mkdes, a tool to generate an MC descriptor file given a set of netCDFfiles

[<btang@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

######################
       mkdes
######################

Version: 1.0
Author: Benyang Tang,  btang@pacific.jpl.nasa.gov


=== Introduction ===

mkdes is a tool to generate a descriptor file when given a set of netCDF files. The descriptor file is to be used in the visualization software Ferret.

mkdes needs Python. All Linux computers should have Python installed. Other
unix computers may have Python installed too. type 'which python' to test.


=== Download ===

http://www.ocgy.ubc.ca/~tang/softwares/mkdes/mkdes.html


=== Usage ===

mkdes [--help --des=desFile --timevar=timeVariableName --dir=dir_prefix --modulo --title=Tilte --f90 --ncdump=ncdumpCommand] netCDF1 [netCDF2 ...]

The arguments netCDF1, netCDF2, ... need not to be in any special order. mkdes is smart enough to figure the time order out.

The time grids of each netCDF file has to be evenly spaced. But each netCDF file can have its own time interval. 

The time grids from different netCDF files can overlap. mkdes will drop off the overlapping time grids. Here is an example:
netCDF1 has time grids of [101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106]
netCDF2 has time grids of [103, 104]
netCDF3 has time grids of [104, 105, 106]
Then, mkdes will take the first time 2 levels from netCDF1, the first time level from netCDF2, and all the time levels from netCDF3.

=== options ===
 
--help  
print this help message.

--timevar=timeVariableName
Specify the time variable name. The default is, of caurse, time .

--des=desFile
Specify the resulting descriptor file. The default is a file named temp999.des in the current directory.

--dir=dir_prefix
Specify a directory which prefixes the netCDF filenames in the descriptor file.
The default is not directory prefix. If you like to prefix the current
directory, use --dir='.' .

--modulo
Specify whether the time is modulo. The default is not.

--f90
Specify whether the descriptor file is f90 style (for Ferret in Linux) or f77 (for other platforms). The default is not f77.

--ncdump=ncdumpCommand
This script needs a tool called ncdump. If your system has netCDF library
installed, it should have ncdump. mkdes will search several directories for ncdump.
If it fails to find, it will print a message telling that you need to use this
option to specify the ncdump path.

--title=Title
Specify the title of the descriptor file. The default is to be read from the netCDF files.


=== examples ===

# to print the help message and do nothing else:
mkdes --help

# to generate a f77 style descriptor file, prefixing the current diretory name, outputing the descriptor file as temp999.des:
mkdes netCDF1 netCDF2

# to generate descriptor file myDes.des:
mkdes --des=myDes.des netCDF1 netCDF2

# to generate a f90 descriptor file:
mkdes --f90 netCDF1 netCDF2

# If the time variable in the netCDF files is not time, but timeZZZ
mkdes --timevar=timeZZZ netCDF1 netCDF2


-- 
<> Benyang Tang                            office: 818/354-0327 <> 
<> 300-323, JPL                               fax: 818/393-6720 <> 
<> 4800 Oak Grove Drive        mail: btang@pacific.jpl.nasa.gov <> 
<> Pasadena, CA 91109, USA                                      <>