McIDAS

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McIDAS Hydro Estimator Installation on
Linux/Unix Systems

• Melvin J. Cardona Soto

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What is McIDAS?

• Man computer Interactive Data Access System
  (McIDAS) is a suite of applications for analysing
  and displaying meteorological data for research
  and education.
• Under continual development by the University of
  Wisconsin-Madison Space Science and Engineering
  Center (SSEC) since 1972
• Unidata McIDAS software has been under
  development since 1985 and in distribution since
  1988
• Unidata version of McIDAS (McIDAS-X) runs on a
  variety of platforms running Unix, Linux, and
  MacOS-X.

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What do you need?
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Obtaining McIDAS

• http//www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/mcidas/2006/u
  sers_guide/ObtainingMcIDAS-X.html
• mcunpack - shell script that creates the
  installation directory structure and unpacks the
  distribution into the package build directories
• mcinet2006.sh - shell script that sets up system
  files needed by the ADDE, (Abstract Data
  Distribution Environment) remote server
• mcidasx2006.tar.gz - compressed tar file
  containing the source and data files

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Preparing the Workstation

• 1) If the workstation does not have mcidas and
  mcadde account, have the system administrator
  create them.
• The mcidas account should allow logins the
  mcadde account should not allow logins. Both of
  these accounts should be in the same group and
  both should have the SAME home directory,
  (home/mcidas).
• 2) Log on to the workstation as mcidas.

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Set Environment Variables

• For non-conforming shells download mcidas_env.csh
  from the given web address
• For conforming shells download mcidas_env.sh from
  the given web address
• http//www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/mcidas/2006/u
  sers_guide/PreparingthemcidasAccount.html

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Set Environment Variables (cont.)

• Non-conforming shells
• Set the environment variables by adding to the
  shell definition file the following lines
• McINST_ROOT and VENDOR non-conforming shell
  defines needed to build McIDAS
• setenv McINST_ROOT HOME
• setenv VENDOR -g77
• if ( -e HOME/admin/mcidas_env.csh ) then
• source HOME/admin/mcidas_env.csh
• endif

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Set Environment Variables (cont.)

• Conforming shells
• Set the environment variables by adding to the
  shell definition file the following lines
• McINST_ROOT and VENDOR conforming shell defines
  needed to bulid McIDAS
• McINST_ROOTHOME
• VENDOR-g77
• export McINST_ROOT VENDOR
• if -e HOME/admin/mcidas_env.sh then
• . HOME/admin/mcidas_env.sh
• fi

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Installation

• Log off and log back in to the mcidas account.
• Move the downloaded files to mcidas home
  directory.
• Open a terminal and make sure that the files are
  there, using the command ls.
• Make the mcunpack file executable by entering the
  command chmod x mcunpack.
• Run mcunpack to unpack the distribution of
  McIDAS, by entering the command ./mcunpack.

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Installation (cont.)

• Once the distribution is completely unpacked,
  build ans Install McIDAS by using the following
  steps
• 1) Open a terminal
• 2) Type cd HOME/mcidas2006/src, to change to
  the directory with the source files.
• 3) Type make mcx or make all
• 4) If an error ocures view the file
  mcidas/mcidas2006/src/makelog for more details.
• 5) Type make install.mcx or make install.all

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McIDAS Configuration

• The fist time using mcidas, type on a terminal
  mcidasx, to open the configuration window.

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Extra Configuration

• McIDAS uses different servers to get data
• They don't come configured from the initial
  installation
• After the first run, make sure that the file
  /home/mcidas/data/ADDESITE.TXT has some
  servers configured.
• If ADDESITE doesn't have servers configured the
  user must configure them.

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ADDESITE.TXT File Example

• ADDE_ROUTE_RTGRIDSATM.GEO.NSF.GOV
• ADDE_ROUTE_ME7IO.SCA.UQAM.CA
• ADDE_ROUTE_CIMSSADDE.UCAR.EDU
• ADDE_ROUTE_GINICOMPADDE.UCAR.EDU
• ADDE_ROUTE_GINIWESTADDE.UCAR.EDU
• ADDE_ROUTE_NEXRCOMPADDE.UCAR.EDU
• ADDE_ROUTE_LOCLOCAL-DATA
• NICKNAME_LALOC/APOS
• HOST_ADDE.UCAR.EDU128.117.114.119
• HOST_ATM.GEO.NSF.GOV198.181.231.53
• HOST_IO.SCA.UQAM.CA132.208.133.165
• HOST_UNIDATA2.SSEC.WISC.EDU128.104.110.130
• HOST_UWAMRC.SSEC.WISC.EDU128.104.109.32

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Starting McIDAS

• Type on a terminal mcidas, to open mcgui
  (McIDAS Graphic User Interface.

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Using McIDAS

• McIDAS can be used either by interacting with the
  GUI or, by using a commad line interface
  (console).
• Lots of products can be obtained using the
  interface, but if the command line is used even
  more products can be obtained, and with more
  details.
• McIDAS has 250 commands wich can be viewed by
  entering on the console help.

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Installing the Hydro Estimator (HE)

• To install HE there are some necessary
  programs,wich can be obtained from
  ftp.orbit.nesdis.noaa.gov
• These are
• zenitcor.pgm Corrects for limb cooling at high
  satellite zenith angles
• zenitcor 1 2
• parcormercir.pgm Corrects for parallax
• parcormercir 2 3
• rainsplitiso.pgm Produces rain rate estimates
• rainsplitiso GOES OUT PW RH EQL RH ORO DUM

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Installing the Hydro Estimator (cont.)

• Also there are some necessary files needed
• zenitherror
• latituderror
• WSI.ET
• WSI75.ST
• Once all the files are obtained, copy
  zenitherror, latituderror, WSI.ET and WSI75.ST to
  mcidas/data.
• Copy Zenitcor, Parcormercir and Rainsplitiso to
  mcidas/src.

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Compiling The Programs

• To compile each program
• 1) Open a terminal
• 2) Move to mcidas/src using cd mcidas/src
• 3) Once in the desired directory type fx name l
  -vendor.
• Do step 3 for zenithcor, parcormercir and
  rainsplitiso.
• Name does NOT have the .pgm suffix.

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Necessary Inputs for the HE

• Current GOES band 4
• NAM EQL (convective equilibrium level in K)
• NAM precipitable water (PW in hundredths of
  inches)
• NAM mean relative humidity (percent) from the
  lower third of the NAM vertical domain
• Orographic correction (ORO NAM 850-hPa winds
  interfaced with digital topography)
• Dummy file with all values100

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Preparing to Run HE

• Once all the NAM files are obtained each of them
  need a name.
• All of them have to be copied to mcidas/data, and
  must have a name following the format, AREAXXXX,
  where XXXX are four different digits (0001-9999).

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How to Run the HE

• 1) Open McIDAS
• 2) Open the console
• 3) Type IMGREMAP sarea darea keywords, where
  sarea is the AREA goes source number, darea is
  the destination an keywords are the parameters
  of IMGREMAP.
• Ex. IMGREMAP LA.1001 LA.2001 LAT18 67 PROMERC
  RES4 SIZALL

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How to Run the HE (cont.)

• 4) Type ZENITCOR sarea darea, where sarea is the
  AREA goes source number, and darea is the
  destination.
• Ex. ZENITCOR 1001 1002
• 5) Type PARCORMERCIR sarea darea, whre sarea is
  the output of ZENITCOR, and sarea is the
  destination.
• Ex. PARCORMERCIR 1002 1003
• 6) Type RAINSPLITISO goes darea pw eql rh oro
  dum, where goes, darea, pw, eql, rh, oro, dum.
  Are the AREA numbers of the necessary inputs.
• Ex. RAINSPLITISO 1003 1004 1005 1006 1007 1008
  9999

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Displaying the Image

• Once the run is compete, type IMGLIST LA.area,
  where area is the product from RAINSPLITISO,
  these will show the details of the image.
• To load the image type IMGDISP LA.area, where
  area is the product of RAINSPLITISO.
• To add a color bar to the image type BAR
  SUWSI750 ORIHOR RAN0 75 LIN5
• Also on the GUI if you go to the top menu --gt
  Configure --gt Image Enhanment Restore, and chose
  WSI.ET, these will add color to the image.

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HE Product Example