[McIDAS #LAF-410310]: Account access to McIdas

Hi,

Sorry for the tardy reply!

re:
> Thank you very much for the reply.
> 
> I was thinking that I am trying to download McIdas V - the software that I
> am a bit familiar with. I was simply not aware that there is more than one
> version of McIdas and that the one available at your website is version X.

OK.

re:
> Having the opportunity to be in touch with you and before making any
> inquires to the MUG, would it be ok to ask you two short questions?

Sure.  Ready...

re:
> 1. What is the difference between V and X? Is the X version very different
> to V or in principle it is a very similar software based on the same
> platform?

McIDAS-V is a Java-based application that is based on out Unidata
IDV which, in turn, incorporates the VisAD package that was developed
at UW/SSEC.  McIDAS-V was/is designed to be the next generation of
McIDAS, but long term McIDAS users have been reluctant to switch
since McIDAS-X is in large part easier to script, and many sites have
hundreds of man-years in doing custom development based on the McIDAS-X
libraries.  McIDAS-X is basically a command-line tool in which one can
run individual applications to produce the displays and analyses
desired.  McIDAS-V, on the other hand, will run nicely anywhere 
Java 3D runs while McIDAS-X only runs under Linux and MacOS (it
can run under Windows, but there is a LOT that the user has to 
do to setup an environment in which that port can work, and we
do not recommend its use.

re:
> 2. What is the difference between UW/SSEC and Unidata McIdas X? Is it
> different set of available data? Different functionalities?

Unidata McIDAS contains a fairly large set of changes to the core
McIDAS code, most of which are related to usability issues.  Both
packages provide access to the same broad set of data, so there
is essentially no significant difference in the set of available
data that are supported.  As for functions, there are a handful
of applications in Unidata McIDAS that are not in SSEC McIDAS.
I view Unidata McIDAS as a superset of SSEC McIDAS.

Cheers,

Tom
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Ticket Details
===================
Ticket ID: LAF-410310
Department: Support McIDAS
Priority: Normal
Status: Closed
===================
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