19990528: Saving navigated line plots for reuse

>From: Tye Parzybok <address@hidden>
>Organization: Oregon State University
>Keywords: 199905282040.OAA17884 McIDAS-X PATH

Tye,

>I am really getting the hang of McIDAS. You have been so helpful 
>that I hate to bother you again, but I have another question.

No problem, that's part of our job.

>What 
>I want to do is display a satellite image, then manually draw the
>fog line on it (using ZLM), then save this graphic (the line) and go on to
>the next satellite image and do the same thing. Eventually I will
>have a fog line graphic for many days...at which point I'd
>like to then display them all as a composite graphic. I assume
>this is possible, but not sure how to do it.

I would check out the PATH command:

PATH - Displays 2-dimensional path for object tracking
   PATH ADD name CUR <keywords>
   PATH ADD name index CUR <keywords>
   PATH ADD name index FILE <keywords>
   PATH ADD name index station <keywords> "label
   PATH ADD name index lat lon <keywords> "label
   PATH DEL name CUR <keywords>
   PATH DEL name index CUR <keywords>
   PATH DEL name index1 index2 ... indexn <FILE=>
   PATH DIR <keywords>
   PATH EDIT name index <keywords> "label
   PATH LIST name <FILE=>
   PATH MAKE name <FILE=>
   PATH PLOT name <keywords>
   PATH QUIT name <FILE=>
Parameters:
   ADD     | adds a segment to a path
   CUR     | interactively use cursor to add or delete a path point
   DEL     | deletes a path segment
   DIR     | lists the directory of paths; includes path name,
             user initials and date created (def)
   EDIT    | edits a latitude, longitude or path label
   FILE    | adds path points from an LW file; the file must have
             the same name as the path
   LIST    | lists the contents of a path; includes indices,
             latitudes, longitudes and labels
   MAKE    | generates a path
   PLOT    | plots the path on the graphics frame
   QUIT    | deletes a path
   index   | number assigned to a point on the path; points are
             numbered sequentially beginning with 1
   lat     | latitude of the point
   lon     | longitude of the point
   name    | path name, 1 to 12 characters
   station | 3- or 4- character station ID used as a point on path
   "label  | label plotted at the latitude and longitude of the
             point, 1 to 20 characters

It seems like you would be most interested in the

PATH ADD name CUR <keywords>

option.  The nice thing about PATH is that it saves the paths (i.e.
collection of connect the dot points) by lat,lon location.  ZLM simply
draws on the screen; its points know nothing about navigation.  After
you have a set of navigated points to plot with PATH, you can put them
on top of any navigated display (i.e. you could use the MAP command to
draw a Lambert Conformal map and put the paths on top of it instead of
on top of one of the images).

>Thank you in advance for your time and help.

You are welcome.

Tom

.From address@hidden  Fri May 28 16:46:57 1999

Tom,

Ahhh...that command (PATH) is great. Thanks for the tip.

-Tye