Versione in Italiano QUI
I am pleased to announce that my plugin for Windy.com, Clouds Horizon Distance, has been updated to version 0.9.2, introducing many new features.
In this short article I will try to summarize them all so you can immediately take full advantage of the new capabilities.
I remind you that to get the most out of the plugin and fully understand how it works, reading THIS article is recommended, if not essential.
Important: reinstall the plugin
Warning: if you are already using my plugin, you need to remove it and reinstall it to use the latest available version.
To do this, in the Windy.com menu simply click the trash icon next to the plugin name. Once done, the plugin will disappear from your list, and to install it again just click on Install Windy Plugin to access the Windy.com plugin library, where you will find the latest version of Clouds Horizon Distance.
What is new in Clouds Horizon Distance 0.9.2
This new version of the plugin includes some new features and several improvements:
- Mobile version
- Dynamic layers
- Sun Path feature
- Live Sun feature
- Bug fixes and optimizations
Let’s now take a closer look at each of them.
Mobile version
Finally, Windy.com has decided to reverse course and allow plugins to be used on the mobile version available on smartphones. If you still have an older version of Clouds Horizon Distance installed, you will see that the plugin is already available in the app, but it does not work properly, or rather it has display issues.
The reason is that until now it was not possible to run the plugin inside the app, so the code was not optimized. By installing the new version, you will now be able to use Clouds Horizon Distance just like on desktop.
To install the mobile version, open the app on your phone and in the menu where you normally select all layers, scroll down until you find the section Extend your Windy. Then tap Install Windy Plugin and, from the plugin menu, select Clouds Horizon Distance. Tap on it and you will see a button at the bottom labeled Install Plugin. Once done, you will find the plugin ready to open in the main menu, again under the Extend your Windy section.
Once installed and activated, simply tap a point on the map where you want your cloud horizons to be drawn. Below the time slider you will find a section with all the useful information normally available in the desktop version. You can scroll the information from right to left to minimize the space used on the screen.
Naturally, the mobile version also works on tablets, which is actually my favorite way to use it.
Dynamic layers
One of the things that created the most confusion in Clouds Horizon Distance was that, regardless of the selected cloud layer, the plugin always drew the cloud horizons for all layers. Starting from version 0.9.2, when you select a specific cloud layer, only the circles related to that layer will be displayed. This works when selecting high, mid, or low cloud layers. The display of all circles remains unchanged when any other layer is selected, including the total cloud layer.
Sun Path feature
In previous versions of Clouds Horizon Distance, only the sunrise and sunset lines were visible. Starting from version 0.9.2, the plugin also displays the sun azimuth throughout the entire day. This feature is enabled by default and works both when dragging the Windy time slider and when pressing Play on it. However, it is possible to hide the Sun Path by pressing the dedicated button located above the plugin information box in the desktop version, or in the last information tab in the mobile version.
Live Sun feature
Live Sun is a new feature that was requested and has now been implemented. When the Live Sun function is activated using the dedicated button, the plugin calculates in real time the position of the sun relative to your exact location on the map and your elevation above ground.
A red line is then drawn representing the actual direction of the sun at that moment, which is the ground projection of the line of sight between the observer and the sun.
The length of this line varies according to the solar elevation. The higher the sun, the shorter the distance at which the line of sight intersects the cloud layers.
Along this direction, two segments are highlighted:
- purple segment → interception distance of the mid level cloud layer
- blue segment → interception distance of the low level cloud layer
These segments indicate the distance at which, at that exact moment and for that specific location, a cloud within the corresponding layer will block the direct view of the sun. In practice, if in the corresponding cloud layer an overlap is observed between the segment and a covered area, the line of sight between the observer and the sun is intercepted, and therefore the sun will not be directly visible.
Conceptually, at sunrise and sunset, when the solar elevation is zero, the red line coincides with the sunrise or sunset direction, and the interception distances match the classic Clouds Horizon Distance calculation.
The yellow sun marker is purely indicative and serves only to visualize the solar direction on the map.
Other improvements
In addition to the features described above, many improvements have been made under the hood. Here are the main ones.
Higher geometric accuracy
The horizon distance now uses a more precise formula based on Earth curvature, improving result consistency especially at higher elevations and with high cloud layers.
Full precision coordinates for calculations
Latitude and longitude are no longer rounded in internal calculations. This increases accuracy for elevation lookup, sun azimuth computation, and horizon geometry. Coordinates are rounded only for display.
Elevation caching
Elevation requests are now stored locally. This reduces API calls and improves responsiveness when repeatedly clicking nearby points on the map.
Cleaner and more stable rendering
Map overlays are fully cleared and redrawn in a controlled way, preventing layer duplication and improving overall stability.
Improved label positioning
Distance labels are now placed using a proper geodetic projection instead of approximate degree offsets, ensuring accurate positioning at all latitudes.
Reduced visual clutter
Intermediate cloud range circles remain visible but without excessive labeling, improving map readability while preserving distance information.
Code structure improvements
Rendering functions no longer rely on global state. The code is therefore more robust, predictable, and easier to extend for future features.
More robust elevation handling
Validation and parsing of elevation data have been improved to ensure consistent behavior across different API responses.
Improved internal precision and consistency
Repeated clicks on the same location now produce identical geometric results, avoiding micro variations caused by rounding or non deterministic states.
Download and try
To use the plugin, simply install it from the Windy.com menu. However, to get the most out of it, remember that in THIS article you can find a complete guide to the plugin with many use cases.
The plugin is completely free, but as always, donations to support development are very welcome 🙂
