20000118: MCIDAS NLDNPLT command error

>From: Michael Voss <address@hidden>
>Organization: SJSU
>Keywords: 200001181849.LAA08980 McIDAS-X NLDNPLT

Mike,

>Maybe I should wait until there is more NLDN data to deal with before I
>ask an official support question. I have several problems plotting NLDN
>data, but I'm not sure now which are a result of there being no lightning
>data today.
>
>I get this error when I try to plot the 'latest' data from the menu even
>when there is current data: (and even when I have no problems overlaying
>NLDN data in the current satellite loop)
>
>BATCH NACONF 15 NONE X CONF X "BKGMAP.BAT                                
>EG B 15                                                                  
>Erased image and graphic frame(s) 15-15                                  
>SF 15                                                                    
>GU REST GRAPHIC 15 DEV=NNN                                               
>MAP DEF 5 NAME=OUTLHPOL LAT=13 45 LON=70 180 SLON=105 PRO=CONF X GRA=15  
>MAP: completed frame  15                                                 
>MAP DEF 8 LAT=13 45 LON=70 180 SLON=105 PRO=CONF X GRA=15 X BOX=YES 8    
>MAP: completed frame  15                                                 
>MAP: completed frame  15                                                 
>BATCH: BATCH done /export/home/mcidas/data/BKGMAP.BAT                    
>
>NLDNPLT LIG OLAY LATEST INT=00:30 DAY=2000018 MODE=X GRIDF=132 GRA=15
>SF=YES PRO=CON>
>Program terminated, floating point error                                 
>NLDNPLT failed, RC=1   

Hmm... I just did the same thing on my system and did not get this problem.
I did, however, discover a bug: if one wants NLDNPLT to first plot a
map, it gets a floating point error.  When run from the Fkey menu, however,
this will not be the case.  As your output shows, the background map is
first plotted (the BATCH NACONF ... invocation) and then NLDNPLT is
run telling it to OLAY (overlay) on top of the map that is in the frame.

What would be helpful is for you to run the same NLDNPLT invocation
and ask it to print out diagnostics.  Here is the procedure:

SF 1
BATCH NACONF 1 NONE X CONF X "BKGMAP.BAT
NLDNPLT LIG OLAY LATEST INT=00:30 DAY=2000018 MODE=X GRIDF=132 GRA=1 DEV=GCC

The important addition on the last line was the inclusion of DEV=GCC.
This will tell NLDNPLT to print out diagnostic messages to the McIDAS
text window.

>Thanks, I'll wait on some other questions until there is more data,

OK, but we should probably get to the bottom of why NLDNPLT is core
dumping soon.

Tom