Monthly log files: Difference between revisions

170 bytes removed ,  07:14, 26 April 2014
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→‎Correcting any logged data problems: (removal of section relating to Cumulus Toolbox as it is no longer available)
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==Correcting any logged data problems==
==Correcting any logged data problems==
The 'Monthly Data Logs Viewer' screen accessed by selecting ''Data logs'' on the '''View''' menu does not allow editing of values, but you can use it to look and see if you are happy with what has been recorded.
Some Weather stations may occasionally supply corrupted or rogue values to Cumulus. Cumulus provides via '''Configuration''' menu [[Cumulus.ini#Section:_Offsets|''Calibration'']] screen the ability to screen out spikes (i.e. abnormal differences between two successive readings from weather station) in data picked up from your weather station. See Cumulus help screen if you decide to use that to cope with future spikes. Some rogue values may be obviously invalid (e.g. a zero pressure), others (e.g. wind shake on a tipping bucket rain gauge on a fine day) may be within the accepted all-time range (so cannot be prevented by spike settings), but you know the value is not right for that particular time.   
Some Weather stations may occasionally supply corrupted or rogue values to Cumulus. Cumulus provides via '''Configuration''' menu [[Cumulus.ini#Section:_Offsets|''Calibration'']] screen the ability to screen out spikes (i.e. abnormal differences between two successive readings from weather station) in data picked up from your weather station. See Cumulus help screen if you decide to use that to cope with future spikes. Some rogue values may be obviously invalid (e.g. a zero pressure), others (e.g. wind shake on a tipping bucket rain gauge on a fine day) may be within the accepted all-time range (so cannot be prevented by spike settings), but you know the value is not right for that particular time.   


Frequently, the graphical views ('''View''' menu, ''Graphs'' or ''Select-A-Graph'' screens) are the best way to spot many rogue values and to help you guess by interpolation a more reasonable value. Another possiblity is to examine the relevant values in previous versions of the log files stored in the ''backup'' or ''backup/daily'' subdirectories of where your cumulus executable is stored. You may choose to just edit the rogue value into a reasonable value, or (if you are unable to decide on a better value) to delete that particular entire row in the monthly log. As explained above once the log is corrected, new highs and lows in other logs are easily rectified.  The screen ''within Cumulus'' for viewing the monthly log does not allow editing of values.
Frequently, the graphical views ('''View''' menu, ''Graphs'' or ''Select-A-Graph'' screens) are the best way to spot many rogue values and to help you guess by interpolation a more reasonable value. Another possiblity is to examine the relevant values in previous versions of the log files stored in the ''backup'' or ''backup/daily'' subdirectories of where your cumulus executable is stored. You may choose to just edit the rogue value into a reasonable value, or (if you are unable to decide on a better value) to delete that particular entire row in the monthly log. As explained above once the log is corrected, new highs and lows in other logs are easily rectified.
 
=== Manipulation in Cumulus Toolbox ===
 
[[File:ToolBoxFileEditorScreen.jpg‎ | right]]
The add-on [[Toolbox#Current_feature_list| Cumulus Toolbox]] contains a '''file editor''' that can manipulate monthly log files using a display rather like this screen (in this figure it is actually dayfile.txt that is being edited).


===Manipulation outside Cumulus===
===Manipulation outside Cumulus===
Any log files for ''previous'' months can be edited (outside Cumulus) with Cumulus running, and after editing them, you can do further fetch edits within Cumulus as described above. The current month log file can also be edited outside Cumulus, but you must stop Cumulus first.
Any log files for ''previous'' months can be edited (outside Cumulus) with Cumulus running, and after editing them, you can do further fetch edits within Cumulus as described above. The current month log file can also be edited outside Cumulus, but as it is being updated frequently you must stop Cumulus first.


'''Tips''' -- take a copy of the original log file before you work on it outside Cumulus (perhaps give the ''not to be touched copy''  a filename of "<Month><Year>log.csv").  
'''Tips''' -- take a copy of the original log file before you work on it outside Cumulus (perhaps give the ''not to be touched copy''  a filename of "<Month><Year>log.csv").  
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