This archive contains answers to questions sent to Unidata support through mid-2025. Note that the archive is no longer being updated. We provide the archive for reference; many of the answers presented here remain technically correct, even if somewhat outdated. For the most up-to-date information on the use of NSF Unidata software and data services, please consult the Software Documentation first.
>From: David Ovens <address@hidden> >Organization: University of Washington >Keywords: 200202121913.g1CJDNx21764 McIDAS AREA David, >Thanks for the info. The quick answer is that neither GEMPAK nor >McIDAS-X seem to care about what I stick in word 3, 16, or 45 (spots >that had the "102042" value). Looks like I'll have to delve a lot >deeper. Hmm... Now I know that you are talking about words in the AREA file header, not the NAV portion of the header. In this case, the words are the DAY [YYYJJJ] of the image. Information on what the header words mean can be found in the online McIDAS Programmer's Reference Manual: http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/mug/prog_man/prog_man.html Look in the section 'Format of the Data Files'. I think that once you start looking into the parameters that are used for GVAR navigation, you will quickly either run screaming from the room while holding your head (the GVAR navigation model is very complex), or begin looking for a different projection to use. The Lambert Conformal ones (CONF and TANC) or Polar Stereographic should be most useful in what you are trying to accomplish. Good luck! Tom