Cumulus.ini: Difference between revisions

<big>Please note this page was created 13 June 2021.  This new page was created to reflect parameters added to Cumulus.ini in releases 3.8.0, 3.9.2, 3.10.0, 3.12.0, and after that.  It excludes all parameters removed after release 3.7.0.

MX has been developed very dramatically by Mark Crossley (away from the beta begun by Steve Loft) and as a consequence the "Cumulus.ini" file content has considerable differences between current MX and the original 3.0.0 beta.  Therefore, the decision was taken to abandon maintaining the page previously called "Cumulus.ini" and start again with a brand new empty page!</big>

If you are using the final 1.9.4 legacy Cumulus software, or an old release of MX, please go to the owning [[:Category:Configuration Files|category]], from there find the links to the new pages with respective relevant former contents of pages previously called "Cumulus.ini".

If you are interested in the editing history, associated with the page that previously was called "Cumulus.ini", and some information describing how it was previously used, the old page was moved (before this page was created) so that the editing history of that former page is now preserved at [[Cumulus.ini_(preserving_history)]].  That page also expands on the above summary of why that old page was replaced by this new page.

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=Purpose of Cumulus.ini file=

This page is about the [[:Category:Configuration Files|main configuration file]], '''Cumulus.ini''', this is a text file containing initialization parameters used by the Cumulus MX software application. This Wiki page describes the content that applies at release 3.10.0, and should be updated (providing at least one contributor is willing to keep this page up to date) for later releases.

For the legacy Cumulus, there could be one, two, or even three, Cumulus.ini files, as explained [[Cumulus.ini_(Cumulus_1)#Configuration_File_names|here]]. Back then, the vast majority of parameters that could appear in the file could only be edited directly in the file, and the author (Steve Loft) recommended that, within the File section you were going to change, you sorted the parameters into alphabetical order, before editing the file. That advice was given because having parameters in alphabetical order would prevent you inserting a parameter that already existed. This would avoid the potential problem arising from the design that Cumulus 1 would ignore any duplicate parameter, and take the first one it found, as that might not be the last one you edited!

If (for example) you find the '''Extra Web Files''' editor hard to use, you might decide to stop Cumulus MX and still edit this configuration file directly for changes to those parameters. Given that MX ignores any parameter it does not understand,  while editing the file, you can temporary have old and new parameters in the file. All you need to do is prefix those parameters you don't want MX to use with any character you like before the "Extra" in the atribute name.

* If the new parameter has a valid default value, MX will work perfectly using that default value.  You won't need to know the parameter exists, unless you decide to chnage it, and find out what values it can take either in a drop-down on the relevant Settings page, or in the relevant table below.

* Other new parameters may be given an initial illegal value, because MX cannot guess what value will work for you.  This is to enforce the need to give these parameter a valid value before MX will allow you to save settings.  Sometimes, MX will not do any weather data processing, until these ‘’’missing’’’ values are edited.  In other cases, you might not realise that your file is missing one or more parameters,  unless you go into the relevant Settings page, and find you can't save (Enable for Alarms page).

In theory, there is no reason why you should manually add any parameters to the file. Since MX creates, and edits, the file, it will ensure all parameters it understands are in the file.  

In practice, as already mentioned, there might be a parameter that you need to get MX working correctly for you, but have to add directly to the file as (at the release you are using) that setting has not yet been added to any Settings page.

When accessibility was added, its parameter defaulted to the old expand/contract sections design (see first table below). You had to go into "Program Settings" or "Staion Settings" pages to tick the box to get the (more accessiblility friendly) selection button altrernative.

There is no point in this Wiki page listing settings by where they are found in the configuration file, as they can be listed in any order, and when settings are removed or added, the order changes.  If your file was originally created by the legacy Cumulus, it may contain "File sections" that are no longer used.  For all these reasons, this Wiki page is not designed around the way parameters appear in the file.

 

The settings interface in MX is being comprehensively redesigned.  That means this documentation cannot be organised by the way MX organises its settings pages.  The reason is if this Wiki page was organised according to the Settings Screens that applied say at release 3.10.0, that sequence wold be of no use after the settings pages have changed in say 3.12.0.

Of course if you have your own ideas of a better way to group the documentation here, you are welcome to implement that by editing this page.

# For the Extra Web Files Settings page, where the settings page uses [[MX_Basic_info#editable_grid|editable grid software]] using a table to enter 800 settings, the table here is split into just 8 rows, each of which applies to 100 parameters in the file.

| * (Either) Program Settings &rarr; (First tick box)

| * (Releases 3.0.0 to 3.9.8) Close Cumulus MX, then edit Cumulus.ini configuration file, and add a line in the [Station] section: Logging = 1, then restart Cumulus MX.

* (Releases 3.1.0 to 3.9.3) Station Settings &rarr Options

* (Release 3.9.4 onwards) Program Settings &rarr; Program General Options

| This adds extra information about transfers between your weather station and MX. It was introduced originally for Davis stations only, but later (can someone add here the relevant release) extended to cover more stations.  

| * (Releases 3.0.0 to 3.9.8) Close Cumulus MX, then edit Cumulus.ini configuration file, and add a line in the [Station] section: DataLogging = 1, then restart Cumulus MX.

* (Releases 3.1.0 to 3.9.3) Station Settings &rarr Options

* (Release 3.9.4 onwards) Program Settings &rarr; Program General Options

| This adds extra information about transfers from MX, and all the internal MX processes.

Despite what it says in the hint on the settings page, leave at default whichever weather station type you use, unless this actually causes you a problem.  The parameter was introduced by Steve Loft.  Davis wind vanes use a potentiometer to measure wind direction so send Cumulus a bearing that can vary continuously between 1 and 360 degrees. Fine Offset wind vanes use magnetic switches that depend on the magnet under the moving part selecting two switches in the fixed part for the vane being exactly in-beteween compass directions, and selecting one switch for the main 8 directions and slightly away from the main directions; so they have a bias against sending Cumulus the in-between directions.

| 'NOAAMO'MMyy'.txt' (note quotes round 'NOAAMO' and round '.txt')

| Use WHO average or Intregated average