WeatherDesk 0.56
by Fizzie
Table of Contents
Weather Format Options and
Variables
WeatherDesk is
a LiteStep loadmodule which retrieves various kinds of weather information from
the Internet, and displays it on the LiteStep desktop. It is highly configurable, supports
transparency and conditions bitmaps, and supports multiple-city weather
information displays.
Below are a
couple of partial screenshots showing WeatherDesk in different modes.
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WeatherDesk with a background bitmap and scrolling weather conditions |
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WeatherDesk transparent on desktop with cycling weather conditions |
v0.50 - first public release
v0.51
added windchill and heat index variables
added ability to launch weather page from
right-click menu
fixed bug causing Tampa's weather
conditions to always be displayed on some computers
fixed bug causing a
greater than symbol (>) to be displayed in front of the value for humidity
v0.52
improved behavior when not connected to
internet
uses separate thread for updating
weather, so that the process doesn't affect Litestep's responsiveness
implemented a feature allowing several
lines of weather info to be cycled (see WeatherDeskCycleDelay for more info)
added conditions variable for use in
WeatherDeskFormat (clear, mostly cloudy, etc)
added WeatherDeskUpdateString, so a
custom update string can be used (defaults to "Retrieving weather
conditions...")
added 3 new bang commands: !ShowLSDW, !HideLSDW, and !ToggleLSDW
v0.53
fixed bug causing long weather conditions
(e.g., "Light Rain Showers") to be truncated
changed module name to
"WeatherDesk" (thanks to Glenn Krutsinger for the idea)
changed all step.rc commands from
"DesktopWeather..." to "WeatherDesk..."
changed bang command names to !ShowWD,
HideWD, and !ToggleWD
implemented support for people behind
proxies...if you're behind a proxy and still have problems, please let me know
added feature to overlay weather
condition-specific graphic on top of WeatherDesk
included 18 bitmaps to work with the
condition-specific graphic feature
added feature to optionally scroll text
while cycling (see WeatherDeskScrollDuringCycle for more info)
added new bang command: !MoveWD x,y
WeatherDeskX and WeatherDeskY now accept
negative parameters
added WeatherDeskStartHidden command
added metric unit support (see
WeatherDeskFormat variables)
v0.54
added multiple
city support
created HTML helpfile
added WeatherDeskAlwaysOnTop command
v0.55
implemented skinnable popup forecast window containing weather stats and 6-day
forecast
fixed bug causing fog bitmap not to
display sometimes
fixed transparency problem with
background bitmaps
v0.56
added WeatherDeskPopupX and
WeatherDeskPopupY step.rc variables to control the initial position of the
popup
added WeatherDeskPopupAlwaysOnTop and
WeatherDeskPopupAlwaysOnBottom step.rc commands
fixed bug causing a window class
registration error on recycle
To install WeatherDesk,
just add the following line to your step.rc, making adjustments for the path
that WeatherDesk.dll is stored in, if necessary:
LoadModule WeatherDesk.dll
The following tables list the various commands you can use in your step.rc to affect how WeatherDesk looks and behaves.
Display Options
|
Command |
Description |
Samples |
|
WeatherDeskX
[-]integer |
Specifies, in
screen coordinates, the left edge of the WeatherDesk window. |
WeatherDeskX 100 //places the WeatherDesk window 100 pixels from the left edge of
the screen WeatherDeskX –100 //places the WeatherDesk window 100 pixels from the right edge of
the screen |
|
WeatherDeskY
[-]integer |
Specifies, in
screen coordinates, the top edge of the WeatherDesk window. |
WeatherDeskY 100 //places the WeatherDesk window 100 pixels from the top edge of
the screen WeatherDeskY –100 //places the WeatherDesk window 100 pixels from the bottom edge
of the screen |
|
WeatherDeskWidth
integer |
Specifies, in
pixels, the width of the WeatherDesk window. |
WeatherDeskWidth 300 //the WeatherDesk window is created with a width of 300 pixels |
|
WeatherDeskHeight
integer |
Specifies, in
pixels, the height of the WeatherDesk window. |
WeatherDeskHeight 100 //the WeatherDesk window is created with a height of 100 pixels |
|
WeatherDeskImage
filename.bmp |
Specifies the
filename of a bitmap to be used as WeatherDesk’s background. If ommitted, WeatherDesk will draw weather
conditions transparently on the desktop. |
WeatherDeskImage weatherback.bmp //uses the file weatherback.bmp as the background for
WeatherDesk WeatherDeskImage
“c:\images\weather.bmp” //uses the file c:\images\weather.bmp
as the background image WeatherDeskImage .none //draws weather conditions transparently on the desktop without a background image |
|
WeatherDeskFont
fontname |
Specifies the
font to be used to draw weather conditions. |
WeatherDeskFont Arial
//uses the font Arial to draw weather conditions WeatherDeskFont “Times New Roman” //uses the font Times New Roman to draw weather conditions |
|
WeatherDeskFontSize
integer |
Specifies the
size of the font to be used to draw weather conditions |
WeatherDeskFontSize 18 //specifies an 18-point font will be used to draw weather
conditions |
|
WeatherDeskFontColor
color |
Specifies the
color of the font to be used to draw weather conditions |
WeatherDeskFontColor 0000FF //specifies that a blue font will be
used to draw weather conditions |
|
WeatherDeskUpdateColor
color |
Specifies the
color of the font to be used to draw the weather update text while
WeatherDesk is retrieving updated weather conditions from the Internet. |
WeatherDeskUpdateColor FF0000 //specifies that a red font will be used
to draw the weather update text while WeatherDesk is retrieving updated
weather conditions |
|
WeatherDeskUpdateString
string |
Specifies the
text to display while WeatherDesk is retrieving udpated weather conditions
from the Internet. If not specified,
defaults to “Retrieving weather conditions…” |
WeatherDeskUpdateString “Connecting…” //specifies that the string Connecting…
will be shown on the WeatherDesk window when WeatherDesk updates its weather
conditions from the Internet |
|
WeatherDeskStartHidden |
If this
command is present in your step.rc, WeatherDesk will start in a hidden state
when it is loaded. |
|
|
WeatherDeskAlwaysOnTop |
If this is
present in your step.rc, the WeatherDesk window will always be on the top of
the Z-order. |
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|
WeatherDeskCycleDelay
integer |
If this
command is present, WeatherDesk will cycle multiple lines of text
sequentially, with a delay of integer seconds. If not present, WeatherDesk will attempt
to display all lines simultaneously.
This setting has no effect it multiple lines are not used. |
WeatherDeskCycleDelay 5 //WeatherDesk will cycle multiple lines of text with a 5-second
delay |
|
WeatherDeskScrollDuringCycle |
If present,
this will cause WeatherDesk to scroll lines of text vertically as they
cycle. Has no effect if cycling is not
used. |
|
|
WeatherDeskUpdate
integer |
Specifies, in
minutes, how often WeatherDesk should update its weather conditions from the
Internet |
WeatherDeskUpdate 15 //WeatherDesk will update its weather conditions every 15 minutes |
|
WeatherDeskPage
/path/to/htmlfile |
Specifies the
location of the htmlfile on www.wunderground.com that WeatherDesk will use to retrieve
weather conditions. See below for
more information. |
WeatherDeskPage “/US/CA/Walnut_Creek.html” //WeatherDesk will retrieve conditions for Walnut Creek, CA WeatherDeskPage
“/global/stations/94326.html” //WeatherDesk will retrieve conditions
for Alice Springs, Australia |
How to
determine the htmlfile to use in the WeatherDeskPage command:
- Go to www.wunderground.com.
- In the text box with the label “Find the Weather
for any City, State or Zipcode, or Country”,
enter your location and click the “Fast Forecast” button.
- Navigate until you reach your city’s forecast.
- When your forecast is displayed, look at the URL
your browser is currently displaying.
- Copy this entire URL (minus the leading
http://www.wunderground.com part), and paste it as the parameter to
WeatherDeskPage.
Weather Format Options
|
Command |
Description |
Samples |
|
WeatherDeskFormat
string |
Specifies the
format that WeatherDesk will use to display weather conditions. See following table for more info. |
|
|
WeatherDeskXOffset
integer |
Specifies, in
pixels, the horizontal offset from WeatherDesk’s left edge that will be used
to display weather conditions. Default = 0. |
WeatherDeskXOffset 5 //WeatherDesk will display weather conditions beginning 5 pixels
from the left edge of the WeatherDesk window |
|
WeatherDeskYOffset
integer |
Specifies, in
pixels, the vertical offset from WeatherDesk’s top edge that will be used to
display weather conditions. Default = 0. |
WeatherDeskYOffset 3 //WeatherDesk will display weather conditions beginning 3 pixels
from the top edge of the WeatherDesk window |
Weather Format Variables
|
Variable |
Description |
Example |
Possibe
Result |
|
#g |
Degree symbol |
|
|
|
#t |
Temperature in
Farhenheit |
WeatherDeskFormat “Current temp is #t” |
Current temp is 52 |
|
#T |
Temperature in
Celsius |
WeatherDeskFormat “Current temp is
#T#gC” |
Current temp is 15°C |
|
#d |
Dewpoint in
Fahrenheit |
WeatherDeskFormat “Temp: #t, Dewpoint:
#d” |
Temp: 52, Dewpoint 47 |
|
#D |
Dewpoint in
Celsius |
WeatherDeskFormat “Dewpoint: #D#g” |
Dewpoint: 13° |
|
#I |
Heat Index in
Fahrenheit. Displayed as “n/a” if
heat index is not applicable to current conditions. |
WeatherDeskFormat “Temp: #t, Heat Index
#I” |
Temp: 89, Heat Index 95 or Temp: 42, Heat
Index n/a |
|
#I |
Heat Index in
Celsius. Displayed as “n/a” if heat
index is not applicable to current conditions. |
WeatherDeskFormat “Temp #T, Heat Index
#I” |
Temp: 30, Heat Index 34 or Temp: 11, Heat Index n/a |
|
#c |
Windchill in
Fahrenheit. Displayed as “n/a” if
windchill is not applicable to current conditions. |
WeatherDeskFormat “Windchill: #c#gF” |
Windchill: -30°F or Windchill: n/a°F |
|
#C |
Windchill in
Celsius. Displayed as “n/a” if
windchill is not applicable to current conditions. |
WeatherDeskFormat “Windchill: #C#gC” |
Windchill: -32°C or Windchill: n/a°C |
|
#w |
Winds with
speeds in mph. |
WeatherDeskFormat “Wind: #w” |
Wind:
Calm or Wind:
Variable at 6 or Wind:
NNW at 35 |
|
#W |
Winds with
speeds in kph. |
WeatherDeskFormat “Wind: #W” |
Wind:
Calm or Wind:
Variable at 8 or Wind:
NNW at 47 |
|
#p |
Pressure in
inches mercury |
WeatherDeskFormat “Pressure: #p” |
Pressure: 29.12 |
|
#P |
Pressure in
millibars |
WeatherDeskFormat “Pressure: #P” |
Pressure: 1012 |
|
#h |
Humidity |
WeatherDeskFormat “Humidity: #h” |
Humidity: 52% |
|
#s |
Conditions |
WeatherDeskFormat “#s” |
Clear or Scattered Clouds or Heavy Blowing Snow |
|
## |
Pound sign |
|
|
|
#n |
Carraige
Return (if WeatherDeskCycleDelay is not defined) or Multiline line
delimiter (if WeatherDeskCycleDelay is defined) |
WeatherDeskFormat “Temp: #t#g#F#nWind: #w” |
Temp:
52°F Wind:
SE at 15 NOTE:
If
WeatherDeskCycleDelay is not defined, these lines of text will be displayed
simultaneously, as shown above. If
WeatherDeskCycleDelay is defined, the lines will be cycled sequentially. |
|
#b(0|1|2|3|4) |
Used with multiple city support, this tells WeatherDesk which city’s
condition bitmap to display during a given line of text. |
WeatherDeskPage0
“/US/CA/Los_Angeles.html” WeatherDeskPage1 “/US/WA/Seattle.html” WeatherDeskFormat “#b0LAX:
#t0#g#n#b1SEA: #tt1#g” |
This would display
Los Angeles’ weather condition bitmap while displaying the text “LAX: 88°”, and would display Seattle’s weather
condition bitmap while displaying the text “SEA: 66°” |
Weather Condition Bitmaps
WeatherDesk
allows you to display condition-specific bitmaps on top of its main
display. These can be used in either of
WeatherDesk’s display modes:
transparently on the desktop, or with a background bitmap.
|
Command |
Description |
Samples |
|
WeatherDeskPicXOffset
integer |
Specifies, in
pixels, the horizontal offset from WeatherDesk’s left edge that will be used
to display the weather condition bitmap.
Default = 0. |
WeatherDeskPicXOffset 5 //WeatherDesk will display the weather condition bitmap beginning
5 pixels from the left edge of the WeatherDesk window |
|
WeatherDeskPicYOffset
integer |
Specifies, in
pixels, the vertical offset from WeatherDesk’s top edge that will be used to
display the weather condition bitmap.
Default = 0. |
WeatherDeskPicYOffset 3 //WeatherDesk will display the weather condition bitmap beginning
3 pixels from the top edge of the WeatherDesk window |
|
WeatherDeskClearPic
filename.bmp |
This bitmap is
displayed when the weather condition is “Clear”. |
WeatherDeskClearPic “c:/images/wx-clear.bmp” |
|
WeatherDeskHazePic
filename.bmp |
This bitmap is
displayed when the weather condition is “Haze” or “Smoke”. |
WeatherDeskHazePic “wx-haze.bmp” |
|
WeatherDeskPCloudyPic
filename.bmp |
This bitmap is
displayed when the conditions are “Partly Cloudy” or “Scattered Clouds”. |
WeatherDeskPCloudyPic “wx-pcloudy.bmp” |
|
WeatherDeskMCloudyPic
filename.bmp |
This bitmap is
displayed when the conditions are “Mostly Cloudy”. |
WeatherDeskMCloudyPic “wx-mcloudy.bmp” |
|
WeatherDeskOvercastPic
filename.bmp |
This bitmap is
displayed when the conditions are “Overcast”. |
WeatherDeskOvercastPic
“wx-overcast.bmp” |
|
WeatherDeskDustPic
filename.bmp |
This bitmap is
displayed for all “Dust” and “Sand” conditions. |
WeatherDeskDustPic “wx-dust.bmp” |
|
WeatherDeskFogPic
filename.bmp |
This bitmap is
displayed for all “Fog” conditions, except “Freezing Fog” |
WeatherDeskFogPic “wx-fog.bmp” |
|
WeatherDeskLtRainPic
filename.bmp |
This bitmap is
displayed for all “Light Rain” conditions. |
WeatherDeskLtRainPic “wx-ltrain.bmp” |
|
WeatherDeskRainPic
filename.bmp |
This bitmap is
displayed for all “Rain” conditions. |
WeatherDeskRainPic “wx-rain.bmp” |
|
WeatherDeskHvyRainPic
filename.bmp |
This bitmap is
displayed for all “Heavy Rain” conditions. |
WeatherDeskHvyRainPic “wx-hvyrain.bmp” |
|
WeatherDeskLtSnowPic
filename.bmp |
This bitmap is
displayed for all “Light Snow” conditions. |
WeatherDeskLtSnowPic “wx-ltsnow.bmp” |
|
WeatherDeskSnowPic
filename.bmp |
This bitmap is
displayed for all “Snow” conditions. |
WeatherDeskSnowPic “wx-snow.bmp” |
|
WeatherDeskHvySnowPic
filename.bmp |
This bitmap is
displayed for all “Heavy Snow” conditions. |
WeatherDeskHvySnowPic “wx-hvysnow.bmp” |
|
WeatherDeskBlizzardPic
filename.bmp |
This bitmap is
displayed for “Blizzard” and “Heavy Blowing Snow” and “Heavy Drifting Snow”
conditions. |
WeatherDeskBlizzardPic
“wx-blizzard.bmp” |
|
WeatherDeskDrizzlePic
filename.bmp |
This bitmap is
displayed for all “Drizzle” and “Mist” conditions. |
WeatherDeskDrizzlePic “wx-drizzle.bmp” |
|
WeatherDeskIcePic
filename.bmp |
This bitmap is
displayed for all “Freezing” weather conditions. |
WeatherDeskIcePic “wx-ice.bmp” |
|
WeatherDeskTStormPic
filename.bmp |
This bitmap is
displayed for all “Thunder…” conditions. |
WeatherDeskTStormPic “wx-tstorm.bmp” |
|
WeatherDeskUnknownPic
filename.bmp |
This bitmap is
displayed when a weather condition match is not found. |
WeatherDeskUnknownPic “wx-unknown.bmp” |
Popup Forecast Window Options
|
Command |
Description |
Samples |
|
WeatherDeskPopupThemeFile
path |
Specifies the
theme .ini file which WeatherDesk should use to display the popup forecast
window. |
WeatherDeskPopupThemeFile c:\litestep\weatherdesk\skins\globe\globe.ini |
|
WeatherDeskShowPopupDegrees |
Specifies that
all temperatures should be displayed with the degree symbol. |
WeatherDeskShowPopupDegrees |
|
WeatherDeskShowPopupTempsInCelsius |
Specifies that
all temperatures should be displayed in Celsius, instead of Fahrenheit. |
WeatherDeskShowPopupTempsInCelsius |
|
WeatherDeskShowPopupPressureInMb |
Specifies that
all pressures should be displayed in millibars, instead of inches mercury. |
WeatherDeskShowPopupPressureInMb |
|
WeatherDeskShowPopupWindInKph |
Specifies that
all windows should be displayed in kilometers per hour, instead of miles per
hour. |
WeatherDeskShowPopupWindInKph |
|
WeatherDeskShowPopupInMetric |
Specifies that
all measurements in the popup forecast window should be displayed in metric,
instead of English units. |
WeatherDeskShowPopupInMetric |
|
WeatherDeskShowPopupUnits |
Specifies that
all measurements in the popup window will appear with their units. If this is not present, all measurements
will appear without unit designations. |
WeatherDeskShowPopupUnits |
|
WeatherDeskPopupX
integer |
Specifies, in
pixels, the x-coordinate for the popup window’s initial position. |
WeatherDeskPopupX 300 |
|
WeatherDeskPopupY
integer |
Specifies, in
pixels, the y-coordinate for the popup window’s initial position. |
WeatherDeskPopupY 500 |
|
WeatherDeskPopupAlwaysOnTop |
If present,
this will cause the popup window to always be on top when it is visible. |
WeatherDeskPopupAlwaysOnTop |
|
WeatherDeskPopupAlwaysOnBottom |
If present,
this will cause the popup window to always be below other running
applications. |
WeatherDeskPopupAlwaysOnBottom |
|
Command |
Description |
|
!HideWD |
Hides the
WeatherDesk window. |
|
!ShowWD |
Displays the
WeatherDesk window. |
|
!ToggleWD |
Hides the
WeatherDesk window if it is currently visible; otherwise, shows the
WeatherDesk window. |
|
!MoveWD x,y |
Moves the WeatherDesk
window to the coordinates specified by x,y. |
|
!ToggleWDPopup
[integer] |
Shows or hides
the WeatherDesk popup forecast window, as long as a theme is defined. If WeatherDesk is being run in
multiple-city mode, this bang command can be followed by an integer, which
will tell WeatherDesk which city to display the forecast for. |
WeatherDesk
supports displaying weather conditions (and weather condition bitmaps) for
multiple cities. To use this feature, do
the following:
1. In your step.rc, rename the WeatherDeskPage command to WeatherDeskPage0.
- Add additional commands (up to 4) for additional
cities. These are
WeatherDeskPage1, WeatherDeskPage2, and so forth.
- Edit your WeatherDeskFormat command, and add the
city number after each weather variable in the string.
- If you intend to use cycling, you can enter
#b[0|1|2|3|4] variables into WeatherDeskFormat for specifying when to
display each city’s condition bitmap.
- Recycle LiteStep.
The following is
an example of step.rc before and after the multiple city feature was utilized.
Before
WeatherDeskPage
“/US/WA/Seattle.html”
WeatherDeskFormat
“Temp: #t#g, Wind #w”
[…other
irrelevant WeatherDesk commands…]
displays:
After
WeatherDeskPage0
"/US/CA/Los_Angeles.html"
WeatherDeskPage1
"/US/WA/Seattle.html"
WeatherDeskPage2
"/US/AR/Little_Rock.html"
WeatherDeskFormat
"#b0LAX: #t0#g, wind #w0#n#b1SEA: #t1#g, wind #w1#n#b2LIT: #t2#g, wind
#w2"
WeatherDeskCycleDelay
2
[…other
irrelevant WeatherDesk commands…]
displays:
Notes
You can also
display information for multiple cities on the same line (without cycling) by
using a WeatherDeskFormat string like
“LAX: #t0#g,
SEA: #t1#g, LIT: #t2#g” (using data from the above example). This would display something like
“LAX: 88°, SEA: 55°, LIT: 66°”.
Beginning with
version 0.55, WeatherDesk has a skinnable popup window which can display a
6-day forecast and various weather stats.
There are two methods which can be used to display this window:
- Right-click on WeatherDesk, and select “Show
Popup For”->”[City Name]”
- Execute the !ToggleWDPopup [integer]
command, where the [integer] is an optional integer representing
the city number, for people using multiple cities.
In order to
enable support for the popup forecast window, you must do the following things:
- In your step.rc, add the line
WeatherDeskPopupThemeFile path, where path is the location
of a theme .INI file. Two themes
are supplied with WeatherDesk 0.55, or you can create your own.
- Optionally add other Popup Forecast Window commands to your step.rc, to modify how WeatherDesk
displays weather stats in the window.
Because
WeatherDesk supports so many options, I have received much e-mail from people
asking what step.rc options to use.
Below is a basic configuration, which when added to your step.rc, will
enable all of WeatherDesk’s basic features.
The only things you’ll have to change are the WeatherDeskX and
WeatherDeskY co-ordinates, and the WeatherDeskPage variable to match your own
location. This configuration doesn’t
use a background bitmap, but you can easily add one by supplying a
WeatherDeskImage variable. Make sure
that the WeatherDeskPic variables and the WeatherDeskThemeFile variable are set
to locations appropriate for your system.
WeatherDeskX 0
WeatherDeskY 0
WeatherDeskCycleDelay
3
WeatherDeskFontColor
FFFFFF
WeatherDeskHeight
40
WeatherDeskWidth
350
WeatherDeskFormat
"#b0LAX: #t0#gF, Wind #w0
mph#n#b1TPA: #t1#gF, Wind #w1
mph#n#b2SEA: #t2#gF, Wind #w2 mph"
WeatherDeskXOffset
54
WeatherDeskYOffset
12
WeatherDeskFont
"Century Gothic"
WeatherDeskFontSize
18
WeatherDeskUpdate
10
WeatherDeskUpdateColor
FF0000
WeatherDeskPage0
"/US/CA/Los_Angeles.html"
WeatherDeskPage1
"/US/FL/Tampa.html"
WeatherDeskpage2
"/US/WA/Seattle.html"
WeatherDeskPicXOffset
8
WeatherDeskPicYOffset
6
WeatherDeskClearPic
wx-clear.bmp
WeatherDeskDustPic
wx-dust.bmp
WeatherDeskFogPic
wx-fog.bmp
WeatherDeskLtRainPic
wx-ltrain.bmp
WeatherDeskRainPic
wx-rain.bmp
WeatherDeskHvyRainPic
wx-hvrain.bmp
WeatherDeskDrizzlePic
wx-drizzle.bmp
WeatherDeskHazePic
wx-haze.bmp
WeatherDeskPCloudyPic
wx-pcloudy.bmp
WeatherDeskMCloudyPic
wx-mcloudy.bmp
WeatherDeskOvercastPic
wx-overcast.bmp
WeatherDeskLtSnowPic
wx-ltsnow.bmp
WeatherDeskSnowPic
wx-snow.bmp
WeatherDeskHvySnowPic
wx-hvsnow.bmp
WeatherDeskBlizzardPic
wx-blizzard.bmp
WeatherDeskUnknownPic
wx-unknown.bmp
WeatherDeskIcePic
wx-ice.bmp
WeatherDeskTStormPic
wx-tstorm.bmp
WeatherDeskScrollDuringCycle
WeatherDeskPopupThemeFile
c:\litestep\weatherdesk\skins\globe.ini
WeatherDeskShowPopupDegrees
WeatherDeskShowPopupPressureInMb
WeatherDeskShowPopupUnits