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Hi Julia, re: > I used AXFORM to convert images to ASCII. Is it the same as using APIs for > getting images and converting to ASCII, i.e. using mcaget, mcalin, etc? Yes, the values returned will be the same. AXFORM calls the various APIs to get the data. > Also, if I want to convert a lot of images to ASCII using AXFORM, can I > write a script with AXFORM? Yes. The only thing you need be concerned with is the proper setting of the environment that McIDAS applications need to run. I have included two example shell scripts in the Unidata McIDAS distirbution for users to copy, modify, and use to run McIDAS command(s): /home/mcidas/data/mcbatch.sh /home/mcidas/data/mcrun.sh 'mcbatch.sh' is setup to use the name of a McIDAS BATCH file passed in on the invocation command line; setup the necessary environment in which to run the BATCH file, and then run the BATCH file. 'mcrun.sh' is setup to run one or more McIDAS commands directly after setting up the needed environment needed by those commands. Both 'mcbatch.sh' and 'mcrun.sh' should be copied to a new file and edited before being used (i.e., do not modify these files directly since they will be overwritten the next time a McIDAS installation or upgrade is performed). Even though both shell scripts are easy to copy/modify/and use, 'mcbatch.sh' might be the easiest for you to start with. The first thing to do is create a McIDAS BATCH file that runs the AXFORM command in the way that you want. Test yoru BATCH file by running it from the McIDAS Text and Command window until you get it to do exactly what you want. Then, make a copy of 'mcbatch.sh' and use it to run your BATCH file outside of a McIDAS session: - create a test BATCH file in your McIDAS working directory (directory pointed to by the MCDATA environment variable in your Unix/Linux login. For sake of argument, let's call the test BATCH fule AXFORM.BAT: - run AXFORM.BAT from the McIDAS Text and Command window: BATCH "AXFORM.BAT - iterate on AXFORM.BAT's content until you get it to do everything you want - try running AXFORM.BAT from outside of a McIDAS session: cp /home/mcidas/data/mcbatch.sh mybatch.sh -- edit mybatch.sh and take a look at what it does chmod +x mybatch.sh mybatch.sh AXFORM.BAT NOTE: you should run mybatch.sh from the directory in which AXFORM.BAT is located Please give the above a try and let me know if you have any problems. > Thanks, No worries. Cheers, Tom **************************************************************************** Unidata User Support UCAR Unidata Program (303) 497-8642 P.O. Box 3000 address@hidden Boulder, CO 80307 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unidata HomePage http://www.unidata.ucar.edu **************************************************************************** Ticket Details =================== Ticket ID: ARA-684823 Department: Support McIDAS Priority: Normal Status: Closed