Editing Data Temporally


Editing Scalar Data Temporally
Editing Vector Data Temporally
Editing Weather Data Temporally
Editing Discrete Data Temporally

Editing Scalar Data Temporally

Before you begin: Set up your GFE so that the spatial and temporal editors are visible. Load T (temperature) via the Weather Element->Weather Element Browser... dialog.
  1. Make or find a temperature grid and display it as an image in the spatial editor.
  2. Clear the edit area by clicking MB1 on the Clear button.
  3. Use the Select Points tool to define an edit area the size of a few counties.
  4. Find the T (temperature) weather element in the temporal editor. Vertically stretch the size of the temporal editor pane so that there's plenty of room to see the time series display.
  5. In the temporal scale, located to the left of the time series display, click MB2 to zoom in until the minimum and maximum values are about 20 degrees F apart.
  6. Find the data point in the time series that represents the grid displayed in the spatial editor. This point is identified by the dotted yellow line.
  7. Click MB1 about 10 degrees F above the data point. Note the change in the spatial editor display. All the points you identified in the spatial editor have been assigned the value you selected in the temporal editor.  This is called the "absolute" mode for temporal editing.
  8. Initialize about 12 hours worth of temperature data from you favorite model. Use the interpolation facility (Grids->Interpolate) to fill in the gaps and get a smooth time-series curve.
  9. Back in the temporal editor pane, move the cursor to somewhere near left side of the time-series display. Move the cursor over one of the horizontal lines that display the temporal values and press and hold MB1 and slowly drag horizontally to define a new temperature curve. As you move the cursor to the next data point, it should snap to your cursor position. Each time this happens, you are modifying data in a different grid. Note that you MUST start the edit operation over one of the displayed values. Starting the operation in a gap will not modify any data.
  10. Release MB1.
  11. Step through your newly-modified grids using the Grid Manager or the Step Forward / Step Backwards buttons to see that you modified a series of grids with one edit operation.
Repeat this exercise until you are comfortable using the Adjust Scalar temporal tool. This and all the temporal tools are capable of modifying a large quantity of data with only a few edit operations. Used properly, these tools can save you lots of time.

Editing Vector Data Temporally

Before you begin: Set up your GFE so that the spatial and temporal editors are visible. Load Wind via the Weather Element->Weather Element Browser... dialog. Make sure that the GFE->Editing Preferences->Temporal Edit Mode: Relative is deselected..
  1. Make or find a Wind grid and display it as an image in the spatial editor.
  2. Set the Vector edit mode located main menu bar GFE->Editing Preferences->Vector Edit Mode->Both to edit both magnitude and direction.
  3. Use the Select Points tool to define an edit area the size of a few counties.
  4. Find the Wind weather element in the temporal editor. Vertically stretch the size of the temporal editor pane so that there's plenty of room to see the time series display.
  5. In the temporal scale, located to the left of the time series display, click MB2 to zoom in until the minimum and maximum values are about 20 knots F apart. Clicking MB1 zooms out. Dragging MB1 pans the scale.
  6. Find the data point in the time series that represents the grid displayed in the spatial editor. This point is identified by the dotted yellow line.
  7. Click MB1 about 10 knots above the data point. Note the change in the spatial editor display. All the points you identified in the spatial editor have been assigned the value you selected in the temporal editor.
  8. Release MB1.
  9. Press and hold MB1 and move the cursor up or down to adjust the vector data point again. Note how the wind barb updates as you adjust the magnitude.
  10. Release MB1.
If you're editing wind magnitude only, the vector adjust tool works just like the scalar adjust tool. It's when you edit the direction that things get interesting.
  1. Press and hold down the Shift key on your keyboard.
  2. Move the cursor over any wind data point, press and hold MB1 and adjust. Note that the wind direction is changing while the magnitude remains constant. The wind direction shifts from North clockwise and back to North as you move from the lower extreme of the temporal pane to the upper extreme of the temporal pane.
  3. Release MB1.
This exercise demonstrates that with the Shift button up, the temporal adjust vector tool changes the magnitude. With the Shift button down, the tool changes the wind direction.

Editing Weather Data Temporally

Before you begin: Set up your GFE so that the spatial and temporal editors are visible. Load Wx via the Weather Element->Weather Element Browser... dialog. Make sure that the TE Edit Mode: Relative button is still de-selected.
  1. Make or find a Wx grid and display it as an image in the spatial editor.
  2. Use the Select Points tool to define an edit area the size of a few counties.
  3. Find the Wx weather element in the temporal editor. Vertically stretch the size of the temporal editor pane so that there's plenty of room to see the time series display.
  4. In the Spatial Editor legend, select a pickup value by clicking MB2. You may need to invoke the set value dialog to add additional weather types.
  5. Find the data point in the time series that represents the grid displayed in the spatial editor. This point is identified by the dotted yellow line.
  6. Click MB1 on this data point in the Wx pane of the temporal editor. You should see the temporal editor paint the same color/pattern as you selected in the spatial editor legend. The spatial editor will show you that the area that you selected in Step 2 has been set to this new value. Even if there were multiple weather types displayed previously, when the MB1 action is executed, all grid points in the edit area will be set to the new value.
There are several other ways to change the data in the temporal editor for Wx. A MB3 popup menu over a data point in the time series will bring up a menu containing several items. The items that will edit the data are Set..., Set to Recent Value..., and Set to Common Value.... The Set... brings up the Set Weather Dialog. The Set to Recent Value brings up a cascade menu of recently set pickup values for weather, and the Set to Common Value... brings up a cascade menu of commonly set pickup values. Unlike the color bar on the spatial editor, these menu entries set not only the pickup value, but also modify the data.

The set of common weather values are site-configurable through the gfe configuration file's common weather values entry.

The temporal Set Value tool does not support drag operations as with the scalar and vector tools. Only MB1 clicks, or selection of a common value, recent value, or using the Set... will modify data in the Wx pane.

MB2 click on a weather value in the temporal editor display can also be used to set the pick-up value.

Editing Discrete Data Temporally

Before you begin: Set up your GFE so that the spatial and temporal editors are visible. Load Wx via the Weather Element->Weather Element Browser... dialog. Make sure that the TE Edit Mode: Relative button is still de-selected.
  1. Make or find a DISCRETE grid, such as Headlines, and display it as an image in the spatial editor.
  2. Use the Select Points tool to define an edit area the size of a few counties.
  3. Find the DISCRETE weather element in the temporal editor. Vertically stretch the size of the temporal editor pane so that there's plenty of room to see the time series display.
  4. In the Spatial Editor legend, select a pickup value by clicking MB2. You may need to invoke the set value dialog to add additional discrete types for the weather element you have chosen.
  5. Find the data point in the time series that represents the grid displayed in the spatial editor. This point is identified by the dotted yellow line.
  6. Click MB1 on this data point in the Discrete pane of the temporal editor. You should see the temporal editor paint the same color/pattern as you selected in the spatial editor legend. The spatial editor will show you that the area that you selected in Step 2 has been set to this new value.
There are several other ways to change the data in the temporal editor for discrete weather elements. A MB3 popup menu over a data point in the time series will bring up a menu containing several items. The items that will edit the data are Set..., Set to Recent Value..., and Set to Common Value.... The Set... brings up the Set Discrete Dialog. The Set to Recent Value brings up a cascade menu of recently set pickup values for weather, and the Set to Common Value... brings up a cascade menu of commonly set pickup values. Unlike the color bar on the spatial editor, these menu entries set not only the pickup value, but also modify the data.

The set of common discrete values are site-configurable through the gfe configuration file's common discrete values entry.
 

The temporal Set Value tool does not support drag operations as with the scalar and vector tools. Only MB1 clicks, or selection of a common value, recent value, or using the Set... will modify data in the pane containing the Discrete weather element.

MB2 click on a discrete value in the temporal editor display can also be used to set the pick-up value.