WorkingWorking groupgroup 33 Meteorological visualisation applications Web-based meteorological workstation zIs the time right to develop web-based meteorological workstations? zWhat are the current limits of web applications? Interactive file formats zHow much use are interactive formats for the web? zShould one use formats such as SVG, Flash or animated GIFs, or are static formats using JavaScript better for interactivity? zHow can overlapping layers be best displayed? Slide 1 11th Workshop on Meteorological Operational Systems Slide 1 What has changed? z Web 2.0 with its (new) emerging technologies opens possibilities to implement new interactivities z More demands on visualisation on the web ÎScalable plots Æ vector graphics ÎInteraction Æselect further information ÎOperational Æ High availability z Fast changing world with high expectation through successful services (e.g. Google, Yahoo) z Cheap hardware might solve the availability issue z Role of forecaster and demands of end-user changed: Slide 2 Information from different fields of science are required 11th Workshop on Meteorological Operational Systems Slide 2 Meteorological user interface Classical desktop Web applications z Many advanced toolkits (e.g. z New emerging user interface APIs GTK, Qt) (e.g. jQuery, YUI) z Lots of tested and optimised z Lots of new developments and code Æ mature development experience needed tools z Different opinions on how heavy/rich z Make use of all system the applications should be resources z Can not use full advantage of local z Platform dependent computer resources Î Adobe AIR (FLEX), Mozilla PRISM, Java? Microsoft Silverlight could change z Established on desktop this in future z Deployment problem z Is not seen as new and exciting Slide 3 11th Workshop on Meteorological Operational Systems Slide 3 Meteorological rich internet applications (RIA) z Time for meteorological RIA not ready yet ÎCalculations performed using lots of local resources still required in meteorology ÎUser interface toolkits not mature enough – fast changing and not future safe yet ÎDownload of (initial) application can be a challenge z Many open questions: VScalability VAvailability (weather dependent) VDevelopment tools (debugging & profiling) VMaintainability VLicences / legal issues VSecurity Slide 4 z First step: Restructuring into services (WFS & WMS) 11th Workshop on Meteorological Operational Systems Slide 4 Mash-up of services z Standardised services (from OGC) such as WFS (geo features), WMS (maps) and WCS (coverage) ÎThese can be used to “mash-up” thin web applications z To enable exchange of services between meteorological institutions standards should be agreed ÎCo-ordination is required z The big idea: a user in one organisation can overlay own products with products from other inter- disciplinary organisations independent of which software packages were used to Slideproduce 5 these products 11th Workshop on Meteorological Operational Systems Slide 5 Summary z It is too early (if desired at all) to develop web-based rich meteorological workstations z Not to forget: Desktop is successful Æ do we need to change? z BUT the recent developments on the web (new technologies and standards) should allow to develop interactive web services which can improve the communication to the end-user z One way might be to follow standards from the GIS world to enable exchange information Slide 6 11th Workshop on Meteorological Operational Systems Slide 6.