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1993-09-01
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+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Go 'Canes, A Modern Hurricane Tracking Program |
| Version 1.0 |
| Color VGA and a text editor required. |
| Ramdrive and/or disk cache will help. |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
QUICK START
Type GC at the DOS prompt, then Alt-G at the Configuration Screen. You'll
figure it out.
Nice huh?
Go 'Canes was will plot both developing and historical storms. It is not a
Youth Fair Science Project. It will run directly from the Configuration
Screen, or from the command line.
Through its Custom Maps, Tag Screen, and ability to accept command line
parameters, Go 'Canes was designed to enable you to track tropical cyclones
dynamically.
SEE later in this doc, COMMAND LINE USAGE
SEE also in this ZIP, README.2ND
For those who do not feel documents are for cowards, let's plunge ahead.
THE CONFIGURATION SCREEN
Here's the Configuration Screen with the default configuration (GC.CFG)
loaded.
+=============================================================================+
| GO 'CANES Configuration Screen v1.0 |
|=============================================================================|
| Current Map 1 | MAPS AVAILABLE |
| Current Storm / List ANDREW.'92 | |
|-------------------------------------------| 1) North Atlantic |
| SlowDown Factor 10 | 2) Windward Islands |
| Pause Between Storms Y | 3) Caribbean and Gulf |
|-------------------------------------------| 4) North East US Coast |
| User Latitude 25.408 | 5) Eastern Pacific |
| User Longitude 80.375 | 6) NW Gulf Coast |
|-------------------------------------------| 7) Key W to Cape Hat |
| Custom Map 6 Title NW Gulf Coast | |
| Maximum Latitude 31.5 +---------------------------------|
| Maximum Longitude 98.5 | |
| Height 5 | Alt-P Set Storm Files PATH |
|-------------------------------------------| Alt-T TAG Storms |
| Custom Map 7 Title Key W to Cape Hat | Alt-G GO to Map |
| Maximum Latitude 37 | Alt-S SAVE Configuration |
| Maximum Longitude 82 | Alt-X EXIT Program |
| Height 13 | |
+=============================================================================+
On the left are 14 Configuration Fields ready for editing. On the top right
are a list of the available Maps. Both will be discussed later. On the
lower right are the five available commands. They are fairly self evident,
but we have to start somewhere.
THE COMMANDS
Alt-P Set Storm Files PATH If you have a lot of storm files, you may want
to keep your storm files in various directories. This command will let you
set the directory that Go 'Canes will search for storms. All Storms, Storm
Lists, and Storms or Lists given on the command line must be present in the
directory indicated in the Storm Files Path.
Alt-T TAG Storms You can open the directory that you have set with the
PATH command and tag storms for viewing. The Tag Screen includes
instructions for sorting and tagging the storms. If there are more than 100
storms, PgUp/PgDown will switch between screens. Only 200 storms can be
loaded at a time, and only 99 can be tagged.
Alt-G GO to Map This command will draw the selected Map and plot the
selected Storms(s). After the plot, a two tone beep will sound, and any key
will return you to this Configuration Screen. If the Storm / List field is
empty, Alt-G will only draw the map, returning to the Configuration Screen
as above. This is handy when tweaking a Custom Map. Escape will exit a
storm plot. Alt-X at the map screen will exit the program.
Alt-S SAVE Configuration to GC.CFG This command saves your current
configuration to disk so it will become the default and be loaded the next
time you run the program. Your existing GC.CFG will be overwritten.
Alt-X EXIT Goodbye, Over, Done. Alt-X will also exit directly from the
map once a plot is completed. If you are pleased with your current
configuration, you should save it first with the SAVE command above.
GC.CFG THE CONFIGURATION FILE
GC.CFG contains the information shown on the Configuration Screen. It will
help you to know what the requirements and limits are for each field. You
can easily edit GC.CFG with your text editor, but changes are more easily
made right from the Configuration Screen.
Below are the 15 fields of the configuration file as supplied with the
program. Each field is shown here on its own line, followed by an
explanation of the field. This should prove useful no matter how you edit
your configuration.
Skilful use of the DOS copy command will allow you to have multiple
configurations by swapping files. If GC.CFG is not found or corrupt,
Go 'Canes will create a new (this) one and ask you to restart the program.
field description
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 ; current map - integer from 1 to 6
ANDREW.'92 ; current storm or list
10 ; slowdown factor for plots 0 = FASTEST, decimals OK
Y ; pause between storms in a list [Y/N]
25.408 ; user latitude (currently Homestead AFB)
80.375 ; user longitude
NW Gulf Coast ; custom map 1 title - text, 17 characters max
31.5 ; custom map 1 maximum latitude = top edge decimals OK
98.5 ; custom map 1 maximum longitude = left side "
5 ; custom map 1 height (latitude) in degrees "
Key W to Cape Hat ; custom map 2 title text, 17 characters max
37 ; custom map 2 maximum latitude = top edge "
82 ; custom map 2 maximum longitude = left side "
13 ; custom map 2 height (latitude) in degrees "
.\ ; storm file path (.\ = current directory)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE MAPS (The First Field)
The first field of the Configuration List must contain a single digit from 1
to 7 to tell Go 'Canes which Map you want to use.
Seven maps are available. The first five are hard-coded, the last two can be
defined by the user as Custom Maps (more below). The hard-coded maps are:
1) North Atlantic
2) Windward Islands
3) Caribbean and Gulf
4) North East US Coast
5) Eastern Pacific
Seeing them beats describing them.
The 2 Custom Maps included are:
5) NW Gulf Coast
6) K West to Hatteras
However, these Custom Map fields are provided so you can adapt them to the
particular storm you are tracking.
STORM FILES AND LISTS (The Second Field)
From the Configuration Screen, storm data can be passed to Go 'Canes in two
ways:
1) Files containing single storms ie: ANDREW.'92
2) Files containing lists of storms. ie: 1993.LST
Files and lists can also be passed on the command line; groups of storms
can be tagged by selecting the TAG option.
Go 'Canes determines the type of file by its extension. List files MUST
HAVE THE EXTENSION ".LST". There, I said it. Lists must be maintained in
the storm files directory indicated by the storm files PATH.
Files containing a single storm can have any DOS compliant name, but the
usual format is "hurname.'year" as in: ANDREW.'92 The apostrophe is
necessary if you wish to use the TAG feature.
Either a Storm File or a Storm List can be used in the Storm / List field of
the Configuration Screen.
STORM FILES
Storm Files are comma delimited ASCII files with 5 fields. They can be
created and maintained with any text editor. If you must use a word
processor, use ASCII, DOS text, or non-document mode. The 5 fields are:
field example comment
------- -------- ---------------------------------
1) Date 08/23/92, ; any delimiter will do, I use "/"
2) Time 23:00, ; use 24hr format (*) see below
3) Latitude 25.4, ; to one decimal place
4) Longitude 78.1, ; as above, western (all) longitude positive
5) Wind Speed 145, ; in MPH
6) Pressure 923 ; barometric pressure in millibars
The above standards are the ones used by most sources of hurricane data. See
the file README.2ND for more information on obtaining current hurricane
coordinates.
(*) The time you use is up to you. You can use GMT if you wish, but this will
involve translation from your data source then back to your local time when
necessary. I use the time given by the National Hurricane Center, which
are usually the time zone of the storm's current location.
Here's what Andrew's data file looked like as he approached Homestead.
08/23/92,23:00,25.4,78.1,145,923
08/24/92,02:00,25.4,78.9,140,941
08/24/92,05:00,25.4,80.3,140,941
Using leading zeroes in the date and time fields make these files easier to
read and maintain. There MUST NOT be any blank lines at the end of the
storm file.
The package includes files for an assortment of storms, both Atlantic and
Pacific.
STORM LISTS
A Storm List is no more than a file WITH THE EXTENSION ".LST", containing a
list of the names of the storm files you wish to plot sequentially.
Here is the contents of MYLIST.LST, supplied in the package.
HUGO.'89
ANDREW.'92
GILBERT.'88
You can create your own lists, with storms arranged by any criteria: year,
season, location, pretty patterns, old girlfriends/boyfriends. Use your
imagination.
PLOTTING STORM(S)
Once the selected map is drawn, the storm(s) will begin to plot. ESC will
abort a plot.
The name of the storm will appear on the right of the screen, followed by
the date and time. On the next line will appear the letters L/L: followed
by the latitude and longitude, and the letters S\P: followed by the (wind)
Speed and (barometric) Pressure.
The color of the plot changes with the storm's wind speed.
Wind Speed Category of Storm Color
------------ --------------------- ------------
< 35 Tropical Depression Dark Green
35 to 74 Tropical Storm Bright Green
75 to 95 Category I Hurricane Yellow
96 to 110 Category II Hurricane White
111 to 130 Category III Hurricane "
131 to 155 Category IV Hurricane Red
> 155 Category V Hurricane "
SLOWDOWN FACTOR (The Third Field)
Storms will move across the Map at speeds that vary with the speed of your
computer. The SlowDown Factor gives you a way to control this speed. My
486/66 enjoys a factor of 15. Slower computers will need a lower number.
Decimal values are acceptable. (Decimal values will only fit, and should
only be needed, with factors under 10.) The Slowdown factor does not affect
the maps, which draw as fast as your computer will load them.
PAUSE BETWEEN STORMS (The Fourth Field)
When running a Storm List, this field gives you the option to pause between
the storms in the list. If this field is set to "Y", a beep will sound at
the end of each plot and the word "more" will appear on the screen. Any
keystroke will start the next storm plot. This field accepts a "Y" or an
"N".
USER LATITUDE (The Fifth Field), and
USER LONGITUDE (The Sixth Field)
Enter your (or any) latitude and longitude in these two fields. A small
red circle will appear on all maps at that location. The default location
is Homestead Air Force Base.
CUSTOM MAPS (Two Maps, Fields Seven through Fourteen)
Custom Maps are not intended to be static, but to be re-defined as a storm
develops.
Go 'Canes includes an option for two user defined maps, maps number 6 and 7.
Map number 6 is defined on lines 7 through 10 of GC.CFG, and map number 7 on
lines 11 through 14.
Since each map uses four fields, I will consider only one map, and refer to
the fields as one through four.
Enter the name of the map in field one. You may use up to 17 characters.
After a plot, the map name entered here will appear on the Configuration
Screen under MAPS AVAILABLE, if you save the configuration with Alt-S, the
map will become the default for that map number.
Approximate where you want the upper left corner of your map. Enter the
maximum (upper) latitude in field two, and the maximum (leftmost) longitude
in field three. Finally, estimate how many degrees high you want the map to
be, and enter the height in degrees in field four. See the sketch below.
| MAX LAT
upper left corner > --*------------- --
| ^ |
M | |
A | |
X | |
| height
L | | YOUR
O | | MAP
N | | |
| | |
| | |
| v | Go 'Canes will
---------- ------(*) find this corner
Defining a custom map that falls outside the area of Map 1, The North
Atlantic, will cause an error message. You will then be able to adjust your
parameters. No Custom Maps are permitted in the Pacific.
The extreme coordinates of Map 1 are:
maximum latitude: 50, maximum longitude: 100 ; upper left corner
minimum latitude: 0, minimum longitude: 15 ; lower right corner
To hack a Custom Map, start by plotting Map 1, The North Atlantic. You can
find the latitude listed in 10 degree intervals (on the right), and
longitude (across the bottom) of Map 1, (or any hard-coded map). Note the
uppermost and leftmost edges of the area you want to include in your map.
Estimate the coordinates of that point by referring to the edges of the map.
Estimate how high, in degrees, you want the map to be. Perhaps jot the
three numbers down.
Return to the Configuration Screen. Enter the upper edge of the desired map
in field two (Maximum Latitude), the left edge in field three (Maximum
Longitude), and the height in field four.
Blank out the Storm / List field. When you do this, Go 'Canes will not plot
storms. You can now go back and forth rapidly from your trial map to the
Configuration Screen. Thusly tweaking your Custom Map to its final
perfection.
Remember to set field 1, Current Map, to the number of your Custom Map,
either 6 or 7.
Hit Alt-G to draw your map.
The program will compute the other parameters to make a nice projection. For
the purposes of hurricane tracking a height of 7 - 8 degrees is quite small.
The program will not allow heights of less than one degree.
One custom map could be maintained to show the approach to a specific
location. If you configure a large scale (read *large height*) custom map
with the specific location nestled just inside the upper left corner, you
can change the scale of the map quickly by changing ONLY the height of the
map. If you scale (read *change height*) reasonably, the location will
always be on the map.
COMMAND LINE USAGE
Go 'Canes will accept two parameters on the command line for immediate
plotting of storms, or for batch file usage. The first parameter is a file,
either a Storm or a List. The second, optional, parameter is the number of
the map to use for the plot. The parameters must be separated by a space,
and ONLY a space.
GC stormname.ext | listfile.LST [mapnumber]
Examples:
GC ANDREW.'92 3
Will immediately start the plot of Andrew on Map number 3.
GC ACTIVE.LST
Will open ACTIVE.LST and plot the storms on the current default map.
If the Map Number is omitted on the command line, the storm will be plotted
on the default map indicated in the Configuration File. The Map Number may,
of course, be one of your very own Custom Maps. A command line MAY NOT
consist of a Map Number alone. All Storms and Lists given on the command
line must exist in the directory indicated by the Storm File PATH.
AUTHORSHIP / DISTRIBUTION
Go 'Canes was written by:
Robert Terwilliger
2398 SW 22nd Ave
Miami, FL 33145
CompuServe 71034,3445
Go 'Canes is copyright by the author (c) 1993, and is distributed under the
ShareWare principal. If you do not know what that means, ask around.
If you enjoy the program, please send $15.00 to the above address. All
registered users will receive notification of the inevitable next version.
It seems one never really feels a program is finished, but I wanted to get
Go 'Canes out before the end of the 1993 hurricane season. Many
improvements are planned, and there will be a 1994 version, which will
hopefully eliminate any bugs found in v1.0 by users. Please send any
comments or bug reports to me via Compuserve or at the above address.
Those wishing to receive the 1994, and hopefully final, version, when it is
completed (definitely by June 1, 1994) please send $35. This will include a
selection of greatest hits from my collection of 907 storms dating back to
1886.
The complete collection of 907 storms is available zipped for $15. Specify
media.
PRODUCT SUPPORT
Available to all for this version, by mail via the address above or via
CompuServe as above. Please, no telephone calls.
CREDITS / DISCLAIMER
HURRICANES ARE SERIOUS BUSINESS. *WE* KNOW WHERE THEY ARE, AND WHERE THEY
ARE HEADED. KEEP INFORMED, PLAN AHEAD, AND BE PREPARED.
The Go 'Canes Maps contain data placed in the public domain by Fred
Pospeschil and Antonio Riveria. The bulk of the original coordinate data
was created by the Central Intelligence Agency.
This program is intended for no purposes other than entertainment. In the
impossible event this program damages your system or data, goods or
chattels, pets or small children, and you think you can prove it, sue The
Microsoft Corporation, authors of QuickBASIC, the Environment From Hell.
They have money. Any trademarks are exactly that.