# PyPortal Hurricane Tracker

## Overview

![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/094/095/medium800/circuitpython_banner2.jpg?1597439792)

Every summer out in the Atlantic Ocean, storms form off the West coast of Africa and start moving towards North America. Sometimes they dissipate and are gone. Other times they keep growing as they move and can become [hurricanes](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantic_hurricane).

This plot of historical storm tracks shows how everything from Panama to Nova Scotia is a potential target.

![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/094/084/medium800/circuitpython_banner.jpg?1597427274)

Hurricanes are very powerful, so when they hit land, it's a serious event. Typical preparation involves boarding up windows, stocking provisions, and getting ready for possible evacuation. So keeping an eye on storm progress is a key part of dealing with hurricane season.

In this guide, we'll show you how you can use your Adafruit PyPortal to display current storm locations. The code is written in [CircuitPython](https://circuitpython.org/).

Featured
### Adafruit PyPortal - CircuitPython Powered Internet Display

[Adafruit PyPortal - CircuitPython Powered Internet Display](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4116)
 **PyPortal** , our easy-to-use IoT device that allows you to create all the things for the “Internet of Things” in minutes. Make custom touch screen interface GUIs, all open-source, and Python-powered using&nbsp;tinyJSON / APIs to get news, stock, weather, cat photos,...

In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4116)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4116/guides)
![Front view of a Adafruit PyPortal - CircuitPython Powered Internet Display with a pyportal logo image on the display. ](https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/640x480/4116-00.jpeg)

Featured
### Adafruit PyPortal Desktop Stand Enclosure Kit

[Adafruit PyPortal Desktop Stand Enclosure Kit](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4146)
PyPortal is&nbsp;our easy-to-use IoT device that allows you to create all the things for the “Internet of Things” in minutes. Create little pocket universes of joy that connect to something good.

And now that you've made a cool internet-connected project...

In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4146)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4146/guides)
![Demo Shot of the Assembled Adafruit PyPortal Desktop Stand Enclosure Kit.](https://cdn-shop.adafruit.com/640x480/4146-03.jpg)

# PyPortal Hurricane Tracker

## Install CircuitPython

[CircuitPython](https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython) is a derivative of [MicroPython](https://micropython.org) designed to simplify experimentation and education on low-cost microcontrollers. It makes it easier than ever to get prototyping by requiring no upfront desktop software downloads. Simply copy and edit files on the **CIRCUITPY** &nbsp;"flash" drive to iterate.

The following instructions will show you how to install CircuitPython. If you've already installed CircuitPython but are looking to update it or reinstall it, the same steps work for that as well!

## Set up CircuitPython Quick Start!

Follow this quick step-by-step for super-fast Python power :)

[Download the latest version of CircuitPython for the PyPortal via CircuitPython.org](https://circuitpython.org/board/pyportal/)
[Download the latest version of CircuitPython for the PyPortal Pynt via CircuitPython.org](https://circuitpython.org/board/pyportal_pynt/)
 **Click the link above to download the latest version of CircuitPython for the PyPortal.**

Download and save it to your desktop (or wherever is handy).

![circuitpython_pyportal-uf2.png](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/073/615/medium640/circuitpython_pyportal-uf2.png?1553610968)

Plug your PyPortal into your computer using a known-good USB cable.

**A lot of people end up using charge-only USB cables and it is very frustrating! So make sure you have a USB cable you know is good for data sync.**

Double-click the **Reset** button on the top in the middle (magenta arrow) on your board, and you will see the NeoPixel RGB LED (green arrow) turn green. If it turns red, check the USB cable, try another USB port, etc.&nbsp; **Note:** The little red LED next to the USB connector will pulse red. That's ok!

If double-clicking doesn't work the first time, try again. Sometimes it can take a few tries to get the rhythm right!

![circuitpython_PyPortalResetNeoPIxel.jpg](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/071/993/medium640/circuitpython_PyPortalResetNeoPIxel.jpg?1551213425)

You will see a new disk drive appear called **PORTALBOOT**.

Drag the **adafruit-circuitpython-pyportal-\<whatever\>.uf2** file to **PORTALBOOT.**

![circuitpython_PyPortal_PORTALBOOT.png](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/072/029/medium640/circuitpython_PyPortal_PORTALBOOT.png?1551287972)

![circuitpython_PyPortal_Drag_UF2.png](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/072/030/medium640/circuitpython_PyPortal_Drag_UF2.png?1551287983)

The LED will flash. Then, the **PORTALBOOT** drive will disappear and a new disk drive called **CIRCUITPY** will appear.

If you haven't added any code to your board, the only file that will be present is **boot\_out.txt**. This is absolutely normal! It's time for you to add your **code.py** and get started!

That's it, you're done! :)

![circuitpython_PyPortalCIRCUITPY.png](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/071/995/medium640/circuitpython_PyPortalCIRCUITPY.png?1551213875)

## PyPortal Default Files

Click below to download a zip of the files that shipped on the PyPortal or PyPortal Pynt.

[PyPortal Default Files](https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython-default-files/tree/main/boards/pyportal/4.x)
[PyPortal Pynt Default Files](https://github.com/adafruit/circuitpython-default-files/tree/main/boards/pyportal_pynt/5.x)
# PyPortal Hurricane Tracker

## PyPortal CircuitPython Setup

To use all the amazing features of your PyPortal with CircuitPython, you must first install a number of libraries. This page covers that process.

# Adafruit CircuitPython Bundle

Download the Adafruit CircuitPython Library Bundle. You can find the latest release here:

[Latest Adafruit CircuitPython Library Bundle](https://circuitpython.org/libraries)
Download the **adafruit-circuitpython-bundle-\*.x-mpy-\*.zip** bundle zip file where **\*.x MATCHES THE VERSION OF CIRCUITPYTHON YOU INSTALLED** , and unzip a folder of the same name. Inside you'll find a **lib** folder. You have two options:

- You can add the **lib** folder to your **CIRCUITPY** drive. This will ensure you have _all the drivers_. But it will take a bunch of space on the 8 MB disk  
- Add each library as you need it, this will reduce the space usage but you'll need to put in a little more effort.

At a minimum we recommend the following libraries, in fact we more than recommend. They're basically required. So grab them and install them into **CIRCUITPY/lib** now!

- **adafruit\_esp32spi** - This is the library that gives you internet access via the ESP32 using (you guessed it!) SPI transport. You need this for anything Internet
- **adafruit\_requests** - This library allows us to perform HTTP requests and get responses back from servers. GET/POST/PUT/PATCH - they're all in here!
- adafruit\_connection\_manager - used by adafruit\_requests.
- **adafruit\_pyportal** - This is our friendly wrapper library that does a lot of our projects, displays graphics and text, fetches data from the internet. Nearly all of our projects depend on it!
- **adafruit\_portalbase** &nbsp;- This library is the base library that adafruit\_pyportal library is built on top of.
- **adafruit\_touchscreen** - a library for reading touches from the resistive touchscreen. Handles all the analog noodling, rotation and calibration for you.
- **adafruit\_io** - this library helps connect the PyPortal to our free datalogging and viewing service
- **adafruit\_imageload** - an image display helper, required for any graphics!
- **adafruit\_display\_text** - not surprisingly, it displays text on the screen
- **adafruit\_bitmap\_font** - we have fancy font support, and its easy to make new fonts. This library reads and parses font files.
- **adafruit\_slideshow** - for making image slideshows - handy for quick display of graphics and sound
- **neopixel** - for controlling the onboard neopixel
- **adafruit\_adt7410** - library to read the temperature from the on-board Analog Devices ADT7410 precision temperature sensor (not necessary for Titano or Pynt)
- **adafruit\_bus\_device** - low level support for I2C/SPI
- **adafruit\_fakerequests** &nbsp;- This library allows you to create fake HTTP requests by using local files.

# PyPortal Hurricane Tracker

## Create Your settings.toml File

CircuitPython works with WiFi-capable boards to enable you to make projects that have network connectivity. This means working with various passwords and API keys. As of [CircuitPython 8](https://circuitpython.org/downloads), there is support for a **settings.toml** file. This is a file that is stored on your **CIRCUITPY** drive, that contains all of your secret network information, such as your SSID, SSID password and any API keys for IoT services. It is designed to separate your sensitive information from your **code.py** file so you are able to share your code without sharing your credentials.

CircuitPython previously used a **secrets.py** file for this purpose. The **settings.toml** file is quite similar.

Warning: Your **settings.toml** file should be stored in the main directory of your **CIRCUITPY** drive. It should not be in a folder.

## CircuitPython **settings.toml** File

This section will provide a couple of examples of what your **settings.toml** file should look like, specifically for CircuitPython WiFi projects in general.

The most minimal **settings.toml** file must contain your WiFi SSID and password, as that is the minimum required to connect to WiFi. Copy this example, paste it into your **settings.toml** , and update:

- `your_wifi_ssid`
- `your_wifi_password`

```auto
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your_wifi_ssid"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your_wifi_password"
```

Many CircuitPython network-connected projects on the Adafruit Learn System involve using Adafruit IO. For these projects, you must _also_ include your Adafruit IO username and key. Copy the following example, paste it into your settings.toml file, and update:

- `your_wifi_ssid`
- `your_wifi_password`
- `your_aio_username`
- `your_aio_key`

```auto
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "your_wifi_ssid"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "your_wifi_password"
ADAFRUIT_AIO_USERNAME = "your_aio_username"
ADAFRUIT_AIO_KEY = "your_aio_key"
```

Some projects use different variable names for the entries in the **settings.toml** file. For example, a project might use `ADAFRUIT_AIO_ID` in the place of `ADAFRUIT_AIO_USERNAME`. **If you run into connectivity issues, one of the first things to check is that the names in the settings.toml file match the names in the code.**

Warning: Not every project uses the same variable name for each entry in the **settings.toml** file! Always verify it matches the code.

## **settings.toml** File Tips
Here is an example **settings.toml** file.

```auto
# Comments are supported
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_SSID = "guest wifi"
CIRCUITPY_WIFI_PASSWORD = "guessable"
CIRCUITPY_WEB_API_PORT = 80
CIRCUITPY_WEB_API_PASSWORD = "passw0rd"
test_variable = "this is a test"
thumbs_up = "\U0001f44d"
```

In a **settings.toml** file, it's important to keep these factors in mind:

- Strings are wrapped in double quotes; ex: `"your-string-here"`
- Integers are _ **not** _ quoted and may be written in decimal with optional sign (`+1`, `-1`, `1000`) or hexadecimal (`0xabcd`).
  - Floats (decimal numbers), octal (`0o567`) and binary (`0b11011`) are not supported.

- Use `\u` escapes for weird characters, `\x` and `\ooo` escapes are not available in **.toml** files
  - Example: `\U0001f44d` for 👍 (thumbs up emoji) and `\u20ac` for € (EUR sign)

- Unicode emoji, and non-ASCII characters, stand for themselves as long as you're careful to save in "UTF-8 without BOM" format

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

When your&nbsp; **settings.toml&nbsp;** file is ready, you can save it in your text editor with the **.toml** &nbsp;extension.

![adafruit_products_dotToml.jpg](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/117/071/medium640/adafruit_products_dotToml.jpg?1671034293)

## Accessing Your **settings.toml** Information in **code.py**
In your **code.py** file, you'll need to `import` the `os` library to access the **settings.toml** file. Your settings are accessed with the `os.getenv()` function. You'll pass your settings entry to the function to import it into the **code.py** file.

```python
import os

print(os.getenv("test_variable"))
```

![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/117/072/medium800/adafruit_products_tomlOutput.jpg?1671034496)

In the upcoming CircuitPython WiFi examples, you'll see how the **settings.toml&nbsp;** file is used for connecting to your SSID and accessing your API keys.

# PyPortal Hurricane Tracker

## Internet Connect!

# Connect to WiFi

OK, now that you have your&nbsp; **settings.toml** file set up - you can connect to the Internet.

To do this, you need to first install a few libraries, into the lib folder on your **CIRCUITPY** drive. Then you need to update **code.py** with the example script.

Thankfully, we can do this in one go. In the example below, click the **Download Project Bundle** button below to download the necessary libraries and the **code.py** file in a zip file. Extract the contents of the zip file, open the directory **examples/** and then click on the directory that matches the version of CircuitPython you're using and copy the contents of that directory to your **CIRCUITPY** drive.

Your **CIRCUITPY** drive should now look similar to the following image:

![CIRCUITPY](https://adafruit.github.io/Adafruit_CircuitPython_Bundle/esp32spi_esp32spi_simpletest.py.png )

Info: Update to CircuitPython 9.2.x or later to use this example.

https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_ESP32SPI/blob/main/examples/esp32spi_simpletest.py

And save it to your board, with the name **code.py**.

Don't forget you'll also need to create the **settings.toml** file as seen above, with your WiFi ssid and password.

In a serial console, you should see something like the following. For more information about connecting with a serial console, view the guide [Connecting to the Serial Console](https://learn.adafruit.com/welcome-to-circuitpython/kattni-connecting-to-the-serial-console).

```terminal
>>> import wifitest
ESP32 SPI webclient test
ESP32 found and in idle mode
Firmware vers. 1.7.5
MAC addr: 24:C9:DC:BD:0F:3F
	HomeNetwork             RSSI: -46
	HomeNetwork             RSSI: -76
	Fios-12345              RSSI: -92
	FiOS-AB123              RSSI: -92
	NETGEAR53               RSSI: -93
Connecting to AP...
Connected to HomeNetwork 	RSSI: -45
My IP address is 192.168.1.245
IP lookup adafruit.com: 104.20.39.240
Ping google.com: 30 ms
Fetching text from http://wifitest.adafruit.com/testwifi/index.html
----------------------------------------
This is a test of Adafruit WiFi!
If you can read this, its working :)
----------------------------------------

Fetching json from http://wifitest.adafruit.com/testwifi/sample.json
----------------------------------------
{'fun': True, 'company': 'Adafruit', 'founded': 2005, 'primes': [2, 3, 5], 'pi': 3.14, 'mixed': [False, None, 3, True, 2.7, 'cheese']}
----------------------------------------
Done!
```

Going over the example above, here's a breakdown of what the program is doing:

- Initialize the ESP32 over SPI using the SPI port and 3 control pins:

```python
esp32_cs = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_CS)
esp32_ready = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_BUSY)
esp32_reset = DigitalInOut(board.ESP_RESET)

#...

else:
    spi = busio.SPI(board.SCK, board.MOSI, board.MISO)
esp = adafruit_esp32spi.ESP_SPIcontrol(spi, esp32_cs, esp32_ready, esp32_reset)
```

- Get the socket pool and the SSL context, and then tell the `adafruit_requests` library about them.

```python
pool = adafruit_connection_manager.get_radio_socketpool(esp)
ssl_context = adafruit_connection_manager.get_radio_ssl_context(esp)
requests = adafruit_requests.Session(pool, ssl_context)
```

- Verify an ESP32 is found, checks the firmware and MAC address

```auto
if esp.status == adafruit_esp32spi.WL_IDLE_STATUS:
    print("ESP32 found and in idle mode")
print("Firmware vers.", esp.firmware_version)
print("MAC addr:", ":".join("%02X" % byte for byte in esp.MAC_address))
```

- Perform a scan of all access points it can see and print out the name and signal strength.

```python
for ap in esp.scan_networks():
    print("\t%-23s RSSI: %d" % (ap.ssid, ap.rssi))
```

- Connect to the AP we've defined here, then print out the local IP address. Then attempt to do a domain name lookup and ping google.com to check network connectivity. (Note sometimes the ping fails or takes a while; this isn't a big deal.)

```python
print("Connecting to AP...")
while not esp.is_connected:
    try:
        esp.connect_AP(ssid, password)
    except OSError as e:
        print("could not connect to AP, retrying: ", e)
        continue
print("Connected to", esp.ap_info.ssid, "\tRSSI:", esp.ap_info.rssi)
print("My IP address is", esp.ipv4_address)
print(
    "IP lookup adafruit.com: %s" % esp.pretty_ip(esp.get_host_by_name("adafruit.com"))
)
```

Now we're getting to the really interesting part of the example program. We've written a library for web fetching web data, named [adafruit\_requests](https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_Requests). It is a lot like the regular Python library named [requests](https://requests.readthedocs.io/en/latest/). This library allows you to send HTTP and HTTPS requests easily and provides helpful methods for parsing the response from the server.

- Here is the part of the example program is fetching text data from a URL.

```python
TEXT_URL = "http://wifitest.adafruit.com/testwifi/index.html"  # Further up in the program

# ...

print("Fetching text from", TEXT_URL)
r = requests.get(TEXT_URL)
print('-' * 40)
print(r.text)
print('-' * 40)
r.close()
```

- Finally, here the program is fetching some JSON data. The `adafruit_requests` library will parse the JSON into a Python dictionary whose structure is the same as the structure of the JSON.

```auto
JSON_URL = "http://wifitest.adafruit.com/testwifi/sample.json"   # Further up in the program

# ...

print("Fetching json from", JSON_URL)
r = requests.get(JSON_URL)
print('-' * 40)
print(r.json())
print('-' * 40)
r.close()
```

# Advanced Requests Usage

Want to send custom HTTP headers, parse the response as raw bytes, or handle a response's http status code in your CircuitPython code?

We've written an&nbsp;example to show advanced usage of the requests module below.

To use with CircuitPython, you need to first install a few libraries, into the lib folder on your **CIRCUITPY** drive. Then you need to update **code.py** with the example script.

Thankfully, we can do this in one go. In the example below, click the **Download Project Bundle** button below to download the necessary libraries and the **code.py** file in a zip file. Extract the contents of the zip file, open the directory **examples/** and then click on the directory that matches the version of CircuitPython you're using and copy the contents of that directory to your **CIRCUITPY** drive.

https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_Requests/blob/main/examples/esp32spi/requests_esp32spi_advanced.py

Your **CIRCUITPY** drive should now look similar to the following image:

![CIRCUITPY](https://adafruit.github.io/Adafruit_CircuitPython_Bundle/requests_esp32spi_requests_esp32spi_advanced.py.png )

# WiFi Manager

The way the examples above connect to WiFi works but it's a little finicky. Since WiFi is not necessarily so reliable, you may have disconnects and need to reconnect. For more advanced uses, we recommend using the `WiFiManager` class. It will wrap the connection/status/requests loop for you - reconnecting if WiFi drops, resetting the ESP32 if it gets into a bad state, etc.

Here's a more advanced example that shows using the `WiFiManager` and also how to fetch the current time from a web source.

https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_ESP32SPI/blob/main/examples/esp32spi_localtime.py

# Further Information

For more information on the basics of doing networking in CircuitPython, see this guide:

### Networking in CircuitPython

[Networking in CircuitPython](https://learn.adafruit.com/networking-in-circuitpython)
# PyPortal Hurricane Tracker

## Current Storm Information

![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/094/092/medium800/circuitpython_Screenshot_from_2020-08-14_11-40-46.png?1597430485)

Getting the information about current storms is super easy. The [National Hurricane Center](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/), which is part of [NOAA](https://www.noaa.gov/), makes various products available. There's a list here:

[Tropical Cyclone Product Examples](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/productexamples/)
At the very end of the "Text Products" list, there is a link to this JSON source:

[Sample JSON file](https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/productexamples/NHC_JSON_Sample.json)
This has everything we need! You can open the link in a web browser to see the JSON data:

![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/094/074/medium800/circuitpython_browser_json.jpg?1597424451)

For each storm, there's a **name** , a **location** in terms of latitude and logitude, a **classification** , as well as other ancillary information. And the CircuitPython PyPortal library makes grabbing and parsing this data easy.

This PDF has more information about the JSON data source:

[Tropical Storm JSON Description](https://nws.weather.gov/products/PDD/PDD_ExpTropicalCycloneJSONFile_2019.pdf)
# PyPortal Hurricane Tracker

## Hurricane Tracker

OK, let's load up our PyPortal with the hurricane tracker code. You'll need a few additional libraries, as mentioned below. You'll also need the BMP files for the map and icons. And finally, there's the code itself.

Note - the hurricane tracker version provided here is for the **Atlantic Ocean only**. The NOAA JSON data source also covers the Eastern and Central Pacific. We think adapting this code for those regions would make for a fun knowledge building exercise.

## Libraries

In addition to all the libraries needed for the PyPortal (see PyPortal CircuitPython Setup), you'll also need these libraries:

- **adafruit\_display\_shapes**
- **simpleio**

Make sure your **CIRCUITPY/lib** folder contains them.

## Bitmaps

This is the basemap used. Save this as **map.bmp** in your **CIRCUITPY** folder:

[map.bmp](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/094/082/original/map.bmp?1597425825)
This is the sprite sheet bitmap used for the storm icons. Save this as **storm\_icons.bmp** in your **CIRCUITPY** folder:

[storm_icons.bmp](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/094/083/original/storm_icons.bmp?1597425833)
## Code

Here's the complete code for the PyPortal Hurricane Tracker:

https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_Learning_System_Guides/blob/main/PyPortal/PyPortal_Hurricane_Tracker/code.py

Make sure your PyPortal **CIRCUITPY** drive has these files in the right directories:

![CIRCUITPY](https://adafruit.github.io/Adafruit_Learning_System_Guides/PyPortal_PyPortal_Hurricane_Tracker.png )

# PyPortal Hurricane Tracker

## How It Works

## Getting Storm Information

Having a JSON source makes things really easy. And the PyPortal library makes getting that data easy as well. The location is provided when we created the PyPortal object:

```python
# setup pyportal
pyportal = PyPortal(
    url="https://www.nhc.noaa.gov/CurrentStorms.json",
    json_path=["activeStorms"],
    status_neopixel=board.NEOPIXEL,
    default_bg="/map.bmp",
)
```

We give it the URL as well as the path location to where we'll find the data. Note that the background map BMP is also specified.

Then, to actually go fetch the data, we just call **fetch()**:

```python
storm_data = pyportal.fetch()
```

And if everything works (network connection, etc.), then we should get back a Python list. The list will have a dictionary for each storm. Each dictionary has all the info we want, and we simply access the data via its associated key. For example, the **name** :

```python
storm["name"]
```

## Computing Screen Coordinates

The storm location in the JSON file is provided in terms of **latitude** and **longitude**. So some work must be done to convert that into screen **(x, y)** coordinates. See this other guide for a more in depth discussion of what is involved:

[Computing ISS Location](https://learn.adafruit.com/pyportal-iss-tracker/iss-location)
The same general approach is used for the hurricane tracker.

## Storm Icons

The storm icons are contained in a single BMP. This uses the concept of a **sprite sheet** , which can break down the single BMP into tiles, with each tile containing a single icon. For more information about sprite sheets, see here:

[Sprite Sheets with displayio](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-display-support-using-displayio/sprite-sheet)
In this case, each icon is 16x16 pixels. There are 3 of them, so the total bitmap size is 16x48 pixels. A background color of yellow is used so that it can easily be found and set as the transparency color. That's what these lines of code do:

```python
for i, c in enumerate(icons_pal):
    if c == 0xFFFF00:
        icons_pal.make_transparent(i)
```

Here's a summary of what the icons mean:

![](https://cdn-learn.adafruit.com/assets/assets/000/094/093/medium800/circuitpython_legend.png?1597436680)

## Storm Graphics Group

For each storm found, the tracker will display 3 things at the storm location:

1. An icon based on storm classification
2. The storm name
3. An arrow indicating storm movement direction

To make it easy to place all of these items, a new **displayio.Group** is created for each storm. That's what this line does:

```python
storm_gfx = displayio.Group(max_size=3)  # icon + label + arrow
```

Then each of the items are added via the **append()** function. And then the group itself is added to the main display ground via this line:

```python
storm_icons.append(storm_gfx)
```

This is a good example of how nesting groups within groups can be useful.

## Putting It All Together

How all this comes together is pretty simple. The initial setup of the PyPortal specifies the JSON data source and background map. That, along with your **secrets.py** file for connecting to your network, sets up most of the hardware.

Then, the current JSON data is fetched. For each storm found within the map region, it's (x, y) location on the screen is computed and the proper icon and other graphics are shown.

And that's it. With a simple time check, this same process is then repeated at regular intervals.


## Guide Products

### Adafruit PyPortal - CircuitPython Powered Internet Display

[Adafruit PyPortal - CircuitPython Powered Internet Display](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4116)
 **PyPortal** , our easy-to-use IoT device that allows you to create all the things for the “Internet of Things” in minutes. Make custom touch screen interface GUIs, all open-source, and Python-powered using&nbsp;tinyJSON / APIs to get news, stock, weather, cat photos,...

In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4116)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4116/guides)
### Adafruit PyPortal Desktop Stand Enclosure Kit

[Adafruit PyPortal Desktop Stand Enclosure Kit](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4146)
PyPortal is&nbsp;our easy-to-use IoT device that allows you to create all the things for the “Internet of Things” in minutes. Create little pocket universes of joy that connect to something good.

And now that you've made a cool internet-connected project...

In Stock
[Buy Now](https://www.adafruit.com/product/4146)
[Related Guides to the Product](https://learn.adafruit.com/products/4146/guides)

## Related Guides

- [Adafruit PyPortal - IoT for CircuitPython](https://learn.adafruit.com/adafruit-pyportal.md)
- [PyPortal MQTT Sensor Node/Control Pad for Home Assistant](https://learn.adafruit.com/pyportal-mqtt-sensor-node-control-pad-home-assistant.md)
- [PyPortal View Master](https://learn.adafruit.com/pyportal-view-master.md)
- [Infinite Text Adventure](https://learn.adafruit.com/infinite-text-adventure.md)
- [CircuitPython Your Own Adventure](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuit-python-your-own-adventure.md)
- [CircuitPython Day 2020 Countdown Clock](https://learn.adafruit.com/circuitpython-day-2020-countdown-clock.md)
- [PyPortal Event Count-Up Clock](https://learn.adafruit.com/pyportal-event-count-up-clock.md)
- [PyPortal Discord Online Counter](https://learn.adafruit.com/pyportal-discord-online-count.md)
- [Use circup to easily keep your CircuitPython libraries up to date](https://learn.adafruit.com/keep-your-circuitpython-libraries-on-devices-up-to-date-with-circup.md)
- [Getting Started with Braille Output for CircuitPython REPL](https://learn.adafruit.com/getting-started-braille-output-circuitpython-repl.md)
- [PyPortal LIFX Lighting Controller ](https://learn.adafruit.com/pyportal-lifx-lighting-controller.md)
- [CircuitPython Twitter Viewer Using the Twitter API](https://learn.adafruit.com/twitter-api-use.md)
- [PyPortal Guitar Tuner](https://learn.adafruit.com/pyportal-guitar-tuner.md)
- [A Logger for CircuitPython](https://learn.adafruit.com/a-logger-for-circuitpython.md)
- [Saving CircuitPython Bitmaps and Screenshots](https://learn.adafruit.com/saving-bitmap-screenshots-in-circuitpython.md)
- [PyPortal Trivia Time with the Open Trivia Database](https://learn.adafruit.com/pyportal-trivia-time-open-trivia-database.md)
