McIDAS-X User's Guide
Version 2024.1

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MAP

Displays a map and latitude/longitude lines on a graphics frame.

Formats

MAP map color1 [keywords]
MAP map color1 LALO color2 [keywords]

Parameters

Keywords

Remarks

The MAP command uses two sets of map files. The US*.MAP files (for example, USCOUNTY.MAP) are used only when the STATE, COUNTY, MARINE or ZONE keyword is specified. The OUTL* files (for example, OUTLSUPU) are used in all other cases. The US*.MAP files include all U.S. counties and National Weather Service zones and marine regions, and slightly different state boundaries than the OUTL* files. The US*.MAP files are derived from the National Weather Service AWIPS Map Database (http://www.nws.noaa.gov/geodata/).

If you want to draw a map using the frame's current navigation, specify L, H, VH or SAT (or X, since SAT is the default) for the map parameter. For example, running MAP with no parameters or keywords draws a map using the frame's navigation. MAP SAT STATE=KS draws the state of Kansas if it's present in the frame's navigation.

If you want to draw a map that defines new navigation for the frame, specify one of the predefined maps (for example, MID, USA, WORL) or DEF for the map parameter. The LAT and LON keywords define the domain for the DEF map. If you also include the STATE, COUNTY, ZONE or MARINE keyword, only the specified states, counties, zones or marine regions are drawn, if they're in the domain.

The STATE, COUNTY, ZONE, and MARINE keywords are used to draw only the specified states, counties, zones and marine regions using the US*.MAP files. These keywords do NOT define the map's domain. Domain is defined with the positional parameter map, using a predefined map, SAT, MID, USA, for example, or using DEF with the LAT and LON keywords. For example, MAP MID STATE=IA defines a domain consisting of the Midwest, but only draws the state of Iowa. If you then run MAP SAT STATE=ALL, all states in the domain are drawn using the USSTATE.MAP file.

When you specify the COUNTY or ZONE keyword, only the counties or zones are drawn; the outlines of the states and/or marine regions they're in are not drawn. Specify the STATE keyword without the COUNTY or ZONE keywords to draw state outlines. Specify the MARINE keyword without the ZONE keyword to draw marine region outlines and the zones within them.

You can specify a single frame or multiple frames in the GRA keyword using the list format (frame1 frame2 frame3. .) and the range format (bframe-eframe). For example, a map is displayed on frames 1 through 5 with any of the following: GRA=1 2 3 4 5, GRA=1-5, GRA=1 2-4 5.

Frame-oriented maps (H, L, LALO, SAT, or VH in the map parameter) always use the navigation of the single frame specified in the IMA keyword, even if multiple frames are specified in the GRA keyword.

If you have multiple panels on a frame, you can display maps on a range of panels by specifying beginning and ending panel numbers with the global keyword PAN. For example, MAP NA PAN=1 4 draws a map of North America on panels 1 through 4. If you specify a frame-oriented map (H, L, LALO, SAT, or VH) in the map parameter and a range in the PAN keyword, the maps may be different because each uses the navigation of the panel it's drawing to. For example, MAP H PAN=2 4 draws a map on panel 2 using the navigation for panel 2, draws a map on panel 3 using the navigation for panel 3, and draws a map on panel 4 using the navigation for panel 4.

The coverages, projections, colors and line widths for the predefined maps listed in the map parameter (EUR, EURB, EURO, MID, NA, POLI, PRC, PRCB, USA, WIS, WORL, and the 50 two-letter state post office abbreviations) are set in the text files MAP.CORE, MAP.SITE, and MAP.USER. The .CORE file is supplied with McIDAS-X and should not be modified. The .USER file overrides the .SITE file, which overrides the .CORE file. This order of precedence allows you or your site to change existing settings and/or add new maps in your .USER or .SITE file. To create a .USER or .SITE file, copy the .CORE file from ~mcidas/data to your $HOME/mcidas/data directory (or another MCPATH directory) and edit the existing predefined maps and/or add new ones.

Labels

The LABEL keyword defines the format and colors of the map's latitude and longitude labels. LABEL=NO omits the labels. The five options for the scheme parameter are described below.

• The WESTPOS option, which can also be specified as WEST, W, YES or Y, labels Western hemisphere longitudes positive and Eastern hemisphere longitudes negative.
• The EASTPOS option, which can also be specified as EAST or E, labels Eastern hemisphere longitudes positive and Western hemisphere longitudes negative.
• The ALLPOS option, which can also be specified as ALL or A, labels all latitudes and longitudes positive.
• The 360E option labels longitudes 0 - 360, with values increasing eastward.
• The 360W option labels longitudes 0 - 360, with values increasing westward.

Projections

The pseudo-Mercator projection has equidistant latitude lines; otherwise it is the same as a true Mercator projection. The Lambert conformal projection includes polar stereographic projection as a special case. If you enter only one positive SLAT value or if you accept the default of 60°, the projection is polar stereographic with the North Pole as the origin of projection. If you enter only one negative value for SLAT, the origin of the polar stereographic projection is the South Pole. You must enter two SLAT values to obtain a general Lambert conformal projection. If SLAT1 + SLAT2 > 0, the North Pole is the origin of projection. If SLAT1 + SLAT2 < 0, the South Pole is the origin of projection.

For some values of keywords LAT, LON, SLON and SLAT, the area defined cannot be found. If this happens, an error message is displayed and the program stops. Use SLON for CONF projections only. The default value is computed by assuming that the standard meridian is located in the middle of a box set by two points and is parallel to the left and right edges of the TV screen. If a map is centered, the default SLON is equal to LON.

Examples

The examples below are divided into four groups that include satellite, pseudo-Mercator, polar stereographic and general Lambert conformal projections.

Satellite Projection

MAP VH -7 DASHSET=2 255 8

This entry draws a high-resolution map in graphics color level 7 with dashed lines. The dashes are each two pixels in length with gaps of eight pixels between the dashes.

MAP VH GRA=1-12

This entry draws a high resolution map on graphics frames 1 through 12. The map is identical in all 12 frames because it uses the navigation for the current image frame.

MAP VH IMA=1 GRA=1-12

This entry draws a high resolution map on graphics frames 1 through 12. The map is identical in all 12 frames because it uses the navigation for image frame 1.

MAP X 5 LALO 6 INT=5 10

This entry draws a map on a satellite image in graphics color level 5. It draws latitude/longitude lines in graphics color level 6 and labels them. The interval for latitude lines is 5°. The interval for longitude lines is 10°.

MAP USA X LALO LABEL=NO

This entry draws a high resolution USA map and latitude/longitude lines without labels.

MAP STATE=OH IN

This entry draws the states of Ohio and Indiana, if they're present in the current frame navigation.

MAP COUNTY=DANE 'ST CROIX' COLUMBIA STATE=WI

This entry draws Wisconsin's Dane, St. Croix, and Columbia counties, if they're present in the current frame navigation. Note that St. Croix must be specified without a period and must be enclosed in quotes because of the space in the county name.

IMGDISP MET/FD LATLON=0 0 MAG=-5 BAND=8; MAP; MAP X 2 FILE=OUTLHPOL

These entries display band 8 of the most recent image in dataset MET/FD, then draw the world coastal boundaries and the world political boundaries contained in the newly-displayed image. The coastal boundaries are drawn in the default graphics color level and the political boundaries are drawn in graphics color level 2.

Pseudo-Mercator Projection

MAP AK X LALO

This entry draws a map of Alaska and latitude/longitude lines with labels.

MAP EURO 2; MAP EURB X LALO

This entry draws a map of Europe with coastal and political boundaries.

MAP MN 3 STATE=ALL WIDTH=2
MAP X -3 COUNTY=ALL DASHSET=1 255 4

The first entry defines a map domain of Minnesota and its surrounding states, then draws the states in graphics color level 3 with a line width of two pixels. The second entry draws all counties (in all states) present in the current frame navigation (defined by the first entry) in graphics color level 3 with dotted lines.

MAP MID 3 STATE=IA ZONE=6 19 34

This entry defines a map domain of the Midwest, but only draws Iowa's National Weather Service zones 6, 19, and 34 in graphics color level 3. If DOMAIN=YES is also specified, the states in the domain (the Midwest) are also drawn, using the OUTLUSAM map file.

MAP WORL 7; MAP X 8 FILE=OUTLHPOL

These entries draw a map of the world coastal boundaries in graphics color level 7, and the world political boundaries in graphics color level 8.

MAP AR COUNTY=FAULKNER WHITE CRAWFORD MADISON 'VAN BUREN' CARROLL NEWTON BOONE STATE=AR

This entry defines a map domain of Arkansas and its surrounding states, but only draws the eight Arkansas counties listed with the COUNTY keyword. Note that Van Buren is enclosed in single quotes because of the space in the county name.

MAP DEF STATE=AZ COUNTY=MARICOPA GILA LAT=31 37 LON=107 117
MAP VH 2

The first entry defines a map domain of the specified latitude and longitude range, but only draws Arizona's Maricopa and Gila counties. The second entry draws all states in the map domain in graphics color level 2.

Polar Stereographic Projection

MAP WI PRO=CONF

This entry draws a map of Wisconsin in conformal projection.

MAP LALO PRO=CONF LAT=0 70 LON=90 -90

This entry draws latitude/longitude lines and labels for the specified North American region.

MAP DEF X LALO PRO=CONF LAT=30 45 LON=90 110 SLON=100 FILE=OUTLSUPU

This entry draws a map and latitude/longitude lines for a region with the specified latitude/longitude range and standard longitude. The map is drawn using the OUTLSUPU very high resolution map file. In this case, the map file can also be chosen by specifying VH as the first parameter (instead of DEF) and omitting the FILE=OUTLSUPU keyword.

MAP X X LALO PRO=CONF LAT=-20 -20 LON=0 180

This entry draws a map of the northern hemisphere with the North Pole as the origin of projection.

MAP X X LALO PRO=CONF LAT=20 20 LON=0 180 SLAT=-60

This entry draws a map of the southern hemisphere with the South Pole as the origin of projection.

MAP X X LALO PRO=CONF LAT=-90 SLAT=-90 LON=0 SCALE=23

This entry draws a map of Antarctica with latitude and longitude lines and a scale of 1:23,000,000. The map can be rotated 180 degrees by changing LON=0 to LON=180.

MAP X X LALO PRO=CONF LAT=-5 -35 LON=-115 -170 SLAT=-60

This entry draws a map of Australia with latitude/longitude lines and labels in the projection centered at the South Pole.

MAP X X LALO PRO=CONF LAT=-60 0 LON=-70 -145 SLAT=-60 SLON=140

This entry produces the same map of Australia but rotates it by 90° so that the South Pole is located at the right of the frame.

Lambert Conformal Projection

MAP PRO=CONF LAT=20 60 LON=70 165 SLAT=40 60

This entry draws a Lambert conformal map of the United States.

MAP X X LALO PRO=CONF LAT=40 70 LON=150 -150 SLAT=40 60

This entry draws a map of the Alaska region. In the Lambert conformal projection, the map splits but the information is complete.

MAP X X LALO PRO=CONF LAT=-15 LON=-135 SLON=180 SCALE=25 SLAT=-60 -40

This entry draws a map of Australia with latitude and longitude lines.

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