McIDAS-X and -XCD
Version 2006
Upgrade Cover Letter

26 May 2006

The McIDAS-X version 2006 upgrades are now available. You can obtain the software from the McIDAS Users' Group Web Site (https://www.ssec.wisc.edu/mcidas). Use the login and password included in your site coordinator's cover letter to download the software from the web site. See the upgrade procedure documents for complete installation instructions.

The significant changes for McIDAS-X version 2006 include the following:

• added support of McIDAS-X on Apple Mac OS X 10.4 systems
• moved support of McIDAS-X on IBM AIX from 5L version 5.2 to 5L version 5.3.3
• added new command IMGRGB to combine images and basemaps into a multi-banded RGB image
• added new GRIB server for use with GRIB files from the NOAAPORT data stream
• increased maximum grid size from 400,000 to 2,000,000 points
• fixed WWDISP command to plot severe thunderstorm and tornado watch boxes using the product header changes implemented in February 2006
• improved behavior when cutting and pasting multiple times into or out of the Text and Command Window
• improved wind vector plotting in GRDDISP and PTDISP commands
• added new keyword CONTINUE= to IMGCOPY command
• added support of UPPR schema to sounding commands ALTIM, HODO, UACROSS, UALIST and UAPLOT
• added 13 new commands, 34 new data files, and four new servers to McIDAS-XRD 2006 sidecar package
• fixed 58 bugs and completed 21 enhancements from the MUG Inquiry System

The significant changes for McIDAS-XCD version 2006 include the following:

• added support for the McIDAS-X GRIB server which includes the use of a MySQL database
• updated QRTMDG to always remove data for tomorrow's date, which will improve performance at the end of the year
• updated the grid parameter definitions to eliminate duplicate parameter abbreviations and fix some incorrect scaling factors
• increased the maximum number of grids per grid file to 20,000
• updated to check text products for both line feeds and carriage returns, since some new products only have line feeds
• fixed bug in the synoptic decoder that caused ceiling and visibility to be incorrectly reported for Antarctic stations

If you have questions about this upgrade, call the McIDAS Help Desk at (608) 262-2455, or send email to the Help Desk.

Sincerely,

Dee Wade
Manager, McIDAS User Services and SSEC Data Center