3. User Interface Description

To start the FXC session, double click on the "FXC" Icon. After a few seconds, the FXC Window will appear. The FXC User Interface, as shown in Figure 2, includes a Title Bar, Menu Bar, Main Toolbar, Display Pane, and a Status Bar. FXC will initialize with several default display settings. All settings and selectors will be described in subsequent sections.

3.1 Menu Bar

The Menu Bar is located at the top of the FXC Window, just below the FX Connect Title Bar. It is a permanent part of the window and cannot be hidden or relocated. All menus are selected with one click of the left mouse button. The following sections describe each button on the Menu Bar. All of FXC actions may be performed with selectors in the Menu Bar Pull-Down Menus or by selecting the corresponding button on the Main Toolbar.

3.1.1 File Menu

The File Menu, shown in Figure 3, provides basic file operations and related functions. It also includes the Exit Button to close the FXC Window.

GIF/JPEG/PNG Background...

This selector opens a window for selecting the desired image file. Any GIF, JPEG, or PNG image available on the local (or NFS mounted) disk can be loaded into the display window. The image will be loaded into the frame currently selected and displayed. By advancing the frames, the user can load different images into each frame. When in collaborative mode, these images are also shared with the other FXC Clients. A File Browser Menu pops up when this selection is made that allows the user to choose the desired directory and file to be loaded.

Save as JPEG...

Any product or combination of products (i.e., overlays and manual graphics) displayed on the FXC Display Pane may be captured in JPEG format. This allows users to create meteorological products that can be placed on a Web server for access by the public or a selected set of users, or to create a slide for use in a slide show. Upon selecting "Save as JPEG...", a window appears in which to specify filename and directory to be used.

Capture D-2D Display

When you select this option, the data that are displayed within the large pane on D2D with be copied and brought into the large pane on the FXC Briefing Tool. (This feature is only available if FXC is running on an AWIPS Workstation. This is not a remote capability).

New Procedure...

(This is a similar to the Procedures feature on D2D, with a few limitations.) The user has the ability to create a procedure that consists of a sequence of meteorological products that have been loaded to the large display pane from the FXC Pull-Down Menus. Data that are overlaid together on the large display pane are called Bundles, a shown in Figure 4.

Open Procedure...

This option opens the Open Procedures Dialog Box, which contains a list of existing Procedures.

Copy Procedure...

If you want to generate a copy of an existing Procedure, use this option to open the "Procedure to be Copied" Dialog Box. Select the name of the Procedure you wish to copy and press the OK Menu Button. Immediately the New Name for Copy Dialog Box opens in which you can type in a new name for the copied Procedure.

Remove Procedure...

This option allows you to permanently remove a Procedure through the Remove Procedure Dialog Box which lists all existing Procedures. To remove a procedure, select the procedure to be removed (one click with the left mouse button to highlight the procedure to be deleted), then select "OK."

New Slide Show...

The FXC Briefing Tool allows you to create a list of image, text, or combined image-text "slides" to be used for presentations and weather briefings. You can build each slide using D2D weather products, weather briefing text templates that can be edited to include up-to-date launch weather information, or you can import any image files (in JPEG, PNG, or GIF format). Refer to Figure 5.

Open Slide Show...

This option opens the Open Slide Show Dialog Box which contains a list of existing slide shows.

Copy Slide Show...

If you want to generate a copy of an existing slide show, use this option to open the "Slide Show to be Copied" Dialog Box. Select the name of the slide show you wish to copy and press the OK Menu Button. Immediately the New Name for Copy Dialog Box opens in which you can type in a new name for the copied slide show.

Remove Slide Show...

This option allows you to permanently remove a slide show through the Remove Slide Show Dialog Box which lists all existing slide shows. To remove a slide show, select the name to be removed (one click with the left mouse button to highlight the procedure to be deleted), then select "OK."

Set User Information...

(Not activated for all users) Allows users to specify the name to be used for chat sessions. This name is also used by the server to allow or disallow a user to connect to the server. The User Information Menu also lets the user select the color to be used for all text generated by the user during a chat session.

Log Messages

Diagnostic messages are being generated and recorded for most actions performed by the user. The messages are stored in the /FXC/fsl/data/logs directory. These messages make it possible to troubleshoot the system should an error occur. The logs should be purged regularly to prevent the disk from eventually filling up. The user can disable the logging function each time the system is started by toggling this switch off.

Exit

This causes the FXC Client to terminate and close all FXC Windows displayed on the screen.

3.1.2 View Menu

The View Pull-Down Menu, shown in Figure 6, contains options for manipulating the display. Most of these options are available in the more accessible toolbars, but are intentionally included in the View Menu for design redundancy.

Clear

This menu option removes all data products from the display pane, leaving only the original map background. This same action is more commonly performed from the Clear Button on the toolbar.

Step Back/Step Forward

These two menu options advance the data frames that are displayed forward or backward through time. The more typical way to perform these same actions are with the Arrow (< >) Buttons on the toolbar.

First Frame/Last Frame

Use these two menu options to jump to the first or last data frames. It is easier to perform these same actions by using the First Frame (|<) and Last Frame (>|) Buttons on the toolbar.

Looping

This radio button toggles on/off the animation capability, which can also be performed from the toolbar using the Loop Icon.

Previous Bundle/Next Bundle

These options can be used when displaying data products through the Procedures feature. Refer to Subsection 4.2 for more information about Procedures.

Display Size

You can resize a window by either selecting one of the predefined sizes from the Display Size Submenu, shown in Figure 7, or by grabbing the edge of the display and reshaping the window to the desired size. The attributes of a window are saved in a state file to allow the window to reappear in the same location and of the same size the next time the window is opened.

Toolbars

FXC has two toolbars; The Main Toolbar contains the basic controls of the display and a second, the Drawing Toolbar, is used in conjunction with the drawing tool. All of the functions in the toolbar are also available from the Main Menu Bar. It is therefore possible to hide the toolbar and still have access to all of the toolbar functions. The Drawing Toolbar is visible when the Drawing Tool is loaded from the Tools Pull-Down Menu, shown in Figure 8, and is made "editable" (by clicking on the "Manual Product" legend once with the middle mouse button). This is discussed further in the Section 3.1.4, "Tools Menu."

Reload

Use this menu option, or the Reload Icon in the Toolbar, to display the most recent data that were cleared from the FXC Display.

3.1.3 Options Menu

The Options Pull-Down Menu, illustrated in Figure 9, contains selectors for controlling data display characteristics.

Data Scale

This feature, when toggled on (check-marked), causes the next product selected from the data menus to be loaded on the appropriate scale. For example, when a single site radar product is selected from the menu, with "Data Scale" toggled on, the radar image will be displayed on a radar-scale map background.

Display Properties...

This submenu, shown in Figure 10, includes additional submenus that allow you to manipulate the display properties of the FXC Display Panel.

Area

AWIPS data is stratified into geographic scales, as shown in Figure 11. The geographic scales are organized to "funnel" in on a specific local area. Each geographic scale may have data sets unique to that scale. For example, mesonet data would not be available on North American scale. Data displayed at higher scales typically contain coarser resolution.

Load Mode

The Load Mode Submenu is shown in Figure 12.

Each time you select a product from the menu, a number of frames (equal to the frame count) are loaded into memory. Normally, each frame is loaded with a sequentially older product. However, sometimes you may want to view products in a different manner. This menu allows you to select from a number of different Load Modes. A brief description of each Load Mode follows.
• Latest Run - Displays forecast data only from the latest model run, but also backfills with frames from previous runs at the beginning of the loop to satisfy the requested number of frames.

• Valid Time Sequence - This Load Mode displays the most recent data and fills empty frames with previous data. For models, it provides the product from the latest possible run for every available valid time.

• No backfill - Displays model data only from the most recent model run time with no backfilling to fill out a loop. Using this Load Mode prevents the mixing of old and new data.

• Previous Run - Displays the previous model run, backfilling with frames from previous runs at the beginning of the loop to satisfy the requested number of frames.

• Previous Valid Time Sequence - This Load Mode displays the previous model run and fills empty frames with previous model data or analyses.

• Analysis Loop - This Load Mode loads a sequence of model analyses, but no forecasts.

• Forecast Match - Overlays a model product only when its forecast times match those of an initially loaded product. This Load Mode is available only when another product is already loaded in the large display pane.

Frames

Use this menu, which is depicted in Figure 13, to select the number of frames to load to a display animation. Keep in mind that longer animation loops take more time to load, so adjusting the frame count to a low value will facilitate faster loading, especially through a modem connection.

Character Size

It is possible to modify the size of graphical characters with the Character Size Submenu, shown in Figure14.

Loop Properties...

This menu option opens the Loop Properties Dialog Box, shown in Figure15. Within this dialog box are controls for the various features of an animation. You may alter the dwell at the end of a loop, the speed of animation, and the direction (forward or backward) of the animation.

Image Properties...

This menu option opens the Image Properties Dialog Box, depicted in Figure 16. It contains slider bars allowing you to control the opacity of an image. This feature is particularly useful when several overlays are placed on top of an image. By reducing the opacity of the image, the graphic overlays become more discernable.

Image Color

This submenu, shown in Figure 17, contains a number of pre-defined color tables available for image enhancement. The color table will be applied to the currently displayed image. The user can easily revert to the default image enhancement by selecting the item "Default" from the Color Table Menu.

3.1.4 Tools Menu

The Tools Pull-Down Menu, shown in Figure 18, provides selectors for interactive FXC capabilities. Each tool is described as follows.

Baselines

When selected, a number of interactive baselines appear on the display. If the display is zoomed to a small geographic area, the baselines may not be visible. Unzooming may be necessary to view and move the baselines. Baselines may be arbitrarily placed for the purpose of creating a vertical cross section from model data through the use of the Volume Browser. Note that one end of the baseline line segment is labeled A through J. The resultant vertical cross section will be displayed with the label end of the baseline plotted on the right side of the cross section. In other words, if a west to east cross section is to be created, and the user wishes the cross section to be displayed with west on the left, position the baseline with the letter label on the right side.

To move a baseline, first note if the product label indicates "editable" mode, i.e., "Interactive Baselines (editable)." If the word "editable" is not visible, click once with the middle mouse button with the cursor on the product label to toggle the baselines to "editable". Now to move a baseline, place the tip of the mouse cursor on the baseline and click once with the left mouse button. The shape of the cursor will change from an arrow to a hand when the baseline is successfully grabbed. Then relocate the cursor to the desired location of the baseline and click once again with the left mouse button.

To move a vertex of the baseline, click once with the left mouse button with the tip of the arrow cursor on the end of the baseline to be moved. The cursor shape will change to a cross-hair when successfully grabbed. Then click once more in the desired new location for the baseline end point.

Note:

To move an editable object (baseline, point, manual graphics glyph/symbol), click once to grab the object; then move the mouse to the desired location for the object, and click again to place it there.

Points

Similar to the editable baseline, editable points are used to locate model-derived soundings, time series, or time height model plots. Point A is also used in the Data Scale Load Mode for radar images and for displaying model soundings from the volume browser.

Manipulation of editable points is the same as that for baselines. Make sure the product label indicates "editable", place the tip of the mouse cursor over the point to be moved, and click once with the left mouse button. The shape of the cursor will change from a left-slant arrow to a hand. Move the cursor to the desired location and click once again with the left mouse button.

Drawing

This selector invokes a manual graphics capability. A Drawing Toolbar will appear along the top of the FXC Display, below the Menu Bar, and the product label "Manual Graphics (editable)" appears in the lower right corner of the display. More information on the drawing features is presented in Subsection 3.3.

Text Window

This selector invokes an AWIPS Text Window, as illustratrated in Figure 19, in which any NWS text product carried on the Satellite Broadcast Network may be displayed. This window may also be used as a "notepad" for creating text. Selectors for easy access to AWIPS Text Products are available under the "Products" Menu. This list may be modified to suit the needs of the local office.

Discussion

Select this button to open a "chat room" window. The FXC must be connected to a server and be set to collaborative mode to use this feature. Each collaboration participant will be listed in the Discussion Window, shown in Figure 20.

To the left of the collaborator's name is a small check box that enables an audible alarm whenever a mesage is received from that user (even if the window is hidden from view). The "Option" selector in the Discussion Window Menu Bar opens a menu that allows users to select a word or combination of words that will alert the user whenever that text string occurs in any of the discussion.

3.1.5 Volume Menu

The Volume Pull-Down Menu, shown in Figure 21, provides access to displays of graphics created from model grids.

Browser

This selection opens a window called the Volume Browser (Figure 22) that provides menus from which a vast number of model analysis and forecast fields may be produced. The overall design and functionality is similar to the Volume Browser in AWIPS D2D, with a few exceptions. Selections must be made in order from left to right, first selecting a model or models, then fields, then planes. Displays may be created as graphics or images. Conventional plan view displays, cross sections, time series, time/height sections, and model soundings can be created using selections in the Presentation Pull-Down Menu (Figure 23).

Families

Choosing either the RUC or ETA family of graphics results in a display of a selection of eight conventional graphics of upper air and surface parameters from the chosen model. The first two graphic overlays are displayed, while the following six are suppressed. To toggle a graphic on or off, simply click once with the left mouse button with the tip of the cursor on the product legend.

Comparison Families

Selecting either 500 Height or MSL Press will display a selection of eight graphic overlays from several NWS models. In the case of "500 Height", the display is of the 500 MB height from the MRF AVN, MesoEta, Eta, NGM, and RUC. "MSL Press" will load the MSL pressure from the same models.

3.1.6 Obs Menu

This pull-down menu and associated submenus provide access to a variety of observational products, including METAR and buoy plot displays, tower plots, and lightning. Refer to Figure 24.

3.1.7 NCEP/Hydro Menu

The NCEP/Hydro Pull-Down Menu, shown in Figure 25, contains National Center graphics and analyses.

3.1.8 Upper Air Menu

Mandatory level upper air plots, raobs plotted on a Skew-T diagram, Profiler time/height and plan view plots, and selected AWC products are available under this menu, as depicted in Figure 26.

3.1.9 Satellite Menu

A selection of GOES images is available under the Satellite Menu, as illustrated in Figure 27. Temporal and spatial resolution of the images is dependent upon the scale at which they are loaded.

3.1.10 Radar Menus

The kvbx Menu and the Radar Menu in Figures 28 and 29, contain selectors for various radar images and products. A national reflectivity mosaic is available, as well as selected base reflectivity and velocity images.

3.1.11 Maps Menu

This menu, shown in Figure 30, allows the user to access a variety of background maps for FXC Displays.

A background may be toggled on or off in two ways. Click once with the left mouse button on a map name on the Maps Menu to toggle on or off the selected map display. Map labels may be toggled to display in a like manner. With the map labels visible in the lower right corner of the display ("Show Map Labels" toggled on in the Maps Menu) maps may also be toggled on or off by clicking once with the left mouse button on the map label. The user may also select a color for a map.

3.1.12 Help Menu

The Help Menu contains the About... option which opens the About FXC Window that contains software version and date information. Refer to Figure 31.

3.2 Main Toolbar

The Main Toolbar, shown in Figure 32, is found just below the Menu Bar and provides shortcuts for many of the Display controls found in the Menu Bar. This toolbar can be hidden from view using the toggle switch just under the File Menu. The function of each selector on the Main Menu Bar is identified with "tool tips". Simply move and dwell the mouse cursor over the desired selector and a "tool tip" will appear identifying the selector.

3.2.1 Server

This allows the user to connect to the desired AWIPS Database. The selector identifies the AWIPS "localization" and geographic location of the FXC Server. The user can connect to a server that resides on a remote machine or on the same machine as the client.

3.2.2 Collaborate

(This feature may be included in a future RSA release.)

This sets the collaborative mode. All collaboration participants (FXC Clients) must be connected to the same FXC Server to utilize Collaborative Mode. Most of the actions by the user are shared with the remote collaborators. For example, a user can load an image, overlay model data, zoom in on a specific area, and then start an animation and have all of these actions performed on the other FXC Clients who have also enabled collaboration while connected to the same server. A key collaborative feature is the ability to annotate and draw onto any product displayed on the screen. Actions that are not currently shared include changing color enhancements, adjusting image intensity, and overlaying additional map backgrounds. Some of these may be added in the future. Also, with FXC set to Collaborate mode, a "chat room" capability (labeled "Discussion"on the Tools Menu) is available that allows users to exchange textual messages and determine who is participating in the collaboration session.

3.3 Drawing Toolbar

A variety of drawing and annotation capabilities are available on FXC through the Drawing Toolbar. When "Drawing" is selected from the Tools Menu, the Drawing Toolbar initially appears at the top of the FXC Display, just below the Main Toolbar, as shown in Figure 33.

This toolbar may be "torn away" from the Main Toolbar by grabbing the Drawing Toolbar with the cursor at the left edge by depressing and holding the left mouse button. A vertical or horizontal layout is possible by clicking once with the right mouse button with the cursor in a blank gray area between buttons on the toolbar. The choices "Horizontal", "Vertical", and "Rejoin Main Window" will appear for user selection, as shown in Figure 34.

The selectors on the Drawing Toolbar allow the creation, selection, or saving of files and selectors to create, manipulate, and annotate manual graphics. Pausing the mouse cursor over the buttons on the toolbar will reveal tool tips describing the function of each button.

3.3.1 New Drawing

This selection erases the drawn objects and leaves all of the graphic overlays and underlay in tact. This is unlike a Clear that erases the overlays, underlay, and removes the drawing tool.

3.3.2 Open Drawing

This selection retrieves the object file containing the drawing and displays it on the screen.

3.3.3 Save Drawing

A drawing is always saved in two different formats: a graphic metafile and an object file. The object file is retrieved by selecting Open Drawing for additional editing, and the metafile is retrieved as a single color graphics by selecting Manual Graphic from the Surface Menu.

3.3.4 Undo

(16 steps)

3.3.5 Redo

(16 steps)

With the following manipulations, first select the function with a click of the left mouse button; then click on the object that is to be manipulated and click again on the final desired location (if appropriate) for the object.

3.3.6 Move Glyph

3.3.7 Copy Glyph

3.3.8 Erase Glyph

3.3.9 Edit Freehand Path

To change the end piece of a line, click on the line near the desired location, draw the new line from that location and click again to terminate the line. To modify a piece of a line, click on the line near the desired location, draw the new line and click when the new line touches the old line.

The remaining selectors reveal pull-down menus for additional controls for manual graphics.

3.3.10 Glyph Size

Make the glyph (symbol or icon) Small, Medium, or Large

3.3.11 Line Thickness

There are four thickness options available.

3.3.12 Line or Glyph Color

A pallet of eight colors is available.

3.3.13 Line Types

The line types may be drawn as Right or Left orientation.

Solid Straight Line

Dashed Straight Line

Straight Arrow

Freehand

Dashed Freehand

Arrow Freehand

Scalloped

3.3.14 Front Types

Front types may be drawn as Right or Left orientation.

Surface Cold Front

Aloft Cold Front

Surface Warm Front

Aloft Warm Front

Surface Stationary Front

Aloft Stationary Front

Occluded Front

Dry Line

3.3.15 Shape Types

Select this option to draw shapes. When drawing shapes, an additional pull-down menu appears on the toolbar to define the default characteristics of the shape, create shapes with or without borders, and drawn as Hollow, Transparent, Translucent, Semi-opaque, and Opaque.

Polygon

Use the left mouse button to select vertices of the polygon, then use the right mouse button to close the shape.

Freehand Polygon

Click once with the left mouse button to begin drawing the freehand shape. Then click a second time with the right mouse button to close the shape.

3.3.16 Precip Symbols

Light Intermittent Snow

Light Continuous Snow

Ice Pellets

Freezing Drizzle

Rain

Thunderstorm

Severe Thunderstorm

Rain Shower

Blowing Snow

Blizzard

3.3.17 Aviation Symbols

Turbulence

Severe Turbulence

Icing

Severe Icing

Light Fog

Fog

Haze

Smoke

Blowing Sand

Blowing Dust

3.3.18 Cloud Cover

Clear Sky

Scattered Clouds

Broken Overcast

Overcast

3.3.19 Combo Symbols

Rain/Drizzle

Moderate/Heavy Rain

3.3.20 Other Symbols

Low Pressure

High Pressure

Generic Marker

Dust

Tropical Storm

Wind Barb

Click once with the left mouse button at the desired location of the wind barb. A Wind Speed selector appears to set the desired speed. Select speed, then select "OK". The wind barb of selected speed appears adjustable to direction. Place the cursor to indicate the desired wind direction then click once again with the left mouse button.

3.3.21 Text

Annotate

Click once with the left mouse button at the desired location of the annotation, then a dialog box appears for entering the annotation text. Enter desired text, then click "OK".

Point Size

Bold Face

Italics

3.4 Drawing Tool Practice Module

One of the powerful features of the system is its ability to annotate a display with graphics or text using the Drawing Tool. The objective of this module is to introduce you to some of the basic drawing capabilities.

Steps:

1. From the Main FXC Toolbar, clear the FXC Display Window.

2. From the Area Options Menu, select CONUS.

3. From the Tools Pull-Down Menu, select the Drawing option. The Drawing Toolbar automatically appears, and contains many useful features for drawing lines, fronts, symbols, etc. Once this toolbar is active, the functionality of Mouse Button 1 changes to accomodate the drawing and editing of the drawing features.

4. From the Drawing Toolbar, open the Glyph Choices Options Menu and select Line Types. Notice the icons to the right change to reflect several line types. Click on the Straight Line Icon.

5. Down in the FXC Display Window, click Mouse Button 1 somewhere on the display and notice the cursor becomes a pencil, and that one end of your line is anchored in the location where you clicked. Now move the mouse to another place and click again to anchor the other end point of your line.

6. In the Drawing Toolbar, open the Color Options Menu and select a different color, say red.

7. Now click on a different Line Type, like the Dotted Freehand Icon. Repeat Step 5.

8. Under the Glyph Choices Options Menu, choose Precipitation Symbols. Notice how the icons change in the Drawing Toolbar. Click on the Freezing Drizzle Icon.

9. Again, open the Color Options Menu and select a the blue color.

10. In the Glyph Size Options Menu, select L (large).

11. Down in the Display Window, click anywhere to place freezing drizzle symbols.

12. Try using the Undo, Redo, Move Glyph, and Copy Glyph Icons.

13. Experiment with other Glyph Choices to familiarize yourself with the various features and options.

14. From the Main Toolbar, clear the FXC Display Window.

15. From the Surface Pull-Down Menu, select Station Plot.

16. From the Tools Pull-Down Menu, select the Drawing option. (When we cleared the Display in Step 14, the Drawing Tool was deactivated, so we are turning it back on.)

17. From the Drawing Toolbar, select New Page (the left-most icon depicting a blank sheet of white paper) to erase any glyphs left on the screen.

18. From the Drawing Toolbar, open the Glyph Choices Options Menu and select Front Types. Try to draw the various fronts that match the displayed data by clicking on the different front icons.

19. Once you have annotated an image, you can save it as a slide in a Slide Show, as discussed in Section 5.

3.5 Using the Manual Graphics

Some adjustments may be made to elements of a manual graphic after they have been drawn by selecting the desired element, placing the tip of the mouse cursor on the element (glyph, annotation, line, etc.), and clicking once with the right mouse button. A pop-up menu will present options for changing the element, as shown in Figure 35.