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20020305: NEXRAD Composites (cont.)

>From: Jim Koermer <address@hidden>
>Organization: Plymouth State College
>Keywords: 200202280553.g1S5rxx20688 McIDAS scripts MCTABLE_READ MCTABLE_WRI

Hi Jim,

>I changed the ldm setup to keep 360 files instead of 48. This will leave
>about three days of data on the server. I may double this once I see how
>my resources go.

I was hoping you would do something like this.  I didn't want to keep
a large number of files unless you gave it the go.  Looks like you just
have!

>I've also added the ability to access any file from the database and to
>generate animated GIFs on the page below. The animations take about 30
>seconds to generate, but it is really quite nice how you can zoom in and
>center on any given area.

Very cool to say the least!

>I really like this capability with McIDAS.

McIDAS' real strength is in image manipuation.  The other thing that
is really cool about the package is ADDE.

>I do have one question though: Why would anyone want even the 6-KM data,
>much less the RCM data, once you have the 1-KM data?

This is a question that we are going to let the User Committee and
users address themselves.  I personally can't see why a site might want
anything other than the 1 km composites UNLESS their ability to save
them is severely limited.  The other thing that we are going to propose
at the User Committee meeting next week is the replacement of the MDR
product in the Unidata-Wisconsin datastream (LDM feed type MCIDAS) with
the 6 km national composite.  For now, I wanted to have a number of
ADDE sites setup to be able to serve all of the radar composite
products and then let the end user choose which are important.  The
choosing would be done by virtual votes: how many times the 1 km
composite is used as opposed to all of the rest.

>Through ADDE, the
>product size that would be sent to the ADDE client would be similar--at
>least they are when I generate GIF images.

You are absolutely correct.  The size of a 6x blow down 1 km composite
is almost exactly the same as the 6 km national composite.

>With the MAG= feature, you
>can also easily zoom out to encompass the entire CONUS (MAG=-8).

Right again.  Of course, the blow-down that you need to get the entire
CONUS is dependent on how large your display area is.  For the size
of McIDAS frames that I use (720x950), you only have to blow down by
a factor of 5 (MAG=-5) to get the entire CONUS.

>Is the
>6KM and RCM data really necessary? Once you go to 1-km data, you don't
>want to go back.

There is one vote for the 1 km already :-)

>Another question: What is the format of the 1-KM files (i.e. is it a
>McIDAS AREA file or GINI type file, etc.?)? I'm just curious.

The 1 km composites are in GINI format.

Later...

Tom