XML Data Feed Subscription Details
By subscribing to the XML Data Feed packs, you will have complete customization control over your maps and how they will be created. With the XML data service, you will have access to the HWContour XML files that contain the raw weather data and latitude/longitude coordinate combinations which is then used by the amazingly fast HWContour plugin to plot the contoured data from the coordinate points onto the map of your choice.
View a sample XML document similar to those you will receive with your subscription.
With this method, customization of your maps is nearly limitless. Some of the major customization features available when using the HWContur XML data include: Custom Base Maps, Contour Handling, Legend Control, Map Header Control, Label Settings, Map Point Data.
| Custom Base Maps |
The HWContour Plugin that is used to plot the raw XML data can use any base map compatable with HAMweather and HW3image, to plot the data onto, using either Grid (non projected), Albers or Lambert projections.
The ability to control which base map is used also allows you to define which geographical location will be displayed (i.e. using a US state base map for the US XML data will only display the contoured map for that state). This feature also allows you to choose your base map colors.
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| Contour Handling |
| Contour settings allow you to define how the contour polygons and lines are handled by the HWContour plugin. You can set a minimum and/or maximum value which the plugin will only plot that data between those ranges (useful for map data such as heat index and wind chill). |
| The contour line width can also be changed to give your lines a thicker width. |
| Changing the contour interval sets the distance between values before another contour is drawn and is also used in calculating the color gradient between contours as needed. |
| You will have the ability to draw contour outlines at each specified interval or to leave your contours unfilled, leaving only the outlines. |
| Adjusting the blend level (opacity) of your contours will give them a more solid or faint appearance depending on your settings. |
| Contour labels can be plotted along the contour lines which give the numerical value of each contour. |
| You will be able to change the overall contour colors that are used to fill your map. All you need to define in your color settings are the colors to be used at the contour intervals and the HWContour plugin will automatically calculate the colors necessary for the true gradient between intervals. Smaller contour intervals will provide you with more of a gradient effect over larger intervals. These colors will also be used in your map legend using the same gradient method. |
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| Legend Control |
| Legends for your map can either be automatically generated by the HWContour plugin using the gradient and interval method described above or it can also be an user generated image that is simply inserted onto the map. |
| The position of the legend can be controlled using a series of various settings, such as whether its oriented horizontally or vertically, top or bottom, or left or right on the map. |
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| Map Title Bar Control |
| Change the title bar background color, dimensions, font styles, and opacity levels for map title, which provides the map name and credit/site text. Similar to the legend, the title barcan be positioned at the top or the bottom of the map. |
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| Label Settings |
| Labels are the general textual information that you can add to your map, such as data update times or site specific text. Positioning can be controlled by defining the starting x and y coordinates and the alignment from that starting position horizontally and vertically. |
| You can also add city names and corresponding geographical points to your maps even if those cities are not included in the main point data. Font styles and colors for city names can be altered as well. |
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| Map Point Data |
| Map point data is the actual numerical weather data that is used to generate the raw XML file, which is then used to create the contours. By having access to the actual point data, you can overlay these numerical values for the available cities onto the contoured map, providing for better legibility in conjunction with the colored contours. For example, you can plot the latest temperature values for cities over your contours. |
| The HWContour plugin performs built in calculations, which can also be adjusted along with your other settings, in order to choose the point data to be plotted in the most even distribution of points. |
| Similar to the label settings, the map point data textual output can be adjusted to the font style, size and color you select. |
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