The Alternative Interface (ai.cmx): Difference between revisions

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=== Overview ===
=== Overview ===


Below are a number screenshots of various aspects of the alternative interface (version 1).
Below are a number screenshots of various aspects of the alternative interface.
{| class="wikitable" style="vertical-align: top;"
|-
! Screenshot !! Information
|-
| [[File:AI_Theme_Selector.png|thumb]] || style="vertical-align:top;"| The included theme selector page.  You can select a theme<br/>(lots included) and set it active for the current session or make it permanent.<br/>You can also reset to the original theme.  At the<br/>bottom of the page are the email settings for sending emails.
|-
| [[File:AI_Weather_Records.png|thumb]] || style="vertical-align:top;"|<strong>Weather view pages</strong><br/><br/>The 'view records' page.  Note that you can select the same sub-sets as<br/>in the normal interface.  The only difference is the selectors are actually buttons, not lists.
|-
| [[File:AI_NOAA_Month_Reports.png|thumb]] ||style="vertical-align:top;"| There are some small changes to the way that this page works.<br/>The date selector now automatically closes when you select a date and the report is loaded.
|-
| [[File:AI_Extra_Sensors.png|thumb]] ||style="vertical-align:top;"| If you have extra sensors on your weather station this is where the readings will<br/>be displayed.  It uses an HTML table as in the normal interface but these have all been made<br/>responsive.
|-
| [[File:AI_Compare_Charts.png|thumb]] ||style="vertical-align:top;"|The new 'choose your own date' charts are included.<br/>The only difference is that ALL charts can now be zoomed to show more detail.<br/>On a tablet this is done with two fingers, but with the mouse just press and drag.
|-
| [[File:AI_Dashboard.png|thumb]] || style="vertical-align:top;"|This is the alternative dashboard.  I have made some<br/>changes to this page as I always like to see any<br/>alarms that have been set as soon as the page<br/>loads.<br/><br/>This page is also on my main list for future development.<br/>I want to include LEDs for Records Set and probably add<br/>extra Almanac data but as a popup so that it<br/>doesn't interfere with the main page data.
|-
| [[File:AI_Data_Log_Editor.png|thumb]] || style="vertical-align:top;"|The first screenshots of the 'Edit/Configure' pages.<br/>All 'Edit' pages with a date selector modified have had it modified.<br/>The date selector will now disappear as soon as you select a date<br/> and the data loaded.  The page also automatically loads the<br/>first set of data on load so you don't need<br/>to click any buttons to start.
|-
| [[File:AI_Dayfile_Viewer-Editor.png|thumb]] || style="vertical-align:top;"|The Day File Viewer/Editor has been forced to fit within the page layout.<br/>However, it still scrolls sideways so that you can<br/>view all the data.<br/><br/>You can still edit it as this is still done within a popup window.
|-
| [[File:AI_Diary_Editor.png|thumb]] || style="vertical-align:top;"|This page has been restructured to improve its design.<br/><br/>The calendar has also been themed so that when you choose a new<br/>theme, the calendar colours change as well.<br/><br/>Future versions of this page may be combined with the<br/>Current Conditions editor.
|-
| [[File:AI_Extra_Sensor_Settings.png|thumb]] || style="vertical-align:top;"|This is an example of the Extra Sensor Settings page.<br/><br/>Many of the 'Settings' pages use the 'Alpaca' library to generate the required forms.<br/><br/>None of these have been changed except for the page framework.  In action there is no difference.
|-
| [[File:AI_Records_Editor.png|thumb]] || style="vertical-align:top;"|The Records Editor pages all use standard HTML tables and a library to enable you to edit them.<br/><br/>The only changes made to these pages was to make the buttons work with the new themes and the use a<br/>'splash' screen when you load data.  This makes it more obvious that the system is busy.


|}
====Version 1====
<gallery>
AI_Weather_Records.png|Showing the weather records.
AI_NOAA_Month_Reports.png|NOAA Reports.  No significant change to this page in version 2
AI_Extra_Sensors.png|Version 2 of this page enables you to re-order each block to suite your weather station resources
</gallery>


Where the above screenshots vary in colour, it is because I temporarily loaded alternate themes. You get 30 themes included that can also be used with the default website.  
This has now been superseded by Version 2. (See below).


You can download the Alternative Interface using this link [https://cumuluswiki.org/images/7/7c/Ai-cmx-latest.zip Alternative Interface for CumulusMX]. This upload has been updated on 27th November 2021 @ 10:55am and is now Version 2 of the Interface.  This update fixes the Feels Like gauges not displaying data, the Dew point temperatures title to 'Other Temperatures, and the popup editor used on the Day File, Sensor (and extra Sensor) logs pages.  It is also available on the '''Forum''' under CumulusMX ~ Alternative Interfaces.
====Version 2====
<gallery>
Screenshot_Dashboard.png|The v2 Dashboard showing some version 3 developments ideas
Screenshot_Charts.png|A sample of the carts page - note all charts are zoomable and any buttons always spread across the width of the page
Screenshot_TodayVYesterday.png|The Today verses Yesterday page.  All panels can be re-ordered as required.
Screenshot_Edit_Data_Logs.png|Showing rows hovered and rows selected.
Screenshot_Edit_Data_Logs_2.png|The same page showing the edit popup.
Screenshot_Alarm_Settings.png|The Alarms settings page.
Screenshot_Extra_Web_Files.png|The extra Webfiles page.  Note I put a heading in the first entry of every page to identify role of upload.
Screenshot_Weather_Diary_Editor.png|Showing the combined diary and current conditions editor.
</gallery>
 
All the above are taken from my current Version 2 of the Interface.  Th only exception is the image of the dashboard that shows some of the developments I am playing with.
 
* One is the inclusion of Davis Weather Station details so that I can see when the battery needs replacing or if there is some other issue.
* The second is the inclusion of "New Record" LEDs in the appropriate panels.  I don't yet know how detailed this needs to be; at the moment its limited to just the four main categories - Temperature, Pressure, Rain and Wind.  It might start getting very cluttered if I include all possible LEDs.  Let me know your thoughts.
 
You can download version 2 of the Alternative Interface (AI) using this link [https://cumuluswiki.org/images/7/7c/Ai-cmx-latest.zip Alternative Interface for CumulusMX]. This upload has been updated on 27th November 2021 @ 10:55am.  This update fixes the Feels Like gauges not displaying data, the Dew point temperatures title to 'Other Temperatures, and the popup editor used on the Day File, Sensor (and extra Sensor) logs pages.  It is also available on the '''Forum''' under CumulusMX ~ Alternative Interfaces.


=== Installation ===
=== Installation ===

Revision as of 16:51, 1 December 2021

An Alternative (additional) Interface

Overview

Following the release of the responsive default website for CumulusMX, I have now developed an alternative interface pack so that both your live site and your CumulusMX Console site look similar. The general layout is the same but without a sidebar. The header and footer are static by default but both can be made to scroll if preferred.

Like the default website, you can change the theme with impacts all elements on the pages including tooltips and calendars. Unlike the default site, you get nearly 30 colour themes included which can also be used with the default site.

How it fits with the existing inteface

It has been developed to run in tandem with the existing Interface, has the same pages (plus one to manage the themes), and each page does the same as the Interface. This is a deliberate choice so that you don't need to do anything differently. The menu has been reworked to shorten it; I have grouped together pages that just show you your weather data and those that enable you to configure or edit it.

One other alteration is on the main dashboard. I have moved the alarms panel to just underneath the sun and moon times. When using the Interface I like to be made aware of any alarms without scrolling; especially ones about the system. This page is already being modified to improve its layout - I will be releasing a new version shortly that enables the alarm panel to be hidden once scanned for issues.

Overview

Below are a number screenshots of various aspects of the alternative interface.

Version 1

This has now been superseded by Version 2. (See below).

Version 2

All the above are taken from my current Version 2 of the Interface. Th only exception is the image of the dashboard that shows some of the developments I am playing with.

  • One is the inclusion of Davis Weather Station details so that I can see when the battery needs replacing or if there is some other issue.
  • The second is the inclusion of "New Record" LEDs in the appropriate panels. I don't yet know how detailed this needs to be; at the moment its limited to just the four main categories - Temperature, Pressure, Rain and Wind. It might start getting very cluttered if I include all possible LEDs. Let me know your thoughts.

You can download version 2 of the Alternative Interface (AI) using this link Alternative Interface for CumulusMX. This upload has been updated on 27th November 2021 @ 10:55am. This update fixes the Feels Like gauges not displaying data, the Dew point temperatures title to 'Other Temperatures, and the popup editor used on the Day File, Sensor (and extra Sensor) logs pages. It is also available on the Forum under CumulusMX ~ Alternative Interfaces.

Installation

Once you have downloaded the zip file, extract it somewhere other than your CumulusMX installation. This will avoid accidentally overwriting your existing Interface contents.

The Extracted package should consist of a single folder - ai.cmx, which can then be copied into the existing Interface folder so it shows as a sub-folder.

You are there ready to start using it. If you use the url: http://localhost:8998/ to run your normal interface, you can simply add the folder name to the end like so: http://localhost:8998/ai.cmx/.

Of course localhost can be replaced with the IP address of the machine running CumulusMX.

You still have access to the default interface if you want. It can also be run from the alternative interface - there is a menu item at the right end to do this.