WRF Domain Wizard is a graphical user interface (GUI) for editing namelist.wps and namelist.input. It enables users to easily define and localize domains (cases) by selecting a region of the Earth and choosing a map projection. Users can also define nests using the nests editor, and edit the file, namelist.input.

Source Code is available here.
What's new in version 2.01

Click here to launch WRF Domain Wizard version 2.01
Requires Java 5 or later (go here if you can only run Java 1.4).

Help! WRF Domain Wizard doesn't launch! Here are some trouble-shooting tips.

Requirements to run WRF Domain Wizard

Minimum: Java 1.5
Recommended: Java 1.6 (Java 6) for much better performance
390 MB of RAM (memory) available
1024 x 768 (or better) video display

Known Issues

1. None at this time

What's New?

Version 2.01 -Updated 4 namelist.input parameters in the namelist GUI editor
Version 2.00 -Updated to support WRF 3.2, including new namelist.input options in WRF 3.2. Updated to Panoply 2.94--note, existing users of WDW need to delete their /</home/user>/.gissjava directory in order to force a download of the new version of Panoply. But if you don't do this, the old version should continue working just fine. Added Hurricane WRF support. Improved reliability of SSH operations within WDW. Fixed numerous minor bugs.
Version 1.43 -Non LEAD version of WDW-added additional display support files for Panoply viewer (color tables and map overlays)
Version 1.42 -Cosmetic improvements to WDW Horiz Editor. For non-LEAD version of WDW--new version of Panoply NetCDF/GRIB/HDF viewer tool creates Google Earth (.kmz) files! From the Panoply window, choose a field to view in the map window, then go to "File" menu, "Export KMZ As." to export it to a Google Earth .kmz file. You can then load that .kmz file in Google Earth.
Version 1.41 -Namelist.input editor now initializes additional nests correctly when you add a nest to an existing domain
-WDW-centerpt lat/lon controls are now enabled after projection chosen. Also added centerpt lat/lon to Nests table.
-The SSH dialog displays the name of the local computer and adds that computer name to the drop down box (so users can choose it). If the user chooses the local computer name, the username/password boxes are disabled.
-Added Hurricane WRF (HWRF) support for WRF Domain Wizard (still under testing)
Version 1.40 - Added non-linear vertical grid stretcher window to the namelist.input editor screen, other minor improvements to namelist.input editor. Added error checking for invalid parent grid ratios, improved suggested timestep value in namelist.input for NMM domains
Version 1.39 - Fixed bug related to loading NMM domains with multiple nests
Version 1.38 - Added more error checking to namelist.input editor
Version 1.37 - Improved the accuracy of displaying the main grid when standardLon is different than centerPtLon
Version 1.36 - Improved the accuracy of displaying the main grid and nests over the map
Version 1.35 - Fixed bug related to saving namelist.input, add dx-degrees and dy-degrees columns to the nests editor in WDW, minor Mac UI improvements, default computer mistakenly reset when running WDW inside WRF Portal, other minor UI fixes
Version 1.34 - NMM projection bug, visualizing NMM files including nests, set WPS dir button in DW config dialog didn't work in some situations, namelist.input editor didn't set max_dom correctly sometimes, other minor UI fixes
Version 1.33 - Created special version for LEAD project, fixed bug where following namelist.wps parameters were not being saved: ungribOutFormat, ungribPrefix, metgridFgName, metgridIoFormMetgrid
Version 1.32 - Fixed bug where parent_ids weren't being set correctly in namelist.input file
Version 1.31 - Fixed directory name bug (for loading domains) that, apparently, only afflicted Mac users
Version 1.30 - Added GUI editor for namelist.input, fixed NMM projection bugs, improved global domain support, fixed nesting offset bug, increased precision of coordinates by decimal place, improved resolution of thumbnail images, improved Linux support --AIX-Ubuntu-Debian, other minor enhancements
Version 1.25 - higher quality jpegs, error msg and instructions if Panoply download fails due to firewall, minor gui improvements
Version 1.24 - Updated ssh library, new code for loading/saving jpeg images
Version 1.23 - support for WRF 3 namelist.input, WPS 3 "lat-lon" regional and global domains, and visualizing NetCDF files in IDV and Google Earth.

Release History

1. Last Beta, September 11, 2007 (split application download into multiple files so future update downloads will be much faster)
2. Version 1.00 released on September 21, 2007
3. Version 1.01 released on October 17, 2007 (fixes bug where Vertical Levels Editor didn't update the num_metgrid_levels variable, includes new version of Panoply version 2.4 which support stereographic projections over the poles)
4. Version 1.02 released on November 5, 2007 (fixes the Mac compatibility issue with regards to the file chooser dialog. Also improved the file chooser for Linux.)
5. Version 1.10 released on April 17, 2008 (adds the namelist.input editor, various minor bug fixes)
6. Version 1.20 released on May 22, 2008 included support for WRF 3 namelist.input, WPS 3 "lat-lon" regional and global domains
7. Version 1.21 released on May 24, 2008 included minor bug fixes to 1.20
8. Version 1.22 released on May 29, 2008 included support for visualizing NetCDF files in IDV and Google Earth.
9. Version 1.23 released on July 14, 2008 included improved WRF 3.0 support (lat-lon domains) and other minor fixes.
10. Version 1.24 released on July 29, 2008 includes new code for loading/saving JPEG images, updated ssh library.
11. Version 1.25 released on August 11, 2008
12. Version 1.30 released on October 10, 2008
13. Version 1.31 released on October 15, 2008
14. Version 1.32 released on October 22, 2008
15. Version 1.33 released on Nov 21, 2008
16. Version 1.34 released on December 11, 2008
17. Version 1.35 released on January 26, 2009
18. Version 1.36 released on February 19, 2009
19. Version 1.37 released on March 2, 2009
20. Version 1.43 released on July 28, 2009
21. Version 2.00 released on July 29, 2010

WRF Domain Wizard Help
Our support page

Troubleshooting Tips

If WRF Domain Wizard won't start after you click the "launch" link above, you probably don't have Java installed on your computer. The software requires Java 1.5 or later to be installed on your desktop computer in order to run. Java 6 (or 1.6) is highly recommended for performance reasons. You can download the free Java Runtime Environment (JRE) here. Just download the JRE, install it, and then click the "launch" link (above) again.

If Java is installed on your desktop computer and yet the "launch" link still doesn't work, then Java Web Start isn't configured correctly on your computer's web browser. Here are instructions on how setup *.jnlp association for Java Web Start in various web browsers.

If you are running Mac OS-X (version 10.3.1 or later), Java Web Start is already installed. Most versions of Linux also have Java installed (although Web Start might not be configured correctly). For more information on configuring/installing Java Web Start, go here.

To understand if the gridgen.exe executable is working correctly, you can run gridgen.exe from the command line after you 'cd' into the domain directory containing your namelist.wps. Helpful information, on the success or failure of running gridgen.exe, should be written at the command line prompt.

WRF Domain Wizard stores configuration information (but no passwords) in a file called DomainWizard.cfg in your home directory. On Linux systems, your home directory is usually in a directory called /home/jsmith or /usr/home/jsmith (assuming your user name is jsmith). On Windows XP systems, your home directory would be something like C:\Documents and Settings\jsmith (assuming your username is jsmith). If this file becomes corrupted, you can just delete it and the software will re-generate it.