Installation Instructions

Windows Installation:

Notes:

Linux Installation:

Notes:

Overview

The WebTide window consists of five distinct components: the main viewing area, a button bar along the right, a toolbar along the top, a status panel at the bottom and a menu bar above the toolbar at the top.

The main viewing area is the primary means of visual interaction between the user and the software. TideMarkers are placed, selected, and manipulated in this area. The viewing area also displays a map and bathymetry of the region.

The button bar on the right contains all the commands to run the tidal predictions.

The toolbar above the viewing window contains panning and zooming features and easier access to mouse modes.

The radio buttons on the right side of the toolbar set the type of prediction, either tidal elevations or tidal currents.

The status bar along the bottom gives messages about how the program is working.

The menu bar above the toolbar gives you a few more choices for commands.

WebTide Commands

Currently there are 12 commands specific to WebTide that are found in a button bar along the right of the viewing window when the program starts. These commands are repeated under the WebTide Menu. Under the Control menu there is an option for hiding the button bar allowing for a larger viewing area. Only commands that can be used at a certain time are enabled. For example, just after starting the program only Add Tide Marker, Import Tide Markers and Edit Parameters are available while all the rest are shaded. The following is be a brief description of each of the commands.

WebTrack Commands

Toolbar Commands

Currently there are four commands that are found in a toolbar along the top of the viewing window when the program starts. Some of these commands are repeated under various menus in the menu bar. Under the Control menu there is an option for hiding the toolbar allowing for a larger viewing area. Only commands that can be used at a certain time are enabled. For example just after starting the program the arrows on the far left are obscured indicating the inability to use them.

The following is a brief description of each of the commands in the toolbar:

Menus

Currently there are seven menus that are found in a menubar along the top of the application. The following is a brief description of each of the commands in the menus:

File Control Mesh Navigate Layers WebTide Help

Using Mouse Modes

There are four mouse modes available to the WebTide Program. Each mouse mode affects how the program responds to mouse input.

Select lets you select tide markers by clicking on them. Only one tide marker can be selected at a time. Being selected allows for certain commands to be performed only on the particular tide marker. If you click and hold the mouse button down you can move a tide marker to a new location by dragging the tide marker. As you drag it, a gray path will follow the mouse pointer around the viewing area. Upon releasing the mouse button the tide marker will move to the new location.

Corner Zoom will allow you to make zoom boxes used to magnify a certain area. The zoom box will start at the first place you press the button and grow as you drag the mouse (button still held). The opposite corner of the zoom box will be where you release the mouse button. The shape of the zoom box is limited by the shape of the viewing area. If you just press the mouse button without holding it down the map will be re-centred at that point. Also, if you move the mouse cursor in the viewing window, the coordinates of the pointer will appear in the Status bar at the bottom.

Centre Zoom will allow you to make zoom boxes for magnifying a certain area. The zoom box will have its center at the first place you press the button and grow in all directions as you move the mouse with the button still held. Where you release the mouse button will be half the distance of the total box from the start. The shape of the zoom box is limited by the shape of the viewing area. If you just press the mouse button without holding it down, the map will be re-centred at that point. Also, if you move the mouse cursor in the viewing window, the coordinates of the pointer will appear in the Status bar at the bottom.

Distance will allow you to measure distances in km on the map. If you press and release the mouse button once, then start to move the mouse, you will see a circle appear on the screen with a radius line. At the bottom of the screen, in the status bar, the distance from the starting point in km and the angle that the line makes is displayed. If you press the mouse button once more your first line will be anchored and a new line will start from the new point. The distance in the status bar is the cumulative sum of all the lines currently displayed. To stop measuring distances double click the mouse button. This also removes all lines drawn on the screen.

Getting and Saving Results

WebTide will only hold one set of elevation results and one set of current results at a time. Therefore it is important that you save your data before making new predictions. Once a prediction is complete, the Get Tide Prediction button will be enabled. If you press this button a web browser will open and the data for all the tide markers will be in the displayed web page. If you go to the browser's File menu you can choose to save the current web page with the Save As menu item.

If you would like to save the graphs that are displayed, right click on the graph and choose "Save As" from the menu. Please note that this procedure will need to be performed separately for both the eastward and northward currents. If you want to save the maps you can use the File-->Save As menu command to save either jpeg or gif images. Please note that you will not be able to save the graphs or the maps if you are using the web-based version (try using image capture programs); you will however, still be able to save the results in the manner noted above.