20021016: Setting up LDM for McIDAS-XCD (cont.)

>From: address@hidden
>Organization: UC Davis
>Keywords: 200210150109.g9F19F112387 McIDAS-XCD LDM

Hi Richard,

>Okay...  I was able to successfully set up things so that they were working 
>locally as of yesterday.

Sounds promising, but if things were really working you wouldn't be sending
me email :-(

>However,  today I'm getting a strange error when trying to open the
>plot/contour window in the observation menu...
>
>Any idea what this means?
>
>Error in Tcl Script
>Error: Syntax error in expression "0 + *******"
>
>I'll include a screenshot in hopes that it is helpful.

The screen snapshot _does_ help.  It shows that the list of available dates
for data in the Plot/Contour selection widget is blank ("----------").
This says that the widget found no data from the server request, or
that something is wrong in the Tcl/Tk routine.  Since I use this Tcl/Tk
of the time, I have to imagine that there is no data available from
your server.

Let's troubleshoot!  First, can you give me the name of the machine
you are running your ADDE server on?  If yes, and if I am not blocked
from accessing the server by a firewall, then I can "point" to the
server and list out what data it has.

A couple of other things that have nothing to do with your problem:

o first, I see that your McIDAS session is running with very small frames.
  I recommend increasing the size of the frames so that your view of the
  weather is nicer.  The easiest way to do this is by starting McIDAS
  as follows:

mcidas config

  This should pop up a GUI startup widget where you can select the
  size and number of frames you want your session to run with.  I
  use a frame size of 650 BY 875 (lines by elements), but I occasionally
  use larger sizes.  You need to have at least 17 frames, so make sure that
  you start with this many.

o I see that your session came up with not only the MCGUI, but also with
  the McIDAS Text and Command window.  In the GUI startup method I
  just recommended, you will need to select starting of McIDAS in one
  of three modes: MCGUI, Fkey, None.  I recommend sticking with
  the MCGUI.

  After making your selection(s), make sure to Save the configurations to
  the defaults file.  This will insure that the next time you start
  McIDAS using 'mcidas', a session with the settings you just configured
  will be presented.

Now back to your problem.  Once I have remote access to your ADDE server,
I will be able to tell if you have data or not.  You can test this
out quickly, but pointing to a different ADDE server.  You do this by:

1) clicking on the ADDE Client Routing Config button on the MCGUI (the
   button with two computers just to the left of the button with the
   big 'Z' on it.

2) clicking on the tab labled POINT

3) clicking the button to drop down a list of the cooperating community
   servers that you can get data from.  Select papagayo.unl.edu
   and then click on the Update and Exit button at the bottom of the
   widget.

4) click on the Point Source Plot/Contour button on the MCGUI (just
   to the right of the button with the satellite on it)

The widget should come up showing a date as a label for the button
just to the right of label that reads 'Data plot day ->'.  If it
does, you should get a map of whatever value has been selected
on the Map background.

Tom