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McIDAS-X and -XCD 2014.1 Fastrack Versions
Now Available

24 March 2014 McIDAS Help Desk email notification to McIDAS Site Coordinators and the mcidas-users list:

McIDAS-X Fastrack version 2014.1 was recently added to the McIDAS Website.

The significant changes for McIDAS-X version 2014.1 include the following:

  • Added new -tcl85 compile flag to the McIDAS-X 2014.1 install script. The flag is used on Linux and Solaris systems to build McIDAS-X with the option of using Tcl/Tk version 8.5.9. If you do not specify the -tcl85 flag, McIDAS-X is built using Tcl/Tk version 8.4.2 on Linux and Solaris, and 8.5.9 on Windows and Mac OS X. Version 8.5.9 allows sites with custom GUIs to utilize some new data/time capabilities and is the only version available for Windows and Mac OS X. Users of 8.5.9 may see some problems with scrolling and resizing windows when using the McIDAS-X GUI, Configuration GUI and ASK1 command.
  • Increased the value of MAXGRIDPT from 2,000,000 to 8,000,000 in gridparm.inc and mcidas.h so the GRD* commands (GRDCOPY, GRDDISP, etc.) now work with grids that contain up to 8 million points. Also increased the value of MAXDFELEMENTS from 25,000 to 43,200 in areaparm.inc and mcidas.h so the IMG* commands (IMGCOPY, IMGDISP, etc.) now work with full globe images at 1 km resolution.
  • Updated the MSG servers to accommodate MSG-3 and -4 (Meteosat-10 and -11) Rapid Scan Service files.
  • Updated the AVHRR Level 1b server to support Metop-C data. The satellite is scheduled to be launched in 2017, per EUMETSAT's Metop page.
  • Updated the station database (file STNDB.CORE) to include five new TAF stations (CNY, DRO, KAEG, MTW, TEX), five new GFSMOS/NAMMOS stations (KLNL, KLUM, KPCZ, KRCX, KTKV), and hundreds of small airports and other navigation points referenced in PIREP reports; also changed FAJS to FAOR for Johannesburg SA, TAF ID K22 to SJS for Big Sandy Regional Airport KY and corrected lat/lon/ele/type for stations AIY and EEN.
  • Updated the McIDAS-XRD package (which is included in the McIDAS-X installation files) to include two new servers (omtpadir and omtpaget) and one new command (FIXFY2D_NAV2012). See the Files Included in McIDAS-XRD 2014.1 page for the complete list of commands, servers and data files included in the package.

McIDAS User Services issues its McIDAS-X software updates via fully-supported Fastrack releases (including online documentation updates). This means that the software is fully supported by SSEC, and that each change to the software has been tested on all of the supported workstation configurations. Full system testing occurs at least once on each platform during each calendar year.

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

24 March 2014 McIDAS Help Desk email notification to McIDAS-XCD Site Coordinators

McIDAS-XCD Fastrack version 2014.1 was recently added to the McIDAS Website. 

The significant changes for McIDAS-XCD version 2012.4 include the following:

  • Added new batch files and updated existing ones to restructure the RTGRIDS datasets so that both GRIB1 and GRIB2 data are stored in the RTGRIDS/* datasets. Also reviewed all datasets that were in previous versions of McIDAS-XCD and removed the obsolete datasets. See steps 8 and 9 below for the instructions to complete this procedure, and see the xcd_README_2014.1 file for the complete list of datasets added to RTGRIDS/* via files XCDNOAAPORTGRID.BAT and XCDCONDUITGRID.BAT, and obsolete datasets removed via RMXCDGRB1.BAT and RMXCDGRB2.BAT.
  • Updated the station database (file STNDB.CORE) in McIDAS-X 2014.1 to include hundreds of small airports and other navigation points referenced in PIREP reports. The addition of those new stations results in the PIREP decoder filing many more reports in the RTPTSRC/AIRCRAFT MD files. Other changes in STNDB.CORE include the addition of five new TAF stations (CNY, DRO, KAEG, MTW, TEX) and five new GFSMOS/NAMMOS stations (KLNL, KLUM, KPCZ, KRCX, KTKV); also changed FAJS to FAOR for Johannesburg SA, TAF ID K22 to SJS for Big Sandy Regional Airport KY and corrected lat/lon/ele/type for stations AIY and EEN.
  • Added many fixes and enhancements to the PIREP decoder. The updates include adding LT, LGHT, LIGHT, EXTREME, MODERATE, and SEVERE as valid turbulence and icing values; adding SFC as a valid vertical level for turbulence and icing; adding ability to decode Canadian PIREPs, such as YZ (Toronto) and WG (Winnipeg); adding improved decoding of sky cover and cloud levels; allowing IDA and /OV fields to have four-character stations and wind speed to be reported in the format XXXXXKT; and fixing a problem where the /OV field has values in nautical miles but the decoder previously interpreted them as kilometers.
  • Modified how Metar reports with NIL values are stored in the rapid access text files so that the SFCRPT command locates and lists the correct data.
  • Updated the TAF decoder to work properly with station IDs that include a number (e.g., K36U).
McIDAS User Services issues its McIDAS-XCD software updates via fully-supported Fastrack releases (including online documentation updates). This means that the -XCD software is fully supported by SSEC, and that each change to the software has been tested on the supported workstation configurations.

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