Traffic camera web page

[dinki]

Our local police department has opened access to many traffic cameras in our city. The cameras produce a jpeg image that is constantly updated. I've found the url for each camera I am interested in and have written a web page that auto-refreshes itself thus giving the images appear to be 'moving pictures'.

I would like to somehow have access to this web page under Sage so that I can see what the traffic is like before leaving home. Does this sound like something I should be using SageTV Studio to write or is there another way to do it?

[Tiki]

Check out the Weather Report Suite Import. It works with the stock stv for Sage 6.4.8 (it's also built-in to SageMC, but not shown unless you point to it with the Dynamic menus).

Although it is intended to show weather, it will show any pictures you configure it to show. Configuration is done with an XML file that you can edit with any text editor (ie Windows Notepad).

Sage does not support animated gifs, but the weather map import gets around this by loading several sequential images and sequencing through them. This is how it shows moving satellite weather maps.

The import includes a sample weatherconfig.xml file that is pretty well documented inside with comments.

[dinki]

Excellent! I'll give it a look. Thanks for the push in the right direction.

[Skirge01]

Originally Posted by Tiki

Sage does not support animated gifs, but the weather map import gets around this by loading several sequential images and sequencing through them. This is how it shows moving satellite weather maps.

Can anyone offer some tips for this? I'm trying to use the map at the following address:

http://www.accuweather.com/radar-large.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=0&zipChg=1&site=PA_&type=SIR&anim=1&level=state&large=1

The gif is located at http://sirocco.accuweather.com/nx_mo...inmaSIRPA_.gif

No matter what I do, I cannot get the "animation" to work with the SageMC weather maps. I assume it's because I'm screwing something up, but I just can't figure it out. I managed to change the map names in the left column, as well as point them to static GIF images from AccuWeather, but the animation part is stumping me.

Thanks.

[pjwerdna]

The gif you linked to is animated. SageTV doesnt support those.

You'll have to use other software to split the animation into several still gifs, then point the weather map at all the gif files one after the other.

Not sure SageTV (or is it SageMC?) will allow you to load the maps from a folder on the hard drive, so you might have to set up your own webserver and point it at that!

[Skirge01]

Since I definitely don't want to use another program to get the map working, I can live without AccuWeather's maps. Back at Weather.com, I found this image http://image.weather.com/looper/arch...?1233037009974, which I see changes between 1L & 5L to create the animation.

What file needs to be edited in order to animate the above 5 images in SageMC? The only thing I've edited so far is my SageClient.properties file where I changed it to have the following lines:

sagemc/wximage_title_1=Tri-State Conditions
sagemc/wximage_title_2=NE Conditions
sagemc/wximage_title_3=NE Precipitation
sagemc/wximage_title_4=National Conditions
sagemc/wximage_title_5=Morning Forecast
sagemc/wximage_title_6=Evening Forecast
sagemc/wximage_title_7=Current US Temps
sagemc/wximage_url_1=http\://sirocco.accuweather.com/sat_mosaic_640x480_public/rs/isrpa_.jpg
sagemc/wximage_url_2=http\://sirocco.accuweather.com/sat_mosaic_640x480_public/rs/isrne.jpg
sagemc/wximage_url_3=http\://image.weather.com/images/maps/forecast/ne_precfcst_600x405.jpg
sagemc/wximage_url_4=http\://image.weather.com/images/maps/current/curwx_600x405.jpg
sagemc/wximage_url_5=http\://image.weather.com/images/maps/forecast/amfcst_600x405.jpg
sagemc/wximage_url_6=http\://image.weather.com/images/maps/forecast/pmfcst_600x405.jpg
sagemc/wximage_url_7=http\://image.weather.com/images/maps/current/acttemp_600x405.jpg

Thanks!

[Homebuilder]

This isnt exactly what you wanted... but I was planning to do something similar for a car computer. Just create a webpage on my local machine that linked to the cameras.

It sounds like from the previous posts you cant open with sage... which is a bummer.... but you can switch between your web browser and sage with the remote easily. I know from the RSS feed plug in that from sage you can open up your browser on a certain web site page... and it changes the focus from sage to the browser


I was actually planning to do this for a mobile computer and have it gps driven.. showing me the cameras coming up on my drive.


Heres just another thought.... any way to use the youtube access in sage to somehow make this work? or the upcoming hulu access?

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by Skirge01

Since I definitely don't want to use another program to get the map working, I can live without AccuWeather's maps. Back at Weather.com, I found this image http://image.weather.com/looper/arch...?1233037009974, which I see changes between 1L & 5L to create the animation.

What file needs to be edited in order to animate the above 5 images in SageMC? The only thing I've edited so far is my SageClient.properties file where I changed it to have the following lines:

sagemc/wximage_title_1=Tri-State Conditions
sagemc/wximage_title_2=NE Conditions
sagemc/wximage_title_3=NE Precipitation
sagemc/wximage_title_4=National Conditions
sagemc/wximage_title_5=Morning Forecast
sagemc/wximage_title_6=Evening Forecast
sagemc/wximage_title_7=Current US Temps
sagemc/wximage_url_1=http\://sirocco.accuweather.com/sat_mosaic_640x480_public/rs/isrpa_.jpg
sagemc/wximage_url_2=http\://sirocco.accuweather.com/sat_mosaic_640x480_public/rs/isrne.jpg
sagemc/wximage_url_3=http\://image.weather.com/images/maps/forecast/ne_precfcst_600x405.jpg
sagemc/wximage_url_4=http\://image.weather.com/images/maps/current/curwx_600x405.jpg
sagemc/wximage_url_5=http\://image.weather.com/images/maps/forecast/amfcst_600x405.jpg
sagemc/wximage_url_6=http\://image.weather.com/images/maps/forecast/pmfcst_600x405.jpg
sagemc/wximage_url_7=http\://image.weather.com/images/maps/current/acttemp_600x405.jpg

Thanks!

As far as I know only the Weather Report Suite plugin supports animated gifs. It's old but I believe it still works. Here's the wiki for info. Weather Report Suite and thread: Weather Report Suite Thread

Gerry

[Skirge01]

Does the WRS work with SageMC by default or will I need to do some serious tweaking?

[gplasky]

It's been awhile since I set it up. But read the wiki. I think SageMC basically put that plugin inplace with SageMC. Just run it and it should pull up some default maps. (I think)

Gerry

[Skirge01]

I originally thought so, too. It definitely does put up default maps and I even changed them to the (static) ones I wanted. But, I'm trying to get animated maps, however I can. First, I thought WRS was built into SageMC, but then people seemed to say it wasn't. Then, I wanted to know how to implement WRS in SageMC. So, I'm back to my original question...

Can you get animated gifs (via cycling through several static images) in SageMC and, if so, how?

I do appreciate everyone trying to help.

[gplasky]

Originally Posted by Skirge01

I originally thought so, too. It definitely does put up default maps and I even changed them to the (static) ones I wanted. But, I'm trying to get animated maps, however I can. First, I thought WRS was built into SageMC, but then people seemed to say it wasn't. Then, I wanted to know how to implement WRS in SageMC. So, I'm back to my original question...

Can you get animated gifs (via cycling through several static images) in SageMC and, if so, how?

I do appreciate everyone trying to help.

Did you follow the wiki I linked to or search the WRS support thread? For example:

How Tos ¶
Installation instructions and a brief description of the WRS config file can be found in the WeatherReportSuiteConfiguration page. The default config files also contain comments explaining the format.

How do I add a new weather forecast location ¶
In the config file weatherconfig.xml, there is a <locations> section.

Each location has an internal name, a label for displaying, and the location ID from weather.com. To find the weather.com location ID, go to weather.com and display the weather for your city or ZIP code. The location ID will be in the URL of the page.

For North American users, your ZIP code can be used as a location ID.

eg: for London, UK, the weather URL is:
http://www.weather.com/outlook/travel/local/UKXX0085
therefore the location code is UKXX0085

eg: For Beverly Hills, CA you can use the zip code of 90210, but if you do a city search for Beverly Hills, you can see that there is also a location ID of USCA0090 Both can be used.

You then add a new location within the existing <locations> block as follows

<location
name="London"
label="London">
<weathersourceinfo id="UKXX0085"/>
</location>
If you have local views -- ie animated images specifically for the current location (see below), you will need to add these also for the new location name.

How do I add a new set of animated images ¶
First find your images, and determine whether it is a single animated GIF, or a sequence of images files (gif/jpg/png) animated by a java script. For example:

Weather.com's animated maps are a sequence of JPGs.
Accuweather.com's animated sat image is a single animated GIF
You can normally see this by looking at the image properties for each page in the animation, If there are multipl image URLs or if there is a manual animation advance, it is surely a sequence of separate images

Build a new <view> block in the weatherconfig.xml between the <rotan></rotan> tags referring to these images with the animation properties you require.

If it is an animated gif, you need something like:

<view name="newviewname" speed="750" delay="3000" maxage="0.25">
<layer
type="animation"
href="http://host/path/animated.gif"
imageType="png"/>
</view>
If it is a sequence of images, you need something like:

<view name="newviewname" speed="750" delay="3000" maxage="0.25">
<layer type="manualanimation" imageType="jpeg">
<image href="http://host/path/image1.jpg"/>
<image href="http://host/path/image2.jpg"/>
<image href="http://host/path/image3.jpg"/>
<layer>
</view>
Speed is the between image transition time
delay is the delay at the end of the animation before looping
maxage is the number of hours the imaegs are held in a cache
Once you have youre new view, link it to a submenu by adding a <rotan> item in a <submenu> referencing the view.

<rotan label="display name" view="newviewname">
If you want to define a view that shows different images depending on the currently selected location -- a 'local' view, then add the location="location name" attribute to the view, and the local="true" attribute to the <rotan> item in the submenu.

Make sure that view names and location names match, otherwise the menu item will not be shown.

Note that you can only use images whose filename does not change. If the filename contains the date, then this image will become out-of-date very soon!

If I'm not mistaken that should a) Get you to change whatever the defaults are in WRS to your area and b) Get you your animated maps.

And sorry for taking this thread totally off the tracks.

Gerry

[Skirge01]

Believe it or not, I did. I even searched that entire thread for any reference to SageMC and only got a handful of hits, only some of which were relevant. Then, I found a post from 2005 or 2006 saying that WRS probably wouldn't work with SageMC and another saying that WRS was implemented in SageMC at some point. So, I got stuck in a vicious circle with no real answer. I don't think that weatherconfig.xml is even used in my install, since there's no reference to my region, yet the sageclient.properties file I edited managed to change the maps. But, I'll go tinker with that xml file and see if anything changes. If not, I'll post a new thread and reference this one.

Sorry for hijacking this thread. I thought it might take just a single response or two to figure out what I was doing wrong and that the OP's issue was related.

[Tiki]

I'm not currently running SageMC, but I did have it running about a month ago with the most recent release at the time (I think it was 6.3.8b). In that version, if you clicked on the weather icon from the main page it took you to a weather section that was unique to SageMC and had some weather maps. This is not the same as the Weather Report Suite import and I don't know how to customize it.

However, the Weather report suite is built in to SageMC - it just isn't exposed in any of the menus. You have to use the Dynamic Menus to get to it. Dynamic Menus are built in to SageMC, so it's just a matter of adding another menu item to one of your menus. Tell it to add an internal screen, then scroll through the available screens. The one you are looking for has the name SALZBT or something like that in the title. I can't remember the exact name but it is something like "WRS byt SALZBT" or "Weather Report Suite by SALZBOT"

This one is just like the Weather Report Suite Import (but slightly tweaked to blend in with the SageMC theme). It uses the same weatherconfig.xml file to determine what to show.

I hope that's enough to point you in the right direction.

[Skirge01]

Yep... Gerry's info was spot on and I was able to find it all last night and enable it. Now I can start playing with the xml file.

Thanks, guys! And, sorry for hijacking this thread! I actually hate when people do that, so I'm REALLY sorry!!!!

[bastian74]

Traffic cameras aren't very good at judging traffic speeds.
Does your city have motion sensing on the highways?
Many large cities do now.
For example, Minnesota metro:
http://www.dot.state.mn.us/tmc/traff...efreshmap.html