profplot
Sections
NAME
profplot - Profiler plotting
SYNOPSIS
profplot [parameters...] filename
PARAMETERS
| Command Line | Resource | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| -h | help | No | Lists basic help information. |
| -df=filename | default | wxp.cfg | Sets the name of the resource file. |
| -na=name | name | the program name | Specifies the name used in resource file parsing. |
| -me=level | message | out2 | Specifies level of messages to be displayed |
| -fp=path | file_path | the current directory | Specifies location of database files. |
| -dp=path | data_path | the current directory | Specifies the location of the input raw data files. |
| -cp=path | con_path | the current directory | Specifies location of decoded/converted data files |
| -ip=path | image_path | the current directory | Specifies location of output image files (.gif/,png) from WXP. |
| -nc=name_conv | name_conv | name.cnv or name_conv file | This sets which name convention file to use. |
| -if=in_file | in_file | prf_dat | Specifies the input file name tag. |
| -cu=[hour] | current | none | This specifies to use current data files. |
| -ho=hour | hour | none | Specifies the exact hour that a data file is valid for. |
| -id=ident[,ident...] | identifier | None | Specifies a station identifier to plot or parse for |
| -va=variable | variable | none | Sets the parameter/variable to be displayed |
| -sc=type | plot_scale | 1.0 | Specifies a scaling factor for all plotted text, symbols, vectors, etc. |
| -fm=format | format | None | Specifies the output format of data. |
| -pa=param[,param...] | parameter | none | Specifies addition parameters to program. |
| -dr=value[,value...] | draw | all | Specifies which part of the plot is to be drawn. |
| -la=type | label | Program defaults | Specifies the labels to be plotted around the plot. By default, labels are generated by the program and plotted above and below the plot. This resource overrides these labels. |
| -fl=font_file[,font_file...] | font_list | modern.fnt | Specifies a list of fonts to use in the plots. |
| -ct=color_table | color_table | wxp.clr | Specifies the color table to use in the plot. This maps color names to actual RGB color values. |
| -col=color[:attribute...] | color_label | white (black on inverse plots) | Specifies the text color for labels above and below the plot. |
| -cod=color[:attribute...] | color_data | green (for most programs) | Specifies the color for plotted data. |
| -com=color[:attribute...] | color_map | red (for most programs) | Specifies the color for background maps. |
| -coll=color[:attribute...] | color_latlon | magenta:st=dsh | Specifies the color for lat/lon lines. |
| -cof=[value:]color[:attribute...],[value:]color[:attribute...],... -cof=filename |
color_fill | magenta, lmagenta, blue, lblue, cyan, lcyan, green, lgreen, brown, yellow, red, lred, dgray, lgray, white | Specifies the colors in the color fill contours. |
| -de=device[,parameters] | device | d for display | Specifies the output device. |
| -ti=title | title | The name of the program or the value of the name resource | Specifies the window title. |
| -ic | icon | off | Specifies whether to open window in iconified mode. |
| -bg=color | background | black | Specifies the background color of the window. |
| -ge=widthxheight[+x+y] | geometry | 640x512 (for windowed plots) | Specifies the window and paper geometry. |
| filename (positional) | filename | none | Specify input filename |
DESCRIPTION
This program plots profiler data. There are two types of output for the program. The first is a time cross-section using a series of profiler data files. The second mode is a horizontal cross-section at a specified level. By default, a time cross-section will be plotted. If a level is specified with the resrc:level resource, a horizontal cross-section will be plotted. surface data on a background map. The input to the program is a profiler data file.
The programs starts off by prompting the user for input profiler file name. The user may specify the input file either via the command line of through the current resource. The input naming convention is specified by the prf_dat tag but this can be changed with the in_file resource. For time cross-sections, the num_hour resource is used to set the number of hours in the cross-section. The default is 12 hours.
For time cross-sections, the program will now prompt the user for a profiler station to use.
The program will now prompt the user for the particular output variable to plot. The program will show a menu of commonly used variables but many more are defined internally by the program and in the prfplt.var file. The internal variables are:
| Variable | Description and units |
| city | All stations in the data file |
| temp | Temperature (C) -- surface level only |
| dewp | Dewpoint (C) -- surface level only |
| dewd | Dewpoint depression (C) -- surface level only |
| wdir | Wind direction (deg) |
| wspd | Wind speed (knt) |
| wbrbc wbrb wind |
Wind speed and direction (knt) |
| uwnd | U wind component - EW relative (m/s) |
| vwnd | V wind component - NS relative (m/s) |
| vvel | Vertical velocity (m/s) |
| shear | Vertical wind shear (/s) -- layer can be adjusted with level resource |
| hel | 0 - 3000 mb AG storm relative helicity (m^2/s^2) -- layer can be adjusted with level resource |
These parameters can be accessed by name if they have not been redefined in the prfplt.var file. Otherwise, prepending a "+" to the variable name will guarantee these variables will appear.
The program will now open the graphics window and start processing the data. The user will be prompted for the output device. Then the profiler file is opened and data read in. First, the background map will plot. Any additional computations are performed and the data are plotted. If a simple plot is specified such as "temp", the data will be plotted to 0 decimal places on the map. Formatting of the number can be done with the plot_format resource. Composite plots can either be specified with the variable resource (.var file, resource file, command line or variable prompt). The variable resource allows the user to control much of the data formatting.
When the plot is complete, output can be saved to a GIF image file, spooled to the printer or the plot can be zoomed. When zooming the image, the plot will redraw to the new domain. It will also add more stations to the plot depending on the size of the domain. When the user is finished with the plot, the enter key can be hit which closes the window and returns the user to the variable prompt.
EXAMPLES
prfplt -cu=la -id=PLTC2 -va=wbrb -de=d
This generates a 12 hour time cross-section of wind data plotted as wind barbs for the profiler site PLTC2.
prfplt -cu=la -le=3000m -va=wbrb -de=d
This will generate a horizontal cross-section of wind data at the 3000m level. All profiler stations are plotted.
FILES
- prfplt.var - variable menu and definitions
SEE ALSO
Last updated November 2013