Allowing time and elevation specification when using users layers

[marceloandrioni]

Following Reading-eScience-Centre/ncwms#17 and EDAL v1.2.11 it is now possible to add an user layer as base or overlay in godiva3.properties file (https://reading-escience-centre.gitbooks.io/ncwms-user-guide/content/03-config.html#server). What I would like to suggest is to also allow the possibility of passing the parameters TIME and ELEVATION when requesting the layer. Standard WMS servers like Geoserver allow it for the user to add TIME and ELEVATION as dimensions when configuring a layer (http://docs.geoserver.org/latest/en/user/data/webadmin/layers.html#data-webadmin-layers-edit-dimensions). My suggestion would be allowing parameters like xxxHasTime and xxxHasElevation as true/false in godiva3.properties (default to false). If true the values used would come from the main ncWMS layer. An example of the use of the extra function would be hosting a layer on Geoserver with argo floats or ships position with the TIME dimension and showing this layer above a current field from a numerical model. In ncWMS/Godiva2 I managed to do that editing the godiva2.js to show eddies position from a tracking script above a sea level layer. As I changed the date using the calendar, the new position was loaded, as show in the images below. Together with TIME, the ELEVATION could also allow to superimpose a layer with measurements made by a ADCP on a current field.
Thank you.

[guygriffiths]

This is a little tricky to implement, and will require a fair bit of code restructuring (especially for the base layers, which are really not designed to be anything more than static backgrounds). I'll leave the issue open for now and look at implementing it if I get a big chunk of time available to work on it.

[marceloandrioni]

Okay, thanks, I am glad to know it will be considered for future releases.