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 Note that the archive is no longer being updated. We provide the archive for reference; many of the answers presented here remain technically correct, even if somewhat outdated.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.
>From: address@hidden >Organization: UCAR/Unidata >Keywords: 200008151922.e7FJM7N29260 >We have several dozen files with pilot reports. Each file is filled to >capacity and we cannot reduce the number of files. We want to plot >data from various times in these files all on the same frame. We >could have a script files which goes through each of the files but >what do we use for the DATTIM variable? If DATTIM=all then GEMPAK >will create a new frame for each time even with CLEAR=no. It seems >like the only way to get the data plotted all in the same frame is >to call SFMAP with each date separately. The files each contain several >dates and times of data and these times are not always consecutive. We >can't simply loop through the possible times because there may be >several of the same times in each file under different days. Is there >a way out of this problem without listing all the dates and times (would >be cumbersome considering the large number of dates and times)? > >Donna Tucker http://chinook.phsx.ukans.edu/tucker.html >address@hidden Department of Physics and Astronomy >(785) 864-4738 (new area code!) University of Kansas >(785) 864-5262 (fax) Lawrence, KS 66045-2151 > > > > > Donna, One solution I have found is to use the PS driver which does not create separate frames for DATTIM=all. Then, you can view or print the result as a single frame. I also provided a program in ~gbuddy/nawips-5.4/contrib/sfctime.tar.Z which will output the times found within a surface file: http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/glimpse/gempak/3733 I believe that this may be a solution where your script could determine the times in a given file, and then for each one which matches your plotting criteria, plot with clear=no. I know this will be slow to execute- but the script should be fairly short in the loop and generally applicable. Let me know if you don't think that this will work for you. Steve Chiswell