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This section includes information on how to use bundles; how to create, edit, and save Procedures; and how to copy bundles from one Procedure to another.
Module 9: Working with Bundles and Procedures
Objective 1 - Use Bundles
Remember that a bundle is a group of graphic and/or image products that are overlaid together in the large display pane. A bundle is represented as a single line in the History List. As you create bundles, they are recorded in the History List Dialog Box.
1. From the File pull-down menu, select the History List Dialog Box.
2. On the Regional scale, load 12 frames of METAR Station Plot. Observe that "METAR Plot" is now in your History List.
3. From the Toolbar, clear the large display pane and load six frames of Visible satellite imagery on the Regional Scale. Overlay it with the 1hr Lightning Plot. Again, notice that a new bundle label (1 Hr Lgtg Plot) has appeared in the History List.
4. Keep the History List Dialog Box open for the next objective.
Objective 2 - Create and Save a Procedure
Now that you have seen how bundles work in Objective 1, you can build a Procedure. In short, you copy the bundles from the History List and put them into a Procedure Dialog Box.
1. Clear the display.
2. From the File pull-down menu, select the Procedures cascading menu and click on the New option (or use the "Ctrl + n" Accelerator Keys). An empty, untitled Procedure Dialog Box appears.
3. On the CONUS Scale, load 12 frames of IR window satellite imagery and overlay the METAR Station Plot. Notice the new bundle you have made in the History List.
4. From the Toolbar, clear the large display pane. Then, on the Regional Scale, display 12 frames of the NCEP Radar Summary and the NCEP Radar Legends, located on the Surface Menu under Surface Obs and Progs. This creates another bundle in the History List.
5. Load two frames of the Dodge City, Kansas (DDC) skew-T. Notice that because you are selecting a product from a different scale (in this case Vertical), you do not need to clear the display to create a new bundle.
6. Click on the IR window, METAR Station Plot Bundle in the History List and then click the Copy Out button on the History List Dialog Box. The selected bundle should be duplicated in the untitled Procedure Dialog Box.
7. Repeat Step 6, but copy the Radar Summary, Radar Legends, and KDDC Bundle into the untitled Procedure Dialog Box. You have now created a Procedure with three bundles.
8. To save your Procedure, click on the Save As button in the untitled Procedure Dialog Box. The Save Procedure As Dialog Box appears.
9. In the line provided, use the keyboard to type a unique name for your Procedure. Try your initials or a brief descriptive name of the procedure.
10. Once you click the OK button in the Save Procedure Dialog Box or press Enter on the keyboard, this dialog box is closed and your Procedure is saved. Your Procedure name appears in the open Procedure Dialog Box Title Bar.
11. Select the Close button in the Procedure Dialog Box or press Enter to close the Procedure you just created. The data that are included in your Procedure are automatically updated with the most current data. Any time you open your Procedure, it has up-to-date information.
Objective 3 - Open and Manipulate a Procedure
Now that you can build Procedures, try using them.
1. From the File pull-down menu, select the Procedures cascading menu and open the Open Procedure Dialog Box, or select the "Ctrl + o" Accelerator Keys to open this dialog box. Your new Procedure is in this list.
2. To open your Procedure, click on the Procedure name, which then appears in the entry box. Select the OK button to view the Procedure you built in Objective 2. It should contain three bundles.
Another way to open a Procedure is to double click with Mouse Button 1 on the name of the desired Procedure. It opens immediately.
3. Click on the KDDC Bundle to highlight it.
4. Click the Up and Down buttons and observe the behavior of the highlighted lines and bundle names.
5. Highlight the IR Sat, METAR Plot Bundle and select the Load button. The data appears in the large display pane.
6. Click the Load button again and observe that the large display pane clears and the next bundle is selected and loaded in the large display pane.
7. Highlight the KDDC skew-T Bundle in your Procedure and click the Delete button. The KDDC skew-T Bundle is now removed from your Procedure.
8. Now that you have made changes to your Procedure, you need to save it by clicking the Save button.
9. Click on the Close button in the Procedure Dialog Box to close your Procedure.
Objective 4 - Rename a Bundle within a Procedure
Frequently you may have a large number of overlays in a single bundle, which generates a lengthy bundle name. You may want to give the bundle a short, meaningful name. This objective steps you through renaming a bundle within a Procedure.
1. Open the Procedure you built in Objective 2. It should contain two bundles.
2. Click on the Radar Summary and Radar Legends Bundle, then click the Rename... button in the Procedure Dialog Box.
3. The Enter Bundle Name Dialog Box appears. It contains the full bundle name. Use the keyboard to rename this bundle something meaningful to you.
4. Select the OK button or press Enter on the keyboard and notice that the bundle name changed in your Procedure.
5. Now that you have made changes to your Procedure, you need to save it, by selecting the Save button.
6. Close your Procedure.
Objective 5 - Copy Bundles from One Procedure to Another
If you want a bundle in one of your Procedures to appear in another Procedure, you can simply copy it.
1. Select the Open Procedures Dialog Box and open the Procedure you built in Objective 2.
2. From the File pull-down menu, select the Procedures cascading menu and open the New Procedure Dialog Box, or use the "Ctrl + n" Accelerator Keys to open this dialog box. An untitled Procedure Dialog Box appears.
3. From your Procedure build in Objective 2, highlight the US IR Sat, METAR Plot Bundle in your Procedure and click the Copy Out button at the bottom of your Procedure Dialog Box. The selected bundle appears in the untitled Procedure.
4. Click the Save button in the untitled Procedure Dialog Box and save this Procedure with a new name.
5. Click the Close button to close the Procedures Dialog Box.
Note: You can simultaneously copy a bundle into several Procedures by having several Procedure Dialog Boxes open on the screen.
Objective 6 - Delete a Procedure
1. From the File Menu button, select the Procedures cascading menu and open the Delete Procedure Dialog Box, or use the "Ctrl + d" Accelerator Keys to open this dialog box. (Refer to Exhibit 2.5.1-3.)
2. Select the Procedure you built in Objective 2.
3. Click the OK button. The Confirm Deletion Dialog Box appears. Acknowledge this dialog box by clicking the Yes button. The Procedure is permanently removed from the Procedure List.
Objective 7 - Using Original and Current Options in Procedures
You can modify an existing cross-section, model sounding, time-series, or time height cross-section Bundle by changing either the Baseline or Point, or you can select the Baseline or Point that you used when you initially created the Bundle.
1. From the Toolbar, select the CONUS Scale from the Scale Options Menu.
2. From the Toolbar, select the Interactive Points Tool.
3. If necessary, click Mouse Button 2 over the Interactive Points legend to make it editable.
4. Move Point J to a desired location.
5. From the Volume Pull-Down Menu, open the Volume Browser.
6. In the Volume Browser Menu Bar, open the options menu and select Sounding.
7. In the Volume Browser, from the Source Pull-Down Menu, select ETA.
8. In the Volume Browser, from the Points Pull-Down Menu, select Sounding J and press the Load Bar to display the sounding.
9. In the Main Menu Bar, from the File Pull-Down Menu, open the History List and a New Procedure. ETA Point J should be in the History List.
10. In the History List Dialog Box, click on the ETA Point J Bundle (if not already selected) and press the Copy Out Menu Button. The ETA appears in the new Procedure.
11. Save the new Procedure and close it.
12. Clear the Large Display Pane.
13. Now load the Interactive Points Tool again and move Point J to a new location.
14. Open the Procedure that you saved in Step 11.
15. In the Procedure Dialog Box, select the Current Radio Button.
16. Select and load the ETA Point J Bundle. Notice that the sounding is from the new (current) location of Point J.
17. Now in the Procedure Dialog Box, select the Original Radio Button and reload the ETA Point J Bundle. The sounding is from the location you used when you initially set up the Bundle.
Objective 8 - Altering a Bundle
It is possible to view cross-sections or other site-specific data that you have stored in your Procedures from different Baseline or Point locations without having to create a new Bundle from scratch. You simply alter the Bundle. This objective steps you through this easy process.
1. From the Toolbar, select the CONUS Scale from the Scale Options Menu.
2. From the Toolbar, select the Interactive Baselines Tool.
3. Press Mouse Button 3 over the Interactive Baselines legend to make it editable (if it is not already editable).
4. Move Line D to a desired location.
5. From the Volume Pull-Down Menu, open the Volume Browser.
6. In the Volume Browser Menu Bar, open the options menu and select Cross Section.
7. In the Volume Browser, from the Source Pull-Down Menu, select ETA.
8. In the Volume Browser, from the Basic Pull-Down Menu, select Relative Humidity and Wind.
9. In the Volume Browser, from the Specified Pull-Down Menu, select Line D and a press the Load Bar to display the cross-section.
10. In the Main Menu Bar, from the File Pull-Down Menu, open the History List and a New Procedure. The new Bundle, "ETA Line D Relative Humidity and Wind," should be in the History List.
11. Select the new Bundle in the History List Dialog Box and press the Copy Out Menu Button. The ETA Line D Relative Humidity and Wind Bundle appears in the new Procedure.
12. Save the new Procedure and close it.
13. Now load the Interactive Baselines Tool again and note the location of a new line, Line A.
14. Open the Procedure that you saved in Step 12.
15. In the Procedure Dialog Box, press the Alter... Menu Button.
16. In the Alter Bundle Dialog Box, from the Line Options Menu, select Line A and press the Load Menu Button. Notice that the new cross-section has the Relative Humidity and Winds displayed from the Line A perspective.
17. From the History List, select the new Line A Bundle and press the Copy Out Menu Button to save in your Procedure List.
Note: The "Original and Current" and "Alter..." features will work only on Procedures built in the Build 4.2 time frame or later.