[IDV #ZFW-217919]: plugins installation

Hi Gilles,

re: reliable access to GOES-East/West image composites for use in the IDV

Sean commented in an earlier email:

> Tom Yoksas (CCd) creates the composites you see on ADDE using McIDAS-X
> http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/mcidas/
> He would best be able to tell you how feasible it would be to recreate those.

I am not quite sure how one would go about (re)creating a GOES-East/West
composite in the IDV in the exact same way as I do in McIDAS-X.  You can,
however, easily create your own composites in the IDV by first loading
the most recent GOES-West (VIS, 3.9 um, WV, 10.7 um, or CO2) image and
then loading the most recent GOES-East image of the same type.  The
projection for the composite will not be the same if you are working in
the Map view, but it would be essentially the same if you use the Globe view.

Try the following:

- open a Globe view window in a running IDV session

- load in the NASA Blue Marble (i.e., click on the Create Background
  Image button near the top, middle right in either the IDV view
  or Dashboard windows

- load the most recent GOES-West IR (10.7 um) image in the
  Globe view window:

  - Dashboard -> Data Choosers tab -> Sat & Radar -> Images

    Server: adde.ucar.edu
    Dataset: RTIMAGES

    Connect

    Image Type: GOES-West 10 um IR

    NB: Make sure to set the Image Size: to the full size of this image

    Add Source

    Imagery -> Image Display -> Create Display

- load the most recent GOES-East IR (10.7 um) image in the Globe view window:

    Image Type: GOES-East 10 um IR

    NB: Make sure to set the Image Size: to the full size of this image

    Add Source

    Imagery -> Image Display -> Create Display

This should result in a composite of the most recent GOES-East/West
imagery for the thermal IR (10.7 um) channel.

NB: it is possible that you may have to play with the vertical position
of the three components of your display (Blue Marble, GOES-West IR and
GOES-East IR)

Once you get the display looking like what you want (e.g., zoom into the
composite to highlight the area you are most interested in; adjust the
color table for the satellite imagery; display a data bar; get the
labeling to look like you want; add a logo for your University/department;
 etc.), save what you done as a bundle without data (i.e., an .xidv
bundle):

File -> Save As - save the result as an .xidv file.

Once you have this bundle, you can create a GOES-East/West composite
any time you want by loading in the bundle you just created.

Here are some other things to keep in mind:

- we are trying hard to make sure that the products available through
  the ADDE server on adde.ucar.edu are available at all times

- we have two other systems (at the moment) that are also creating
  the GOES-East/West composites.  The Server: names for these machines
  are:

  lead4.unidata.ucar.edu
  unidata2-new.ssec.wisc.edu  (this will be renamed to unidata2.ssec.wisc.edu
                               in the not too distant future)

  The RTIMAGES dataset is available on both of these machines, and it
  will contain GOES-East/West composite images as well as the GOES-East
  and GOES-West sectors for all 5 imager channels (VIS, 3.9 um, WV, thermal
  IR (10.7 um) and CO2 (13.3 um)).

- there are other GOES-East/West composites that you can take advantage of
  in the IDV:

  Server: adde.ucar.edu
  Dataset: GINICOMP

  Image Type: GINI 8 km 10.7 um Super National

  OR

  Image Type: GINI 24 km 10.7 um Nhem-Composite

  OR

  Image Type: GINI 24 km 10.7 um Multi-Composite

  All three of these composite images are created by the U.S.
  National Weather Service for U.S. forecast offices; they
  are operational products!

  The Super National and Nhem composites are nominally available
  every 15 minutes.  The Multi composite is available every three
  hours (but it covers most of the northern hemisphere).

You can see that you have a number of different options available
to you for the VIS, WV and IR channels.

re:
> Thanks a lot for the info.

No worries.  Please let us know if you have questions about my comments
above.

Cheers,

Tom
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Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: ZFW-217919
Department: Support IDV
Priority: Normal
Status: Closed