This archive contains answers to questions sent to Unidata support through mid-2025. Note that the archive is no longer being updated. We provide the archive for reference; many of the answers presented here remain technically correct, even if somewhat outdated. For the most up-to-date information on the use of NSF Unidata software and data services, please consult the Software Documentation first.
On Mon, 3 Jan 2005, Jim Cowie wrote: > > Thanks for the update Robb. I figured the files were going to become > very large but I was thinking that in netCDF4 when HDF is the underlying > data storage layer that compression would help out here. Is that likely > or am I dreaming? no that will help a bunch. but some of the new grib2 eta files are almost 400 megs, current expansion would result in 8 gigs. wow don't know how netCDF4 will handle that large of a data set. so on demand decoding will be the most reasonable solution. robb... Maybe it is best to just degrib on the fly after all. > > -jim > > > Robb Kambic wrote: > > On Mon, 3 Jan 2005, Jim Cowie wrote: > > > > > >>Hi Robb, > >> > >>I saw in one of your emails last month a mention that the new > >>gribtonc decoder (for grib2) was going to be released pretty soon. > >>Can you tell me when? We are antsy to try it. Thanks, > > > > > > jim, > > > > good news and bad news. the good news is the decoder has been developed > > and tested, the bad news is the resulting netCDF files are huge. the large > > file size is the main reason for the delay. the expansion for the files have > > a range from 1:20 to 1:50 on average. for example: > > > > NDFD 12.4 megs -> 626.9 megs > > eta2 16.3 megs -> 668.5 megs > > > > a couple reasons, the netcdf file is not optimized and the more missing > > values in the data the larger the expansion. also the complex packing > > scheme permits more variables and levels. john and i have been working > > together to leave the files in the grib2 format and to extract the data in > > an on demand process. to implement this, the grib files are scanned to > > create an index of products and grid informations. his programs reads > > the index and presents the information to the user. it works well. here's > > an url to down load ToolUI program. > > > > http://my.unidata.ucar.edu/content/software/netcdf-java/v2.2/webstart/index.html > > > > in a nutshell, > > > > click viewer then open a grib2 file > > click geogrid then open the same grid file geogrid boxes should be > > checked > > click view to access a sanity type view of the variables. > > > > ToolUI currently doesn't do grids with multiple GDS or thin grids, we are > > working on those features now. > > > > > > i'll probably be only available by email tomorrow if you have > > questions then i'll be on PTO for a week. > > > > robb... > > > > > > > >>-jim > >> > >>-- > >>Jim Cowie > >>NCAR/RAL > >>address@hidden > >>303-497-2831 > >> > > > > > > =============================================================================== > > Robb Kambic Unidata Program Center > > Software Engineer III Univ. Corp for Atmospheric > > Research > > address@hidden WWW: http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/ > > =============================================================================== > > > -- > Jim Cowie > NCAR/RAL > address@hidden > 303-497-2831 > =============================================================================== Robb Kambic Unidata Program Center Software Engineer III Univ. Corp for Atmospheric Research address@hidden WWW: http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/ ===============================================================================