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The display portions of the software are capable
of running in the Windows environment for networked workstations
(requires site license).
The software does not require special video
cards. Any card which supports a 256-color mode in the desired
resolution is acceptable.
GRAPHIC FEATURES:
(a) The software is capable of displaying Satellite,
Difax, AFOS Redbook vector products, and NEXRAD radar. Other
images and products can also be displayed, as SAND supports
up to 50 different standard image formats.
(b) Satellite and Difax graphics are in PCX
format.
(c) NEXRAD file format is the same as used in
the WSR-88D Radars.
(d) Multiple Windows On-Screen Simultaneously
(satellite, Difax and NEXRAD). The display software allows
multiple, simultaneous, independently controllable movie loops
to run. There are no fixed number of loops; each image type
of each data type can be a loop (e.g. GOES08VIS, GOES10WV,
Difax Chart 155, Difax Chart 110, Radar Site OKC Echo Tops,
Radar Site KMOB Velocity Tilt#1, etc.)
(e) Loops can be colorized, zoomed and panned
while running.
(f) Loops are updated automatically when new
products are received.
(g) The software remembers loop speed and pause
for each image type and initially runs the loop with the default
settings; these parameters can then be changed again while
the loop is running.
(h) The number of frames per loop is limited
to 99, or as many as system memory allows, whichever is smaller.
(i) Ten user-programmable Hot Buttons for each
data type (Satellite, AFOS, NEXRAD and Difax) are available.
Each button may be individually programmed to display a loop,
a collection of images, the latest image from a collection,
or a single image.
(j) A separate set of ten Hot Buttons is programmable
for imported image types, which may include any PCX, BMP,
JPEG, TIFF, Group 3, or other files generated by other software.
IMAGE MANIPULATION FUNCTIONS:
(a) Zoom up to x16 and down to 1/16 (static
or while looping)
(b) Pan (static or while looping)
(c) Print - Manual or Auto
(d) Image Rotate - 90, 180 and 270 degrees
(e) Color Palettes - Each image type (Nexrad
Echo Top, Nexrad Reflectivity, Visible Satellite, Infrared
2 Satellite, Infrared 4 Satellite, etc.) can have its’
own color palette which the system "remembers" when
that particular product is displayed or looped. The
user can modify existing palettes and make and "save"
as many additional color palettes as desired. The color palette
tool has provisions for contrast stretching.
(f) Histogram
IMAGE ANNOTATION FUNCTIONS:
(a) Temperature (flat IR, satellite images only)
(b) Latitude and Longitude Readouts
(c) Distance and Bearing Readouts
(d) Plain Lines - User definable size, style
and color. Splined snap-lines are utilized for precise
curve adjustment.
(e) Standard Weather Front Lines - NWS default
style and color. User adjustable "snap-lines"
for precise adjustment.
(f) 50 User Definable Weather Symbols - User
selectable fonts, size, color and rotate.
(g) 100 Standard NWS Weather Symbols - Defaults
to standard NWS colors. User selectable fonts, size,
color and rotate.
(h) Text - User selectable fonts, size, and
color
(i) Mapping for NEXRAD and Satellite imagery
include: Country/State, lakes/rivers/streams, county, highways,
railroads, airspace, and administrative boundaries. Maps can
be turned on/off in any combination desired.
(j) Overlays - Create overlays using any of
the above tools, and automatically display on any graphics
(control per product).
AUTOMATIC DATA HANDLING CAPABILITIES:
The software automatically performs many functions
in the background, without user intervention. The user is
given complete control of each product in the system, and
can tag each individually for any or all of the functions
listed below.
1. Purging of Old Data - The user specifies
how many of each type of product to maintain. The software
will remove the oldest version of each product when the number
of products of that type exceed the specified count.
2. Alarms - The user may control which
products, if any, cause alarms to be generated when those
products are received. In addition, software alarms are generated
if the system has difficulty performing background operations.
The alarms can use any Windows-NT supported sound cards with
wave files (special effects, voice, or any other sound can
be used), or the internal speaker of the PC, or be silent
alarms which are logged, but do not enunciate.
3. Disk Mirroring - A designated disk
drive or network server can be specified as the target device
for the built-in disk mirror. This function allows the user
to specify on a per-product basis which products should be
mirrored to the specified device. This function maintains
an exact copy of the specified products on the target device,
adding new ones and removing old ones as appropriate.
4. File Conversion and Export - User
selected NEXRAD, Satellite and Difax images may be automatically
converted to JPEG, TIFF, PCX or BMP formats and stored on
a designated disk drive or network server. Separate destination
paths can be specified for NEXRAD, DIFAX and satellite, and
alphanumeric products.
5. Auto Print - Four separate printers
are supported simultaneously, one each for Text, Satellite,
Difax and NEXRAD Each printer has a separate seven-day, 24-hour
availability schedule, allowing the user to enable/disable
autoprinting automatically throughout the week. Text autoprinting
can be specified to occur by station and product as data is
received, or by city-pair route and product, or geographical
area and product, or station and product on a timed basis.
6. Archive - The software can archive
selected products to separately specified destinations for
NEXRAD, Text, Satellite/Difax and AFOS.
7. Transmitter - The software can resend
text products through a specified serial port in either ASCII
or BAUDOT codes at speeds up to 19200 BPS. The serial port
RTS signal becomes active 10 seconds prior to transmission
to accommodate a radio link.
8. The
above Automatic Data Handling Functions are performed by Marta
Systems' ROUTER program, included with the SAND Graphics software.
Please refer to "ROUTER" features on this homepage
fo additional information.
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