New features in Version 4.0

This module provides a list of new features that are being released in NCAR Graphics Version 4.0. It also specifies the platforms on which these features will be available at 4.0.

LLU interface

• Available on all supported platforms.
  
• This is the familiar NCARG 3.2 with new features and improvements.
  
• New features:
  
  • Areas: Added new algorithms for reconciling conflicting area-identifier information which work better for Conpack-generated area maps (see the parameter 'RC'). Debug plots can now be made to show all edge groups.
    
  • Dashpack: Draws curves using dashed-line patterns that may include gap-portion specifiers, solid-portion specifiers, and label-string specifiers. Labels can be made to bend with the curve. Dashpack is intended to replace and unify the old family of NCAR Graphics routines that includes Dashline, Dashchar, Dashsmth, and Dashsupr.
    
  • Ezmap: The new routine MAPBLM draws continental/political outlines masked by the contents of an area map. (In 4.0.1, use of a logical unit by Ezmap will be avoided.)
    
  • Labelbar: Modified so that all-blank labels are just ignored when it picks the character size to be used; what this means is that, if every other label is blank, the remaining ones will be made bigger.
    
  • Plotchar: Added a routine PCRSET, which returns all internal parameters to their default values. The new internal parameter 'UN' determines what logical unit will be used to access the PWRITX dataset. (In 4.0.1, use of a logical unit will be avoided entirely.) Added a mapping capability that is useful for generating labels on maps. Added parameters 'ZX', 'ZY', and 'ZZ' to specify default "zoom" values.
    
  • Polypack: Allows users to manipulate polygons in various ways.
    
  • Wmap: Aids in the production of daily weather maps like the ones you see in newspapers: plots station model data including wind barbs and draws icons to indicate daily weather.
    
  • Direct PostScript output: Now generates PS files directly (in addition to NCGMs). Types of PS include PS, EPS, and limited EPSI in color, mono, portrait, and landscape.
    
  • General: There is a new example for AREAS/CONPACK/EZMAP/PLOTCHAR, illustrating new features.
    
• Improved features:
  
  • Areas: Fixed some bugs, one of them probably responsible for some of those annoying "ALGORITHM FAILURE" exits.
    
  • Conpack: Fixed some bugs. Added an interface to Dashpack. Installed a new option to use interpolation only in problem areas (see the new parameter 'PIT'). Improved the generation of the visible/invisible boundary in an area map, thus avoiding certain problems with color fill.
    
  • Ezmap: Fixed an error that kept MAPGRM from responding properly to the color-setting parameters. Fixed an error affecting the handling of the "pole longitude".
    
  • Plotchar: Fixed a bug that prevented the use of filled fonts on Cray machines. Made it possible to use two consecutive occurrences of the function control character to get that character output as itself.
    
  • General: Improved error handling (recovery, traceback, etc.).
    

New interfaces

• There are three new user interfaces: HLU, NCL, and a prototype GUI.
  
• HLU = High Level Utilities.
  
  • Available on Sun computers, SGIs, and others. (Cray Unicos in 4.?)
    
  • New programming language interface (for Fortran and C).
    
  • Uses an object-oriented paradigm.
    
  • Allows use of "resource files" to control options.
    
  • Supports these classes of objects: XyPlot, Contour, Map, TextItem, LabelBar, Legend, Title, TickMark, Annotation
    
  • Future classes (projected for 4.1): Histogram, StreamLine, Vector, 3D
    
• NCL = NCAR Command Language.
  
  • Available on Sun computers, SGIs, and others. (Cray Unicos in 4.?)
    
  • An interpreted command language.
    
  • Uses some language constructs of Fortran 90.
    
  • Supports multiple input data formats.
    
• GUI = Graphical User Interface.
  
  • Available on all of the regular supported systems (Digital Equipment Alpha (OSF/1 3.2), Digital Equipment DECstation (Ultrix 4.4), HP9000 Series 700 (HP-UX 9.01), IBM RISC System/6000 (AIX 3.2), Silicon Graphics R4 systems (IRIX 5.3), and Sun-4/SPARCstation (SunOS 4.1)) except the Cray and the Sun4 Solaris.
    
  • GUI is an unsupported prototype at 4.0.
    

Online documentation

• LLU interface
  
  • Hypertext: http://ngwww.ucar.edu/ngdoc/ng4.0/ug/llu/lluoview.html
    
  • man pages
    
  • Examples via ncargex/ncargcex
    
  • Fundamentals, Contouring and Mapping Tutorial, GKS User Guide and other Low Level Utility programmer documents (many are vailable in HTML format and PostScript).
    
• New interfaces
  
  • Hypertext: http://ngwww.ucar.edu/ngdoc/ng4.0/ngdochome.html
    
  • Examples via ng4ex
    
  • User Guide, Quick Start Guide, Reference Manual
    

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