20051214: IDV v1.3a4 bug: Level III radar display

>From: Dave Dempsey <address@hidden>
>Organization: San Francisco State
>Keywords: 200512141809.jBEI9T7s020910  IDV alpha 

Hi Dave-

>In IDV v1.3a4 (but apparently not in v1.2), when I plot Level III base
>reflectivity (Tilt 1) radar data, the radar seems to get positioned in the
>lower right-hand corner of the wireframe box rather than in the center. As
>a result, only 25% of the data are displayed.
>
>I've attached a screen capture (of the Houstaon [HGS] radar) from my iMac
>to illustrate.
>
>I haven't checked to see if other radar fields (velocity, etc.) behave the
>same way.
>
>I believe that a student reported this behavior on a Windows PC as well.

This seems to be an oddity of 1.3a4 and is fixed in the current build.
I just tested this on a Mac and have the problem with 1.3a4, but not
with what we will release tomorrow.

Jeff will respond to this issue in a separate e-mail:

>On another note, I've become conscious of an
>add-data-source-then-create-display sequence issue that has thrown me for
>a loop more than once now, so it would probably pose a problem for less
>experienced users than me (which isn't saying much!). Here's how it goes:
>
>   Scenario 1: I want to select a new data source and display some data.
>I've got the Field Selector window on top of other windows. I pull down
>the "Data" menu in the Field Selector window, open the "New Data Source"
>menu, specify a bunch of things about the data I want, and click on the
>"Add Source" button. The Field Selector window becomes the foremost window
>again. I can now select the "Display" I want (often the default) and click
>on the "Create Display" button. I get a display.
>
>  Scenario 2: I want to select a new data source and display some data.
>I've got the Unidata IDV (display) window on top of other windows. (The
>Field Selector window is open but is underneath somewhere.) I pull down
>the "Data" menu in the Unidata IDV (display) window, open the "New Data
>Source" menu, specify a bunch of things about the data I want, and click
>on the "Add Source" button. The Unidata IDV (display) window becomes the
>foremost window again. I wait patiently for the display to appear. I wait
>a long time....
>
>The problem here, of course, is that in Scenario 2 I've selected a data
>source but haven't told the IDV what type of display to create and then
>ordered it to create that display. However, there's no obvious prompt in
>the Unidata IDV (display) window that I must take those actions. In
>Scenario 1, the Field Selector window doesn't exactly scream its prompt
>for action at me either, but at least I've trained myself to recognize
>when I see the Field Selector window that I have to specify up to four
>things to get a display, because all four sets of choices are arrayed in
>front of me. Because that isn't true of the Unidata IDV (display) window,
>I and the IDV end up playing an extended waiting game.
>
>One solution might be to make the Field Selector window the foremost
>window after a new data source is selected, regardless of which window was
>used to initiate the new data source selection. You might have good
>reasons not to do this, but some sort of enhanced prompt from the IDV
>about what the next action must be might help make using the software more
>intuitive.
>
>I look forward to playing around with the next version!
>
>-- Dave

Don Murray
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