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2.1.6.3 Options

This pull-down menu, shown in Exhibit 2.1.6.3-1, contains options that allow you to set display preferences such as magnitude (graphic font size), density (amount of data displayed) looping speed, color tables, and time resolution.


Exhibit 2.1.6.3-1. The Options Pull-Down Menu

Most of these options are available on the Toolbar or in other areas of the user interface, but are redundantly placed in this pull-down menu in case you want to hide the Toolbar. Refer to Section 2.1.7 The Toolbar for more information on Toolbar options.

Time Options: This check button enables/disables the ability to select the time interval between frames of real-time or model data. This feature has the added benefit of being able to view extended amounts of data (temporally) but still within the confines of 32 frames. For example, METAR surface plots, which typically display every hour, can be set to display every 3 hours via the Select Valid Time and Time Resolution Dialog Box. When the Time Options Check Button is selected, the next product you choose to display in the Large Display Pane launches either the Select Valid Time and Time Resolution Dialog Box or the Select Offset and Tolerance Dialog Box.

When you are loading data to an empty display and the Time Options Check Button is enabled, the Select Forecast/Valid Time and Time Resolution Dialog Box opens, as shown in Figure 2.1.6.3-2, and has the following options:

Valid Time - In this column of dates/times, you must choose the one that will be the first frame loaded onto the Large Display Pane. The Default option is the most recent data.

Time Resolution - This column contains various time increments in which the data can be displayed. Once you make a selection, the Valid Time Column indents the exact times that will be displayed. The Default resolution displays the most frames available.

Exhibit 2.1.6.3-2. Select Time and Time Resolution Dialog Box

For a display that already contains data, you must again enable the Time Options Check Button. When you choose the data to be overlaid in the Large Display Pane, the Select Offset and Tolerance Dialog Box appears, as shown in Figure 2.1.6.3-3, and contains the following options:

Offset - This column contains various time increments at intervals before, at, or after the time you selected for the first product that is displayed in the Large Display Pane.

Tolerance - The options in this column refer to how strict the time matching is. "None" means an exact match, while "Infinite" will put the closest match in each frame, regardless of how far off it is.

Exhibit 2.1.6.3-3. Select Offset and Tolerance Dialog Box

• Data Scale (Ctrl + S): This check button enables/disables the ability to display data on its native scale. For example, if you enable Data Scaling and select a product from an alternate radar, the data will be displayed with that radar in the center of the screen. Other data can be overlaid on this "dynamic" scale until the Large Display Pane is cleared or a non-plan-view product is loaded.

Refer to Section 2.2.1 Practice Modules for Working with Graphic and Image Products.

Image Combination: This check button enables/disables the ability to display two images at once. You can also enable/disable the ability to combine images by using the Toggle Image Combination Icon Button in the Toolbar.

Display Properties...: This menu option opens the Display Properties Dialog Box shown in Exhibit 2.1.6.3-4. All the options available in this dialog box are also available in the Toolbar.

Exhibit 2.1.6.3-4. The Display Properties Dialog Box

- Scale: Exhibit 2.1.6.3-5 displays this menu.

Exhibit 2.1.6.3-5. The Scale Menu Option

From this menu you can choose any of defined scales for your location.

Notes:

When D2D is first started, the CONUS Scale is displayed in the large display pane and other map backgrounds with different scales are loaded into the four monitor panes. The Scale option menu affects only the main pane. A swap is required to change the scale on a monitor pane.

Once data have been loaded, however, changing the scale does not affect the display until you load another product.

You can also swap the monitor pane showing the desired scale with the large display pane to change scales (refer to Module 2 for more information).

- Load Mode: Also under the Display Properties option is Load Mode, which provides different ways to display model or real-time data by manipulating previous model runs and inventories of data sets.

Exhibit 2.1.6.3-6 shows the Load Mode option menu, as seen in the workstation's large display pane. The Load Modes are defined here and an example of its use is located in Module 13 of Section 3.1 The Volume Browser.

Latest: 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: 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: Displays the previous model run and fills empty frames with previous model data or analyses.

Prognosis Loop: Shows a sequence of n-hour forecasts from successive model runs.

Analysis Loop: Loads a sequence of model analyses but no forecasts.

dProg/dt: Selects forecasts from different model runs that all have the same valid times. This load mode is available only when there are no other products loaded in the large display pane.

Forced Load: Puts the latest version of a selected product in all frames without time-matching. Refer to Section 2.1.5 Other D2D Operational Notes for more about time-matching.

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.

Inventory: Selecting a product when the load mode is set to Inventory brings up a Dialog Box with the available forecast and inventory times from which you can select the product you want. Inventory loads into the currently displayed frame.

Slot: Puts the latest version of a selected product in the currently displayed frame.

Note: Default Load Modes--Latest Run and Valid Time Sequence are "sticky" default load modes. This means that the current load mode setting automatically defaults back to either Latest Run or Valid Time Sequence, whichever you used before switching to another load mode.

- Frames: Use this option menu, shown in Exhibit 2.1.6.3-7, to select the number of frames of a product you want loaded. The default is 12 frames. If no frames of data are available, the system sends a message to the General Status Area of the Status Bar. You can also use the Frames Option menu in the Toolbar.

Exhibit 2.1.6.3-6. The Load Mode Option Menu

Exhibit 2.1.6.3-7. The Frames Option Menu

- Magnification: Using this option, shown in Exhibit 2.1.6.3-8, you can enlarge or reduce the size of text and symbols on a graphic product. As you increase magnification, the density of the data presented automatically decreases. The purpose of this feature is to make text and symbols more visible.

- Density: Using this option menu, shown in Exhibit 2.1.6.3-9, you can adjust the amount of data presented on the large display pane. You can also change the density setting from the Toolbar. Lower density settings decrease the amount of data displayed; higher settings increase the amount of data.

Exhibit 2.1.6.3-8. The Magnification Option Menu

Exhibit 2.1.6.3-9. The Density Option Menu

Loop Properties... (Ctrl + l): This dialog box, shown in Exhibit 2.1.6.3-10, is opened when you select this menu option from the Menu Bar item, Options, or use the "Ctrl + l" Accelerator Keys. There is also an icon on the tool bar to bring this up. It allows you to adjust the forward and backward speeds, with 0 = off and 10 = maximum speed. Also, you can turn looping on by pushing the up or down arrow, and turn it off with the left or right arrow. In side panes, there is a pop-up check button to start/stop looping.

Exhibit 2.1.6.3-10. The Loop Properties Box

You can adjust the duration of the first and last frame dwell times from zero to 2.5 seconds.

You can turn looping on or off with the Looping check button. There is also a Looping Icon Button, located on the Toolbar that enables/disables the animation in the large display pane.

Image Properties... (Ctrl + i): The Image Properties Dialog Box is shown in Exhibit 2.1.6.3-11. It can also be opened using the "Ctrl + i" Accelerator Keys or from the Image Properties Icon Button in the Toolbar.

Exhibit 2.1.6.3-11. The Image Properties Dialog Box

This dialog box provides options that allow you to change the color table or adjust the brightness of either a single image or combined images, fade between combined images, or combine a second image with the currently displayed image.

From this dialog box, you can also access the Image Colors Editor, which enables you to edit and save Image Color Tables. This option is selectable if an image or combined image product is displayed. If a single image is loaded, the second color table selector and edit button are dimmed, as shown in Exhibit 2.1.6.3-12. Refer to Section 2.3 for more information on the Image Color Editor.

Exhibit 2.1.6.3-12. The Image Properties Dialog Box for a Single Image

- Change Color Table of Image: The Color Table option menus are annotated with a color table name and a small rectangle. These menus provide a list of predefined or default color tables (enhancement curves) available for use with displayed images.

While any color table can be used with any image, some are specifically designed for use with satellite imagery, some for use with radar imagery, and others for use with gridded data displayed in image format. (Displaying gridded data as an image is covered in Section 3.1.2.)

When only a single image is displayed, the bottom color table menu is dimmed. Select the top Color Table option menu to change the color table of the image.

- Brightness: The Brightness Control Slider is at the bottom of the Image Properties Dialog Box. Drag the slider until the image is at the desired brightness. Click next to the slider to adjust the brightness one increment at a time. To adjust brightness to a specific level on the slider bar, place the pointer at the desired location along the slider bar and click Mouse Button 2. To make brightness and fade operations more responsive on the Linux workstations, when you drag with Mouse Button 1, no changes are made to the display until you release the button. You can still click with Mouse Button 1 for a single step change, or click with Mouse Button 2 for a "snap to" change. Brightness can also be adjusted using the + and - keys on the keypad.

All image data have default brightness settings, but these may need adjusting to make overlaid graphics and map backgrounds easier to see against the image.

- Combine a Second Image: The check button in the lower right corner of the Image Properties Dialog Box allows you to combine a second image with an image already loaded. (Refer also to Module 4.)

- Edit <product>: Whenever a single image product is displayed, the upper Edit <product> menu button becomes selectable and brings up the Image Colors Editor Dialog Box. The Image Colors Editor allows you to make changes to a default color table for a displayed image and to save your edits into a new color table. However, default color tables cannot be permanently changed. Refer to Section 2.3 for details on how to use the Image Colors Editor.

- Combined Images: If combined images are loaded (Exhibit 2.1.6.3-11), the name of one product is displayed above the Fade Slider Bar, and the other name is displayed below the Fade Slider Bar. Both color table option menus are selectable.

Fade Slider Bar: The Fade Slider Bar in the middle of the dialog box lets you adjust how much of each image is visible on the screen. Dragging the slider all the way to the left shows only the product labeled above the bar; the other image is completely faded out. Conversely, dragging the slider all the way to the right fades out the top image and leaves only the bottom image. Moving the slider anywhere in between the images displays corresponding degrees of each image.

You can also fade an image using the "+" or "-" Accelerator Keys. Refer to Table 2.1.1-3 Accelerator Keys for Large Display Functions.

Brightness: This control works in the same manner for combined images as for single images.

Change Color Table: Both Color Table option menus are selectable. Refer to Exhibit 2.1.6.3-11. The top Color Table option menu corresponds to the product name displayed above the Fade Slider Bar. Similarly, the bottom Color Table option menu corresponds to the product listed below the Fade Slider Bar.

- Set Time...: This option allows you to set the workstation clock to an earlier time for reviewing archived data. The Set Time Dialog Box, shown in Exhibit 2.1.6.3-13, includes several options.

Exhibit 2.1.6.3-13. The Set Time Dialog Box

Note: All times are in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), also known as Greenwich Mean Time or "Z" time.

You can also open the Set Time dialog box by clicking on the time indicator located in the lower right corner of the D2D window.

- Use Current Real Time: This radio button switches the workstation clock to the current time. In this mode, you cannot set any other time.

- Set Time: This radio button activates the ability to set the system clock to a different year, month, date, hour, minute, and/or second using the options below. For each option, a pair of "Step Buttons" allows you to set the option. You can also click on the entry box and use the keyboard to enter a new value.

- Freeze time at this position: This check button stops the clock from ticking and is selected by default. (If it is unchecked, the clock will be set to the specified time and then advance normally. Due to a software bug, however, the adjusted clock will be ignored by the display driver and you will see current data displayed.)

- OK: Applies the newly selected time to the workstation clock. If Freeze time is selected, the clock will display yellow text on a black background. If Freeze time is unselected, it will be white on black.

- Cancel: A menu button that closes the Set Time Dialog Box without applying the changes.

NOTE: A time setting is shared by both displays on a workstation. Also, the setting is persistent; that is, if you restart D2D while the time is set, it will come up with the same time or time offset as when you exited D2D.


Restart Dead Panes: If a display pane stalls, check the status messages in the General Status Bar. The workstation typically restarts a stalled pane automatically. If it does not, this option usually will restart the pane.

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