Dynamic Symbols: Wind Plotting

[joebayles]

This issue is to support creating dynamic symbols for wind plotting, continued from https://github.com/Esri/joint-military-symbology-xml/issues/119.

@mepler (or DISA support staff): You need to provide separate .svg files for:

• [ ] Each iteration of the point to depict cloud cover
• [ ] The wind direction shaft (if there are different lengths, one for each)
• [ ] The barbs and pennants depicting wind speed, and the X that represents missing wind speed

@abouffard : Need to submit a CP for those graphics to be created.

@jrweakland : We need to ensure that we can support wind plotting in the geodatabase. This includes:

• Rendering cloud cover as a non-rotating point
• Building the wind speed graphic from the requisite shaft, barbs, pennants or X
• Rotating the composite svg from the above point to represent wind direction

[wmcgrane]

concur with abouffard suggestion to submit CP for this change. has mepler been following these conversations?

[abouffard]

Don't know if @mepler has been following.

[abouffard]

Consulted SSMC 16-1. Result was go ahead and submit a formal request to DISA for the files.

[csmoore]

Unfortunately, this wasn't just an issue of creating SVGs, an important implementation issue was how these dynamic/complex attribute-driven METOC graphics are specified in the standard (and then created from this specification).

For example, for the Graphic Control Measures, it is more clearly specified what attributes to use to build the graphic. Example: use Center Point and Distance (AM) to construct this symbol:

But this isn't as clear for the more complex METOC graphics. For the Wind Plot symbol reference, one would have to assume that this is driven by attributes Speed(Z) and Direction(Q) but we don't even have these in our current data model mainly due to this lack of specification :

[joebayles]

@csmoore thanks for providing the background information (again), like you did here: https://github.com/Esri/joint-military-symbology-xml/issues/119

@abouffard let's talk about this again today.

[abouffard]

Consulted again with the SSMC and Dr. Gina Thomas will confer with the weather people in the Air Force and advise.

[joebayles]

Dr. Thomas responded with these links: http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/maps/sfcobs/home.rxml http://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/maps/sfcobs/wnd.rxml

If we are to be in accordance w/ the standard, we should incorporate this into our METOC templates.

[csmoore]

There is a lot of information there (this one symbol could almost be a project in itself) - Should this information or at least a link the standard with the clarification on the various barbs, cloud cover center symbol, additional labels, etc. be added to 2525 first before the community implements? Or has that already happened?

[joebayles]

@csmoore agree it's a bear, for sure... but I would submit that it already is in the standard, however vague or incomplete it may be. We have already suggested clarification, Dr. Thomas' response was the first response to that suggestion.

I'm assuming that you are suggesting they add all or most of the possible permutations of that symbol to the standard itself, and I agree that they should at least show more than a few examples.

The real issue is one I think you already brought up above on 18 March 2016:

Unfortunately, this wasn't just an issue of creating SVGs, an important implementation issue was how these dynamic/complex attribute-driven METOC graphics are specified in the standard (and then created from this specification)... But this isn't as clear for the more complex METOC graphics. For the Wind Plot symbol reference, one would have to assume that this is driven by attributes Speed(Z) and Direction(Q) but we don't even have these in our current data model mainly due to this lack of specification...

So I think the suggestion back to the SSMC should be:

1. They need to provide the individual SVGs that an implementer would use to render all the elements of this dynamic symbol.
2. They need to add TABLE H-II. Amplifier descriptions and maximum lengths for meteorological and oceanographic symbols, also necessary for https://github.com/Esri/joint-military-symbology-xml/issues/119

@wmcgrane @mepler @ottenw

[csmoore]

That's it (and thanks for reminding me about the attributes) - maybe also a

3. - update the symbol in the standard to provide a template and samples more in line with the expectations shown on that website:

For table H-II and the template - here are some of the field/attributes needed to create that symbol if to be fully displayed as from that website ( just taken from the link above ):

1. Temperature
2. Weather Symbol
3. Dew Point Temperature
4. Cloud Cover
5. Sea Level Pressure
6. Wind Barb (Speed?) (Direction?)

[joebayles]

@mepler can you weigh in on this?

[mepler]

The SSMC knows the wind plot symbol(s) are missing several pieces of information in order to render it properly and will entertain any recommendations to "correct" the problem. Currently the SSMC is trying to get in contact with someone from the METOC community in order to address this issue along with some other inconsistencies within the METOC appendix.

[joebayles]

Thanks @mepler, I will follow up with my contacts as well.

[joebayles]

@jfrygeo, any ideas?

[joebayles]

We now just need to combine and rotate symbols from https://github.com/OGCMetOceanDWG/WorldWeatherSymbols based on attributes in the schema.

[joebayles]

USAF Weather SME will write CP(s) to change this.

[joebayles]

FYI @elefteriou @twornicki