Author Topic: FWI Calculator Software (Read 41297 times)

JennyLeez · « **on:** October 19, 2014, 07:11:22 PM »

Fire Weather Index Calculator is a fire danger rating system which measures the variable elements which cause day to day changes in fire risk, and interprets the information gained.
Most do not know of its existence so I thought I would post it up here.

What can it do?

Manually accepts weather & environment data, then calculates daily FWI, BUI, ISI, DC, DMC, FFMC, GFDI, FFDI, DF, BKDI, Angstrom Index and FMI.
Saves weather data & FWI indices in a recoverable data file.
Automatically interprets text files produced by remote weather station software containing weather data and calculates daily FWI indices.
Automatically parses text files, allowing for insertion of FWI data into web documents etc.
Capable of creating a HTML table containing specified FWI data.
FTP facilities are provided for uploading of parsed output file.
Displays charted data for FWI, FFMC, DMC, DC, ISI, BUI, CBI, Angstrom, FMI and allows them to be saved to file (csv).

Weather Software Supported:
Cumulus, Weather Display, Weatherlink, Weatherview32, Wetterstation (de) and VWS.

Screenshot:

Windows Installer will deploy the following files in folder "c:\program files\FWI" ....

**NOTE: On 64bit systems it might be wise to deploy this program in its own folder (eg. C:\FWI ) as there can be security issues with the program being unable to update it's own files if installed in the Program Files (x86) folder!
The setup application will install the following files on your PC...

FWI.exe (application file)
fwicalc.chm (Windows HTML Help File )
fwidat.dll (DLL containing data functions)
fwimath.dll (DLL containing math functions) licence.rtf (Licence File)
readme.txt (Readme File)

If you have a previous version database, it should be automatically modified to the newer version without data loss. As a precaution make a backup copy of your FWI folder elsewhere on your PC before installing.

To setup FWI Calculator go to Edit / FWI Setup.

Enter today's or sequential (day after day) weather data in the WEATHER DATA panel and click the "Calculate" button. If you are using a Weather Station download the appropriate Input file and follow the readme.

Setup instructions are under Help off the Menu.

You may also download the Help File, the PDF version of it here:

http://nzpws.net/fwi/help/fwicalc-PDF-Help.zip

This Software resides here and may be downloaded: fwi_calc104.zip.

If you sign up for an account your Station will be added to the Live Map. The Map has just been upgraded to include 'Peak Weather Values' if the station is sending that data.

Although the Software is no longer fully supported the Readme is fairly extensive plus I am sure members here will help if you wish to post questions below.

TonyC · « **Reply #1 on:** October 20, 2014, 08:45:01 AM »

Are there many members using this software?
My station is running on an ancient XP desktop with the only other software being camera capture.
Being in farming territory, this could be useful, but I've a certain reluctance in introducing something new to the mix in case it stuffs up what is working pretty reliably.
cheers
TC

APNP · « **Reply #2 on:** October 20, 2014, 09:15:03 AM »

Hi Tony, I am the author of this FWI program. XP is the most stable version of Windows (he laments) - don't let Windows convince you to upgrade. The FWICalc program uses little system resources compared to any other software. Just make sure it is only displaying "last 30" (default) records on its front panel then it won't use much memory. There is no "direct" interaction between FWICalc & your weather software; your weather software just needs to create a small text file that FWICalc can read (standard template files for this can be found on the downloads page). Other farmers using this software use it to determine "grassland fire risk" for stubble burns etc and dense shelter belt (macrocarpa/pine/eucalyptus) fire risk.

If it doesn't suit, uninstall it.

And for other users, although I'm not directly supporting this software anymore, I will be cruising past these forums from time to time, and will take heed of any "major" issues that arise. Cheers - Graeme -

JennyLeez · « **Reply #3 on:** October 20, 2014, 09:21:57 AM »

Hi Tony,

Mine are all Win XP also. I have always had the windows updates turned off so nothing has changed for me.
It is relatively light and has sat beside my time and date for many years.

I think it would be of real value for down your way as you state. For me, I watch, I altered and I altered some more. But that's what our hobby is all about.
I also learnt heaps

Cheers

TonyC · « **Reply #4 on:** October 20, 2014, 12:39:13 PM »

Thank Graeme.
I'll download it and have a tinker when the weather dictates indoor activities.

cheers
Tony C.

TonyC · « **Reply #5 on:** October 25, 2014, 07:08:40 PM »

Hi Jenny,

I loaded up the software and started looking at the set-up (without reading the instructions of course!). I assumed it would pickup the information from the clientraw.txt file. It gave an error though did pick up some of the data. I then read the instructions and saw that it needed a custom txt file for WD, so I checked out if WD could generate the required file and found that WD already has a fire index module built into it (Only been using the proggy for about 5 years to discover that!!). I suspect it does much the same as Graeme's program though probably not as detailed. Would I be right?

cheers
TC

iomkiwi · « **Reply #6 on:** October 25, 2014, 07:36:48 PM »

You're right - WD does have a FWI built in (and has had for a looonnng time

)

But the one in WD obviously is using far fewer parameters to obtain the figures to do the calculation, in my experience my WD figures have always tracked a lot lower than official figures.
After having the FWIcalc going for only a few days the FWI is already considerably higher than WD's figure even though the initial figures were taken from WD.

I will be giving my FWIcalc a few more weeks to settle down before putting a page on my site but the figures should be on the FWIcalc page.

JennyLeez · « **Reply #7 on:** October 25, 2014, 07:52:53 PM »

JennyLeez · « **Reply #8 on:** October 25, 2014, 08:16:05 PM »

Tony here is a WD demo.
http://belmont.net.nz/wxfwi.php
Courtesy of Mr Belmont

For me the difference is FWICalc can do so much more. More options and inputs to ensure you have it correct for your area. Not just your own backyard but a radius out.

Alan not too sure what you have filled in. But Graeme moons ago headed me to set up the Environment part. Scrub land, Grassland, slope, Fuel Load, Forrest and especially the Cure Table which I mucked around for ages with. Also winter months need to go in. Makes a difference.

It may or may not be noted that by default FWICalc updates at mid day and WD at midnight. So when comparing the two different software versions take this into account. Note though, Mr Belmont is uploading his fwigraph.gif image throughout the day

It is also worth setting up graphs. You can make them yourself. These graphs can be used on other pages as well as with Temp or Rain. You have total control as to the output of the graphs colour, size wise.

Tony have a look at what I have done so far. This will give you an idea of the graphs also an idea on what you can do web page wise

http://wairoa.net/weather/fwi/fire_index.php

Cheers

iomkiwi · « **Reply #9 on:** October 25, 2014, 08:45:23 PM »

I have done the basic setups for the Environment and am using the Cure Table, but have left the cure table at default values. Not really much point in me setting it up for my backyard as I am in the middle of an irrigated orchard

I am pretty sure that WD updates it's FWI figures at midday as is the norm for these figures, at present WD has me at 4.0, FWIcalc has 8.5 and official figures for the closest place to me has 9.3.

I haven't set the graphs up yet, but the data is building up to populate the graphs for when I do my page

iomkiwi · « **Reply #10 on:** October 25, 2014, 08:50:52 PM »

@Tony

It looks like you are at the point where I got stuck for a bit too, so here is a quick pic of how I have WD set up to create the file.
You can call the files anything you want, just make sure they are in the webfiles folder, you don't need to actually upload the created file with WD, just get FWIcalc to read it from your webfiles folder.

JennyLeez · « **Reply #11 on:** October 25, 2014, 09:12:47 PM »

Just to add to this for any Cumulus User.
We are a bit luckier.
FWICalc just reads our realtime.txt even though a single custom Input File is available as above.

hotcop65 · « **Reply #12 on:** October 25, 2014, 09:49:11 PM »

Good Evening All,

With the summer season arriving in a hurry and it looks like it is going t be a dry one here in the Waikato,
Is there some-one be able to assist me in getting the above working.

The last time it loaded was last April.

Cheers
John

JennyLeez · « **Reply #13 on:** October 26, 2014, 09:03:56 AM »

Just to clarify for John, it is the fwigraph.gif that is not uploading.
If a kind WD member could help please.

http://tokoroaweather.net/wxfwi.php

iomkiwi · « **Reply #14 on:** October 26, 2014, 09:14:16 AM »

John

I assume the graph is working in WD itself?

Make sure the "upload to Web page" box is ticked in View/Fire Weather Index.

And under Control Panel/Internet File Creation - make sure file 34 is setup to upload

TonyC · « **Reply #15 on:** October 26, 2014, 11:25:12 AM »

Only for VWS and Cumulus

.
I think I've sussed out how to set it up, but I'm not so sure most of the visitors to my site are going to want to look at complicated graphs anyway (not that I have any opinion on the surfing fraternity or foreign tourists

. The graphic pointer in a prominent position on the page in order to get people thinking about the fire danger looks to be the most useful tool and as long as the WD one is within the right margins it's the easiest to fire up. Finding a novel way of displaying it will be the first challenge and then I'll have a further play with FWI as IOMKIWI has been doing.

hotcop65 · « **Reply #16 on:** October 27, 2014, 09:39:13 AM »

Good Morning Alan,

Thanks for the info,

File 34 was already set-up. Just needed to place tick in "upload" box. All done now, will keep an eye on it for a couple of days

JT
ps: Thank you Jenny

TonyC · « **Reply #17 on:** October 27, 2014, 07:23:09 PM »

If anyone is setting up FWI using WD there are a couple of traps.

First set up WD to create the file. I created wxlocal4.html using the tags in the Wd24_input_values.txt to produce wx4.htm (page 2 of Internet File create/upload.)
The tags should be the only content in the html file. This is your input file.
Make sure that your date setup on your computer is short date dd/mm/yy
The %temp% tag doesn't work and affects the rest of the readings. I used %tempnodp% and the parser was happy with that. If it runs only once every 24 hours then %maxtempnodp% would be the one to use. The temp could be up to 1 degree out, but I don't think that's critical.

That's as far as I've got. Waiting now to see what sort of data it gathers.........

hotcop65 · « **Reply #18 on:** October 28, 2014, 01:08:48 PM »

A question? do you have to manually upload the FWI each day. I see that the data updates at mid-day in WD but doesn't upload the file.

John

APNP · « **Reply #19 on:** October 28, 2014, 06:30:35 PM »

Tony
====
Interested that WD %temp% tag "not working", the older version I have here parses the temp in OK (I use VWS however so not so savvy with WD), is it parsing it (replacing it with anything) or just passing it through unchanged? Obviously nothing I can do about WD foibles - no big issue with using the "nodp" temp option as a solution. With the short date, you could replace %date% with... %date-day%/%date-month%/%date-year% if you don't want to change your PC clock setup (NB. In Nth America month would precede day).

John
====
If you are talking about FWICalc's upload feature... in the FWI setup page (Section 3)
Data File Type = Custom Data File
File Location = the outputted file from WD (browse to it)
Data Delimiter = semi-colon or comma (or whatever separates the values)
Parse Time = 12:02 (if WD updates it at midday)
Auto Read = Check this only if WD updates the file every 15 - 60 minutes.
Total Rainfall Used = Check this if yearly total is used (don't check if using 24hr rainfall).
Set Yest. Total rainfall = Yesterday's midday annual rain total (not required if using 24hr rain)
CBI, FMI, Angstrom Use Max. = Check if Auto Read (15 minute updates) is also checked (opt).
Parse Enabled = Check!!!!! (otherwise it won't automatically upload file)
Fudge Enabled = Check.

Click the TEST Button to see it reads & understands your input file.
Process Now will overwrite any same day data in FWI database.

If FWICalc hasn't updated in a long time, you will need to click the "Restart" button on the main page. It will either fill in all the missing dates with "fudge data", or it will put in new startup values - depends if it is 30 days out of date or not. FWICalc requires an unbroken chain of daily weather data so it can calculate the indexes etc.

Hope this helps. Cheers - Graeme -

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Author Topic: FWI Calculator Software (Read 41297 times)