20040730: problems with SSEC GUI (cont.)

>From: Joe Barrett <address@hidden>
>Organization: FSU
>Keywords: 200407281937.i6SJbbaW027330 McIDAS GUI v2004

Hi Joe,

>With the 2003 version, I was always able to start the GUI program after
>starting McIDAS into the MCGUI program.

I am suprised by this.

>I just entered 'GUI' on the
>Command Mode prompt, and then all graphics were viewed in the GUI window
>instead of the MCGUI program's window.

OK.

>I tried using 'mcidas -config' to startup McIDAS into the GUI program, and
>also to startup McIDAS into the MCGUI program.  I still wasn't able to get
>the GUI program to work.

Since I am not seeing the problem here, and since others may run into
something similar to what you have run into, I would like to pursue
getting access to the machine on which you built the code as the
user 'mcidas'.  With this kind of access, I can get to the bottom
of what isn't working and take corrective actions if/when necessary.

If you and Paul are agreeable to letting me on, please send me
the fully qualified hostname for the machine; send this information
to address@hidden.  In a separate email, and without mention
of the machine or account name, please send me the password for
the user 'mcidas'.

>I uninstalled the 2004 version and reinstalled the 2003 version.  After
>some testing, the 2003 version seems to work fine with the GUI program
>like it did before.  So, I guess it is related to the 2004 upgrade.

It sure seems like a smoking gun...

>When
>I did the upgrade, I just did the minimal number of steps since I didn't
>have to restore anything.  So, I am leaving McIDAS in the 2003b version
>for now.

OK, sounds good.

>We were not able to get the format of the Quorum-modified GVAR data that
>we are ingesting.  We got some source code files, which I don't think is
>for the complete ingestion system.  It is basically undocumented and
>written for Windows NT, to be compiled with Visual C++.  I tried to
>compile it with the Introductory version of Visual C++ and also with the
>latest version of Visual C++, with no luck.  We were going to modify the
>code to sort of rewrite the raw data to another file before it is modified
>by Quorum's program.  Obviously, if we can't compile the program we can't
>modify then recompile the program.  Basically, this is nearly a dead-end
>given that Quorum has been outsourcing their source code development.
>Hope this wasn't too much info!

It seems to me that the code _might_ have enough information to reverse
engineer the format of data on disk.  What is your view?

>I produced some documentation (using Netscape Composer) on McIDAS for the
>FSU Meteorology department, including extensive details on what data is
>available from McIDAS.  Paul Ruscher might be willing to give you a copy
>if you want to see it - it might be useful for new McIDAS users.

Yes, I am interested.  Thanks!

Cheers,

Tom
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>From address@hidden  Fri Jul 30 14:03:46 2004

re: reverse engineer Quorum's code

I think it would be quite hard to reverse engineer Quorum's code to see
their data format, looking at the code myself.  FSU would need permission
from Quorum to give a copy of the source code to Unidata.  There are
probably two routes to go:
1. Get instructions from Quorum on how to compile the code and then make
adjustments to the source code and recompile it.
2. 'Catch' the incoming data from the satellite receiver and convert it to
a suitable GVAR file before it is processed by the Quorum software.
Doing a cost-benefit analysis, this might not be worthwhile.  That is for
the McIDAS community, especially FSU and Unidata, to decide.

Joe Barrett

>From address@hidden  Fri Jul 30 14:07:50 2004

I have to put this on the back burner for now ... sorry to get folks' 
hopes up on this one, but I thought we might be able to get it to work 
on the limited time and budget frame I had to work with.  Paul