Map List File (.mpl)

The map list file provides a means for specifying complicated map plots. This mimics the map_file resource but often it is impossible to specify complex maps on the command line.

FORMAT

The map list file is a list of map files along with flags and attributes:

[flag:]map_file[:attributes...]
[flag:]map_file[:attributes...]
...

where:

• flag -- Toggle flag which determines whether the map is drawn or not. This can be one of the following:
  • >size -- Only draw map if domain size, (ny-1)*dy, is greater than size
  • <size -- Only draw map if domain size is less than size
  • [minlat,maxlat,minlon,maxlon,maxdom] -- Only draw map if domain is within the latitude, longitude range and the domain size is less than maxdom. If this flag is specified, no map files are listed on the same line but this flag applies to all subsequent maps up to and the next bracket map range line. If the bracket are empty "[]", this the default case and must be listed last
  • + -- Only draw map as an overlay
  • - -- Only draw map as an underlay
• map_file -- The map file to draw. The is the name of a map file to use or one of the following:
  • lalo:lat[:lon] -- Draw lat-lon lines at the specified interval. This allows the user to control the order and when lat-lon lines are drawn. If lon is omitted, the interval for both is the same.
  • rf:rawfile[-variable] -- Plots the contents of the raw file This is handy for labeling maps with city and county names.
  • im:image[:back:x:y] -- This overlays an image on the plot. The image is a GIF image that can be created by WXP or another program and saved in the file image. The value of the image_path resource is prepended to the filename if a relative path. The back specifies a color that will be transparent. The default is black. If this plot is a reverse/inverted color (white background), the map image may have to be plotted in black in which case you would use white for the transparent color. The x:y specifies an offset for the image. By default, it is placed relative to the upper left corner of the plotting window. You can offset this positive which is relative to the upper left corner of negative which is relative to the lower right corner.
  • if:image[:back:x:y] -- This overlays an image much like im: except the image is offset from the upper left corner of the window, not the plot.
  • mf:metafile -- This plots the content of a metafile.
• attributes -- This is a list of attributes to tailor the map:
  • co=color -- The color the map is drawn in
  • wi=width -- The line width for the map
  • fp=fill -- The fill pattern for closed regions.

EXAMPLES

An example of a block from the cnty.mpl file:

>20:wxp.map
<10:dlg/cnty.bmap:red
>10<20:dlg/nation.bmap:red
>10<20:dlg/state.bmap:red
>10<20:dlg/coast.bmap:red
<10:dlg/nation.bmap:lred:w2
<10:dlg/state.bmap:lred:w2
<10:dlg/coast.bmap:lred:w2
<2:dlg/rd_state.bmap:dgray
<3:dlg/rd_us.bmap:dgray
<10:dlg/rd_int.bmap:brown
<3:rf:counties.raw-Name:co=cyan:te=.75

SEE ALSO

• mapplot

Last updated on May 10, 2020