The Weather Forecasting Forum

Hi All,

I've been getting errors when trying to run a series of scripts every hour with the scheduler:

**00 radar_regional.dsf
**07 metar_albany.dsf
**08 radar_nc_2.dsf
**10 radar_regional.dsf
**14 metar_albany.dsf
**15 radar_nc_2.dsf
**20 radar_regional.dsf
**21 metar_albany.dsf
**22 radar_nc_2.dsf
**30 radar_regional.dsf
**40 radar_regional.dsf
**50 radar_regional.dsf
**58 radar_nc_1.dsf

Here's what each script does:
metar_albany.dsf: Downloads metar data from the Albany site.
radar_regional.dsf: Plots 7 radar stations and current obs on the Regional basemap. Exports the map as both a .bmp and .jpg and uploads the .jpg to my website.
radar_nc_1.dsf: Plots 20 radar stations on the North Central basemap and saves it as the radar_nc basemap.
radar_nc_2.dsf: Plots metar data and isobars on the radar_nc basemap. Exports the map as both a .bmp and .jpg and uploads the .jpg to my website.

After the scripts have been running for a few hours (so each has run successfuly at least once, usually several times), this error message appears:

"Digital Atmosphere encountered an error: Bitmap image is not valid"

The last few lines of the status window read:
» Running script radar_nc_2.dsf...
» Running script radar_nc_2.dsf: load,c:\Program Files\DigitalAtmosphereWS\radar_nc.dmf
» Loading basemap (c:\Program Files\DigitalAtmosphereWS\radar_nc.dmf)

After this happens, every script that attempts to run generates the same error message and doesn't do anything. If I try to open any basemaps manually I get a different error message: "Digital Atmosphere encountered an error: Win32 Error. Code: 87. The parameter is incorrect"

Also, if I try to open MS Paint I get this error message: "There is not enough memory or resources to complete operation. Close some programs, and then try again." This makes me wonder if something's not getting closed out properly, so more and more memory gets consumed with each script that runs.

If I close and re-open DAWS, everything runs normally again (and MS Paint opens correctly).

I'm running Windows 98 on a 450 MHz Pentium III with 128MB RAM, 40GB Hard Drive, 8 MB Graphics Card.

Does anyone have any ideas what's happening, or has anyone encountered similar errors?

Thanks,
Jeff

Hi Jeff,

Sounds like, perhaps, the Windows swap file isn't being "flushed" as it should be, and the scripts are having a cumulative effect until resources/virtual and actual memory are depleted. At least that would be my guess.

If you wanted to zip up your maps and script and zap them to me at pgl000@yahoo.com, I'll run them on my system to see how they behave. Not that I'll be able to tell you how to fix it, but if it crashes you'll know it happens on other computers.

Pat

Hi Pat,

The scripts and maps are on their way. Thanks for your help!

--Jeff