under it.
Let me know your thoughts.
Thank you,
Krassi -
@krassif Hello, thank you for offering your help, we will consider it.
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Hello, I'love your app, I'm a sailor and I use it all the time. It woudl be grate to be able to display in offline mode at least the last data visualized, keeped in a cache or something like that instead of having a grey map with no info at all.
I really aprecciate your work and i'm thankfull for it!
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@variopinto
Hi,
That would a great addition for using Windy at sea.
In the meantime you can use a workaround to save for instance the 10-days forecast of wind with one model: Just make a video with a screen recorder after pressing the play button. But 5 days are far enough long to keep a good forecast reliability.
https://community.windy.com/topic/6601/offline-use-of-windy/10?_=1627037416272 -
@marekd lo que necesitamos los marinos , cuando pedimos trabajar offline, es el tiempo actual (obviamente) o presente y también tener el pronóstico para 5 o 10 dias hacia adelante.
Ya que muchas naves no tienen acceso a internet
O a veces en las areas que navega , ( latitudes extremas) la confección es mala. Y es necesario descargar el tiempo y usarlo offline.
