20040122: MCIDAS: McGUI Config Issues

>From: Michael Keables <address@hidden>
>Organization: DU
>Keywords: 200401221619.i0MGJsp2021454 McIDAS MCGUI

Hi Mike,

>I'm trying to generate loops of SLP maps using  MCGUI. When executing the
>command with the OlayLoop function, only the most recent observations are
>plotted in frame 12 and I get navigation errors for the rest of the frames
>in the loop (no navigation in frame so the routine fails.)

The OlayLoop action assumes that there is navigation associated with
the frame AND that there is a time associated with the frame.  The
underlying concept in OlayLoop is that you have put up some other
display in the frames first (like a loop of satellite images) and
then you overlay on top of what is there.  The overlaying function
reads the frame directory to get the time of the display in each
frame in turn, and then matches the time of the overlay with what
is in the frame.  To verify this, first put up a look of some kind
of imagery and then retry the overlay.

>I've tried a couple of things:
>
>1. manually created a background map in the frames for the loop and then
>tried to create the loop again via MCGUI. Result is the most recent map
>plotted in all frames within the loop.

You correctly surmised that you need navigation in the frame.  All
that is missing at this point is a time for each display.

>2. create individual maps for different timeframes in separate frames and
>then loop the frames, but using MCGUI, the output defaults to whatever the
>frame value is set in the string table.
>
>Ideally, I want students to be able to use MCGUI to plot maps in different
>frames...

Right now, the MCGUI does use different frames to plot the different
kinds of displays.  You can control which frame a particular type
of display is sent to through one of the actions in the Configure
dropdown (modify GUI parameters or something like that).

>Suggestions?

Right now, the creation of loops of point kinds of displays relies
on their being displays in the frames already.  If you don't want
the combination of a satellite image and a point plot, you could
put up the image look and then erase just the image portion from 
each frame in the loop, and then overlay the point plots on top
of the loop.

>Thanks in advance.

Please let me know what you think of the above approach.

Cheers,

Tom
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