Semaphore is fast approaching completion and with a week to go there are many things happening.
The most visible result of our activity is in the new version of the Semaphore User Interface.
Alvin has been working with our designer Steph on the look and feel of the web pages and as you can see in this screen shot, the result is a clean and intuitive design sporting our new logo and colours.
The user interface for Semaphore is taking shape and this week we have visuals from the first stages of the web app and the excel plug-in.
The web application UI has been designed with a simple singe screen where a researcher can log in and create a new modelling project, edit project details and keep a record workflows. When a model is run, all the files associated with the model are stored, along with any associated model outputs in the cloud, for users to download, run again or modify.
Alvin has also been working on the Semaphore Excel plug-in which allows researchers to upload data straight out of excel into the semaphore web app.
Fine tuning and testing is now underway and in the next update we will discuss the test process and the demonstration of value for Semaphore.
To follow on from the previous post about the future of Semaphore, we take a look at the week’s developments with regard to our next project deliverable: Demonstration of Value.
This week saw a meeting between members of the Semaphore committee and co-ordinators of the N2O network.
The N2O Network is a collaborative research program, co-ordinated by the Institute for Future Environments. It was established to study nitrous oxide emissions and to support tools that will help researchers, growers and policy makers in reducing these emissions in Australian agricultural soils.
The Semaphore tool we are developing has value to such a project and it is hoped that a collaboration will allow the life of the Semaphore project to be extended.
The idea for future development in conjunction with the N2O project is to standardize input parameters for the different models as well as adding additional models to the automation tool.
Work continues with a focus now on demonstrating the value of the Semaphore tool.
These past weeks have involved discussions on the direction in which Semaphore is heading: towards the end of the project and beyond.
Here is a basic outline of notes that developer Alvin and business analyst Jason have written up from their discussions on what the vision of Semaphore has become, and where it could head. All of these iterations are suggestions based on the view that the Semaphore software tool will be used, and have most value to the intended customer in a cloud based environment.
The first step is having a basic “project” web application where a user can log in and create a new project; where they can list or search for existing projects; provide input files (either through creation, editing or uploading); run a model; and download the output file. It is also envisioned that the input file editing capabilities will be through a very simple text editor.
There will be online processing of output files to produce visualisation; and a better editor for the output files. This editor will allow for example forms to create or edit input parameters, and perhaps abstract and rationalise the input files; export weather data from Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) etc. Enhancements are hoped to include supporting metadata, RIF-CS format etc.
It is also hoped that by June there will be flexible REST data transformation services based on Javascript. Through this users could create a new service by either writing new scripts or combining existing services. This will provide more flexibility to input/output processing and visualisation.
The sustainability of Semaphore lies in delivering a cloud-based tool. This opens up the possibility of further development, hopefully towards a tool that allows ease of use and a means of sharing input and output data with a wider community that subsequently improves modelling output.
There are some major considerations in developing the Semaphore software, including the degree to which automation may be achieved for ecological modelling tools and if possible how to run this software on the cloud. A number of ideas have been posited on these issues since project commencement.
At the most recent meeting, discussion surrounded the following proposal for an outcome of the Semaphore project. It includes the possibility that where some processes may be automated, some will only be semi- automated or remain wholly manual processes.
Part one is about helping the user prepare the data to be modeled: including calibrating the model, running the modelling software, displaying results for visual inspection, and uploading the data and parameters to a repository. For the procedures that can be fully automated, there will be a button on the excel add-on. For the semi-automated processes relevant buttons will be supplemented by instructional pop-up windows explaining to the user their next steps. Similar pop-ups will explain the fully manual steps of the data analysis process.
The second part of the proposal concerns a data sharing portal where browse-able sets of analyses from the models are uploaded by users. Data packages can be downloaded and simulations run on a cloud version of the Century/Daycent models. Alternatively a Kepler workflow can be downloaded that can be used to automatically run a simulation from the user’s desktop. The workflow will be basic and consist of taking formatted data and optional parameters from the repository, running it on a cloud based modelling tool, and displaying the output.
Ideas also expand beyond the probable scope of the Semaphore project to the possibility of the user being able to edit workflow to suit their needs, for example to use a different modelling tool or further manipulate data.
These discussions help to provide context for the technical work being carried out, providing a direction in which to work. Technical details to follow…
Semaphore 