20010319: [mfd] FRONT, FRNTDISP command

>From:  Russ Dengel <address@hidden>
>Organization:  SSEC
>Keywords:  200103191417.f2JEHrL05709 McIDAS FRONT MDF

Russ,

Earlier today, you noted to Pepo:

>    Pepo, please note that Tom Yoksas at Unidata has done a lot of work
>on the FRONT application. I will talk to him today and get him onto the
>MDF list serve.

If I am not mistaken (and I got the confirmation from majordomo), I was
the first non-SSEC user to signup for the MDF list.  At least, I think
I was the first.  I signed up immediately after receiving Dee's message
about the MDF availability.

Also, I will get back to Pepo about FRONT and FRNTDISP.

>> In particular, I would like to obtain samples for the ASUS/FSUS
>> reports to evaluate a possible substitution here.
>
>    I can get you samples of these files from our system.

We have isolated front files, so there is no need to dig through the
XCD spool file to find the bulletins.

>> As long as we are at it, anybody knows of/uses any general purpose
>> drawing tool alongside McIDAS to do this kind of graphic manipulation
>> like drawing fronts, weather symbols, re-arrange isolines... ??
>> (...What meteorologists call a significative map)
>
>     As far as I know, McIDAS does not import (or export) graphic files.
>We were attempting an interactive grid editor a few years ago, but the
>programmer is no longer with us. Some of his work may still be in our
>archives. I will take a look around and try to locate his source code.

Just for the useless fact/comment files: if the McIDAS image window was
recast as a Tk canvas, then it would be extremely easy to add all kinds
of very nice graphic annotation tools to a GUI.  In addition, very high
quality PostScript (tm) output capabilities would also be available.

On a different note, on Saturday, I took a closer look at the FOUS14
STNDB problem that I told you about.  Instead of 58 missing stations,
there were 60.  I plan on checking out fousrpt.c to fix it later
today.  You or someone else needs to let me know, or better do it
yourself, how to fix the station database.

I think that we may need to chat about some of the things that I don't
know to accomplish in the CVS system.  The one that comes to mind right
now is the need to move the routine sqpgm from libmcold to libmcidas.
This routine is used by XCD, so it should not be on the chopping
block.  Also, it would be a very good idea to upgrade Tcl/Tk from the
8.0.4 version in the distributions to the current release which is
8.3.2.  This switch will probably require some work, however, since the
reparenting of the image window into the GUI doesn't seem to work
correctly.

And you thought that there was nothing to do :o)

Tom
--
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+
* Tom Yoksas                                             UCAR Unidata Program 
*
* (303) 497-8642 (last resort)                                  P.O. Box 3000 
*
* address@hidden                                   Boulder, CO 80307 
*
* Unidata WWW Service                             http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/
*
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
+