You are probably using our DataPoint or Dynamic Weather plugin to display real-time weather information on your television, and information screens. Our plugins are using an internet-based weather API to get the weather information from, behind the scenes. Recently, we had to stop the Dark Sky Weather API because it was taken over by Apple, and we selected another weather API. But it turned out that the data provided by this weather API was (maybe for some locations only) not accurate enough. Some of our users reported a significant difference between actual outside temperatures, compared to the actual temperatures reported by the weather API. Since we try to deliver good software, we also find it important that we deliver weather data that is correct. We are paying for this weather data, so, it has to be good.
We want to inform you that as of now, our software DataPoint and Dynamic Weather products, are using the new weather API with better weather data.
What Weather Data Can You Expect?
Of course, the real-time weather information that we provide, starts with the observation of the current weather data. DataPoint refreshes the weather data every 10 minutes, while Dynamic Weather is checking for new information every 30 minutes.
You can collect weather data of as many locations as you want.
The data you get, are:
- Current weather code
- Current weather text
- Current weather icon
But there is more:
- Temperature
- Feels like
- Minimum and maximum temperature
- Pressure
- Humidity
- Visibility
- Wind speed and direction
- Cloudiness
- Sunrise and sunset
- UV index
- More temperature info: temperature for day, night, evening, morning, and feels like
15 Days of Forecast
Next to the current observations, you also get weather forecasts of the next 15 days with:
- Day
- Sunrise, and sunset
- Temperatures: minimum, maximum, day, night, evening, morning, feels like
- Weather code, and text
- Weather icon
- Wind speed and direction
- Cloudiness
- Precipitation volume
- Probability of precipitation
* Dynamic Elements has 3 days of forecast. DataPoint the full 15 days.
5 Icon Sets
Weather is quickly interpreted by using weather icons. We all love a yellow sun icon, and dislike an icon with dark grey clouds. Our software now comes with 5 weather icon sets that you can use.
- Colored icon set
- Grey icon set
- Black icon set
- White icon set
- Icon set with animated gifs
Choose the icon set that best matches your design. We suggest to use e.g. the white icon set whenever your slides or background are black or dark, so that you have better contrast.
How To Show Weather Info?
Enter the location or city name of where you want to get the weather information from.
Always use the format like cityname, countrycode. For example: Paris, FR
For the USA only, please use cityname, statecode, countrycode. For example: Tampa, FL, US
Choose to retrieve temperature in Fahrenheit or Celsius. Set your language for the weather types. And finally, select the icon set that you want to use.
With that info, we are able to collect the weather information of the location that you specified. You can now add a text box shape to your slide and dynamically link it to e.g. the current temperature.
For weather icons, start by inserting a dummy picture. Then select that picture and link it dynamically to e.g. the current weather condition, or the weather icons of the 15 – day forecasts.
Then run the slideshow and you will see the information updated automatically on your screens.
