GEMPAK Manual |
Programs
SFMAP plots surface station data on a map.
INPUT PARAMETERS
AREA Data area
GAREA Graphics area
SATFIL Satellite image filename(s)
RADFIL Radar image filename(s)
IMCBAR Color/ornt/anch/x;y/ln;wd/freq
SFPARM Surface parameter list
DATTIM Date/time
SFFILE Surface data file
COLORS Color list
MAP Map color/dash/width/filter flag
MSCALE fgc;bgc;mask/units/lat;hide/values/anch/x;y/ln;wd/freq|text_info|t
LATLON Line color/dash/width/freq/inc/label/format
TITLE Title color/line/title
CLEAR Clear screen flag
PANEL Panel loc/color/dash/width/regn
DEVICE Device|name|x size;y size|color type
PROJ Map projection/angles/margins|drop flag
FILTER Filter data factor
TEXT Size/fnt/wdth/brdr/N-rot/just/hw flg
LUTFIL Enhancement lookup table filename
STNPLT Txtc/txt attr|marker attr|stnfil#col
CLRBAR Color/ornt/anch/x;y/ln;wd/freq|text_info
LSTPRM Filtered parm|x;y|TEXT info
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
SFMAP plots data at station locations on a map. Any
parameter that can be computed from the parameters in
the data set can be displayed. Conditions can be specified
for the parameters. The conditions are documented in the
SFPARM documentation. Data may be plotted in any
valid GEMPAK projection and may be overlaid on images.
A set of multiple surface files separated with a '+' may be
given for SFFILE. The string length of multiple files should
not exceed 128 characters.
A list of times may be given in DATTIM allowing animation of
surface plots for a single file. Multiple files containing
different observations can be filtered with a common filter
for a single DATTIM. Multiple files will not work for multiple
times.
The order of the input parameters determines their location
on the plot. Parameters are separated by semicolons. A
position may be skipped by entering two consecutive semicolons
or entering the name SPAC or BLNK. A parameter will be
plotted centered at the station if it is the first parameter
in the list, for example, if SFPARM = SKYC, the sky cover symbol
will be plotted centered on the station location. If no
parameter is to be displayed centered on the station location,
a semicolon must appear before the first parameter listed.
SPAC or BLNK may also be entered. The following chart shows
the location on the model of each position.
8
2 10 4
3 1 5
6 11 7
9
Note that wind symbols and markers are always plotted at the center
of the station model.
If FILTER is set to YES, the stations will be filtered so that
overlapping stations will not be plotted. FILTER may also be
entered as a number greater than or equal to zero. FILTER = NO
has the same effect as FILTER = 0. FILTER = 1 has the same
effect as FILTER = YES. Values less than 1 allow more crowding
of stations, values exceeding 1 less crowding. If a position
is skipped using two semicolons or if the parameter is BLNK, the
filter will not allocate the space. The parameter SPAC may be
used to reserve the space with the filter option. Then later
plots will plot the same stations after filtering, provided
that the same parameter locations are specified.
If certain stations are not to be removed by the filter, these
stations are listed first following an @. The area over which
filtering is to occur is specified after a slash. For example,
AREA = @bwi;iad;dca/md
FILTER = YES
will display a filtered array of stations over the area
corresponding to MD, but BWI, IAD and DCA will be shown
regardless of the filtering.
Weather symbols can also be plotted. The size and width of
the symbols can be specified by appending the numbers to the
parameter name using a colon as a separator. For example,
WSYM:2:5 will plot weather symbols with size of 2. and line
width of 5.
Other symbols can be specified in a similar way. The names for
the pressure tendency, sky cover, cloud type, weather and wind
symbols and how their characteristics are set are given in the
SFPARM documentation.
Parameters can be color-coded based on their own value or on
the value of any other computable parameter. Refer to the
COLORS documentation for details. If one or more parameters
are color-coded, a color bar will be displayed for the first
color-coded parameter.
EXAMPLES
1. Display the visible satellite image from 18Z and overlay
the surface data for the area covered by the image. Plot
a standard station model for each location in the data set.
The surface data to plot include: 1) sky cover symbol;
2) temperature in Fahrenheit; 3) weather symbol; 4) coded
mean sea level pressure; 5) pressure tendency with symbol;
6) dewpoint in Fahrenheit; 6) station ID; 7) visibility;
and 8) wind barbs in knots. The data are plotted using the
specified color list.
AREA = us
GAREA = dset
SATFIL = $GEMPAK/data/VIS_910819_1801
RADFIL =
IMCBAR = 1/V/LL/0;.05/.90
SFPARM = skyc:.75;tmpf;wsym:.75;smsl;ptnd;dwpf;stid;;vsby*10;brbk:1:2;mark:2
DATTIM = 910819/1800
SFFILE = $GEMPAK/data/hrcbob.sfc
COLORS = 26;2;7;25;20;22;18;24;6
MAP = 1
LATLON = 2/10/1/1/5;5
TITLE = 1
CLEAR = yes
PANEL = 0
DEVICE = xw
PROJ = sat
FILTER = 1
TEXT = 1/22//hw
LUTFIL =
STNPLT =
CLRBAR =
LSTPRM =
2. Using the above specifications, change the area to New Jersey.
The satellite image will be subset and replotted with the data
for that area. Change the filter factor to allow more stations
to be plotted.
AREA = nj-
GAREA = nj
SATFIL = $GEMPAK/data/VIS_910819_1801
RADFIL =
IMCBAR = 1/V/LL/0;.05/.90
SFPARM = skyc:.75;tmpf;wsym:.75;smsl;ptnd;dwpf;stid;;vsby*10;brbk:1:2;mark:4
DATTIM = 910819/1800
SFFILE = $GEMPAK/data/hrcbob.sfc
COLORS = 26;2;7;25;20;22;18;24;6
MAP = 1
LATLON = 2/10/1/1/5;5
TITLE = 1
CLEAR = yes
PANEL = 0
DEVICE = xw
PROJ = sat
FILTER = .45
TEXT = 1/22//hw
LUTFIL =
STNPLT =
CLRBAR =
LSTPRM =
3. Using the previous specifications, vary the color of the weather
symbols by color coding them according to their precipitation type.
To make them more discernible, omit using the satellite image
and change the map projection.
AREA = nj-
GAREA = nj
SATFIL =
RADFIL =
IMCBAR =
SFPARM = skyc:.75;tmpf;wsym:.75;smsl;ptnd;dwpf;stid;;vsby*10;brbk:1:2;mark:4
DATTIM = 910819/1800
SFFILE = $GEMPAK/data/hrcbob.sfc
COLORS = 26;2;(19-90-10/17;6;8;17;3;3;1;22;2);25;20;22;18;24;6
MAP = 1
LATLON = 2/10/1/1/5;5
TITLE = 1
CLEAR = yes
PANEL = 0
DEVICE = xw
PROJ = mer
FILTER = .45
TEXT = 1/22//hw
LUTFIL =
STNPLT =
CLABAR =
LSTPRM =
4. Different example using the multiple files for SFFILE = synop + metar
setting DATTIM = 12, SFPARM = SKYC;TMPF;WSYM;PMSL;;DWPF;BRBK and the
edge plotting of TMPF data LSTPRM = TMPF|0.8;0.9|0.75
Edge plotting of data is available only for the first file "synop".
AREA = WV
GAREA = WV
SATFIL =
RADFIL =
IMCBAR =
SFFILE = synop + metar
DATTIM = 12
SFPARM = SKYC;TMPF;WSYM;PMSL;;DWPF;BRBK
LSTPRM = tmpf|0.8;0.9|0.75
COLORS = 23;2;3
MAP = 1
MSCALE = 0
LATLON =
TITLE = 1
CLEAR = yes
PANEL = 0
DEVICE = gif|sfmap_synop_metar.gif | 1800;1300
PROJ = MER
FILTER = 1.0
TEXT = 1
LUTFIL =
STNPLT =
CLRBAR =
ERROR MESSAGES
[SFMAP -1] Fatal error initializing TAE.
[SFMAP -2] Fatal error reading TAE parameters.
[SFMAP -3] Fatal error initializing GEMPLT.
[SFMAP -4] Parameter ... is not calculable.
[SFMAP -5] Winds are not calculable.
[SFMAP -6] Multiple files do not allow multiple times.