Resource: plot_param

The plot_param resource specifies any additional parameters that are needed to tailor the plot.

Common Parameters

General

• full -- plots without reserving space above and below for labels
• clear -- clears the window prior to drawing. By default the original window remains to allow overlays.
• new -- creates a new pixmap and makes this the draw window. This forces wxploop to copy the existing pixmap to the newly created one so that the drawing program continues to draw to the same window. The drawing program then draws to the new window in the loop.
• kill -- kills the wxploop window at the termination of the graphics program and closes wxploop as well.
• id -- use station identifier (ICAO) for plotting
• wmo -- use the WMO station number for plotting
• cod_wmo -- use a converted WMO number when identifier (ICAO) not available.
• tz=Zone:offset -- specifies to label the date/time of the plot in a specific time zone. Zone is a label describing the time zone such as "EST". offset is the hour offset from UTC (can be half hours).
• over=ind:max -- specifies to offset labels for overlays.  ind is the current overlay number. max is the total number of overlay products. Labels are adjusted in size and moved up or down based on overlay index so that labels don't overlap.
• lalo=lat[:lon:plus:extra] -- specifies to draw lat,lon lines on map. The lat and lon specify the spacing between lines. If the longitude is omitted, the spacing is the same for both lat and lon.   Plus represents whether small plus signs "+" are placed at lat,lon intersections where plus is the interval between pluses.  Extra represents where extra lat, lon labels are to be placed where extra is the interval between labels.  These labels are offset from prime lines such as the equator and date line.
• gridxfactor -- specifies to increase the resolution of the computed grid by factor.  This does not increase the size of the domain, just the resolution.  If factor is 2, the grid spacing is cut in half and number of gridpoints doubled from the requested plot domain.
• plt_grid=num -- specifies the number of stations that can plot in a grid box. If the number is positive, it represents the maximum number of stations that can plot in a grid box. If the number is negative, is it the number of grid boxes that allow one station to plot.
• loc_pr=prior -- specifies the priority to use for those stations that have locations but not in the city database file.  This is used for plotting buoys and ships. The default is 4.
• vp_size=widthxheight+x+y -- specifies a smaller viewport for plotting. The numbers are fractions of the graphics window (0-1 in each direction). This will shrink a plot down inside a single window.
• gif_norm -- produces normal GIF files (non-interlaced).
• gif_inter -- produces interlaced GIF files.
• inv -- invert colors. The default is to plot colors on a black background. This option will plot on a white backgroud and will readjust colors accordingly.
• lcmap -- use a local colormap. This allows the program to access all those colors allocated by the window manager and other programs including WXP. This is recommended for GIF generation.
• nolcmap -- use default colormap (default)
• rwclr -- use read/write colors. This enables flashing but can cause conflicts for overlay colors.
• norwclr -- use static colors
• pscolor -- use color postscript. This also inverts the image (see inv option)
• psrev -- reverse fill color to gray shade mapping. The default is that brighter colors become a color close to white.  Darker colors become close to black. This option reverses that mapping.
• pixmap -- creates a pixmap for plotting. This avoids problems with backing store.
• bar[:min:max] -- puts a color bar on the plot (if appropriate). The min and max parameters lock in the color bar range. This is the default is values are added to the color_fill resource.
• nobar -- disables color bar display.
• nohdr -- disables use of header files for quick GRIB file parsing
• max_bad=# -- when decoding GRIB products, this specifies the maximum number of "bad" data points before flagging the rest of the grid as bad or missing.
• gif=file -- output final plot to GIF file. The filename may have wildcard characters which are expanded in the same manned as the file name convention. The image_path prepended to the filename if the filename is a relative path.
• xwd=file -- output final plot to XWD file. Ths is similar to the GIF dump listed above. Not available for PC-Windows.

Plotting - general

• skip=# -- skips every # pieces of data
• text=label -- plot this text at each station location
• font=name -- uses this font for all graphics
• mark=mark -- plot a marker at each location. mark is the marker type which can be: pnt, ., plus, +, star, *, circle, crcl, o, x, square, sqr, #, tri, ^, itri, v, dot
• line -- draws a line between points
• ybar[=value] - make a bar chart with a drop line to the value (default is 0)
• ul,uc,ur,tl,tc,tr,cl,cc,cr,bl,bc,br,ll,lc,lr -- offset plotting
  

  Offset	-.012	x=0	+.012
  +.02	ul	uc	ur
  +.012	tl	tc	tr
  y=0	cl	cc	cr
  -.012	bl	bc	br
  -.02	ll	lc	lr

• xy=x:y -- offset plotting absolute. The X and Y values are multiplied by .012.

Contouring - general

• fill=fill_pat -- fill the contours with a specific fill pattern.  See the fill patterns in the graphics attributes section of the users guide.
• lab=Lab:Rad[:X][:Y] -- specifies contour line labeling parameters.  Lab is the number of contour lines between labels (default, every other line is labeled). Rad is the search radius for local max/min determination. The search radius specifies that in order for a gridpoint to be a local extreme, it must be the highest or lowest value within Rad gridpoints in all directions. The X and Y values specify how many gridpoints in X and Y to skip between labels on a specific contour line. If Y is missing, it is set to X. (default: 2:2:nx/5:ny/5)
• conmax=max -- stops contouring past this value.
• conmin=min -- does not contour before this value.
• maxl=# -- maximum number of lines to draw in grid box.  If more lines are to be drawn, the contours won't be draw. If the number # is negative, then it is a multiple of the number of color fill colors (default: twice the number of color fill colors. See color_fill resource)
• grid -- draws grid on plot

Vector plotting: general

• vect -- plots vector bar in lower right
• vbar -- plots vector bar
• uvgrid -- input U,V winds computed relative to grid (default)
• uvew -- input U,V winds computed relative to east/west north/south.
• strm_sc=fact -- scale factor on the streamline arrows.
• wv_skip=skipx[:skipy] -- specifies skip factor for plotting wind vectors.
• bar -- plots color bar for colored vectors
• nobar -- disables color bar

Label encoding

• labmin -- minimal labels (level varabbr)
• labsimp -- simple labels (level varabbr  (unit))
• labnorm -- normal labels (level variable (unit))
• labcomp -- complete labels (level variable (unit)-format)

Contouring - program: contour

• mapcon -- draws map before contours
• conmap -- draws map after contours

Hodograph plotting - program: uacalplt

• hodo_to -- plot reflects direction winds are blowing to
• hodo_from -- plot reflects direction winds are blowing from
• hline=dir:spd -- offset between lines of direction and speed

Map plotting - program: mapplt

• id -- plots id when plotting cities
• wmo -- plots WMO number when plotting cities
• num -- plots the number of occurrences with plotting cities

MDR Radar plotting - program: rad

• site -- plots location of radar site
• dist=# -- plots a single distance ring
• nodist -- disables distance rings
• nostatus -- disables plotting of radar status (NE,NA,OM)

RCM Radar plotting - program: rad

• site -- plots location of radar site
• dist=# -- plots a single distance ring
• nodist -- disables distance rings
• nostatus -- disables plotting of radar status (NE,NA,OM)
• numplt=# -- specifies the number of storms to plot from each site.

NIDS plotting - program: rad

• site -- plots location of radar site
• dist=dist1:dist2:dist3 -- plots distance rings at specified distances
• nodist -- disables distance rings
• nograph -- disables plotting CREF storm chart
• graph -- enables plotting CREF storm chart (default)
• clutter=rad -- does not plot echoes within radius to eliminate ground clutter
• noclutter -- disables clutter elimination

NLDN plotting - program: light

• time=min:range -- specifies a time range. min is the minute to center the range on. range is the range in minutes either side of min.

NOWRad plotting - program: rad

• run=# -- specifies run length for plotting areas (def=1, 2 for lat-lon domains)

RRWDS plotting - program: rad

• site -- plots location of radar site
• dist=dist1:dist2:dist3 -- plots distance rings at specified distances
• nodist -- disables distance rings
• clutter=rad -- eliminates ground clutter at specified radius
• noclutter -- disables clutter removal (default)

Satellite plotting - program: xsat

• tran_sat -- use full satellite navigation to transform image (default)
• tran_wxp -- determine WXP plot domain using satellite navigation and then use WXP transformation.
• remap[=len] -- The remap run length. This limits the number of calls to the navigation code by doing the navigation only len pixels and then linearly interpolating between points.
• zoom=factor -- zoom image to specified factor.  A value greater than 1 zoom in on the image (makes image larger).  A value less than 1, zooms out (makes image smaller).
• fill=fill_pat -- fill the contours with a specific fill pattern.  See the fill patterns in the graphics attributes section of the users guide.
• over -- setup image for overlay.  Any pixel that is black is transparent.
• bar -- displays a satellite color bar.
• irbar -- displays a satellite color bar with IR temperature markings.
• pixoff=off -- offsets pixel values. This can be used with overlays to correct for any slight calibration errors.
• minlon=lon -- cuts off the left side of the image at this longitude.
• maxlon=lon -- cuts off the right side of the image at this longitude.

Thermodynamic chart plotting - program: uacalplt

• data -- plots data/indices right side of diagram (default)
• data1 -- plots small list of indices
• data2 -- plots medium sized list of indices
• nodata -- disables data/indices plotting
• parcel -- plot parcel trajectory (default)
• noparcel -- disable parcel trajectory
• tline=pres:temp:theta:thetae:mix -- specifies interval between various lines. Default is 50:10:10:10:0. Mixing ratio lines are not normally plotted to a regular interval.

Thermodynamic chart calculations - program: uacalplt, ua_parse

• par=pres:temp:dew -- parcel parameters. Temperature and dewpoint are optional. If not specified, the sounding temperature and dewpoint are used.
  

  Type	Pres	Temp	Dew
  pressure level	pres	temp	dew
  surface level	sfc	temp	dew
  max temperature	maxt	--	--
  pressure layer	layer	thick	--

For further information about WXP, email technical-support@weather.unisys.com
Last updated by Dan Vietor on July 30, 1998