Hi all!
I didn't quite read through all the details of the messages, but I've been thinking about similar things every once in a while. I think Thorsten had some very similar vision.
I've been thinking about making a system, that makes a map of every available METAR positions (lat/lon) and then pitteway triangulates [1] that. Then, for any given point we know the 3 nearest METARS available and can interpolate between them to make smooth weather transitions. Problems are that 1) I don't know if all point sets can be pitteway triangulated and 2) how it is done.
Then, we should make a Nasal interface to request the weather model at any given point. That way all contrails, windsocks etc would work correctly.
Also, it would be possible to generate cloud layers and rain/snow near the points where METAR indicates those. I think it would be possible to see a distant storm front or something with this system. For this, we could use the voronoi diagrams statto mentioned (which are used in pitteway triangulation too, btw).
I don't know how setting the weather would work then. Maybe we could have this "spatial weather" as a separate weather model in the weather selection dialog? But how to turn on rain in certain area with nasal?
In any case, I think this must be done in C++ side, enhance the current weather models.
Lauri / Zan