20010620: automatic generation of jpeg/gif images in GARP or McIDAS

>From: David Fitzgerald <address@hidden>
>Organization: Millersville University of Pennsylvania
>Keywords: 200106201818.f5KIIv109390 McIDAS FRMSAVE GIF JPET

Dave,

>Now that we are getting FNEXRAD and NNEXRAD products, I'd like to create
>either jpeg or gif images and post them to our web site.  I know how to
>create a gif image in garp "by hand" as it were, but how do I automate the
>process in gempak?

I will let Chiz answer this one.

>Or is McIDAS a better choice for this, and if so how do
>I do it with that?

This would be very interesting using McIDAS.  You could setup a PostProcess
to run each time a product you want a GIF (tm) or JPEG for.  The
7.7 distribution of McIDAS contains an example shell script, mcrun.sh, that
can be copied to a different name, edited to display the image,
and then run FRMSAVE to save the display into any of the 6 formats that
are supported (see FRMSAVE help in the Users Guide or in online HELP
from 'HELP FRMSAVE').

The jist of using mcrun.sh is:

o make a local copy (different name)
o edit the script and set MCHOME to match your McIDAS-X installation HOME
  directory
o add the appropriate display and save line to the end of the file:

  change:

cd $MCDATA
mcenv << EOF

# put McIDAS-X commands you want to run here, one command per line.

# Example (note that these lines are commented out!!):
#
# dataloc.k ADD RTGINI adde.unidata.ucar.edu
# imgdisp.k RTGINI/GE1KVIS STA=KMIA EU=IMAGE SF=YES REFRESH='EG;MAP H'
# frmsave.k 1 miamivis.gif

# done
  exit

EOF

  to:

cd $MCDATA
mcenv << EOF

# put McIDAS-X commands you want to run here, one command per line.

# Example (note that these lines are commented out!!):
#
# dataloc.k ADD RTGINI adde.unidata.ucar.edu
# imgdisp.k RTGINI/GE1KVIS STA=KMIA EU=IMAGE SF=YES REFRESH='EG;MAP H'
# frmsave.k 1 miamivis.gif

imgdisp.k RTNEXRAD/N0R ID=FTG STA=FTG EU=BREF REFRESH='EG;MAP H;BAR'
frmsave.k 1 ftg.gif

# done
  exit

EOF

The things that would probably change in the above are:

o the station for which you want the display created
o the ADDE dataset name you setup to access the data
o the group name for the type of image you want to display
o the type of product you want a display of

After setting up your copy of mcrun.sh, you can either kick it off from
a pqact.conf action or by a crontab invocation.  Let me know if you want
to pursue this further.

>Thanks!!

Later.

Tom