netCDF analysis and display

• To: netcdfgroup@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
• Subject: netCDF analysis and display
• From: Russ Rew <russ@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
• Date: Fri, 6 Sep 1991 14:03:30 -0600

Hi,

Earlier this week, Rich Signell sent out a summary of five of the tools now
available and under development within the oceanographic and hydrologic
community for analyzing and visualizing data in netCDF files.  I'd like to
summarize a few additional analysis and visualization tools from the
commercial sector and the atmospheric sciences community that can also deal
with netCDF data:

6. Spyglass Dicer is a commercial visualization tool for HDF and netCDF data
   that runs on Macintosh II, Macintosh SE/30, or Macintosh LC (a floating
   point unit is required for IIsi and LC).  Version 1.1 was released in
   July 1991.  It displays 3D volumes of data in color; allows creation of
   slices, cubes, and cutouts for viewing the data; supports creation of
   time or space animation sequences; orients the data volume along any
   axis; and prints images in halftones or on color printers.

7. The IBM POWER Visualization Data Explorer, which runs on either an IBM
   RS/6000 or any of three models of the IBM POWER Visualization Server,
   reportedly can import netCDF data.  The Data Explorer provides rendering
   of arbitrary slices from 3D data, color and opacity mapping of surfaces
   and volumes, isosurfaces, contours, streamlines, and various data
   manipulation functions.

8. The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) has either
   already undertaken or is awaiting approval on a proposal to incorporate
   the netCDF interface in the HDF library and to adapt NCSA visualization
   software to read netCDF objects stored in both netCDF and HDF files.

9. Unidata has contracted with Macdonald Dettwiler to develop Y0 (pronounced
   "Why not?"), a spatial data analysis and visualization system that
   applies the Model-View-Controller and spreadsheet paradigms to provide a
   "scientist's workbench" for data.  Y0 can read and write netCDF files,
   and can display 2D data slices using color or dithered images and
   contouring.  We have been working with the initial version of Y0 and will
   be making it available to a few university test sites within weeks.  A
   later version will be generally available to all licensed educational
   Unidata sites, and Macdonald Dettwiler may market a commercial version as
   well.

--Russ

• References:
  • netCDF analysis and display
    • From: Richard P. Signell