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This section presents modules on working with graphics and images. Information is included on working with a single graphic product, overlaying graphics on an image, and combining image products.
Module 2: Working with a Single Graphic Product
This module introduces you to the steps for loading and manipulating a single graphic product.
Objective 1 - Display Single Graphic Product
To show you how to display any graphic product, the following steps let you load a METAR Surface Plot. Once you have this product loaded, you can use it for the remaining objectives in Modules 2 and 3.
1. Open the Scale option menu in the Toolbar and select CONUS.
Note: The Scale option menu does not have a label, it shows the name of the scale currently displayed in the large display pane.
2. Pull down the Surface Menu by placing the pointer over the Surface Menu in the Menu Bar, then press and hold Mouse Button 1.
3. While continuing to hold Mouse Button 1, drag the pointer down until Station Plot is highlighted.
4. Release Mouse Button 1 to display the product.
5. Leave the METAR Station Plot displayed for other objectives in this module.
Objective 2 - Animate and Step Through a Product Loop
This objective's steps illustrate, with the METAR Station Plot from the previous objective still displayed, how to animate (or loop) the product and how to move through the loop one frame at a time.
1. To begin looping the product, click on the Loop Icon Button in the Toolbar or press the "Up Arrow" or "Down Arrow" Accelerator keys.
2. Press the "Right Arrow" Accelerator key to stop looping and to move the loop forward one frame. The keyboard accelerators are also listed in the View menu. Alternatively, click once on the Step Forward Button (>) in the Toolbar. Repeated clicks move the loop forward a corresponding number of frames.
3. To move backward through the loop, press the "Left Arrow" Accelerator key. Alternatively, click on the Step Backward Button (<) in the Toolbar.
4. To advance all the way to the first frame in the loop, press the "Ctrl + Left Arrow" Accelerator keys, or click on the First Frame Button (|<<) in the Toolbar, . To move to the last frame, press the "Ctrl + Right Arrow" Accelerator keys, or click on the Last Frame Button (>>|) in the Toolbar.
5. Keep the METAR Station Plot for the next objective.
Objective 3 - Change Looping Parameters
These are the steps necessary to change the way the looping function behaves. You can adjust both the forward and backward looping speed, plus adjust the amount of time the loop dwells (that is, pauses) on the first and last frames in the loop.
1. From the Options pull-down menu in the Menu Bar, select the Loop Properties... Dialog Box, or click the "Loop Properties" Icon in the Toolbar.
2. Drag the slider bars with Mouse Button 1 to set the amount of speed and/or dwell that you want.
3. Place the pointer anywhere to one side of the Forward/Backward Sliders and click Mouse Button 1.
Note: The slider moves one increment in the direction of the pointer (as reflected by number displayed above the slider).
4. Repeat Step 3, but click on the opposite side of the slider.
5. To move the Forward/Backward Sliders by more than one increment at a time, place the pointer anywhere within the slider bar and click Mouse Button 2 (not 1).
Note: The slider jumps to the location of the pointer and the looping speed changes accordingly.
6. You can adjust the forward speed with the "Up" and "Down" Arrow Accelerator keys. Notice that as you press these keys, the Forward Speed Slider Bar in the Loop Properties Dialog Box changes. You cannot adjust the backward speed with Accelerator keys.
7. Keep the METAR Station Plot for the next objective.
8. Dismiss the Loop Properties Dialog Box by double-clicking the box at the upper left.
Notes:
* If you are not familiar with setting looping parameters, you may want to experiment with different settings to determine which are the most suitable for your viewing.
* The Looping Check Button toggles animation.
Objective 4 - Change Frame Count
This objective illustrates how to change the number of frames of the selected product that display.
1. From the Frames option menu in the Toolbar, select the desired number of frames.
2. You can also change the frame count by opening the Options Pull-Down Menu and selecting the Display Properties Dialog Box, which also contains the Frames option menu.
Notes:
* If a product is already loaded and the number of frames you choose is smaller than that currently displayed, the unneeded frames are dropped from the loop. Similarly, if you choose a larger number, the additional frames, if they are available, are added to the display.
* If a product is not loaded, the new frame count takes effect with the next product loaded.
* The selected number of frames is shown in the Frame Count menu button; the actual number available for display is shown on the right side of the Status Bar at the bottom of D2D.
Objective 5 - Zoom and Pan the Product
With the METAR Station Plot from Objective 1 still displayed, this objective illustrates the effect of zooming in and out on a displayed product and the effect of panning across a zoomed area.
To Zoom In
1. Place the pointer over the area of interest.
2. Click Mouse Button 2 (middle) for one level of enlargement. Subsequent clicks with Mouse Button 2 increase the zoom ratio. Seven is the maximum number of zooming in clicks you can apply (if starting from the 1:1 ratio).
3. You can also zoom in by using the pop-up menu (refer to Section 2.4, "Pop-up Menus") over the large display pane or small monitor panes. Press Mouse Button 3 over the Large Pane and slide the mouse pointer down to the Zoom cascading menu.
4. Select the 1471 km map projection.
To Zoom Out
1. Again, center the pointer over the area of interest.
2. Click Mouse Button 1 once for each level of decreasing zoom ratio.You can also use the Pop-up menu to zoom out. Just select a larger map projection.
3. Select a larger area (it's the same map projection). Suggest the 1:1 zoom keyboard accelerator (hold down the Shift key on the keyboard while clicking Mouse Button 1).
To Pan
1. With the display zoomed in, position the pointer over the area of interest, press and hold Mouse Button 2, and drag the pointer toward the center of the display.
2. When you have centered the area of interest, release the mouse button.
The system constrains you to panning within the data boundaries of the displayed product. For example, you cannot pan past the edge of a product because there is no data beyond the edge.
You can pan both in the large display pane and the small monitor panes.
Note: Zooming in on a product narrows the geographic area of the displayed product and progressively adds any available data with each level of zoom. This is called "Progressive Disclosure." Conversely, zooming out widens the displayed geographic area and removes data from the display.
Tip: To zoom out completely, hold down the Shift key on the keyboard while clicking Mouse Button 1.
Objective 6 - Magnify and Change Density
This objective illustrates how to enlarge or reduce the size of displayed text and how to increase or decrease the amount of data that is displayed.
1. From the Magnification (Mag:) option menu in the Toolbar, select a magnification setting of 2.
2. From the Density option menu in the Toolbar, select a density setting of 1.5.
3. You can also change the magnification and density settings from the Display Properties Dialog Box. This dialog box can be opened from the Options Pull-Down Menu.
4. Return both the Magnification and Density settings to 1.
Notes:
* The magnification and density settings of a graphic can also be changed by using the Pop-up Menu from the Product Legend, as explained in Section 2.4, "Pop-up Menus."
* Increasing the magnification automatically decreases the number of data stations plotted and may cause some map backgrounds (like county names) to disappear because of the extra space taken up by each plot.
* Changing the density affects contour intervals and wind barbs as well as plotted data. By choosing the "Max" density setting, all available plots are displayed.
* The magnification setting of "0" turns off the labels of all displayed graphic contours. It also removes all station-plotted data and wind barbs, leaving just dots at the station or grid locations.
* These controls can also be used on a product that is zoomed in.
Objective 7 - Swap Panes
This objective illustrates how to move between the Main Display Pane and the monitor panes.
1. Place the pointer over the second monitor pane and click Mouse Button 3.
Observe that the METAR Station Plot appears in the monitor pane and the map background of the monitor pane is now in the large display pane. The Scale displayed on the Scale option menu in the Toolbar changes correspondingly.
Note: Swapping panes is a convenient way to change the viewing scale.
Objective 8 - Clear the Large Display Pane
This objective illustrates how to clear the large display pane.
1. Click the Clear button on the Toolbar to remove all displayed products from the large display pane.
2. You can also use the "Ctrl + C" Accelerator key to clear the large display pane.
Note: Clear removes all products from the large display pane only. It does not affect the small monitor panes. You can clear side panes via the pop-up menu.
Objective 9 - Change Viewing Scale
This objective illustrates other ways (besides swapping panes) to change the viewing scale. The Scale option menu, located on the Toolbar, does not have a "Scale" label, but rather shows the name of the scale currently displayed in the large display pane.
1. From the Scale option menu in the Toolbar, select the WFO Scale.
Note: The map background has changed to the WFO Scale Map.
2. From the Satellite pull-down menu, load an IR Window image.
3. From the Scale option menu, select the CONUS Scale. Notice that the scale did not change yet.
4. From the Surface pull-down menu, load the METAR Station Plot.
Note: The scale changes and the product is loaded.
Notes:
* If a product is already displayed, the change of scale does not take effect until a new product is displayed.
* If a product cannot be displayed on the scale currently displayed in the Main Pane, its name is dimmed. Local radar products, which can be displayed only on the State(s) or RFC (RFCs only) and WFO Scales, are an example.
Objective 10 - Set the Time Resolution of Displayed Data
1. Clear the large display pane.
2. From the Options Pull-Down Menu, turn on the Time Options Check Button.
3. From the Scale option menu, select Regional.
4. From the Frames option menu in the Toolbar, select eight frames.
5. From the Surface Pull-Down Menu, select the METAR Station Plot. We know that this product typically updates every hour.
6. A dialog box appears in the center of the display that provides several time resolutions. Choose 3-hours. Click OK.
Note: The inventory in the left side of the dialog box changes to show which times will be displayed and which will not. You can choose a different end time for the loop and it will adjust accordingly.
7. Toggle the Looping button on and observe the METAR plots as they are displayed and verify that the plots have a 3-hour interval.
Note: Subsequent overlays onto a product that was displayed using the Set Time Resolution option automatically time-match to the initial product.
Module 3: Graphics and Image Products
Objective 1 - Load Image and Overlay Graphics
This objective sets up products that you need to use for the subsequent objectives in this module.
1. From the Toolbar, clear the large display pane.
2. From the Scale option menu, change to WFO Scale.
3. From the kxxx pull-down menu, load the 0.5 Reflectivity Product.
4. From the Surface pull-down menu, load the METAR Station Plot and one of the two Ceiling and Vis Plot Products.
5. Keep these products displayed for the next objective.
Objective 2 - Toggle Overlay(s)
This objective illustrates toggling graphics overlaid on an image product. You can click the mouse pointer on a product legend to toggle it, or you can use the Accelerator keys. The "0" numeric keypad key toggles the displayed image(s). The keypad keys 1-9 toggle the first nine overlays, while using the "Shift" key in conjunction with numeric keys 0-9 toggles overlays 10-19. As an example, "Shift + 6" toggles the 16th overlay. Both are illustrated in the following steps. Refer to Tables 2.1.1-2 and 2.1.1-3 for descriptions of all the Accelerator key functions.
1. With Mouse Button 1, click on the legend for the Ceiling and Vis Plot.
2. Observe that the product is no longer displayed and that the legend for the product has been dimmed.
3. Click on the legend for the METAR Station Plot to turn that overlay off.
4. Click on the legends for both overlays to turn them back on.
5. Click on the 0.5 reflectivity Legend to turn it off.
The following steps repeat steps 1-5 but use Accelerator keys.
6. Press the 2 numeric key (on the keypad) to toggle off the Ceiling and Vis Plot.
7. Press the 1 numeric key (on the keypad) to toggle off the METAR Station Plot.
8. Now press both the 1 and 2 numeric keys (on the keypad) to toggle on the plotted data.
9. Press the 0 numeric key (on the keypad) to toggle on the 0.5 Reflectivity.
10. Keep these products displayed for the next objective.
Note: Clicking anywhere in the large display pane with Mouse Button 3 toggles (hides) the legends for all displayed products. Only the date and valid time remain.
Objective 3 - Change Image Brightness
This objective illustrates ways to adjust the brightness of a displayed image.
1. From the Options pull-down menu, display the Image Properties Dialog Box, or from the Toolbar, click the Image Properties icon.
2. Place the pointer over the Brightness Slider Bar (in the lower left corner of the dialog box). Drag the slider to the left until the number displayed above the slider reads 7.
Observe how the brightness of the radar image changes.
3. Place the pointer anywhere to one side of the Brightness Slider Bar and click Mouse Button 1.
Note: The slider moves one increment in the direction of the pointer (as reflected by number displayed to the right of the slider).
4. Repeat Step 3, but click on the opposite side of the slider.
5. To move the Brightness Slider by more than one increment at a time, place the pointer anywhere to one side of the slider and click Mouse Button 2 (not 1).
Note: The slider moves to the location of the pointer and the brightness changes accordingly.
6. You can use the "-" and "+" Accelerator keys on the numeric keypad to change the brightness of a single image.
Note: Refer to Tables 2.1.1-2 and 2.1.1-3 for descriptions of all the Accelerator key functions.
Objective 4 - Change Image Color Table
This objective illustrates how to change the color table for displayed image products.
1. Clear the large display pane.
2. From the Scale option menu in the Toolbar, select CONUS.
3. From the Satellite pull-down menu, load the IR Window image.
4. If the Image Properties Dialog Box is not still displayed, open it from the Toolbar.
Note: The name of the color table (enhancement curve) associated with the IR satellite image (CIRA [IR Default]) is displayed in the upper Color Table Options Menu, in the Image Properties Dialog Box.
5. Press this upper Color Table Options Menu to display a list of other color table choices.
6. Select several different color tables.
7. Close the Image Properties Dialog Box by double-clicking the box in the upper left corner.
Objective 5 - Satellite Four-Panel Display
This objective illustrates how to display and manipulate Satellite Four-Panel Image Products.
1. Clear the large display pane, set the frame count to 8 frames, and change the scale to CONUS.
2. From the Satellite pull-down menu, load the Four-Panel Product. Note that the linked cursors don't appear until all frames are loaded and the pie cursor goes away, unless looping is on. Loading with loop on is faster than not.
3. You now have four pointers on the display. One is a left-pointing arrow (the standard pointer), and the other three are small squares, each with a dot in the middle. This is known as a linked cursor. The location and movement of the three square pointers correspond to the arrow pointer.
4. Move the arrow pointer until it is over the Water Vapor satellite image. Notice how the other pointers move accordingly.
5. From the Surface pull-down menu, select the METAR Station Plot product. It overlays each panel.
6. In any one of the panels, toggle the METAR Station Plot by clicking on the METAR Station Plot Legend.
Note: The product is toggled off in all four panels.
7. Click on the legend of the Visible image to turn it off.
Note: Only the Visible image is toggled. Click on the dimmed legend to turn it back on.
8. Move the pointer over a portion of one of the four images. Press and hold Mouse Button 1 to get a sample of the data values from both the satellite image and the encoded METAR observations.
9. From the Magnification (Mag:) option menu in the Toolbar, select "1.5."
10. Repeat Step 8.
11. Open the Image Properties Dialog Box. Using the upper Color Table option menu, select a different color table.
Note: The color table is applied to all images, as indicated by the Edit all images... notation. It is possible to load a product or apply a color table to just one of the four panels by using Pop-up menus. Please refer to Section 2.4.2 for more information.
Objective 6 - View a Radar Volume
This objective illustrates how to display a full volume scan of WSR-88D radar data.
1. Clear the large display pane.
2. From the Scale option menu, select WFO.
3. From the kxxx Pull-Down Menu, select "All Tilts Z/V." Every tilt from the most recent volume scan is displayed.
4. From the Toolbar, turn the looping on from the Toggle Loop Icon. Observe the animation through the entire volume scan.
Note: It is possible to view the previous volume scan using the Previous Load Mode. Refer to Section 3.1.6, "Practice Modules on the Volume Browser."
Module 4: Combining Image Products
This module illustrates one method of combining two image products and ways to manipulate the display of the combined products. There are two ways to combine images. Both are discussed in this module.
Objective 1 - Combine Two Images
This objective illustrates how to load two image products.
1. Clear the large display pane.
2. From the Scale option menu, select WFO.
3. Set the frame count to 12 (if it is not already set).
4. From the kxxx pull-down menu, open the kxxx Reflectivity cascade menu and select the 0.5 Reflectivity Product. This is the first image.
5. Display the Image Properties Dialog Box.
6. From the Image Properties Dialog Box, select Combine Next Image (in the lower right portion of the dialog box), or click on the Toggle Image Combination icon in the Toolbar.
7. From the Satellite pull-down menu, load the IR Window Product. This is the second image in the combination.
8. Observe that after the second image loads, the label in the lower right corner of the large display pane displays the names of both images and indicates that they are combined.
Notice also that in the Image Properties Dialog Box, both Color Table Options Menus display the name of a color table, one for each image.
9. Keep this combined radar/satellite product displayed for the next objective.
Note: The combining process is done automatically when you select a radar combo product (Z/V, Z/SRM, etc.).
Objective 2 - Fade and Toggle Between Images
This objective illustrates how to adjust the relative brightness of each of the combined image products and ways of toggling between the images. Again, you may use either the mouse and menus or the Accelerator keys.
1. From the Image Properties Dialog Box, click or drag the fade slider (the fade slider is located between the upper and lower Color Table option menus, refer to Exhibit 2.1.6.3-12) to the left. Only the 0.5 Reflectivity Image (Image 1) is displayed.
2. Repeat Step 1, but move the fade slider to the right. Now, only the IR Window Product (Image 2) is shown.
3. Display both images by moving the fade slider back to the center.
4. Toggle off the Reflectivity Product by clicking on 0.5 Reflectivity in the product legend.
5. Toggle off the Satellite Product by clicking on IR Satellite in the product legend. Notice that the 0.5 Reflectivity turns on again.
6. To toggle both images off/on, click twice on the "+" symbol in the product legend, then fade to see both images.
The following steps repeat steps 1-6 but use Accelerator keys.
7. Press the - (minus) numeric key to fade to Image 1 (0.5 Reflectivity).
8. Press the + (plus) numeric key to fade to Image 2 (IR Satellite).
9. Press the - (minus) numeric key until both images are displayed.
10. Press the . (decimal) numeric key to toggle to Image 1. Press again to toggle to Image 2.
11. Press the - (minus) numeric key until both images are displayed.
12. Press the 0 numeric key to toggle off both images.
Objective 3 - Change Color Table for Either Image
This objective illustrates changing the color tables of one or both of the combined images.
1. Press the 0 numeric key to toggle on both images.
2. From the upper Color Table option menu in the middle of the Image Properties Dialog Box, select a color table for the radar image.
3. Repeat Step 2, using the lower Color Table option menu to select a color table for the satellite image.
Objective 4 - Radar Four-Panel Display
This objective illustrates how to display and manipulate Radar Four-Panel Image Products.
1. Clear the large display pane.
2. Change the display to the WFO Scale and set the frame count to 8frames.
3. From the Four-Panel cascading menu of the kxxx pull-down menu, load either the Clear Air 0.5, 1.5, 2.5, 3.5 or Storm Mode 0.5 1.5 2.4 3.4 Four-Panel Product. Notice that the cursor is linked in all four panels.
4. Click on the legend of the 1 Reflectivity image to turn it off.
Note: The reflectivity images in all the panels are toggled.
5. In the same panel, click on the legend of the 1.5 Velocity image to turn it off.
Note: All the Velocity Products go off and Reflectivity comes back on. Click on the legend to toggle products back on.
Notes:
* When you toggle a product in one panel, it is toggled in the remaining three panels.
* Unlike the Satellite Four-Panel Product, the Radar Four-Panel Product, because it is loading four Z/V Combined Products, has two color tables available, one for the reflectivity portion of the Z/V Product, and one for the velocity portion.
* Fading between images works the same way for a Radar Four-Panel as for a single Z/V Combined Radar Product.
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