Downloads
JStrack version 3.2.1
This release's primary purpose is to add a download with Windows
executables for the tracker program and for the autoftp program (which
automates data updates via JStrack's ftp code). The conversion to EXE
files on the windows side is something I've been working on for some
time, little by little learning more about how to use
tclkit.exe and sdx.kit.
One big change is that, if you're using the EXE files, you are limited to
running JStrack from C:/JStrack/ (that's where I built the EXE, and if
you run it from anywhere else, it can't find its external libraries).
All users using the plain Tcl/Tk version (i.e., not the EXE) should
download the non-EXE copy, extract the archive, and run autoconfig.tcl
as usual.
- JStrack version 3.2.1
- For ALL current versions of JStrack: portions of the
netpbm package
are required for viewing GOES EAST imagery. Your best bet
is to either A) for windows users, use the ones in windows_bin,
or B) compile and install it (it's easy). The programs you need
are jpegtopnm, pamcut, and pamscale (and,
of course, you need the shared libraries required by these).
- JStrack 3.2.1:
- this has been split up for easier downloading (updates,
etc.)—the majority of the file sizes are for files
that basically don't ever change...so I'm pulling those out.
You can simply download them one time, and unless something
changes, be done with it.
- JStrack 3.2.1: -
[as a .tar.gz] //
[as a .zip]
(requires either A) Tcl/Tk and the libs below installed,
or B) the win32 EXE package below).
- Patch to JStrack 3.2.1 (29Aug2010 1710 CDT)
[as .tar.gz] //
[as .zip]
Extract from the main JStrack directory it will
extract into that directory, the tracker directory,
and the tracker/lib directory.
This patch fixes a number of annoying little bugs:
- The blue bar with the storm names, timestamps, etc., got
really huge with more than a couple of storms...fixed.
- The above caused the lower portion of JStrack to be
driven right off of the bottom of the screen...fixed.
- Old storm data (previous years) was not being handled
properly...fixed. On a related note, old storms are
now listed (the blue bar again) with their year.
- The Probabilities product hasn't been released by the NHC
for years, but JStrack kept listing it as viewable in the
"point" menus...fixed.
- Another patch. This one makes the watch/warning button on
the menu bar red if there are active watches and/or
warnings. Apply this AFTER the patch above.
[patch-30aug.tar.gz] //
[patch-30aug.zip]
- And still another (sigh) patch. The watch/warning
display was only showing one storm.... This fixes that.
NOTE: WAY too many patches...this has gone beyond the
absurd.... The next one makes it a new minor release
instead (it would be version 3.2.2).
Apply this AFTER the patches above.
[patch_no2_30aug10.tar.gz] //
[patch_no2_30aug10.zip]
- Windows EXE for JStrack.
This is NOT the entire JStrack
distribution. This is only the executables and path.tcl
specific to the EXE version (this makes it easier when you
want to download updates ... and when I need to UPLOAD
updates!)
This contains a paths.tcl file that is specific to the
EXE version, and should be extracted AFTER the main JStrack
distribution, and you should be careful not to over-write it
with future updates! A backup copy is provided
(paths.tcl.winexe), so worst case, just copy that back to
paths.tcl.
- windows_bin.zip - extract this
in the tracker directory (the result will be
jstrack/tracker/windows_bin/...). If you are running
JStrack under Windows, you need this.
- External libraries (already in the EXE):
[extlib.zip] //
[extlib.tar.gz]
extract this in the main JStrack directory. The result
will be jstrack/extlib/...)
If you are not running JStrack from
the win32 EXE executables, you need this, and
you also need the Img library (see "Links You Need To Have"
section below).
- NOTE (Sun 29 Aug 11:15 AM CDT): There is a set of storm files
(felix) (that I made up
for testing) that might be in the tracker/storms directory.
If you downloaded version 3.2.1 prior to Sunday,
29 August 2010 at 11:30 AM CDT, you
will find felix in your storms directory (tracker/storms).
You may (and should) safely remove felix.*.
- NOTE 2 (Sun 29 Aug 11:15 AM CDT): I am working on a few
- Old storm data no longer loads. Something I did
somewhere in the code broke this....I have no idea
when this happened, as I rarely even think about old
storm data except when testing (that's how I found
this problem today!).
- JStrack documentation (PDF) - This
covers everything from installing Tcl/Tk (required to run JStrack)
to installing, configuring, and using JStrack. It also covers how
to join the WX-ATLAN e-mail list for getting updates via e-mail.
- WARNING: If you have already installed
3.0.0 or higher, and have configured the city names files,
you MUST back these up prior to extracting new versions, or you
will lose your changes!
- Changes to the console: now using TkCon instead of the old
consoles (interp.tcl for Unix, and the "console" command in
Windows). Now there's a consistent console for testing, etc.
- Improvements to the watch/warning plots.
Still experimental!
- Basically, it got up to three patches, which I decided was enough
to justify just wrapping up a new minor release.
- JStrack version 3.1.0
Put simply, trying to get the data (reliably for all locations) from the
NHC products turned out to be both unreliable and impractical. So the
whole idea has been replaced with a new menu item on the menu bar. Just
select the Watches/Warnings button and a text window will pop up with
the watch/warning data for storms you have loaded.
The previous two releases really should have been 3.1.x, so this one
will make that step up.
- JStrack version 3.0.3
- Processing and plotting of NHC Watch/Warning data.
EXPERIMENTAL
Note that, for now, at least, this relies very heavily on how
the NHC formats the information. The more formal formatting
used for the two storms while I was working on this worked fine.
The casual format used for the current (22Jul2010) tropical
depression is missed completely. Eventually, I hope to "teach"
the filter how to read the less formal versions, but for now,
just know that this is experimental, and may not even stay.
Either way, DO NOT EVER rely exclusively on JStrack or
any other non-official source for your watch/warning data!
- Improved handling of city and location names, including
per-map settings.
- JStrack version 3.0.2
- NEW FEATURE - Plotting of city/location names
is now moved out of the incomplete category to the
hopefully-working-right category.
- NEW FEATURE - Allows the GOES East satellite
imagery to be plotted directly on the tracking map.
See gulf_sat+map.gif for a
sample from early on in the process of adding this.
- fixes the problems with the filter introduced when the NHC
changed the date format from (e.g.) "2100Z" to "2100 UTC"
- has some limited city names for the gulf coast map...but only
the first time the map is loaded...this is very much an
incomplete work in progress, and I was thinking about disabling
it before making the above archive files, but I chose instead
to at least let people see where things are (or may be) headed.
- adds lots of other stuff—see the HISTORY file
for more information....
If you aren't using the Windows EXE release, you will need to have Tcl/Tk
installed before you do anything else. After you extract the archives
(and have installed Tcl/Tk), you will need to run autoconfig.tcl
(under the ht directory).
NOTE: The code for satellite imagery and for creating an image file
from the main window REQUIRES the Img extension. This is included
in the ActiveTcl release for Windows. For Unix users, you'll need to
download it (see links below).
Links You Need to Have (and local copies of some files)
- Old Storm Data (1986–2006)
- Really Old Storm Data (1851–1985—courtesy of NHC site)
- Things you need if you are NOT running the Windows EXE release:
- Tcl/Tk 8.4.15 (all from other sites)
