ECW Work Bench — User Guide
Launch ECW Work Bench Back to Welcome

1) Overview

EchoCoreWorld is a single‑page workbench for live Earth data, chemistry/physics tools, and a private on‑device AI (WebLLM). No account required.

Why it’s useful

  • Weather & hazards: watch wind, aerosols, and satellite layers when planning travel or tracking events.
  • Study & labs: look up element facts and relate them to compounds you care about.
  • Research flow: search papers, draft notes, generate quick citations, and plot small CSVs in one place.
  • Private AI: ask questions locally—no cloud inference.

What’s inside

  • Dashboard with Earth feeds
  • Periodic Table + Mixing Pot DB
  • Draft editor • Citation maker • CSV plotter
  • Physics constants • Units/Metrology
  • Paper search + “Ask AI about the selected paper”

2) Layout & Navigation

  • Center panel tries to embed a site. If blocked (CSP/X‑Frame‑Options), the same button opens a new tab.
  • Ask box can include the “Context URL” of whatever is in the center panel to focus the AI.

Anchor clicks won’t hide headings: sections reserve space with scroll-margin-top.

3) Earth Feeds

How to use

  • Click a feed (Nullschool, NOAA, NASA Eyes…).
  • If the panel remains blank, click again to open in a new tab.

What it’s useful for

  • Nullschool: wind/temperature overlays to spot fronts and patterns.
  • NOAA/NASA: satellite imagery for storms, fires, dust, and ocean color.

4) Periodic Table

How to use

  • Search by symbol or name; click an element for details.
  • Toggle the legend for category colors.
  • If a Mixing Pot DB is loaded, element panels show related compounds.

Why it’s useful

  • Compare categories (e.g., transition metals vs post‑transition) when reasoning about properties.
  • Jump from an element to compounds that contain it.

5) Mixing Pot (Compounds DB)

Load data

  • Upload a JSON file from your computer, or
  • Server JSON files → Scan to list .json next to the app, then Load.

Saved locally (browser storage). Use Settings → Clear to remove.

Why it’s useful

  • Keep a personal compounds database (hazards, mp/bp, refs).
  • Tie compounds back to elements for quick cross‑checks.

6) Create Your Own JSON

Two accepted shapes; SI units recommended. Use UTF‑8.

// A) Top-level array
[
  {"id":"h2o","name":"Water","formula":"H2O","elements":{"H":2,"O":1},"molar_mass":18.015,"density_g_cm3":1.0,"mp_c":0,"bp_c":100,"hazards":["none"],"uses":["solvent"],"refs":["https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/962"]}
]
// B) Object with compounds[]
{"version":2,"title":"Melting Pot","compounds":[
  {"id":"nacl","name":"Sodium chloride","formula":"NaCl","elements":{"Na":1,"Cl":1},"molar_mass":58.443,"density_g_cm3":2.165,"mp_c":801,"bp_c":1465,"hazards":["irritant"],"uses":["de-icing"],"refs":["https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/5234"]}
]}

Required

  • id, name, formula, elements {"C":6,"H":6}

Recommended

  • molar_mass, density_g_cm3, mp_c, bp_c, hazards, uses, notes, refs, tags

Validate quickly

(()=>{
  const data = window.MELTING_POT || JSON.parse(localStorage.getItem('ecw:meltingpot:db')||'null');
  if(!data) return console.warn('No DB loaded');
  const arr = Array.isArray(data) ? data : (data.compounds||[]);
  const problems=[]; const okId=/^[a-z0-9._-]+$/i;
  arr.forEach((c,i)=>{ if(!c.id||!okId.test(c.id))problems.push(`Bad id @#${i}`);
    if(!c.name)problems.push(`Missing name @${c.id||'#'+i}`);
    if(!c.elements||typeof c.elements!=='object')problems.push(`Missing elements @${c.id}`);
  });
  console.log(`Checked ${arr.length} compounds. Problems:`, problems);
})();

7) Draft Paper (Word Editor)

How to use

  • Open Draft Paper from the Command Center.
  • Use toolbar for headings, bold, lists, links.
  • Export via browser Print → Save as PDF or copy/paste.

Why it’s useful

  • Capture thoughts while you explore feeds and the table.
  • Keep a running lab log or summary to share later.

8) Citation Maker

How to use

  • Paste a title/DOI/URL → choose style → copy output.

Why it’s useful

  • Generate consistent references fast while drafting.

9)Editors Suite (Code • Markdown • Math)

How to use

  • Open Editors Suite from the Command Center or Learn More links.
  • Switch tabs to choose Code, Markdown, or Math.
  • Everything autosaves locally in your browser; no login needed.
  • Copy, download, or export content when you’re ready.

Why it’s useful

  • Keep scratch code, experiment logs, or paper drafts alongside live science feeds.
  • Markdown editor supports notes and equations with instant preview.
  • Math tab renders LaTeX → KaTeX and can export formulas as PNG for papers or slides.
  • One place to draft ideas while watching data streams evolve.

10) CSV Plotter

How to use

  • Upload CSV → pick X/Y columns → render chart.

Why it’s useful

  • Spot trends before moving to a full analysis notebook.

11) Physics Constants

How to use

  • Search by name or symbol; click to copy.

Why it’s useful

  • Grab verified values without leaving the workbench.

12) Meteorology (Weather Station + Globe)

Launch Meteorology

What it does

  • Record your station observations (local file + optional server sync).
  • Show everyone’s latest obs on a globe with clickable pins.
  • Keep units consistent (metric/imperial) and store your station profile.

How to use

  • Open Meteorology → fill Station (Name/ID/Lat/Lon/Elevation/Units) → Save.
  • Add an observation and Save (local). If enabled, click Sync to send to the server for the globe.
  • Open the Globe to see pins; click a pin to read the latest obs.

Data format (JSON payload)

{
  "station": { "name":"My Backyard WX","id":"ECWX1","lat":40.64,"lon":-73.78,"elev":12,"units":"metric" },
  "obs":     { "t": 1734300000000, "T":20.4, "Td":12.1, "RH":62, "W":3.8, "G":6.1, "Dir":220, "P":1012.8, "Vis":12.0, "Okt":4, "notes": "" }
}

Where it saves

  • Local: Browser storage (cleared via site data).
  • Server (optional): Uses your configured “Server Sync URL”.

Troubleshooting

  • Globe shows no pin: Ensure Sync is on and the Server Sync URL is reachable (HTTP/S + CORS).
  • Units look wrong: Check the station’s units setting matches your inputs.
  • Time off: t is UTC milliseconds since epoch; verify device clock.

13) Units Lab / Metrology

How to use

  • Enter a value → select source/target units → convert.

Why it’s useful

  • Reduce unit mistakes when comparing sources.

14) Journal Search

How to use

  • Search by keywords → open results in new tab.
  • Use “Ask AI about the selected paper” to summarize.

Why it’s useful

  • Scan literature quickly and extract key ideas.

15) Ask AI (WebLLM)

How to use

  • Type a question → click Ask (TinyLlama/Qwen/Llama options may appear).
  • First run downloads the model; later is instant.

Great prompts

  • “Summarize the visible layers and likely weather over the next 24h.”
  • “Compare Na vs K: radius, EN, common salts; list safety notes.”
  • “Explain this CSV trend and possible confounders.”

Requires recent Chrome/Edge with WebGPU. If unavailable, non‑AI tools still work.

16) Tips & Shortcuts

  • New tab fallback: clicking a feed twice opens it externally if embedding is blocked.
  • Server scan: needs http(s) hosting (not file://).
  • Theme: pass ?bg=/images/your.jpg to change background without editing files.

17) Troubleshooting

  • Text runs off screen: fixed here by wrapping code and long lines; if you still see it, reduce browser zoom to 100%.
  • Blank center panel: site blocks iframes → second click opens new tab.
  • Server JSON shows nothing: host may hide directory listing → use Upload instead.
  • AI stalls at 0%: update Chrome/Edge; ensure WebGPU and allow the initial download.

18) Privacy & Offline

  • Local AI: prompts stay on device.
  • Storage: compounds DB + model cache live in your browser; clear site data to remove.

19) FAQ

Account needed? No.

Mobile? Dashboard works; AI is desktop‑focused.

Change background? Yes — use ?bg= or edit the CSS variable at the top.