This Plug-in is the result of a collaborative effort between The International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) at Columbia University, and The Institute for the Application of Geospatial Technology (IAGT) a Cayuga Community College, with funding provided by USAID to support the SERVIR project.
From the description –
This Plug-in integrates The International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) data for Africa in WorldWind.
In WorldWind, you can view the IRI datasets, clicking on points brings up graphs of variables such as rainfall.
I have only played around with this Plug-in for a short time, but I’m already very impressed, do beware though it is not a simple plug-in some features are tricky to find.
The Data comes from a variety of places, MODIS, MEWS and others, the Plug-in can display a simple static image (with legend) for the latest available data, select a specific date, or you can select a time range for an animation.
Another important feature is the ‘Get info..’ button, this places pushpins on the map, which when clicked display detailed data n World Winds internal browser (looks great on a widescreen monitor), there is probably a lot I have missed and no doubt more data sources will be added, but from what I have seen this will be a very useful tool for scientists and government agencies.
For more information visit the WorldWind Central wiki page.
After selecting a data product, I always get a “GetCapabilities has failed … GetCapabilities failed, perhaps a bad URL?” error. Is there a problem with the server or with my installation? I simply extracted the package into the WW Plugins directory.
I know your secret too! I look at commenting in this way – since I’m relatively new to blogging, I always thought from the beginning that it was a two-way medium, where someone is starting a conversation that invites interaction, so I picked up the habit right away. In contrast, I’d think if some folks never commented when they first ventured into the blogosphere, it would be more difficult to jump in down the road (i.e. not a habit). Nevertheless, I agree with you on your last statement