McIDAS User's Guide
Version 2019.1
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Writes text and/or symbols on the graphics frame.
ZA color height justify [keywords] "text
color |
graphics color level; 0 for erase (default=1) |
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height |
pixel height to draw text and symbols (default=10 for text; cursor height for TCYC keyword symbol) |
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justify |
justification of the text and symbols; specify one of the options below; see the Remarks |
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LA |
left justified above the center of the cursor |
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LC |
left justified at the center of the cursor |
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LB |
left justified below the center of the cursor (default) |
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CA |
center justified above the center of the cursor |
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CC |
center justified at the center of the cursor |
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CB |
center justified below the center of the cursor |
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RA |
right justified above the center of the cursor |
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RC |
right justified at the center of the cursor |
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RB |
right justified below the center of the cursor |
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M |
mouse justified; see the Remarks |
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N |
same as the CC option, but allows numerous plots of the text or symbols by pressing mouse buttons; see the Remarks |
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V |
vertically aligned; the upper-left corner of the first letter or symbol is placed at the cursor center; subsequent text and symbols are written below |
"text |
text to write on the graphics frame; you may use uppercase and/or lowercase letters; quotes are mandatory and may be substituted with curly brackets ( { } ); see the Remarks for instructions on how to plot weather symbols and arrows; the following placeholders can be specified for text substitution of information from the frame, dataset or displayed image; the output format is indicated in italics, e.g., nnn |
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(FRAME) |
frame number, nnn |
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(DATASET) |
ADDE dataset name, 24 characters maximum |
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(POS) |
ADDE dataset position, nnnn |
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(BAND) |
band number, nn |
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(DESC) |
band use description from SATBAND file |
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(WL) |
wavelength, nn.nn unit |
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(WN) |
wave number, nn.nn unit |
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(FREQ) |
frequency, nn.nn unit |
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(ID) |
NEXRAD station ID, 3 characters |
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(MEMO) |
memo field, 32 characters maximum |
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(SS) |
sensor source number, nnn |
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(STYPE) |
text description in SATANNOT file for the image's sensor source number, 12 characters maximum |
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(ERES) |
element resolution, nn.nn |
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(LRES) |
line resolution, nn.nn |
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(RES) |
displayed resolution of the image, nn.nn |
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(EGEORES) |
geographical element resolution in km, n.nn; see the Remarks |
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(LGEORES) |
geographical line resolution in km, n.nn; see the Remarks |
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(GEORES) |
geographical resolution in km, (n.nn X n.nn KM); see the Remarks |
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(DAY) |
day, dd mon yy |
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(MDY) |
day, mon dd yy |
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(JDAY) |
Julian day, ccyyddd |
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(DAYJ) |
day + Julian day, dd mon ccyyddd |
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(TIME) |
image time, hhmmss |
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(HH) |
image time, hh |
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(HHMM) |
image time, hh:mm |
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(HHMMSS) |
image time, hh:mm:ss |
Ang= |
angle to write text; do not use with the FONT command or global keyword, or keywords ENCL and TCYC |
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Encl= |
C |
draws a circle around the text in the N mode |
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E |
draws an ellipse around the text in the N mode |
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FULlframe= |
YES |
use the entire frame for output, regardless of the panel configuration; do not use FUL=YES with the global keyword PAN |
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NO |
limit output to the current panel or the panel specified with the global keyword PAN (default) |
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Gra= |
graphics frame number (default=current) |
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IMA= |
image frame number to use for determining values of placeholders in the "text parameter (default=current) |
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POS= |
lin ele |
TV line and element position to draw text, symbols, or arrows (default=current cursor position) |
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TCYc= |
color hemi plots a hurricane or tropical storm symbol centered on the cursor or the position specified in the POS keyword; the justify paramater is ignored |
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color |
graphics color level of the symbol's center |
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X |
leave the center blank |
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hemi |
determines the direction of spirals |
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S |
southern hemisphere (default) |
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N |
northern hemisphere |
Wid= |
graphics line width, in pixels; the maximum is 64 (default=current) |
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Use the global keyword FONT to change the font for a single command entry. See Appendix A, Global Keywords. Use command FONT to change fonts for all graphics commands.
To write lowercase letters, toggle the Caps Lock key or press the Shift key when typing. Press it again before entering the next command, as McIDAS commands are normally entered in uppercase letters.
In the justify parameter:
The (GEORES), (LGEORES) and (EGEORES) placeholders can be used only if GEORES=YES was specified in the IMGDISP command that displayed the image. The resolution values, listed as n.nn in the Parameters section above, are in kilometers and are displayed in the format 0.nn, n.nn, nn.n or nnn (depending on the magnitude of the resolution). The two resolution values displayed with the (GEORES) placeholder are the same as (LGEORES) and (EGEORES), in that order.
When you specify the M option for the justify parameter, the position of the mouse and the clicking of its buttons control the location of the cursor text. Clicking the middle mouse button repositions the start of the text at the cursor location. Clicking the right mouse button repositions the end of the text at the cursor location. The height is scaled as needed. Using the FONT command or global keyword with the M option positions the text horizontally at various sizes. You can't change the angle of the text.
If you specify the N option for the justify parameter, clicking the middle mouse button centers the text at the cursor location. Clicking the right mouse button erases the last drawn text.
To plot weather symbols and arrows, enter a dollar sign ($) before any of the alphanumeric characters shown below.
| T - thunderstorm | |
C - clear | |
0 - arrow | |
| W - rain shower | |
Q - partly cloudy | |
1 - arrow | |
| X - snow shower | |
B - mostly cloudy | |
2 - arrow | |
| R - rain | |
O - overcast | |
3 - arrow | |
| S - snow | |
D - drizzle | |
4 - arrow | |
| Z - freezing rain | |
H - haze | |
5 - arrow | |
| F - fog | |
6 - arrow | |
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| $$ - dollar sign | $ | 7 - arrow | |
Tropical storm and hurricane symbols are plotted at the center of the cursor, regardless of the justification specified.
The practical maximum number of characters for keyword ENCL is three.
ZA "Wisconsin
This entry writes the word Wisconsin in graphics color level 1 on the current graphics frame. The letters are 10 pixels high and are left justified below the center of the cursor.
ZA 3 15 LA "McIDAS
This entry writes the word McIDAS in graphics color level 3 on the current graphics frame. The letters are 15 pixels high and are left justified above the center of the cursor.
ZA 2 20 CC GRA=2 {streamlines}
This entry writes the word streamlines in lowercase letters in graphics color level 2 on graphics frame 2. The letters are 20 pixels high and centered on the cursor. Curly brackets are used instead of the double quote.
ZA 4 7 V FONT=HELBO "Nevada
This entry writes the word Nevada vertically on the current graphics frame in graphics color level 4 using the bold, oblique Helvetica font. The upper-left corner of the N is at the cursor center. The letters are seven pixels high.
ZA 4 20 LC ANG=45 "Green Mountains
This entry writes Green Mountains at a 45° angle in graphics color level 4. The letters are 20 pixels high and left-justified in relation to the cursor.
ZA 5 12 LB FONT=COUBR "GOES-12 Band (BAND) ((WL)) from (DAY) at (HHMM) UTC
This entry writes the specified text in graphics color level 5 using a bold Courier font. The characters are 12 pixels high and are left justified below the center of the cursor. The placeholders (BAND), (WL), (DAY) and (HHMM) are replaced with the corresponding values from the displayed image.
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