SFMAP plots surface station data on a map.
INPUT PARAMETERS
AREA *Data area
GAREA *Graphics area
SFPARM *Surface parameter list
DATTIM *Date/time
SFFILE *Surface data file
COLORS *Color list
MAP *Map color/dash/width
LATLON *Line color/dash/width/label/inc
MARKER *Marker color/type/size/width/hw
TITLE *Title color/line/title
CLEAR *Clear screen flag
PANEL *Panel location/color/dash/width
DEVICE *Graphics device
PROJ *Map projection/angles/margins
FILTER *Filter data factor
TEXT *Text size/font/width/hw flag
SKPMIS *Skip missing data flag
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
SFMAP plots data at station locations on a map. Any
parameter that can be computed from the parameters in
the data set can be displayed.
The order of the input parameters determines their location
on the plot. Parameters are separated by semicolons. A
position may be skipped by entering two consecutive semicolons
or entering the name SPAC or BLNK. A parameter will be
plotted centered at the station if it is the first parameter
in the list, for example, if SFPARM = SKYC, the sky cover symbol
will be plotted centered on the station location. If no
parameter is to be displayed centered on the station location,
a semicolon must appear before the first parameter listed.
SPAC or BLNK may also be entered. The following chart shows
the location on the model of each position.
8
2 10 4
3 1 5
6 11 7
9
If FILTER is set to YES, the stations will be filtered so that
overlapping stations will not be plotted. FILTER may also be
entered as a number greater than or equal to zero. FILTER = NO
has the same effect as FILTER = 0. FILTER = 1 has the same
effect as FILTER = YES. Values less than 1 allow more crowding
of stations, values exceeding 1 less crowding. If a position
is skipped using two semicolons or if the parameter is BLNK, the
filter will not allocate the space. The parameter SPAC may be
used to reserve the space with the filter option. Then later
plots will plot the same stations after filtering, provided
that the same parameter locations are specified.
If certain stations are not to be removed by the filter, these
stations are listed first following an @. The area over which
filtering is to occur is specified after a slash. For example,
AREA = @bwi;iad;dca/md
FILTER = YES
will display a filtered array of stations over the area
corresponding to MD, but BWI, IAD and DCA will be shown
regardless of the filtering.
Conditions can be specified for the parameters. The conditions
are documented in the SFPARM documentation. Weather symbols
can also be plotted. The size and width of the symbols can
be specified by appending the numbers to the parameter name
using a colon as a separator. For example, WSYM:2:5 will plot
weather symbols with size of 2. and line width of 5.
Other symbols can be specified in a similar way. The names for
the pressure tendency, sky cover, cloud type, weather and wind
symbols and how their characteristics are set are given in the
SFPARM documentation.
EXAMPLES
1. Plot a polar stereographic map with stations in the area
centered on Maryland with temperature, dewpoint, and the
character weather code for the latest time. Use positions
2, 3 and 5, and filter overlapping stations. Do not plot
markers where data are missing. Plot wind barbs in knots
using color 2.
AREA = md
GAREA = md
SFPARM = ;tmpf;dwpf;;wthr;brbk
DATTIM = last
SFFILE = data:newsfc.dat
COLORS = 2;3;4;2
MAP = 5
LATLON =
MARKER = 3
TITLE = 5
SKPMIS = yes
CLEAR = yes
PANEL =
DEVICE = ct
PROJ = nps
FILTER = yes
TEXT =
SKPMIS = yes
2. Plot a Mercator map of the Washington DC area with
temperatures to the left of the station and mixing ratio
to the right. Do not clear the screen prior to plotting.
Draw the map using dash pattern 3. Do not plot any wind
symbols. The changes from example 1 are:
AREA = dca**
GAREA = dca**
SFPARM = ;;tmpf;;mixr
MAP = 1/3
CLEAR = no
PROJ = mer
3. Plot only weather symbols centered at the station. Change
the size of the weather symbol to half the default size and
the line width to 5.
MARKER = 0
SFPARM = wsym:.5:5
4. The following entry for SFPARM will place the parameters
in standard positions:
SFPARM = skyc;tmpf;wsym;pmsl;ptnd;dwpf;p24i;brbk
ERROR MESSAGES
[SFMAP -1] Fatal error initializing TAE.
[SFMAP -2] Fatal error reading TAE parameters.
[SFMAP -3] Fatal error initializing GEMPLT.
[SFMAP -4] Parameter ... is not calculable.
[SFMAP -5] Winds are not calculable.