Re: [idvusers] Plotting with two different vertical scales

• To: Dan Grey <dangrey@xxxxxxxxx>
• Subject: Re: [idvusers] Plotting with two different vertical scales
• From: Don Murray <dmurray@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Fri, 06 Jun 2008 07:52:24 -0600

Hi Dan-

Dan Grey wrote:

Hi, I don't think this is possible so this is a feature request really.

You are correct, it is not possible at present.  We will add your
request to the list.

I like to plot pressure surface topography (e.g. 500 hPa GPHs), and
change the vertical scale to some like 5000 m at bottom to 6000 m at
top to exaggerate the vertical and bring out the topography of the
pressure surface. However if I plot another 3D isosurface, e.g.
windspeed, the isosurface is of course stretched enormously in the
vertical.

What I'd like to be able to do is plot a second parameter on a
different vertical scale.

Right now, the IDV doesn't support separate vertical scales, but
the underlying VisAD display model does.  At some point, we need
to support different vertical scales (e.g. potential temperature)
and we could roll your request in at the same time.  However, this
is not a high priority on the list.

Granted that would be meteorologically somewhat misleading, as the
resulting visualisation would no longer be strictly true to the actual
state of the atmosphere (it would be mixing levels), but it would
enable me to produce more educational images (I use the IDV mainly for
illustrating synoptic events on a blog).

Another feature request that we have along the same lines is
to be able to ignore the vertical dimension of a Plan View
(e.g. 700 mb color shaded temperature) to allow plotting that
along with the topography of a different layer.  That's a little
easier to implement than what you are asking, but you might
also find it useful.

So many (fun) things to do, so little time. ;-)

Don
*************************************************************
Don Murray                               UCAR Unidata Program
dmurray@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx                        P.O. Box 3000
(303) 497-8628                              Boulder, CO 80307
http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/staff/donm
*************************************************************

• References:
  • [idvusers] Plotting with two different vertical scales
    • From: Dan Grey