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image overlay basics

Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 10:56 pm
by skyspotter24347
I know that DA doesn't overlay images, such as forecast models or satellite images...but can someone tell me the basics of how to do it manually myself? I'd like to be able to take an image off the web, for example, from Unisys, and make that a basemap for my background, then I can use DA to add other stuff to it.

Also, can someone direct me to where I can learn about scripting 101. I am brand new to this, and I can't seem to understand DA's manual about scripting. Can you tell me where I might find more info about it. Thanks.

Scripting 101

Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 10:02 pm
by Les
Hi Skyspotter

I found the best way to learn scripting was by looking through the many scripts already archived on this website.

You can change any line in a script to a comment (so it does nothing) by placing a # character first.

I changed most of the lines this way then ran the script. Then I would 'activate' the next line by removing the # and run again. And so on ...

If you do this you will soon learn what every line of a script addds to the overlay.

Just one word of warning - start with the simple scripts with short lines. They are the easiest to understand.

Good luck.

Les

Overlay

Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 1:02 am
by Anthony_P
So how would you do an overlay for unisys? Anybody have any suggestions?

Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 6:30 am
by Les
Unisys ? ?

Don't understand what you are driving at.

Les

unisys

Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 6:47 am
by Stefan Lichius
Hi Les,

he means this http://weather.unisys.com/

Best regards,
Stefan

Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 7:27 am
by Les
Thanks Stefan,

European users can display frontal information by means of the 'Fleetcode' data files.

As far as I know, there is no equivalent for the USA - like the Unisys charts. Sorry.

Maybe your best bet it to suggest that such a feature be added to the next upgrade of DAWS

Les

Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 12:24 pm
by kinetic
If he wants to display fronts he can do that in the US. He just needs to read the manual and tick the right boxes. Just look at Walley's map.

http://www.weatherroanoke.com/east.html

Posted: Fri Oct 13, 2006 7:43 pm
by Weasel
Like Tom wrote, fronts are available for plotting by ticking the box next to Frontal Bulletins from NCEP/Albany in the retrieval panel, then Data fronts in the menu to get them to plot.

Regarding using other maps as a background, this is basically the same thing as trying to import satellite imagery - find a projection that looks similar to one DA WS uses, get the scale right, and then adjust aspect and offset in the map generation panel if needed, generate the map in DA WS, import the desired background image/map, do a basemap overlay, and hopefully the state outlines etc. will match up. A general idea of how to use aspect and offset is given below:

Basically an increase in aspect mainly stretches either the right or bottom of an image, depending on whether you are dealing with x or y. An increase in offset basically stretches the image in the horizontal or vertical, depending on whether you are adjusting x or y. Decreasing the value does just the opposite of course. Use whole numbers with aspect, decimals with offset.

If you create basemaps in DA WS, be sure to write any aspect and offset adjustments down if you plan on using them in Fusion, as the settings are not retained at the moment.

Pat

Re: image overlay basics

Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 7:59 pm
by Weasel
skyspotter24347 wrote:I know that DA doesn't overlay images, such as forecast models or satellite images...but can someone tell me the basics of how to do it manually myself? I'd like to be able to take an image off the web, for example, from Unisys, and make that a basemap for my background, then I can use DA to add other stuff
I don't think you'll be able to get Unisys images to fit exactly in DA WS. I gave it a try and couldn't get things to match up all that well.

Was there another site with imagery you are interested in?

You'll find a mercator image easiest to fit in DA WS.

Pat

image overlay basics

Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 10:05 pm
by skyspotter24347
I also tried Unisys and another site, but couldn't get anything to match up either.

What is a mercator image anyway?

Thanks for trying and for everyone's help!