The Flash Ani(mation)S applet

Page 5 - Using file_of_filenames

5. Reading the names of your image files from another file. This example is identical to second part of example #4 except that the image filenames are all taken from a "file_of_filenames", and we force the map to be initially displayed.

Recall that in example #4, the file descriptors looked like:

filenames = TIR1.GIF, TIR2.GIF, TIR3.GIF, TIR4.GIF overlay_filenames = TSFC1.GIF & TSFC2.GIF & TSFC3.GIF & TSFC4.GIF, TSTR1.GIF, TMAP.GIF

For the example shown below, the only parameter needed is:

file_of_filenames=fnamelist.txt The file fnamelist.txt contains: #this is a comment TIR1.GIF "Aug 3 12:15pm CDT" overlay = TSFC1.GIF, TSTR1.GIF, TMAP.GIF #another comment -- note you must explicitly define each file on each frame! TIR2.GIF "Aug 3 1:15pm" overlay= TSFC2.GIF, TSTR1.GIF, TMAP.GIF TIR3.GIF "Aug 3 2:15pm " overlay=TSFC3.GIF, TSTR1.GIF, TMAP.GIF TIR4.GIF "Aug 3 3:15pm" overlay =TSFC4.GIF, TSTR1.GIF, TMAP.GIF # end of file (The spacing is shown only to illustrate the flexibility available.) Note that the frame labels are optionally imbedded within the file_of_filenames data.

To force the overlay basemap to be initially "on", we add the "/on" parameter to the end of the map's overlay_labels tag. So the complete configuration file now reads:

controls = startstop, overlay, framelabel bottom_controls = toggle overlay_labels = temperature, streamlines, map/on file_of_filenames=fnamelist.txt transparency = x000000 no_enh=true

Here's the applet:

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If you would like more information, or have questions or suggestions, please contact Tom Whittaker