20010405: writing an ADDE server to binary image data stored as floats

>From: "Colin Duff" <address@hidden>
>Organization: EUMETSAT
>Keywords: 200104050859.f358x9L09810 McIDAS-X ADDE

Hi Colin,

Presumably, you are the person that Marianne Koenig was referring to
as someone who might want to converse on some ADDE development; true?

>i am looking for assistance in being able to use mcidas to read binary
>files - in particular images which are 2500x2500 of floats.

If your image data was in binary integer form, there already exists an
easy way to convert it to AREA file format and then read it directly.
Even still, the program that reads/imports non-mcidas imagery stored as
rectangular binary arrays of integers (1, 2, or 4 byte) could be easily
adapted to work with your data.  The Unidata distribution of McIDAS has
this application, and you are welcome to it:

machine: ftp.unidata.ucar.edu
user: anonymous
pass: address@hidden
directory: pub/mcidas/src
file: makearea.pgm

MAKEAREA reads in the rectangular binary array and stors the data in
the data section of the AREA file.  A second program, MAKNAV is then
used to add the appropriate navigation to the AREA file.  After the
navigation is added, the image can be manipulated in the standard
McIDAS way.  The Unidata version of MAKNAV (maknav.pgm) can also be
found in the same directory listed above.

>i would like to be able to use  DSSERVE ADD  commands to point to this
>area where the files are stored and the user can then display the
>images on mcidas as normal.

OK.  Even though your objective is to develop an ADDE server for the
data in its unaltered form, it would be beneficial for you to go through
the exercise of using an altered version of MAKEAREA (followed by MAKNAV)
to get the feel of importing the data into McIDAS (at least, I always
found this to be useful).

>i have read the mcidas documentation and know that i need to create an
>ADDE server for this data but not sure how i would go about doing this
>and what i need to create.

Have you read Chapter 8 of the McIDAS Programmer's Reference Manual:

http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/mug/prog_man/prog_man.html

This gives the basic outline of what needs to be done, but it is not a
step-by-step introduction to developing a server.

Even though I don't have a nice, step-by-step guide for developing ADDE
image servers, I think that you could use one or more of the ADDE image
servers that I have developed for Unidata use as a basis for your
efforts.  If you are interested in this, then I would recommend that
peruse the set of C source files for my GINI ADDE server (GINI is the
form of the remapped images being broadcast in NOAAPORT in the US).
The list of files is:

giniadir.c <- provides IMGLIST access to the GINI iamges
giniaget.c <- provides IMGDISP, etc. access to the GINI iamges
giniutil.c <- support routines specifically for giniadir/giniaget
giniutil.h <- header file for giniutil.c
servuilt.c <- more general routines for my ADDE image servers
servutil.h <- header file for servutil.c

For convenience, I put all of these files in the compressed tar file
giniadde.tar.Z and put it in the pub/mcidas/src directory.

>can you provide any assisitance

I wish I had a nice blueprint for creating the server you want to develop,
but I don't.  The best that I can offer is the code above and my willingness
to answer questions about my code and review yours.

>Colin Duff

Tom Yoksas