Re: DIFAX (fwd)

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Robb Kambic                                Unidata Program Center
Software Engineer III                      Univ. Corp for Atmospheric Research
address@hidden             WWW: http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/
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---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2000 10:32:51 -0700
From: Larry Riddle <address@hidden>
To: Bill Fingerhut <address@hidden>, address@hidden
Subject: Re: DIFAX


>As a new member I don't know what has already been discussed
>about the phasing out of DIFAX. I checked the usercomm page
>and did not see anything in the minutes of past meetings. So,
>I thought I would through my 2 cents worth into the ring.

If I haven't said it before, welcome to UserComm.  Your 2 cents are, 
actually, what UserComm is all about.

>There has been a lot of chatter lately on other Unidata lists.
>It would seem that many users rely on DIFAX and truely miss
>the old paper maps. Of course a lot of work has gone into
>the distribution of raw data and software that enables one
>to create very nice maps on a pc monitor. But some users are
>not satisfied. Have our users been asked why the pc maps
>are not adequate?

Speaking as a Fine Art major (and someone who learned synoptic meteorology 
by hand analyzing hand plotted charts), you never learn spatial analysis as 
well with any other method as you do when you sketch it out on a piece of 
paper.  One of the things I learned in art school is that you never really 
"see" anything until you've put it on paper with a pencil.

I think most people who learned synoptic meteorology the classic way will 
agree.  I can remember stacking the upper air analyses on top of the 
surface analysis and then flipping through the charts to see how one 
particular feature, in one particular area, "moved" with change in pressure 
level.  That's not as easy to do with a computer screen.

Our "map wall" had the 200, 250, 300, 500, 700, and 850 mb anals, from top 
to bottom, placed right next to the large surface anal.  There would be 
much discussion during the morning briefing about various features, going 
from chart-to-chart-to-chart.  This is also difficult to do on a computer 
screen.

I don't miss the hand plotting.  That's something a computer can do much 
better, and faster, than I can.

>There may be many different answers, some might be anticipated
>and others not. One of my colleagues wants paper maps for
>students to hand analyze, and the pc maps can not be printed
>with enough clarity for this purpose. Thus, it seems to me
>that taking the time to develope quality print capabilities
>might be useful. Has this alternative been previously
>considered?

There is actually a UserComm subcommittee that is looking into DIFAX.  I 
have not heard anything from any of them, and little from Unidata, in the 
current discussions.  Unidata has, for historical reasons, attempted to 
stay out of the DIFAX business.

NWS has already published the death notice for their DIFAX, they just 
haven't given us a specific date of death.  There has been some discussion 
that someone (eg, Unisys) might start to create and distribute their own 
version of DIFAX.  There is evidently a strong demand for this out in the 
"real world".  Whether this "something" will be available to those Unidata 
schools who still believe in hand analysis and map walls, remains to be 
determined.

UserComm may have a voice in this.

Larry


---===---=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=====[\/]=====-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=---===---
-----===(*  Climate's what we expect, but weather's what we get.  *)===-----
Larry Riddle | Climate Research Div | Scripps Institution of Oceanography
University of California, San Diego | La Jolla, California 92093-0224
Phone: (858) 534-1869 | Fax: (858) 534-8561 | EMail: address@hidden
http://meteora.ucsd.edu/weather.html