The Dynamic Time Window feature allows for changing the viewed time window. As opposed to Animation, which renders a sequence of individual images, the Dynamic Time Window Combines Images Temporally for the specified time window. This is particularly useful when analyzing the progression of a storm, where aggregating precipitation for a time window is more useful than individual images. For example, when visualizing a 24-hour, it may be useful to step through with a 6-hour time window, to identify the most intense 6-hour period.
The Viewed time window is controlled by the Dynamic Map Window Toolbar, which appears at the bottom of the Map Window. By default, the toolbar is hidden but will appear when the mouse pointer is close to the bottom of the Map Window. The Dynamic Map Window Toolbar can be locked into view by clicking the thumbtack icon on the left side of the toolbar, keeping the toolbar visible regardless of mouse pointer location. In order to use the Dynamic Time Window, specific settings must be chosen in the Data Selector. In the figure below, the red squares highlight options are required for the Dynamic Map Window Toolbar to function. If these options are not selected, the toolbar will have a message stating that it is disabled. Note the image below is the DSS Data Selector, but the same settings are required when reading Non-DSS Data.
The figure below shows the Dynamic Time Window Toolbar, and the following table provides a description of the symbols and features of the Dynamic Map Window.
When using the Dynamic Time Window Toolbar, the view of the data is temporary. It will not change the settings that were set with the data selection editor. The time window will revert to the original settings if the program is restarted, the "Refresh TIN(s) from datastore" option from the Map Window right-click context menu is selected, or the data selection editor is opened and the OK button pressed.
Item | Description |
 or
| The thumbtack icon is used to fix the toolbar at the bottom of Map Window. If the thumbtack is pointing down ,it indicates the toolbar is fixed. If the thumbtack is at an angle, the toolbar will disappear when the mouse pointer leaves the bottom of the Map Window. |
1 | This displays the time current time window used to combine the TINs. If the time window encompasses more time than the available data, the displayed time may differ from the timespan shown in the Map Window title bar. |
| Increases the timespan, by adding the time increment defined by items 2 and 3 to the beginning of the current timespan. |
| Decreases the timespan by trimming the time increment defined by items 2 and 3 from the beginning of the current timespan. |
| Shifts the displayed timespan to an earlier start time by the time increment defined by items 2 and 3. |
| Shifts the displayed timespan to a later start time by the time increment defined by items 2 and 3. |
| Decreases by trimming the time increment defined by items 2 and 3 from the end of the current timespan. |
| Increases the timespan by adding the time increment defined by items 2 and 3 to the end of the current timespan. |
2 | Defines the number of increments to adjust the timespan |
3 | Defines the duration of each increment when adjusting the timespan |
