Topic: Looping Weather Radar Script Now Available (Read 339 times)

alexpoet · « **on:** November 19, 2004, 10:28:00 AM »

Although a test version of XRadar has been available on my website for some time now, due to problems with the encoding of the GIFs from the NOAA website, it's been worthless on the XBox.

Now, I've finally got a working script. It uses images from Weather Channel's website and, although it provides significantly fewer options and ranges than NOAA did, these images actually display!

Currently, XRadar only works for U.S. zip codes. I imagine it's probably possible to expand that, but I wanted to make the script available as soon as possible.

Visit my website (link is in my sig) to download the newest release of XRadar. Read the included "readme.txt" for instructions on proper setup. I have submitted the script to the official downloads page, as well.

As always, I invite as much feedback as possible. Please let me know what you think of it, and how you crash it. :-)

Alexpoet

Lukenatme · « **Reply #1 on:** November 19, 2004, 04:01:00 PM »

I'll be a guinea pig!

UPDATE!

Took me just a few minutes to get XMovieGuide and Xradar working. These two scripts are WAY TOO COOL! It's just like weather on the 8's from the weather channel, only I don't have to wait for the 8's!. The movie guide is cool too! Great work, first rounds on me

alexpoet · « **Reply #2 on:** November 19, 2004, 11:15:00 PM »

Thanks so much for the kind words! One of my best friends is working with me to get more display modes (regional satellite images, international stuff, that sort of thing), as well as finally getting HD-support working. Keep an eye out for a new version in 2-3 weeks.

RocafellaSqualie · « **Reply #3 on:** November 20, 2004, 12:20:00 AM »

Hey alexpoet,

I download your radar script about 3 days ago. Is this the updated one or should I download the newer version on your site (if there is a newer version)

Btw, thanks for the script. Keep up the good work

alexpoet · « **Reply #4 on:** November 20, 2004, 07:11:00 AM »

Easy way to tell: launch the script, and read the splash screen that appears. If it says "Radar Images from NOAA," it's the old one. If it says "Images Provided by" and shows the Weather Channel icon, it's the new one.

If nothing happens when you launch it...hopefully it's the old one. :-) Get the new one and see if that works.

JayDee · « **Reply #5 on:** November 20, 2004, 07:55:00 AM »

get the python.rar i host in the pinned topic and try again.

seven5 · « **Reply #6 on:** November 20, 2004, 06:59:00 PM »

This is great. You should really get in touch with the xbmc devs to see if you can contribute your code to the weather section. I know you did this with python, but the methods you used to get the images i'm sure can be used with native xbox code.

This is something servelrly lacking with the weather section. MythTV has this and makes me jealous

See what you can do! it'd be a great contribution to the scene and community, thanks for the hard work!

A@ron · « **Reply #7 on:** November 20, 2004, 09:04:00 PM »

got python.rar and the xradar files from the website. Ran it and entered in my zip code and it cannot pull up any images for my zip code or for the one it's got set in as a default.

alexpoet · « **Reply #8 on:** November 20, 2004, 10:10:00 PM »

Seven5, I don't know a BIT of C programming, and every time I've opened up the source to try to brave my way through it...I've panicked and gone back to the Python scripting. And, from what I've seen, the XBMC devs are busy enough with their own projects (and they do have a HUGE project they're working on), that it's no small task to ask them to add something of yours to their priority list.

That said, it would be a very small matter to create a new default My Weather page that includes a link to launch the script, if someone wanted to include that page and the script when they distributed a build. In fact, a friend of mine has already edited his xml files to add the button -- I'm planning on making those modded files available with the script, for anyone who's interested (and running Project Mayhem).

I AM working to make the script's operation as seamless as possible, relative to the weather page. I'm going to add a "Back" or "Exit" button, that will do the same thing the controller's Back button currently does (that is, exit the script). I'm also working on making it default to the zip code already entered in your My Weather page, which isn't hard at all, I just haven't written it yet.

So...yeah, the devs COULD borrow the Regular Expressions and paths that I used for my script and rewrite the functionality into XBMC, but integrating the script as a script is second best, and takes a lot less effort.

For what it's worth (as I said), I'm doing what I can to make it SEEM like it really is a part of XBMC. Even if those who distribute builds don't include this script, once I've got it set up right I'll include the appropriate instructions for setting it up in the Readme, and you'll be able to make it seem like it's a part, once and forever.

That's the goal.

A@ron · « **Reply #9 on:** November 21, 2004, 11:50:00 AM »

ok got it working:

Alex I know this is documented in the readme but can you add the picts and temp folders to the rar of the script from your website. This way you don't get 200 people telling you it's not working because those two folders aren't there.

Millions Knives · « **Reply #10 on:** November 21, 2004, 01:23:00 PM »

Exellent job

This is something that I always wanted to have in XBMC. Please keep up the good script making, can't wait to see what you'll come up with next.

alexpoet · « **Reply #11 on:** November 21, 2004, 07:00:00 PM »

LOL, A@ron, thanks for the suggestion. I feel stupid for not doing that already. I'll take care of it.

Knives, thanks for the kind words. Actually, as I mentioned on the XBMC scripting forum today, I've kinda run out of free time, so I'm not going to be producing much more. I DO want to finish up XRadar and XMonitor, and I have one called Syndicator I'm wanting to release as a last big hoorah style of thing, but after that it'll be a trickle at best. I'mma have to spend my free time programming boring stuff for actual money. What a waste, no?

:-)

It's been fun, though, and all the friendly thank yous have made it very worth doing.

Alexpoet

Soapm · « **Reply #12 on:** November 21, 2004, 09:23:00 PM »

Soapm · « **Reply #13 on:** November 28, 2004, 10:06:00 PM »

About the movie script...

I love your XBOX movie script and want to thank you for sharing. Been using it a lot since I love to go to movies. I do have a couple of questions.

Once I select a movie I can see the movie start times. I then hit a button and it brings up a brief description of the movie. I have not figured out how to back up from this point to view another movie. Can you explain how I do this?

I also cant scroll the description to read it in its entirety. For instance, it says 1/5, how do I get to page 2/5 & 3/5 etc?

Is there a way back into XBMC once I run this script other than a brief reboot?

Is there a way to make this script run in other dashboards like Evox and Avalaunch?

Thanks again for the great piece of software!!!

Chuck (Soapm)

Author Topic: Looping Weather Radar Script Now Available (Read 339 times)