20010213: Accessing CAMEX-# area files in McIDAS

>From: address@hidden (Chris Herbster)
>Organization: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univ.
>Keywords: 200102131816.f1DIGsL18220 McIDAS ADDE DSSERVE IMGLIST REDIRECT

Chris,

>We obtained some archive images from NASA from the CAMEX-3 experiment 
>(http://wwwghrc.msfc.nasa.gov/uso/readme/GOES8.html).  The images are 
>supposed to be Mcidas area files, but we are having trouble getting them 
>to view properly in either NSAT or GARP, while I'm still trying to 
>figure out how to load the images in Mcidas.

This is very easy in McIDAS-X 7.7 as one can specify a dataset of
images in AREA format but not using AREA naming conventions.  It is a
little more cumbersome in version of McIDAS previous to 7.7, but still
pretty easy.

>When we open them in NSAT 
>we can see some resemblance of the anticipated data, but certainly not 
>what we were expecting.
>
>Some sample images can be found at:
>ftp://opwx.db.erau.edu/pub/faculty/herbster/areafiles/
>
>
>Could someone please help me to:
>1) determine if these are valid area files

I grabbed:

cmx3g8_ir_1998.271_1645_mcidas.ara 

and created an ADDE dataset with it as its only member and loaded it
with no problems in McIDAS-X 7.7.  So, if this file is like the others,
they are in AREA file format.

>2) properly decode/view the images in any/all of GARP, NSAT, and/or 
>McIDAS

For McIDAS:

o create a directory into which the images will be put; for sake of
  argument, let's call this directory /data/CAMEX3

o put the files in the directory just created

o make sure that the files are at least readable by the user 'mcidas'

In McIDAS-X 7.7:

o create an ADDE dataset composed of the images:

  <login as 'mcidas'>
  cd workdata
  dsserve.k ADD CAMEX3/IMAGES AREA DIRFILE=/data/CAMEX3/cmx\*.ara \"CAMEX3 
images from NASA
  imglist.k CAMEX3/IMAGES.ALL

In McIDAS-X previous to 7.7:

o cd /data/CAMEX3
  ln cmx3g8_ir_1998.271_1215_mcidas.ara AREA0001
  ln cmx3g8_ir_1998.271_1245_mcidas.ara AREA0002
  ln cmx3g8_ir_1998.271_1315_mcidas.ara AREA0003
  ln cmx3g8_ir_1998.271_1345_mcidas.ara AREA0004
  ln cmx3g8_ir_1998.271_1415_mcidas.ara AREA0005
  ln cmx3g8_ir_1998.271_1445_mcidas.ara AREA0006
  ln cmx3g8_ir_1998.271_1515_mcidas.ara AREA0007
  ln cmx3g8_ir_1998.271_1545_mcidas.ara AREA0008
  ln cmx3g8_ir_1998.271_1615_mcidas.ara AREA0009
  ln cmx3g8_ir_1998.271_1645_mcidas.ara AREA0010

  <login as 'mcidas'>
  cd ~mcidas/workdata
  dsserve.k ADD CAMEX3/IMAGES AREA 1 10 \"CAMEX3 images from NASA
  redirect.k ADD AREA000\* \"/data/CAMEX3
  redirect.k ADD AREA0010  \"/data/CAMEX3
  imglist.k CAMEX3/IMAGES.ALL 

>Thanks to anyone who can help!!!!

Please let me know if you are not successful in doing either of the above.

Tom Yoksas