I would suggest perhaps looking at wakari - https://www.wakari.io - yes it
requires knowing Python, but you can make iPython notebooks as examples, which
would give them the basic code they needed to do things. Not perfect, but it
would be web based. Rich and Rob de Almeida have nice examples of iPython
notebooks. Python can access netcdf files. opendap served files, ERDDAP files,
and can do a lot plotting.
The other option is to restrict yourself to datasets that already are served by
ERDDAP or an LAS. Given that the UAF ERDDAP has over 2000 datasets, it is not
a major restriction. LAS allows more flexibility in that you can do some
computations in it, but to really go beyond the simplest would require learning
Ferret scripts, so you are back to having to learn some small amount of
programming.
Or restrict yourself to what Marinexplore has and use their web interface.
-Roy
On Sep 25, 2013, at 12:18 PM, Charlie Zender <zender@xxxxxxx> wrote:
> Hi All,
>
> Thanks for the suggestions. Unfortunately, none seem to satisfy
> my immediate needs for this class. I'll explain the use-case
> a bit more so that some of you web-savvy developers can see the
> open niche. Then I'll respond one-by-one to all suggestions.
>
> The classroom situation is this: Informal grad climatology class.
> Students all have laptops or tablets with browsers and good internet
> connection. During class instructor wants to show, e.g., global
> temperature or OLR from a netCDF dataset. (And, ideally, analyze it a
> little. Zonal averages etc. But such analysis is not necessary.)
> I would like students to become comfortable doing this themselves,
> not to load them down with software instructions for multiple OSs.
> Hence, a browser-based solution is called for. Everyone has a browser
> that can see/download the datasets we visit (datasets are all visible
> via direct HTTP or DAP/TDS). Could restrict this to either direct HTTP
> or DAP/TDS if necessary. I want something like Panoply/ncView/IDV
> except that it works through a browser so no one needs to install
> anything except possibly a browser extension. We cannot bog-down the
> class with programming, scripting, or server maintenance.
>
> We can assume they have the Chrome browser if necessary (because it's
> free and robust on all major platforms). But I have no control over
> the data servers nor any wish involve the students or me in software
> installation (besides possibly Chrome) or programming. Students should
> only need to know the location of the datasets, and possibly the URL
> of the service. I want to focus class on the data, not the software.
> Only point and click required. No Java/Python/R/scripting required.
>
> If you have a suggestion, please include the publicly accessible URL
> or browser extension that will plot publicly visible netCDF files.
>
> Thanks!
> c
>
> Le 25/09/2013 04:48, Signell, Richard a écrit :> A few ideas:
>>
>> The remote NetCDF files could be served using the THREDDS data server
>> (with WMS enabled), allowing graphical viewing in the browser using
>> the godiva2 WMS client
>>
>> The remote NetCDF files could be served using ERDDAP, allowing
>> graphical viewing in the browser using the ERDDAP graphing interface.
>>
>> You could access and display the remote NetCDF files using Wakari
>> (Ipython notebook running on the cloud), which runs in the browser.
>
> We don't have control over the data servers.
> I only know the URLs of the datasets we wish to view.
>
>> Le 25/09/2013 05:12, Lynnes, Christopher S. (GSFC-6102) a écrit :
>> These ideas may be too complicated to implement in a short time
>> frame, but...
>>
>> (0) In Giovanni, we serialize the netCDF to JSON for certain kinds
>> of plots (scatterplots, time-series), then use JS packages like
>> HighCharts to visualize. It still takes a bit of code though, and I
>> doubt ours would be instantly reusable in your setting. :-(
>>
>> (1) Some folks have put together a a recipe for running IDV in
>> "headless" mode on the server...
>
> Chris-- A couple of people mentioned IDV might work for this.
> I need a URL of a working solution to point the class to.
>
>> (2) For data that can be mapped, you can use the THREDDS Data Server
>> to visualize via WMS, yes? Or failing that, stand up a MapServer
>> pointing to the OPeNDAP data (need not be on the same machine). I
>> think you can use a Google Earth plugin for the browser to make this
>> work on the client side.
>
> The Google Earth plugin would be a fine environment.
> Don't know how to get it to plot, e.g., color contours of global
> temperature from a publicly accessible netCDF dataset...
>
>> (Bright side is, I think you may have stumbled on a pretty cool
>> proposal idea. Oops, did I say that out loud?)
>
> You're typing out loud again. Anyone listening?
>
> Le 25/09/2013 06:45, Roy Mendelssohn - NOAA Federal a écrit :>
>> If I understood correctly not all of the files are are served by
>> THREDDS or OPeNDAP, so just installing them someone else won't solve
>> the problem if I understand correctly (so this also rules out your
>> installing ERDDAP or LAS on a server somewhere and using them - if I
>> get the problem correctly - ERDDAP also will not visualize irregular
>> grids).. Rich already mentioned Wakari if you know or want to learn
>> Python. Another option, if if you have the use of a Linux server
>> somewhere, is to put RStudio Server on a linux box, and then the
>> RStudio Interface is accessible through a browser. the ncdf4
>> package is wonderful for accessing netcdf and opendap files, but
>> graphics in R can have a steep learning curve. The RStudio
>> interface is very nice however.
>
> Hi Roy---For this class, no programming or fiddling with servers.
>
>> Le 25/09/2013 06:48, H. Joe Lee a écrit :>
>> Hi, Charlie!
>>
>> Does the following URL [1] work on your Chromebook showing Google
>> Earth?
>
> Yes
>
>> If so, I think you (or your students) can write some JavaScript that
>>
>> 1) requests lat/lon/data from THREDDS/OPeNDAP in ASCII with
>> constraint expression
>> 2) parse it and build KML using polygon drawing or place marker
>> 3) run the code from [1]
>>
>> I've played the above idea a little bit last night after seeing your
>> message with my Chrome but I could not confirm it with
>> Chromebook/ChromeOS.
>>
>> Regards,
>>
>> [1] https://code.google.com/apis/ajax/playground/?exp=earth#parse_kml
>
> Students cannot be assumed to know programming/scripting.
>
>> Le 25/09/2013 07:02, Signell, Richard a écrit :> Charlie,
>>
>> For clarification, are these remote NetCDF files that you want to
>> visualize accessible via OPeNDAP or just HTTP?
>> If just HTTP, do you need the web client to be able to subset them
>> using byte-range requests like netCDF-Java does
>> (like this:
>>
> http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/thredds/current/netcdf-java/reference/HTTPservice.html)
>
>> ?
>>
>> -RIch
>
> Hi Rich--Although I would like to be able to visit both HTTP and
> OPeNDAP-accessible files, I could restrict my ambitions to one
> or the other if necessary. Yes, geographic hyperslabbing would be
> helpful, but not required. The URL you supplied describes a process
> that requires modifying the web servers. No can do. A browser plugin
> that knew what to do with ".nc" files (downloaded locallly via HTTP,
> or remotely accessed via DAP) would satisfy the problem.
>
> Le 25/09/2013 07:32, Tyle, Kevin R a écrit :
>> If you can connect to a RAMADDA server that is properly configured
>> to run off an X server, you can display NetCDF grid files via an
>> embedded IDV interface.
>
> Hi Kevin--IDV would be a fine environment. What is URL to such a
> server that is publicly accessible (and will work for my class)?
>
>
> --
> Charlie Zender, Earth System Sci. & Computer Sci.
> University of California, Irvine 949-891-2429 )'(
>
> _______________________________________________
> netcdfgroup mailing list
> netcdfgroup@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> For list information or to unsubscribe, visit:
> http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/mailing_lists/
**********************
"The contents of this message do not reflect any position of the U.S.
Government or NOAA."
**********************
Roy Mendelssohn
Supervisory Operations Research Analyst
NOAA/NMFS
Environmental Research Division
Southwest Fisheries Science Center
1352 Lighthouse Avenue
Pacific Grove, CA 93950-2097
e-mail: Roy.Mendelssohn@xxxxxxxx (Note new e-mail address)
voice: (831)-648-9029
fax: (831)-648-8440
www: http://www.pfeg.noaa.gov/
"Old age and treachery will overcome youth and skill."
"From those who have been given much, much will be expected"
"the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice" -MLK Jr.
