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[Support #ZDM-198500]: map overlays in IDV

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  • Subject: [Support #ZDM-198500]: map overlays in IDV
  • Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2007 06:41:23 -0600
Hi Conrad-

> I'm studying the suitability of IDV for real-time data plots in support
> of a mobile field experiment (SONDE-08).
> 
> During routine field operations I want to generate 2-D displays that
> have the following overlay layers:
> 
> (1) in situ met observations from non-standard sources (e.g., mobile
> mesonet, mobile GPS soundings, research aircraft, West Texas Mesonet);
> 
> on top of:
> (2) GIS database composed of Level 1-4 roads, town/cities, tall towers, etc;
> 
> on top of:
> (3) DEM terrain contours;
> 
> on top of:
> (4) mobile ground-based radar base scan sweep files (e.g., reflectivity
> or radial velocity).
> 
> Can IDV support such a composite display?  

If you can get the data in, yes.

> Can this run on either
> MacOS10 Intel or PC laptops?  

Yes, the IDV runs on Mac-OSX and Windows as well as Linux and Solaris.
See the system requirements at:

http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/idv/docs/userguide/Systems.html

> Assuming the IDV manual does not explain
> (I've begun studying it), how do I handle input format of the above
> non-standard data types? 

That's the tricky part.  In general, for point observations, we
support reading in comma separated value ASCII files and netCDF
files.  For soundings and aircraft, we support netCDF only.  A
listing of supported formats is at:

http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/idv/docs/userguide/data/DataSources.html

> Does Unidata maintain a library containing DEM
> elevation data, Level 1-4 roads, towns/cities, tall towers, etc?  

No.  We have some station data that comes with the IDV, but not the
detail you are looking for.

> If
> not, any suggestions on required input formats for IDV and possible
> sources of DEM and GIS data?

For locations, we support CSV files, our own XML format, or GEMPAK
station table format (nightly build only for last one).  For DEM
data, we only support the USGS ASCII DEM format and ArcGIS ASCII
grid format or netCDF.  We support map lines in shapefiles with
lat/lon coordinates (not UTM at present).

> Thankyou in advance for your assistance.

Hope that helps.

Don Murray

Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: ZDM-198500
Department: Support IDV
Priority: High
Status: Open