Problems writing GIF files

[Doug Hunt <huntd@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello:  We just installed ferret (version 4.10) on our Sun Solaris 2.4 
machine and have run into an odd problem in writing GIFs.

>From the Sun console, writing GIFs seems to work fine.  For example:

> ferret
        NOAA/PMEL TMAP
        Program FERRET (no GUI)
        Version 4.11 - 09/08/95
        10-Jul-96 13:23   
 
yes? use mega.cdf
yes? plot msl_alt
yes? frame/format=gif/file=test.gif
yes? q

results in a fine gif file, test.gif.

We have many MacIntoshes hooked up to our Sun which we are using as 
Xterms (using the eXodus software package).  

>From one of the MacIntoshes, ferret seems to work fine, but the same sequence
of commands generates a short, corrupted gif file.  The 'plot' command 
works correctly, and the 'frame' command seems to work fine, but the 
resulting gif file is messed up.

>From the same Mac, we can these commands result in a good GIF:

> setenv DISPLAY :0
> ferret -unmapped
        NOAA/PMEL TMAP
        Program FERRET (no GUI)
        Version 4.11 - 09/08/95
        10-Jul-96 13:23
 
yes? use mega.cdf
yes? plot msl_alt
yes? frame/format=gif/file=test.gif
yes? q
 
All I have done differently is to set the display variable to point to 
the Sun console instead of the IP address of the Mac and invoke ferret so 
that it does not display plots.

Can anyone tell me if this is a bug in ferret, a bug in eXodus or a bug 
in X?

Is there any way to generate GIFs from an X terminal program?

Any help would be appreciated,

Regards, 

  Doug Hunt
 

dhunt@ucar.edu
Software Engineer III
UCAR - GPS/MET 
Tel. (303) 497-2611