Reader+ is an enhanced data reader that supports preprocessing of data and merging of data from multiple sources. This reader/processor was designed for processing data for Real-Time forecasts, where there can be competing data products, with different reliability, time-step, and grid resolutions/extents. Additionally, in a real-time forecasting scenario, it is common to have invalid or missing data in the Data Products. With the mix of Data Products and potential for invalid/missing data, Reader+ was designed to load multiple Data Products, preprocess them with a series of spatial reprojection, temporal transformation, data screening, and data filling to create a consistent set of grids that may be merged into a final dataset. With these consistent Data Products, merging of the datasets is performed by prioritization, where a user-specified prioritization is specified, and Data Products with the same priority will be combined at each time step through spatial averaging, minimum or maximum value selection. Additional data filling may be performed on the merged data if necessary. Following the merging of data products, Reader+ gives access to graphical and tabular editing of data. The is provided by computing a time series from the preprocessed and merged grids, then allowing the user to edit those times series, and subsequently apply those time series edits onto the preprocessed/merge grids.
Although designed for Real-Time forecasting, Reader+ may be used for loading and processing data for other applications as well. For example, there may be a historical Data Product that needs some data screening and filling before viewing it in the Map Window. Another example is two overlapping Data Products (i.e. observed precipitation from two different River Forecast Centers) where the data needs to be merged onto a consistent grid. Beyond these examples, Reader+ may be desirable for non-forecast data because of its access to graphical and tabular editing.
A description of the preprocessing and merging functions within Reader+ are provided in Reader+ (Compute Engine), and a description of the Graphical User Interface (GUI) is provided in Reader+ (Editor).