20011204: convert AREA files to netCDF files

>From:  David Fitzgerald <address@hidden>
>Organization:  Millersville University of Pennsylvania
>Keywords:  200112041535.fB4FZoN13922 McIDAS netCDF

Dave,

Tom W wrote:
>If you can use NetCDF instead of HDF, then the converter at:
>http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/visit/netcdf/
>might help you.  It can produce lat/lon per point navigation as well.

In addition to Tom W's comment, if netCDF versions of the images are
sufficient for your IDL work, you can use McIDAS to do the conversion.

o create an ADDE dataset containing the input AREA files (you should
  already have MYDATA/IMAGES defined)

o create an output netCDF ADDE dataset definition using DSSERVE

  DSSERVE ADD NETCDF/IMAGES NCDF 1 9999 TYPE=IMAGE "McIDAS IMAGES IN netCDF

o copy the input image in AREA form to an output netCDF:

  IMGCOPY MYDATA/IMAGES.nnnn NETCDF/IMAGES.mmmm SIZE=ALL

  Here, 'nnnn' is the dataset position number for the input image
  (e.g., 120, 133, 1234, ..., 9999), and 'mmmm' is the output dataset
  position number (e.g., 1, 2, 1000, ..., 9999).

The resultant netCDF version of the input image will be named IMAGESmmmm.nc
and will be located in your McIDAS working directory.

Tom

>From address@hidden Tue Dec  4 09:51:17 2001
>CC: David Fitzgerald <address@hidden>,
>   address@hidden, address@hidden
>Subject: Re: 20011204: convert AREA files to netCDF files


David,

I'll add my $0.02 on the subject. I just talked to Liam Gumley, who
wrote the book on IDL. He tells me that IDL will have no problem using
NetCDF files He has less experience with ENVI, so he is uncertain about
the compatibility of ENVI and NetCDF.

If your intent is to create datasets that are "transportable" (able to
move between processing systems), NetCDF seems to be widely accepted
mechanism.

Russ Dengel
SSEC - University of Wisconsin