First, be sure to save often when you write. I preach “save early and save often” so much I annoy myself, and yet a moment ago my browser crashed out before I had saved several paragraphs and I lost a great piece. Ha, ha.
I think our local weather reporters are great and do great jobs. Please do not think this idea is a slam against them in any way.
Idaho Falls weather reports should switch from 2D (flat) 3D maps. 3D maps would be obviously digitized in 3D worlds so it could be zoomed in and out from neighborhood level to city-wide or across southeast Idaho.
I just had the idea while watching tonight’s Local News 8 explain the large gusts of wind Idaho Falls experienced around 6:30-7:00 this evening. I went to my computer and Googled the topic, so what I learned is the first time I had ever looked into it, and I will share this with you now.
It turns out there are companies called Vzrt and Metra (Weatherscape) that already do 3D weather maps and flythrough animations. They still enable forecasters to insert information graphics (albeit awesome 3D shapes), but go further by trying to mimic the weather that occurred or is predicted to occur.
Vzrt seems to have multiple categories of news broadcast graphics. Metra says Weatherscape can quickly input available weather data for the software to animate. The 3D output can be used for on-air broadcast, Internet, or exporting to other software. Awesome! I cannot find prices, but I’m sure they’re super expensive. No demo bittorrents were available for either.
I found a webpage talking about 3D mapping software use in weather reports. It says that current weather report methods take about 3-4 hours per one minute broadcast! Do Idaho Falls reporters have to work that long for such short information?!
I found another webpage that points out 2D (flat) maps with stationary icons are trying to represent weather occuring over several hours. Therefore 2D maps cannot be as accurate as 3D maps and my original idea is supported.
The new 3D mapping softwares can pipe in the actual weather data and construct the presentation itself, so the reporters can spend more time on their presentation of their report and less on the construction. I think everyone would like the 3D maps available on local news websites, and it would advance Idaho Falls a little further technologically.
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Gato got runned over by Marcus many moons ago. Be ye daft, 2486? 
Let's have a new poll, alright, Joe?
:@:)
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I think that ewather maps should represetn the truth
I understand the post….I just have no clue what comments 1-3 are saying. Aside from not being able to spell, what is Anonymous talking about in post 1? Then we’ve got Karlisle & Mcvash mocking him it seems in comments 2 & 3. Very strange indeed.
What I think their TRYING to say is: Why bother with these 3D maps when the weatherman can’t even forcast the weather 1 day out? I mean, what’s the point of having an 8 day forcast like Channel 8 has? Seriously. Sure the 3D maps may look pretty, but who cares what they look like if the weather forcast ends up being wrong to begin with? The thing is we’re dealing with amateur news stations/reporters in this city as it is so whats the point in putting money into something like this.
This seems to be a theme with Joe and perhaps one of the reasons he’s moving out of the state. He continues to post numerous complaints in his topics about this city and his life here. But perhaps doesn’t realize that he’s living in a small town and we’re fortunate to have what we do have & to be happy with it. He may be happier in Austin with their bike paths and 3D weather. Until he realizes one day what he’s given up with all the crime, the traffic, the (real)gangs, the high cost of living and rude people he & his family will be subjected to. Some people really don’t realize how good they have it. But once they step outside of lil ole Idaho and see how the big bad world really is, they may appreciate our little slice of heaven just a bit more. So I’m all for wishing Joe the best in his new adventure. I’m also thinking a documentary blog, documenting his move and new experiences in a new state would be interesting dontcha think? How bout it Joe?
Guest_007, what you saw were “trackback spam”, when a spam blog posts a link to a real blog story in order to generate those automated “comments” on this site. It is a method they use to try generating Google juice and traffic to their own website, and they are meaningless. I have turned off allowing pings of this nature, but some of the older posts still have this. When trackback spam occurs, I delete them and shut off the pings for that article. Someday I will get them all out!
Also, please remember that I am not the only author at IFz, if you check the author of this article you will see it was an early IFz contributor.
After reading your comment, I re-read the article, and I do not think this was so much a complaint about our local weather as a positive improvement suggestion?
I’m not sure if I will start another site like this in my new city, because many larger cities already have sites like this. I cannot imagine anything more boring than documenting my move. 8^)
I’m confused about the comments from Guest_007. You talk about Joe posting numerous complaints, but I have seen comments from you and many others elsewhere on this site complaining about different things. This thread is no exception.
First you slam the local news/weather professionals (you call them amateurs). Guess what, sometimes the forecast is right. Even several days in advance. But you probably don’t remember the times the forecast is correct. There are some talented media professionals in this area whether or not you choose to believe it.
There is no guarantee with a weather forecast and you really should not expect one. Why don’t you watch the forecast on CNN or the Weather Channel sometime (I think they do a 7-day forecast) and see if they are always right. Hold them to the same rigid standard you expect from the local stations. In fact at weather.com you can get a 10-day forecast for our local area. Are they amateurs too for even attempting to forecast that far ahead? And since you want to point out spelling errors of others, it’s “forecast” not “forcast.”
Then in an about face you proceeded to tell Joe how fortunate we are to have what we have here. A slice of heaven you say. That’s what confused me. If you believe your own words, you should be happy to live here in Hickville with its amateur media people. For somebody who thinks this place is so great you seem to complain a lot.