Weather Skins Not Working

[balala]

If you have to go through all this trouble to get a program to work - that means it is not a good program. End of.

Yahoo Widgets were just click and add, same with Gadgets.

Your choice. No one will want or try to convince you by the contrary. Use the one you like more.

[Yincognito]

If you have to go through all this trouble to get a program to work - that means it is not a good program. End of.

Yahoo Widgets were just click and add, same with Gadgets.

The difference between Yahoo Widgets / Windows Gadgets and Rainmeter is that in the former, someone else already worked for you to easily take advantage of a widget / gadget via a click, while the latter lets you, the user, make your own skin exactly the way you want to. The advantage of the former is that it's easy and it doesn't take any knowledge or effort, but compared to the latter you're far from having the same possibilities or flexibility for the said widget / gadget / skin, being limited to a few layouts and options.

Rainmeter is not a bad program because it belongs to the latter (after all, Visual Studio or Android have the same approach, letting users build their own tools), but it's true that being able and willing to learn and apply a few things to do it is not for everyone. Nothing pops out of nowhere, you know, a little effort is always needed, the only question is who makes it. It's perfectly fine if you don't want to be the one in "trouble" because of that.

P.S. If you like the Windows 7 Gadgets so much, SilverAzide already replicated them for Rainmeter. You don't have to do anything special, just a few clicks to install (Rainmeter and the skins).

[eclectic-tech]

"Touché"

Zero effort equals zero results...

As Rainmeter evolves and the web changes, skins will become outdated.

No one is going to 'fix' those skins for you; it takes a small effort on your part to attempt the changes.

This community is always willing to offer tips and suggestions and you may find you actually enjoy learning something new.

[Yincognito]

"Touché"

Zero effort equals zero results...

I swear that the way things are going, with young people believing they deserve to always be served on a plate, one day folks would expect the sun to cook their meal and the smartphone to think for them as well - if it doesn't happen already, that is. Then, they would have to compete in a reality show on a deserted island to learn again how to live and do things for themselves.

And since I was bored of too much 3D math in my attempts to fix an atmosphere GPU shader and alternatively watching some TV series, I thought of making an "excruciating effort" for a working WeatherApp skin. Half an hour later, with myself still intact (since the said effort curiously didn't kill me), the result emerged on my screen in all its glory (HipHopium is strong in this one, let the force be with it ) :

WeatherApp.jpg

Didn't bother to adjust the Settings subskin though, because it was too less of an effort this time. Anyone interested?!
If not, me thinks I'll just keep it for myself, kinda like its vibe... though I might get rid of the 3 lines Settings part...

[NOTHEREFORLONG]

Ok so a few days ago my Enmon weather skin stopped reporting temperature. I have triple checked the weather code for my area as per the skin's instructions, (the code had changed), so updated it to the new one and no luck, my skin still doesn't show the temperature or what the climatic conditions are.

Any ideas? Thanks.

[Yincognito]

Ok so a few days ago my Enmon weather skin stopped reporting temperature. I have triple checked the weather code for my area as per the skin's instructions, (the code had changed), so updated it to the new one and no luck, my skin still doesn't show the temperature or what the climatic conditions are.

Any ideas? Thanks.

I don't know if and how you updated the code to the new one, but it's the same idea as it has been suggested before: the way that skin used to get the weather data is nowadays obsolete, so you need to follow some of the steps described in this tutorial by @eclectic-tech (skip those related to creating a new skin, aka step 2-3 and 5-7, since you already have it) in order to update it to the new reality, so to speak.

For example, in your case, doing:
- step 1, downloading jsmorley's include files for weather.com
- step 4, extracting the files directly to the @Resources folder of your skin
- step 8 and 9, adding the corresponding @include options along the existing ones in your skin (use #@#WeatherComJSONMeasures.inc instead of the 3 day variant, to have all the 15 days), saving and refreshing
- go through each meter (since most of the measures in your skin are pointless at this stage and can probably be deleted) and adjust the MeasureName... options to point out to the proper measures from the include files, like this (only 3 cases described, you handle the rest):

Code: Select all

[MeterLocation]
Meter=String
MeasureName=@LocationName
MeasureName2=@LocationAdminDistrict
MeasureName3=@LocationCountryCode
StringAlign=Center
FontColor=#TextColor1#
FontFace=Roboto Light
FontSize=(50*#Scale#)
X=(840*#Scale#)
Y=(410*#Scale#)
Text="%1, %2, %3"
AntiAlias=1

[MeterCurrentTemp]
Meter=String
MeasureName=@CurrentTemperature
MeasureName2=@UnitsTemperature
StringAlign=Center
FontColor=#TextColor1#
FontFace=Roboto Bold
FontSize=(250*#Scale#)
X=(850*#Scale#)
Y=(50*#Scale#)
Text="%1°%2"
AntiAlias=1

[MeterCurrentCond]
Meter=String
MeasureName=@CurrentConditions
StringAlign=Center
FontColor=#TextColor1#
FontFace=Roboto Light
FontSize=(35*#Scale#)
X=(840*#Scale#)
Y=(500*#Scale#)
Text="%1"
AntiAlias=1

Weather.jpg

Of course, if you want to change the location or the measurement units, edit the [YourSkin]\@Resources\WeatherComJSONVariables.inc file.

[NOTHEREFORLONG]

I don't know if and how you updated the code to the new one, but it's the same idea as it has been suggested before: the way that skin used to get the weather data is nowadays obsolete, so you need to follow some of the steps described in this tutorial by @eclectic-tech (skip those related to creating a new skin, aka step 2-3 and 5-7, since you already have it) in order to update it to the new reality, so to speak.

For example, in your case, doing:
- step 1, downloading jsmorley's include files for weather.com
- step 4, extracting the files directly to the @Resources folder of your skin
- step 8 and 9, adding the corresponding @include options along the existing ones in your skin (use #@#WeatherComJSONMeasures.inc instead of the 3 day variant, to have all the 15 days), saving and refreshing
- go through each meter (since most of the measures in your skin are pointless at this stage and can probably be deleted) and adjust the MeasureName... options to point out to the proper measures from the include files, like this (only 3 cases described, you handle the rest):

Code: Select all

[MeterLocation]
Meter=String
MeasureName=@LocationName
MeasureName2=@LocationAdminDistrict
MeasureName3=@LocationCountryCode
StringAlign=Center
FontColor=#TextColor1#
FontFace=Roboto Light
FontSize=(50*#Scale#)
X=(840*#Scale#)
Y=(410*#Scale#)
Text="%1, %2, %3"
AntiAlias=1

[MeterCurrentTemp]
Meter=String
MeasureName=@CurrentTemperature
MeasureName2=@UnitsTemperature
StringAlign=Center
FontColor=#TextColor1#
FontFace=Roboto Bold
FontSize=(250*#Scale#)
X=(850*#Scale#)
Y=(50*#Scale#)
Text="%1°%2"
AntiAlias=1

[MeterCurrentCond]
Meter=String
MeasureName=@CurrentConditions
StringAlign=Center
FontColor=#TextColor1#
FontFace=Roboto Light
FontSize=(35*#Scale#)
X=(840*#Scale#)
Y=(500*#Scale#)
Text="%1"
AntiAlias=1

Weather.jpg
Of course, if you want to change the location or the measurement units, edit the [YourSkin]\@Resources\WeatherComJSONVariables.inc file.

Sorry, this is way above what I can cope with understanding or even following, especially with instructions that may be well laid out but are also very vague or leaving plenty open to ambiguity.

For someone with vast experience of Rainmeter, code, files, instructions and variables etc etc etc it's probably a breeze, but for me it's an absolute headache. I should have explained this in my reply.

I have never once installed/used Rainmeter because it was code or fun or anything like that, I installed it to use it to see data, nothing more, nothing less.

My point is: Is there a simpler, less convoluted method to get the weather to work than all these files, the code, the folder,. saving etc etc? I'd much rather all that convoluted and messy malarkey was left to the skinner/programmer, not the end user.

[Yincognito]

Sorry, this is way above what I can cope with understanding or even following, especially with instructions that may be well laid out but are also very vague or leaving plenty open to ambiguity.

For someone with vast experience of Rainmeter, code, files, instructions and variables etc etc etc it's probably a breeze, but for me it's an absolute headache. I should have explained this in my reply.

I have never once installed/used Rainmeter because it was code or fun or anything like that, I installed it to use it to see data, nothing more, nothing less.

My point is: Is there a simpler, less convoluted method to get the weather to work than all these files, the code, the folder,. saving etc etc? I'd much rather all that convoluted and messy malarkey was left to the skinner/programmer, not the end user.

I understand your point, but the short answer to your question is no. Think of it this way: is there a way to get your car back on track after having a flat tire without the convoluted and messy malarkey steps detailed in this guide on how to change a flat tire which gives me headaches? I mean, I also never once bought a car because I love engineering or anything like that, I just want to drive it, nothing more, nothing less. The thing is, if something happens and I can't drive it, I can't wait for the providence to automagically fix it without lifting a finger (even if I'm not a specialist in those things), now can I?

As for the steps I mentioned, its' only about clicking a link to download a zip file, unzipping the files there in the said location, then editing the .INI file of your skin in a simple text editor like Notepad, it's no rocket science, really. The saving part is done via File/Save in the Notepad menu (don't tell me that even saving is complicated...), and the refreshing part is done by right clicking on the displayed skin and choosing Refresh Skin. None of these steps require ANY Rainmeter coding knowledge, it's just copy pasting some parts in the right places, that's all.

The question is actually whether or not you want to try this. If you don't, then the problem will remain unsolved, but if you do, I or anyone here can answer and clear the confusion you might have with some of those few steps - you only have to ask.

P.S. In case you wonder, the reason why the old way of getting the weather data doesn't work anymore has nothing to do with Rainmeter, it's all about weather.com changing their system over the years. And yes, it was a headache to adapt to the new system for the skin designers as well, but now 99% of the work is done for you, what's left is some simple text editing that each user has to do to "resurrect" an older skin to work with the new way.

[balala]

My point is: Is there a simpler, less convoluted method to get the weather to work than all these files, the code, the folder,. saving etc etc?

Not to get certain obsolete and not working skin working (Enmon, for instance, even if we don't exactly know this skin, who can know all of them?), but there is an extremely simple solution: you can download and use a well-working skin. There are dozens of such skins out there. Recommend to choose one (or more, why not?) from the above list.

[SilverAzide]

My point is: Is there a simpler, less convoluted method to get the weather to work than all these files, the code, the folder,. saving etc etc? I'd much rather all that convoluted and messy malarkey was left to the skinner/programmer, not the end user.

Part of the problem you are having can be traced to weather service providers actively NOT WANTING to give you weather data for free. They want you to either visit their website so they can shove ads in your face, or they want you to pay a subscription fee to use their APIs. There used to be a number of websites that had free APIs (DarkSky, etc.), but one by one they have been gobbled up by the big boys (Apple, IBM, etc.) and re-made as pay sites.

As a result, many weather skin authors simply work around their restrictions and scrape the web pages for data. This is very problematic, because any time the site changes, the skin breaks. So of course the websites change stuff all the time on purpose.

There are really only two options for retrieving weather data. Weather.com has APIs that can be used, but they too can easily make changes that break skins; fortunately, they don't do it too often. When they do, every weather.com-based skin will break, and the author (or users) will need to fix them. The other option is to use government-based weather sites. Many countries have free sites where you can get data, but of course that means your skin would work only in that country. Not many skin authors are interested in making reams of skins unique to separate regions of the world. What is left is weather.com. It is the fastest, most wide coverage, most unlimited data source left that is accessible for free*.

This is why you want to use skins shown in the links in the post balala directed you to (especially this thread). The ones that are based on weather.com's JSON API will just work, until of course weather.com rolls out a breaking change. Most of the skins in the list are actively maintained, so a fix or revision would be quickly found and posted for you to use. Pay close attention to the date the skin was released; if the skin uses the weather.com JSON API and was issued before approximately January 10, 2022, then it will not work.

*NOTE: There are weather APIs that are free, like OpenWeather for example, but they come with severe restrictions such as low rate limits, stale data, require registration for a key, etc. None are as good as weather.com.