[mcidas-x] 20080817: Unidata McIDAS-X v2008 available for download

• To: mcidas-x@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: [mcidas-x] 20080817: Unidata McIDAS-X v2008 available for download
• From: Unidata Support <support@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2008 11:56:37 -0600

Unidata McIDAS-X/-XCD Users:

Unidata McIDAS-X Version 2008 is now available for download.

Unidata McIDAS-X v2008 is a combination of SSEC McIDAS-X v2008 and XCD
v2008 including additional bugfixes developed by the UPC, and various
applications and enhancements from the UPC, the Australian Bureau of
Meteorology, CSU/CIRA, and others.

McIDAS-X/-XCD News of Note

  * In 2009 and beyond, official Unidata McIDAS-X/-XCD software
    updates will be made via software addenda (including online
    documentation updates) rather than via formal annual upgrades each
    summer. This step is being taken so that the McIDAS programming,
    testing and documentation efforts can focus on the next generation
    McIDAS, McIDAS-V.

McIDAS-X v2008 Highlights

  * Many corrections to ADT and associated software so it works much
    better on more platforms than the beta version in McIDAS-X 2007;
    also now sets the value for the environment variable LDR_CNTRL
    based on the amount of memory available when running McIDAS-X on an
    AIX system.

  * Modified IMGCOPY BAND keyword to allow copying of selected bands
    (no just one band or ALL bands) if the source image is MTSAT raw
    data on an SDI server; copying of selected bands is also available
    with GVAR raw data on an SDI server, MODIS Level 1b data in HDF
    format, or real-time segmented MSG Level 1.5 files transmitted by
    EUMETSAT.

  * Support of GNU gfortran was improved for 32- and 64-bit Linux
    workstations.  NOTE: gfortran use has only been tested at the UPC
    on Linux workstations.

  * GRIB ADDE serving was updated for datasets containing GRIB2 files
    from NOAAPORT and to display/manipulate the data using the GRD*
    commands.

  * MCLISTEN - new undocumented command that is used to send McIDAS-X
    information to McIDAS-V through use of the McIDAS-V bridge.

  * MOSRPT - fixed bugs in MOS decoders and in station database so
    MOSRPT now correctly finds and lists Alaskan MOS forecasts.

  * NAVCALC - updated to work correctly with MTSAT HRIT imagery.

  * BUFR Server - several new modules were added and existing ones were
    modified in preparation for an upcoming McIDAS-X BUFR server and
    McIDAS-XCD BUFR filer; the server and filer are *not* complete in
    version 2008; a separate, alpha version, McIDAS BUFR package that
    requires Java is planned for later in 2008.

  * GeoTIFF Servers - updated GeoTIFF servers so that GeoTIFF files
    created with IMGCOPY, IMGFILT, IMGOPER or IMGREMAP are compatible
    with the ArcGIS software package.

  * GOES-14/-15 - updated calibration module and server so applications
    will correctly handle increased resolution (from 8km to 4km) of
    band 6 GOES-O/14 and GOES-P/15 data.

  * GVAR Servers - updated GVAR servers to output correct radiance
    values when using IMGCOPY with UNIT=RAD to write to a netCDF
    dataset.

  * Level 1b Servers - updated Level 1b servers to work with MetOp-A
    AVHRR FRAC data; see the DSSERVE command's online help or its
    documentation in the Unidata v2008 McIDAS User's Guide for
    information about creating the datasets.

  * Meteosat-8/-9 - updated Meteosat Second Generation servers and
    calibration module to accommodate the 05 May 2008 change from
    spectral to effective radiance, and the inclusion of a flag in the
    signal to indicate the radiance type; the calibration block for MSG
    data was increased in size to 400 bytes; the calibration module
    (kbxmsg.dlm) is backward compatible to correctly read both old and
    new data.

  * Meteosat Servers - updated Meteosat PDUS servers to work with
    archive directory structures that have a different directory for
    each day; also added new Meteosat OMTP servers to work with Open
    MTP format data.

  * New MODIS Product - added MODIS product server in McIDAS-X to allow
    creation of Server datasets of MODIS Corrected Reflectance data in
    HDF format on local and remote servers, and display or manipulation
    of the data using the IMG* commands; see the DSSERVE command's
    online help or its documentation in the McIDAS User's Guide
    (revised 5/08) for information about creating the datasets.

  * MTSAT HRIT Server - changed latitude and longitude of MTSAT's
    subsatellite point from a hardcoded value to one that finds the
    value from the satellite signal.


Some useful reading:

v2008 Release Announcement
http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/mcidas/current/release.html

ABCs of Upgrading from a Previous Distribution
http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/mcidas/current/upgrade_notes.html

Installing McIDAS-X on Unix or Mac OS X Workstations
http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/mcidas/current/users_guide/InstallingMcIDAS-XonUnixorMacOSXWorkstations.html

Please send questions/comments about the v2008 distribution to:

Unidata McIDAS Support <support-mcidas@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>.

Cheers,

Tom Yoksas
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