BlueSky is a framework for model management. It facilitates the
use of predictive models that simulate the cumulative impacts of smoke
on air quality from forest, agricultural, and range fires.
BlueSky Framework
The technical information needed to understand, download, and install the framework.
For a more general overview of BlueSky please see the What is BlueSky? section.
Explanation of BlueSky Framework (technical)
The BlueSky framework consists of:
- Core framework code that performs the basic connection and input / output functions of the framework. The core code is written in Python.
- Modules that are scientific models or datasets wrapped into easy to use packages within BlueSky. The modules themselves are written in Python but they call compiled versions of their specific models that are in the model's original programming language (C, FORTRAN, Java, Python, and other languages).
- Helper functions and utility programs that perform specific functions like the ability to generate graphics or translate certain types of model output.
Different ways to use BlueSky
BlueSky was originally designed to be easy to download and install locally by a server administrator. However recent advances have also led to the creation of a BlueSky service-oriented-architecture that is available through web-service calls to our servers.
Who should use which?
- If you are a modeler or researcher, you will likely want to run BlueSky locally in order to maximize your customization and ensure timely running.
- If you just need a few simple calculations done occasionally you will likely want to avail yourself of the remote web-services version of BlueSky in order to not have to dedicate resources locally.
Running the framework on our servers through web-services
Simple runs can be done without installing BlueSky locally, but instead accessing its funcationality through web-services calls to our servers. Please see the Running BlueSky through web-services page.
Running the framework locally
If you want to run the framework locally, please see our Technical Requirements page to ensure that BlueSky can run on your system.
BlueSky can be downloaded and installed quickly and easily. See the Downloading and Installing page for more info.
Once installed please see Running BlueSky for the first time for a step-by-step walkthrough.
The data you will need to run BlueSky depends on what modeling steps you want to run and on whether you are running BlueSky locally or through the remote web-services functionality. Minimally, BlueSky only needs fire size and location. To do plume rise, trajectories or dispersion, BlueSky also requires output from a meteorological model. If you are using the web-services calls, this meteorological model information is provided for you.
If you want to run only particular modeling steps (e.g. Consumption), you generally need the information that would be provided by the previous modeling steps (e.g. Fuel Loadings).
When running remotely, BlueSky gets the information through standard XML formats. The meteorological model data is not transfered over the web because of size, it is instead provided for you from the STI CONUS MM5 model output. See Running BlueSky through web-services.
When running locally, BlueSky prefers simple csv and netcdf formats but can handle some other specific formats, especially for weather model data, including MM5 v3, WRF, and more. For a full list and explanation of how to get information in and out of BlueSky see Import and Export Functionality.
How to download
Downloading and installing BlueSky requires agreeing to the license agreement.
BlueSky is distributed under a revised Gnu Public License. This is done to ensure that BlueSky remains open-sourced and free for all users. Anyone is welcome to modify BlueSky but these changes must be submitted back to the BlueSky core development team for possible inclusion in next generation releases of BlueSky. Additionally, BlueSky should not be redistributed locally, but instead should be downloaded for free from this site to ensure code stability.
To download, please read and sign the modified GPL license agreement before downloading. Once you have submitted your signed license agreement you will be given a link to download BlueSky.
Please contact us with any questions.
How to add different models
The framework comes with a standard set of models (a default pathway) included. In addition there are numerous other models that can be utilized within BlueSky. A list of these models and how to add them as additional modules is found under the Modules tab.
Additionally, it is very easy to create your own module for BlueSky. If you do, we strongly encourage you to submit your module to us for possible distribution to the rest of the BlueSky community.
