Altitude controls; keyboard shortcuts
-
I use windy to look at dew point, temp and RH at various altitudes. The website and iOS app have a slider bar to set the altitude.
On the website, I can use Page Up / Page Down to change the forecast altitude, but ONLY when looking at Humidity... can you please make this keyboard shortcut also work for Dew Point, Air Temp and any other variable that have data at various altitudes?
On iOS (iPad), there is no easy way to change altitude... one needs to drag the screen down to even find the control, then use touches and drag back to see other controls. Maybe you make that easier? A keyboard shortcut would be great, too... I have an external keyboard for my iPad and would use shortcuts for this and other features (I use right/left arrow to scroll thru forecast periods all the time).
One last comment... a bit OT... I am a Premium subscriber, so get the 1 hr data as well as 3hr... but when loading a new long period forecast (eg, ECM ~ 10 days), it takes a long time to pull down the data... understandable, but frustrating for the last half of the period, where ECM changes from 1hr to 3hr to 6hr forecasst intervals... the web/app seem to be waiting evey hour for new data, so the data pulldown steps run 3x or 6x slower in the longer range forecasts. The extra delay almost makes me want to cancel my premium service, so I can get data faster :)
Thanks for a great app/service!
Mike
-
@k6ml Hello Mike, the shortcuts depend on your keyboard layout, it is not possible to use arrows to view different attitude levels.
Regarding the data upload, I am not sure what you are referring to. Loading a detailed forecast with 10 days in 1hr is instant, there is not waiting. It is possible that you have some hardware issue that causes the app to behave this way.
-
@k6ml
I confirm that switching from 3h to 1h, and back, is instant for me on iPad -
I was not referring to using arrows to change altitude... the keys are PAGE UP and PAGE DOWN and they work to change altitude for Humidity on my PC keybaord (Firefox browser).
But they do not work for other altitude dependant data, like Dew Point and Temperature. Surely they could if they already work for Humidity.
The second part of my suggestion (after making those keys work for Dew Poinbt, etc) is to find a way to do the same thing on iPad that has a keyboard. Perhaps control (or shift or apple/option) arrow up/down. This may or may not be doable.
-
Here's the data load scenario I'm referring to ...
Bring up your browser on Windy.com, pick a region (eg California) to view, pick a model (ECM) and variable (DewPoint).
Now hit the play button ... the time pointer will move slowly from left to right (in 1 hrs steps if Premium, 3 hr if not), loading the new data (if available and not already cached) for each forecast time. Each step takes some noticeable time that probably depends on your network speed and distance from server, but definitely noticable (I see the Windy logo do a spin when waiting for data) Perhaps there is also an intentional dwell time to each animation step; if so, then I guess I'm asking for a 'fast' play mode option.
At the current rate the sum of 10 days worth of time takes several minutes for me.
But the steps continue at the 1hr (or 3 hr) spacing, with a pause at each step, EVEN IF the ECM model has no data for that forecast time (several days out, the ECM forecast periods drop from 1hr to 3hr interval, a few days later (approx second half of the 10 days), they drop from 3 hr to 6hr. 2 of 3 or 5 of 6 steps are a waste of time.
-
@k6ml Hello, the time pointer is supposed to move slowly, so a user can observe the weather animation at slow pace. If you want the pointer to move faster, you can user your arrow keys to move it.
To view forecast instantly, open the picker to expand the detailed forecast for each day.
-
@korina The weather picker data is only given at the surface, not at the altitudes above surface.
-
@k6ml You did not reply to my suggestion to expand PAGE UP/DOWN altitude keyboard shortcut (in web browser) to cover not just relative humidity, but also other variables with altitude data (such as Dew Point, Air temperature, etc). This keyboard shortcut already works for humidity altitude selection... it could work for the others, too.
-
@k6ml We may consider the key shortcuts. However I would like to have more information regarding the data download since you mentioned the data do not load instantly.
-
@korina regarding the data download... I agree with you that the Play icon is intentionally animating slowly, and the data downloads are fast (if the internet connection is good). I find the animation rate too slow, so maybe a Play speed option in settings would allow faster play animations.
The other part of my comment is that the animation steps are x seconds per 1 hour of forecast time... when the forecasts are only valid every 3 or 6 hours (approx 5-10 day forecats in ECM), the animation steps continue at 1 hr per step instead of speeding up to 3 or 6 hr per step. I guess the designer felt that smooth animation, linear in time, was desirable. I'd prefer to get the data as fast as it comes and in the step sizes that it comes.
I use the play feature only for a preliminary scan for events during the full forecast period as the forecast is downloading. Then I move the cursor to the day/hour of each event of interest and step back and forth with the arrow keys (in time) and PAGE UP/PAGE DOWN (in altitude) to see the event over time and space. I know the time/date better by single stepping with the arrows than by running Play and trying to view the map and the time slider markings at the same time.
-
@k6ml The keyboard shortcuts are very useful to check nearby times (left/right arrow) and adjacent altitude levels (PAGE UP/DOWN) for varying altitude levels across the path/map region. Unfortunately, the PAGE UP/DOWN only works for Humidity, not for dew point, temperature and other data that vary with altitude. I feel this an omission in the user interface; there's no reason it couldn't work for the other variables.
Thanks for a great tool and for listening.
-
@k6ml Hello, the Page up/down also works for other layers, I recommend to look at your keyboard settings.
-
-
@k6ml just checked PAGE UP/DN works to change altitude for humidity and temp (wasn't working for temp before, not sure what changed) but does not work for Dew Point (the one I use the most)
-
@k6ml Hello, you probably have some special settings in the Firefox browser. On Chrome it works for all layers.
