Automate the GRIB files retrieval

[rodanger]

Hi All,

Currently using OpenCPN with the GRIB viewer, and using the email transaction to retrieve GRIB files.
Is there a way to just get OpenCPN download the GRIB files from a web service instead of manually sending an email then storing the attachement received?

Thank you

[.Paul.]

I use ZyGrib to view and download gribs while I have Internet access. This is mentioned near the bottom of the Grib Plugin section of the OpenCPN Manual.

More to know

ZyGrib is a free and open-source software (FOSS) dedicated grib viewer. Grib files can be downloaded by ZyGrib and then opened in OpenCPN.

Here is the link to ZyGrib.org:

zyGrib: grib file, weather data visualization

Paul

[conachair]

Originally Posted by rodanger

Hi All,

Currently using OpenCPN with the GRIB viewer, and using the email transaction to retrieve GRIB files.
Is there a way to just get OpenCPN download the GRIB files from a web service instead of manually sending an email then storing the attachement received?

Thank you

Been thinking the same recently, but not getting very far. Looks like you can get gribs using command line scripts or curl but too complex for me so far, maybe a few late nights with buckets of coffee might get somewhere , another possibility might be using node-red to send and recieve the emails then save the attachment somewhere but again, first glance looks like the stock email node isn't great with attachments.
Anyone know more care to share? Would be nice always having the most recent grib saved automatically. Ta

[CarCode]

Originally Posted by conachair

Been thinking the same recently, but not getting very far. Looks like you can get gribs using command line scripts or curl but too complex for me so far, maybe a few late nights with buckets of coffee might get somewhere , another possibility might be using node-red to send and recieve the emails then save the attachment somewhere but again, first glance looks like the stock email node isn't great with attachments.
Anyone know more care to share? Would be nice always having the most recent grib saved automatically. Ta

Some functions of the grib plugin has been used from the sources of zyGrib which is opensource with source code available. But sadly not any function to get easily grib data. A server is needed to process the users requests and get the specified data from NOAA sending them to the requesting user done by php scripts. Reading the sources of zyGrib anyone can see how this works.

Gerhard

[bdbcat]

Folks...

Take a look at this:

GRIB Filter

and this:
Scripting grib_filter on NCEP's nomads server

Several GRIB models are available....

Essentially, you build a complex URL with many parameters, and submit a GET method call to the NOAA servers. Down comes the filtered GRIB.

Would be a nice addition to the GRIB Plugin...

Dave

[seandepagnier]

We cannot use the code in zygrib for this without permission from zygrib as it would use the server's bandwidth for opencpn use.

I think grabbing directly from noaa as mentioned should be implemented, but also possible is to host grib data from opencpn.org? Do we have the bandwidth to run a webapp for this?

[bdbcat]

Sean...

opencpn.org bandwidth: Of course, we don't know how much demand we would see from a grib server, so it would be hard to estimate. But surely it is worth prototyping, just to see....

If we need more bandwidth from our ISP, we could fund this by donations, I would think.

First GRIB model to consider, I think, would be NOAA RTOFS. NOAA discontinued the grib-filter support for this model, so there is no easy way to get reduced-area/reduced-value GRIBs from this model. It is all, or nothing. All is huge....

And then maybe the high-definition Euro models....

Dave

[sailorF54]

Originally Posted by bdbcat

Sean...

[snip]

And then maybe the high-definition Euro models....

Dave

The 0.01° gribs from Meteo-France (AromeHD) are available in 'chunks' covering a large part of Western Europe here (courtesy of Olivier Bouyssou of Weather4D fame) (Grib1 format, wind and sea-level pressure, North Sea, Channel, France Atlantic, Lion Gulf, Corsica, Balearic Islands, 8 to 23 Mo, hourly for 2 days)
Index of /AromeHD
They are extracted from HUGE public downloads (in grib2 format, with a wealth of parameters at many altitude levels available from Meteo-France)
Answering a question of mine on a French Forum when first announced, Olivier mentioned that he did not fear being overwhelmed by download requests.

[rgleason]

Yes. This would be ideal. I also think the download page would be popular.

[rgleason]

We shouldn't lose track of this for NCEP nomads. I have put in a request to to reenable the Gribs filter for rtofs and it was received positively, with a response that they would put it on the list for the next cycle and would try to do it.

The area where rtofs need improvement, I believe, is in the representation of near coastal tidal currents. There are significant commercial advantages in making these improvements, including assisting in hurricane surge predictions, neap (period of moderate tides after equinoxal) and excessive equinoxal tides, in a time when coastal assets are at risk. However logical this is, the agency is stressed to even provide the current assets and resources, is under funded and will not be able to provide improvements, without having greater support from the administration and congress.

[rgleason]

So yes, I think a website page that enables all sailors to utilize the present assets would be very helpful, and I would hope the community would pitch in and help get bdbcat's suggestion going in whatever way they can help. I will certainly try to help.