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 Note that the archive is no longer being updated. We provide the archive for reference; many of the answers presented here remain technically correct, even if somewhat outdated.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.
hey Bill- > Thought I had it figured out. See attached .csv file. After opening the file > with the Data Chooser and then choosing Point Data Plot in the Field Selector > I get this error. What did I do wrong? Is this the issue with missing fields > and needing an extra space between commas? Yup. I'm working on a fix for this but don't know when I'll have it done. Any way you can work your Excel magic to put in a missing value (e.g. -9999) for the blank cells? Then just add it to the header. Don > An error has occurred: > Creating obs > java.util.NoSuchElementException > > java.util.NoSuchElementException > at java.util.StringTokenizer.nextToken(StringTokenizer.java:332) > at visad.data.text.TextAdapter.readit(TextAdapter.java:844) > at visad.data.text.TextAdapter.<init>(TextAdapter.java:202) > at > ucar.unidata.data.point.TextPointDataSource.makeObs(TextPointDataSource.java:211) > at > ucar.unidata.data.point.TextPointDataSource.makeObs(TextPointDataSource.java:168) > at > ucar.unidata.data.point.PointDataSource.getDataInner(PointDataSource.java:425) > at > ucar.unidata.data.point.TextPointDataSource.getDataInner(TextPointDataSource.java:1188) > at ucar.unidata.data.DataSourceImpl.getData(DataSourceImpl.java:2005) > at ucar.unidata.data.DirectDataChoice.getData(DirectDataChoice.java:333) > at ucar.unidata.data.DataChoice.getData(DataChoice.java:618) > at ucar.unidata.data.DataInstance.getData(DataInstance.java:239) > at ucar.unidata.data.DataInstance.getData(DataInstance.java:203) > at ucar.unidata.data.DataInstance.dataOk(DataInstance.java:282) > at ucar.unidata.data.point.PointDataInstance.init(PointDataInstance.java:88) > at ucar.unidata.data.point.PointDataInstance.<init>(PointDataInstance.java:74) > at > ucar.unidata.idv.control.ObsDisplayControl.doMakeDataInstance(ObsDisplayControl.java:766) > at > ucar.unidata.idv.control.DisplayControlImpl.initializeDataInstance(DisplayControlImpl.java:2871) > at > ucar.unidata.idv.control.DisplayControlImpl.setData(DisplayControlImpl.java:2853) > at > ucar.unidata.idv.control.StationModelControl.setData(StationModelControl.java:1405) > at > ucar.unidata.idv.control.StationModelControl.init(StationModelControl.java:423) > at > ucar.unidata.idv.control.DisplayControlImpl.init(DisplayControlImpl.java:1225) > at > ucar.unidata.idv.control.DisplayControlImpl.init(DisplayControlImpl.java:963) > at ucar.unidata.idv.ControlDescriptor.initControl(ControlDescriptor.java:948) > at ucar.unidata.idv.ControlDescriptor$1.run(ControlDescriptor.java:875) > at ucar.unidata.util.Misc$3.run(Misc.java:1011) > > -----Original Message----- > From: Unidata IDV Support [mailto:address@hidden] > Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 11:18 AM > To: Bauman.Bill > Cc: address@hidden; address@hidden > Subject: [IDV #WRY-586577]: IDV - Error loading MADIS METARS > > Bill- > > > As for the time converter in Excel, if the time in the cell is 500 (which > > is 00:05:00, or 5 minutes after 00 UTC) and you change the Excel format to > > time or custom (h:mm:ss), it returns 00:00:00, not 00:05:00. Any > > suggestions? > > Instead of Time, use Custom and an a Type of 000000. That seems > to work. Then you can use my original fmt of HHmmss > > Don > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Unidata IDV Support [mailto:address@hidden] > > Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 10:55 AM > > To: Bauman.Bill > > Cc: address@hidden; address@hidden > > Subject: [IDV #WRY-586577]: IDV - Error loading MADIS METARS > > > > Hi Bill- > > > > > Thanks for the effort on this. I've been playing around with my data > > > files as well and came up with the attached file that works. When I saved > > > the attached file as a .csv from Excel it doesn't have any spaces between > > > the commas but it works fine. > > > > The test file you sent today doesn't have any missing fields. It's > > only when you have missing fields that this is a problem which was the > > case in the previous file you sent. An alternative is to have > > a missing value in empty cells and use the miss= keyword in the header. > > > > > Looks like I need to separate the original data file into multiple files > > > based on sensor height. That's easy to do with a macro in Excel. It's > > > important for me to be able to display one sensor height on the map at > > > one time based on the way the forecasters issue and verify warnings. > > > > I figured that. My approach was just a kludge. > > > > > I was just getting to the date/time issue - IDV needs to have the zeros > > > added to each time so there are 8 digits per time (for HHmmss). I haven't > > > yet figured out the easiest way to do a mass conversion of the times > > > using an Excel macro. Also, the only way Excel will display zeros in > > > front of other digits is to change the format of the number from "Number" > > > to "Text" but that's easy to do as well. Did you "pad" the times with > > > zeros manually just for the test or did you do it with a script - are you > > > using Linux or Windows to manipulate the data? > > > > vi is a wonderful tool. ;-) I just did it manually to test. > > > > > I also wrote a macro to add lat/lon. That's my last step in the process > > > once I have the rest of the data file setup. I copy/paste once manually > > > in Excel while recording the macro and then I can just run it as the last > > > macro on the rest of the data files. The station ID's are a bit flaky. As > > > you noticed in the "SIDE" column some say "SE" or "NW". That's because > > > there are dual sensors on opposing sides of the towers on some towers > > > because the tower itself will disturb the flow to the sensor. So if the > > > winds are easterly, the forecasters will use the sensors on the SE side, > > > not the NW side. So towers 20 and 21 are virtual - they are really tower > > > 2 where 20 is the NW side and 21 is the SE side (or vice versa). So tower > > > locations 20 and 21 will use the lat/lon of tower 2. Same with tower 110: > > > it has two virtual towers as 1101 and 1102. And there are others. > > > > > > The data is originally in ASCII text files. I'm just using Excel to > > > manipulate the files with macros and then save them as .csv. It seems to > > > be working okay - I just need to figure out how to convert the times to 8 > > > digits. > > > > As your other note said, it's 6 digit time. I just typed too many 00's. ;-) > > You can use the Excel date/time formatting to get something like 0:00:00 and > > then change the fmt string in the header to match what you use. That > > worked for > > me. > > > > > Data retrieval, manipulation and display is always a long pole for the > > > work we do. Once all the data is acquired, nicely formatted and > > > displayed, the analysis doesn’t take so long. I've asked the rest of my > > > staff to download and install IDV to start working with it. I intend to > > > make that our primary display software rather than GEMPAK or GrADS. Can > > > IDV be setup to automatically ftp real time data, produce maps and then > > > be uploaded to a location (say a web site)? > > > > Glad to hear that you are finding IDV useful. > > > > One last note on this importing. If you save the file off as a CSV without > > the header info and read it in to the IDV, you will be prompted with a > > dialog > > that allows you to set the header information. The advantage here is that > > you > > can then save this off and use it as a resource to apply to other files of > > similar format. This "wizard" still needs some work, but it might help > > you out. > > > > Don > > > > Ticket Details > > =================== > > Ticket ID: WRY-586577 > > Department: Support IDV > > Priority: Normal > > Status: Open > > > > > > > > ...................................................................... > > The information contained in this email message is intended only for the > > use of the individuals to whom it is > > addressed and may contain information that is privileged and sensitive. If > > the reader of this message is not > > the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, > > distribution or copying of this > > communication is strictly prohibited. If you have received this > > communication in error, please notify the > > sender immediately by email at the above referenced address. Thank you. > > > > > Ticket Details > =================== > Ticket ID: WRY-586577 > Department: Support IDV > Priority: Normal > Status: Open > > > Ticket Details =================== Ticket ID: WRY-586577 Department: Support IDV Priority: Normal Status: Open