20030317: NLDN display at usf (cont.)

>From: "Happel, Shelly" <address@hidden>
>Organization: USF
>Keywords: 200301091811.h09IBGt26938 ldm-mcidas nldn2md

Hey Shelly,

>Thanks again for all of your help last week!

No worries.

>Of course there is always more!

Yes, I know (he says groaning) ;-)

>Arlene asked me to ask you for a batch file to display the lightning data.
>Since this is our first go-around with it - I'm not sure how to get it to
>display. She said you might be able to send me a batch file that our
>students can run and then view the lightning data. Is that possible? Thanks
>SO much, in advance.

I guess that I don't really understand the setup you are after.  If
the student(s) is(are) sitting in front of computer running a McIDAS-X
session, they can always bring up the MCGUI interface and do whatever
type of lightning plot that they want:

o make sure all McIDAS-X sessions are exited
o run:

mcidas config

  From the startup GUI that pops up, have the user select the starting
  of the MCGUI automatically, and also select the option that saves the
  startup information.  After this is done, s/he will get the MCGUI 
  each time s/he starts McIDAS even when typing a simple:

mcidas

o once a session is up with the MCGUI, have the student click on the
  Client Routing Table Configure option (the button just to the right
  of the button with the big red Z on it).  From the widget that
  pops up, have her/him click on the POINT tab and the highlight
  the entry shown and replace it with 'metlab.cas.usf.edu'.  If
  this was already 'metlab.cas.usf.edu', they don't have to do anything.
  After changing the machine that will be pointed to for POINT data, they
  should click on the button that says 'Update and Exit' at the
  bottom of the popup.

o next, it is time to plot lightining data.  You can do this in many
  different contexts.  The simplest is to bring up the 'Point Source Plots'
  widget (click on the button that has the big L and front on it) and:

  o click on the 'Data type to plot' dropdown and select 'Lightning'
    as the type of data to plot

  o choose Plot from the 'Plot or Contour' option

  o choose Total Flashes for the parameter to plot

  o choose a New plot

  o choose a map background to plot the lightning over.  I would start
    with North America Conformal first to see where the action is and
    then change your map to the area with the most flashes.

  o when all of the options are selected, click on the button with 'Display'
    on it and take a look

A couple of things:

o the MCGUI expects that your session will have at least 17 frames
o the larger the frame size, the nicer the plot

After doing the above, try putting up satellite images and/or radar
plots and then overlaying them with lightning flashes.

If Arlene is looking for something different, please let me know
what the objective is and in what environment the objective is to
be met.  What would go in a BATCH file is completely dependent on
this information.

Tom

>From address@hidden Mon Mar 17 13:39:24 2003
>Subject: RE: 20030317: NLDN display at usf (cont.)

Hey Tom,

Thanks for your patience, I walked through what you wrote and found some
flashes. You are the greatest!! Thanks for holding our hands here in tampa -
all the way from colorado!!

s.