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Beta software is an updated version of an existing program
designed to either fix some particular problem, or to experiment with various
new features which may, or may not be in the next version of the
program.
A full release of the program will have been widely tested (through the beta
process), and will contain all the files required for running the program such
as data files and, where applicable, update Help files. A beta version, by
contrast, may contain just the program and some basic release notes, and none of
the other files required for the program to function. Before using any
beta software, you should have a full current version of the program installed, and it
should be working correctly.
This beta software:
- requires the current, released version to be installed
and working
- is updated without notice
- has no support available
- has features that may not be in the next released
version
- is not guaranteed to work
- may have time-limited functionality
- may crash or give false results
- requires that you read the release notes
- .. so use at your own risk!
- .. and please keep a working backup!
As opposed to a full installation, beta software may just
contain just an updated executable file, and will therefore need some additional
steps in installing. If you are not comfortable following steps like those
listed below, please be patient and wait for the next released version. Be
sure to have the current released version before applying a beta update!
Updating a typical program
- Make sure you have the most recent release version of the
software installed and working properly.
- Visit my Web site, download and save the beta of the MSG Data Manager
from the page.
- Right-click the saved file, Properties, and click the Unblock button if
one is present.
- This Zip file contains an updated MsgDataManager.exe program file and
an updated MsgDataManager.txt "read-me" file.
- Locate your existing installation of the MSG Data Manager. Most
likely this will be (for an English language install):
C:\Tools\SatSignal\MsgDataManager\
- In the case of the MSG Data Manager, this folder will contain files named e.g. WaveletDLL.dll as well as
the MSG Data Manager program file.
- Stop the MSG Data Manager and close the program down.
- Rename the existing executable file:
MsgDataManager.exe
to, for example:
MsgDataManager-old.exe
- Copy the new MsgDataManager.exe from the Zip file you downloaded in
step 1 to the folder you located in step 3.
- If there were more file in the beta download, copy those as
well having backed up your working versions.
- Restart the MSG Data Manager.
Reverting to the original program
- Stop the MSG Data Manager and exit the program.
- Rename the new executable file:
MsgDataManager.exe
to, for example:
MsgDataManager-new.exe
- Rename the previous executable file you renamed in step 6:
MsgDataManager-old.exe
back to:
MsgDataManager.exe
- Copy any other files you backed up to the appropriate
directory.
- Restart the MSG Data Manager.
The same general procedure is true for all my beta updates.
Please be
aware of the limitations of beta software which are listed above.
They are a way you can check if you think your download might be corrupt -
very unlikely, but... Please see: http://www.fourmilab.ch/md5/
Current beta-test versions:
As I know that testing by users is far more likely to detect errors that just testing by me alone, I am making
programs available
here. Please make a backup of your working version before installing these
programs, and please only install them on top of a working version. You
will need a licence for the current release version of the software.
- BUFR Viewer - 2.0.3.74 - Use Francis Breame's more recent converter,
detect AMV files containing '-MSGAMV' in the name.
MD5 signature: E26A722675F6512C48C8495A0DC67585
- FastWXtrack - 1.1.2.15 - Experimental
program for faster DDE tracking and Doppler updates. Option to force
Doppler text to upper-case, add setting of radio mode, freeze updates while mode list is dropped down,
layout enhancements, issue with date/time display on Win-10 Creators noted
and worked-round, honour Windows themes, reduce the frequency of some displayed data
(makes it easier to read the values, but Doppler and pointing still calculated as fast as
possible), high-precision DDE option.
MD5 signature: AA81A4004B45486FDCCA5B74C135ED3A
- GeoSatSignal - 8.2.1.1141 - Support MSG/IODC
& GOES-16 in World
View, support for Himawari B12 (as IR_096), support GOMS-2 including
remapping,
don't show Notice of the Day dialog if the directory doesn't exist, widen
LUT drop-down boxes on Job Setup form, correct IODC
land/sea mapping, correct 2300 + 1 hour TZ bias displaying day incorrectly,
start GOES-16 support (rectification offset point is 75° W,
country boundaries supported, land/sea LUTs supported, RGB combinations preliminary support,
a few suggested RGB added including night microphysics (note the revised format just for GOES-ABI data), file names matching the GOES ABI Manager
format (201711071600-g16-b13.jpg), note that data is preliminary, may not map
correctly), setup option for lower-case saved file names, correct "Space is grey" in GOES-16 world
view, parallel-scan thermal files are GOES-mode-A, FY-2E (labelled fy2d)
etc. thermal files are GOES-mode-A, support GSHHG 2.3.7 shoreline &
country bondary data format, correct missing User2 boundaries, add GPX to
boundary File|Open list.
MD5 signature: 5176F57F586E28D9EE761E1A113F25D2
- GOES ABI Manager - 1.1.1.21
- Accept "-start" for auto-start, "-log" for log page
display, add Close button, set defaults for save type and bands, save logging across invocations, add image display,
remember form position between runs, add short image filename option, add hand icon to thumbnails,
add descriptive hint to thumbnail label, add date & time hint to
thumbnails, add right-click GeoSatSignal
process to thumbnail and image views, remove gamma-correction for B02 & B03,
pressing Esc (escape) or right-click "Quit" closes the image view,
prepare for band B01 (blue) data, treat B03 (SWIR) as visible, make the space region for thermal channels white,
add Clear Images option (at start of new data), allow image path to have
spaces, add choice of NetCDF save path, notify MSG Animator after an image is
saved, delete files which failed to process, accommodate M3 and M4 operation
(without any notice, as far as I know), accept single files on the command
line, add satellite name to window caption.
MD5 signature: CC70375502DD55E9843BA1F7FA323CA4
- Map-to-GEO - V2.0.5 2017 - Support PNG input interactively,
support TIF input interactively, support NESDIS GOES-E and GOES-W subsets (will look for .TFW file in the same directory,
but provide defaults if .TFW is not present, batch operation supported, remapping to
EUMETCast GOES-E/W projections), add GOES-16 (as GOES-E) segment (typical output filename: GoesEast04I22530245.bmp).
MD5 signature: 20AB307DF48EBCC64D9FF341186CD65C
- Metop Manager - 3.0.3.348 -
Try to handle "Another copy..." better across restarts, accept -LOG
parameter - starts with Event Log tab, handle GAC failures more elegantly.
MD5 signature: BAE6D5B0B4910723627E9D724E79550A
- MODIS L1 Viewer - 4.0.3.158
- Set up/down text colour to blue for blue channel, prevent one variable not
being initialised, more choice in the File, Open dialog, accept "Australian" MODIS file names.
MD5 signature: B719CB47FAFD930C3AF0B1846248475F
- MSG Animator - V3.1.5.294 -
Start support for GEOS-16 test data. Files to be in the short-name
format (e.g. 201711131730-g16-b13.jpg), in the images\FSD\yyyy\mm\dd\
directory Updated for 15-minute animations. Mapping is the -75 ° GOES-E
location and Land/Sea
palettes are available.
MD5 signature: 38AAD810C8E142B93C718F361348898A
- MSG Data Manager - V3.1.7.1266 -
Add GOMS-2 support (replaces GOMS-1 support, can save pro/epilogue files if
requested, improved visible channel scaling), support NOAA Direct Broadcast (NDB)
data, support SMAP level 1C data, support NPP Active Fire product on data
channel 12, honour MPEF/OCAE/parallel purge, update for new EARS sounder file names & .NC files included in retention purge,
support more BMA-RA files, remove some retired satellites, more efficient purging (updated in .1264) - experimental, please
check carefully!
MD5 signature: CFC39B06127E56A34F9669F297EB1D08
- NetCDF reader (for GOES-16 tests) - Experimental program to read GOES-16 NetCDF files
and save them as JPG images.
MD5 signature: 168C9DCB86D4E3C4B7CCFC3FFB798FE5
- Sentinel2 to JPEG - V1.4.1.30 -
Right-click on image to invoke Options dialog. Experimental
features: accept two .TIF files for drag-and-drop or command-line, accept Landsat-7 data
(blue file name - must end B1.TIF, green file name - must end B2.TIF, red file name - must end B3.TIF,
file names must start "LE07" or be 8011 (W) x 6911 (H) images).
MD5 signature: 765951FF1807A734D37EAA3BE002DAB4
- Solar Outage SNR (for BDADataEx and solar
outage periods) - Experimental programs to record and plot SNR values from BDADataEx
during the forthcoming solar outage periods. Set the expected earliest
outage start (minus 5 minutes, say) and the latest expected finish (plus 5
minutes). Check the Device 1 box to add "1" to the
signalex.exe command. Add control of sampling interval, default 5 seconds.
The plotting program takes a filename wildcard as its parameter, added
choice of smoothing, text and graphical display of actual maximum SNR
reduction date and time, accept one predicted maximum time in the log file
and display it.
MD5 signature: 8D9A18102A9F66ABA35D3FEDB74A2476
- SweepGen - 3.8.1.39 - Remove initial set of
RHS-trigger, UI enhancements.
MD5 signature: 098FD313F50FD97945952DA3ED79DB12
- Sea-Ice & SST Viewer - 1.5.5.72
- Update for mixed DMI/NOR sea-ice data.
MD5 signature: A1B271AD2CC2C0FECA91BEB2F6F42500
- WXtrack - 3.8.45.1065 - Add
pass-box for Sentinel 3A in ScanOffsets.ini (treat as being in the "weather satellite"
class), in View|Radar plot add Galileo satellites, add count of navigation satellites visible
(you will need the Keplers from e.g. CelesTrak - galileo.txt),
enlarge View|Radar plot display, provide hints for long satellite names in
the Available list, restore SPID half-degree support. Temporarily:
display DDE RX mode in the tracker status box (for debugging).
MD5 signature: 8CC32A281FD59C620C4DD69F294B15F0s
I recommend Fred
van den Bosch's software DownloadPrograms - which will help to keep an eye on the
version numbers and updates for you!
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