20051028: [Fwd: Re: McIDAS Software] (cont.)

>From: Edgardo Barreto <address@hidden>
>Organization: Puerto Rico Fire Department
>Keywords: 200510281925.j9SJPt7s001906 McIDAS PDA Animated Weather

Hi Edgardo,

re:
>Thanks for taking some of your time to help me.

No worries.

>I'm not associate with the UPRM.

Interesting.  How did you get access to the Unidata distribution
of McIDAS?

>I'm a Volunteer Firefighter of the Puerto Rico Fire Department
>Special Operations Unit, We are currently using the software in our
>station during weather events, search and rescue missions, etc. What we
>would like to do with the software is the ability to create an image
>were we can display as an example: a satellite image, a huricane
>proyected path, along with some radar information all in one frame. But
>we have been unable to do so.

OK.  This is possible with Unidata McIDAS as long as you have access to
remote data servers that have all of the data you want to combine in a
display.

>A couple of fellow fire fighter friends
>and myselft are willing to go ahead and recolect some money if to
>rececive this data.

The data you need should be accessible for free.

>If you have any Idea of what software we can use
>for that or if you have any tecniques for the McIDAS software we would
>be very glad if you help us.

McIDAS can be used for what you are trying to do.  You need to get some
experience in using it before generating these kinds of displays
becomes easy.

While I was in Madison, WI last week, I shared your email with a McIDAS
developer friend who works for the Space Science and Engineering Center
(SSEC) (in the same group as Dave Santek).  He suggested that I
put you in contact with him to discuss what you are attempting to do.
The reason he (Russ Dengel <address@hidden>) is interested is that
he has developed a website that he calls the PDA Animated Weather
display (PAW).  This free site contains graphics created by McIDAS that
are tailored to the typical display size of PDAs.  He was thinking that
the sorts of displays you are looking for could be added to his site so
that you could take advantage of current weather displays from cell
phones or PDAs (Russ uses a Palm Treo 650, so the displays look really
good there).

Please take a look at Russ' PAW website:

http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/%7Erussd/pda/

If the sorts of things you see there interest you, contact Russ to
pursue his adding displays of interest to your efforts.

If you decide that you would still like to pursue running McIDAS
yourself, please let me know.

Cheers,

Tom
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