[IDV #XXI-461129]: Space and time subsetting - both fields in a formula

> Full Name: Brian Mapes
> Email Address: address@hidden
> Organization: U Miami
> Package Version: 3.1 build date:2012-08-31 20:26 UTC
> Operating System: Windows 7
> Hardware: Java: home: C:\Program Files\IDV_3.1\jre version: 1.6.0_31 
> j3d:1.5.2 fcs (build4)
> Description of problem: When I try to put data in a formula, I am asked to 
> subset time and space for both fields.
> For the second field I might like "Use Default" to mean the same box I 
> handpicked with a mouse for field 1.
> But Default always seems to mean global.
> Are formulas (supposed to be) smart about spatial subsetting or not, and what 
> is a user meant to do?
> 
> 
> I debate every time - probably 10 times today, moving among 3 PCs trying to 
> work up a bundle for a lab class -- whether to subset or not. It's slow to 
> load global data, but I don't know what happens when I draw the spatial boxes 
> wrong. And many times, IDV freezes on me, for whatever reason (maybe for this 
> reason?). With few progress indicators I have no idea what the IDV was, or 
> maybe still is, trying to do. Null pointer exceptions come along 
> occasionally, whatever that is. Should I restart? Or click OK and roll on? I 
> am getting superstitious about what causes each and every freeze-up.
> 
> I find am leery of ... increasingly, everything. It just scares me to try 
> anything new -- will yet another 10 minutes of my life go down the tubes? 
> Ijust spent about 3 hours and am about to give up, and show a powerpoint this 
> week instead of trying to make a lab. I try to save bundels often so I can 
> get back to the last step in a crash/freeze, but that  is tedious (especially 
> when trying to transfer them across 3 machines to speed up my 
> experimentation). I am developing a pretty severe love-hate thing with the 
> IDV. Maybe all the machines I use are just too slow or memory poor or 
> something, but I feel like this fails me in so many ways, so often, in ways I 
> don't even learn from. I should write down a bunch of details, but I have 
> spent all the time I have trying to do my thing (which is a failure) and 
> don't feel like a big post mortem.  And maybe the point s a larger one: 
> BETTER PROGESS INDICATORS AND OTHER LIVE PERFORMANCE GUIDANCE PLEASE? This 
> user feels like I am wasting a
  lot of time. I am still viewing it as an investment, but that feeling is 
leveling out.
> 
> 

Hi Brain,
     Sorry about these experience, I can feel your pains.

     I briefly checked the attached files, and may have a few suggestions here. 
When using the best time series which does have 300 plus time steps, you need 
to be very careful subseting these time dimension. The newly added feature of 
time matching can be useful, you can use the animation widget to define a 
driver time without even loading a real dataset, and then select those data 
based on the driver time you define. Other option is to do the subset at the 
data property level, and then the "Use Default" is all you need. Anyway, you 
are exploring the more advanced features of the IDV, more details can help us 
understand your problems and provide help.

     We are working on your previous suggestion of warning message for the 
grided dataset, and this "better progress indicator..." is in our radar too.

Yuan


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Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: XXI-461129
Department: Support IDV
Priority: Normal
Status: Open