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20020520: GEMPAK Help

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 Note that the archive is no longer being updated. We provide the archive for reference; many of the answers presented here remain technically correct, even if somewhat outdated.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.

  • Subject: 20020520: GEMPAK Help
  • Date: Mon, 20 May 2002 15:21:02 -0600
>From: Rebecca Ratz <address@hidden>
>Organization: UCAR/Unidata
>Keywords: 200205202056.g4KKu1a04652

>
>I am currently conducting a summer research session on using GEMPAK. I
>am hoping someone might be able to talk me through some of the problems
>that I am encountering.
>
>My goal is to write a file that contains temperature, precipitation,
>and lightning data on one map. I'm having trouble tweeking the
>background color, contouring, etc. Everytime I try using the variable
>BND=bg/31,to produce a white background, the program pops back staying
>that "BND" is an unrecognized parameter. Some examples of the contouring
>and coloring that I am looking for can be seen at...
>
>http://twister.sbs.ohio-state.edu/surface/mw.gif
>http://www.comet.ucar.edu/resources/cases/mapindex.htm
>
>The first website contains the background and state boundary looks that I
>was hoping for. As for the contouring, shading and darkening of colors
>in second web address...can you tell what function is used to produce
>such a picture?
>

BND is a parameter in GPMAP used for filling geographically defined
boundaries as show below. It is not a parameter in SFMAP for example, 
which is the plot you mention in the first example above.

To set the background color to white, you have 2 easy options.

1) if you are running interactively on the desktop, pop up
the ncolor program from the ntl bar. Then, click on the leftmost color
tile "0" and set the color to white.

2) An alternative to the above, and generally the easiest way if you are
running scripts to create maps is to copy the $GEMTBL/colors/coltbl.xwp
to the directory where you are running your GEMPAK programs and
change the first color line in the file from:
BLACK           BLA      0      0      0  black
to
WHITE           WHI    255    255    255  white

By default, GEMPAK will use the coltbl.xwp file in your current working 
directory if it exists, and if not, look for the file in $GEMTBL/colors.


Secondly, the topographic images are stored in AREA files wich
can be displayed using the SATFIL parameter. The topography files
can be found in $GARPHOME/map/areas. To use these, set PROJ=sat
in your display program, and then SATFIL=$GARPHOME/map/areas/topo_na.area
for example.

Or, in GPMAP, you can use the BND parameter to create a filled map like:
http://motherlode.ucar.edu/unidata/images/nids/radar_mosaic.gif
In this image, I first use GPMAP to color the map areas, then display the
radar data over top in gdplot2.
In GPMAP I used:
 MAP      = 32
 GAREA    = 22.0;-122.0;47.0;-65.0
 PROJ     = lcc/25;-103;60/3;3;0;0
 $MAPFIL  = hipowo.cia
 BND      = bg/24+world_bnds/8+lakes/24

then, in your overlaying program, set CLEAR=NO.

Steve Chiswell
Unidata User Support




>
>Thanks for your time, it is greatly appreciated?
>
>
>Rebecca Ratz
>
>address@hidden
>University of Michigan
>Undergraduate in Mechanical Engineering
>
>
>
>