[gradsusr] * * * New Release GrADS Version 2.0.0 * * *
Jennifer Adams
jma at cola.iges.org
Mon Oct 3 20:17:16 EDT 2011
Dear all users of GrADS 2.0.0,
It has been brought to my attention that the version of the netcdf
library that is linked into GrADS 2.0.0 has a couple of bugs that
cause errors and/or poor performance when accessing OPeNDAP data sets.
The patch for the library is very new, just a few weeks old. We are
still in the process of deciding what to do about this, whether it is
better to revert back to older versions of the library or keep up with
the bleeding edge and relink with a recent snapshot version of
netcdf4. Either way, I will have to put out new builds. The GrADS
source code won't change, the version number will still be 2.0.0, but
the version of some of the supplibs will change. In the next few days
I will be testing the new version as much as I can, checking that it
works properly for all kinds of netcdf files. If I can find no serious
flaws, I am inclined to use the very latest version, even though 2.0.0
is meant to be STABLE and that philosophy is somewhat incompatible
with using a 3-week-old snapshot release of the netcdf library. The
problem is that the netcdf4 interface is evolving rapidly, and each
new version is a strong improvement over the previous one (just like
GrADS, except for the rapid part). We'd like to make GrADS work as
well as it can, which is a balance between the 'latest and greatest'
and 'old but reliable'. In the past, we've usually gone with 'old but
reliable', but I'm not so sure that's the right path in this case. If
any of you have any comments or strong feelings one way or the other,
I'd welcome your feedback. If you have been using 2.0.0 to access
OPeNDAP data sets and have noticed some problems, please go back to
2.0.a9 for the time being.
--Jennifer
On Sep 29, 2011, at 10:34 AM, Jennifer Adams wrote:
> Brian and I are pleased to announce a new release of GrADS, version
> 2.0.0. We have worked very hard to make this version as stable as
> possible, and are therefore taking it out of alpha status, skipping
> over beta altogether, and calling it 'operational'. There is a very
> long list of new features, bug fixes and miscellaneous additions,
> the full text from the ChangeLog is below, please read it carefully.
>
> Highlights of this release, other than its stability, are a new
> shaded contouring algorithm (which allows for "transparent" colors),
> support for polygon shapefiles and KML files, and some fixes and
> improvements to the streamlines, including controls for spacing,
> style, and size of the arrows. There are also new versions of some
> of the supplibs, enabling the handling of GRIB2 product definition
> template 4.15, and optimizing the netcdf5/hdf5 interface.
>
> The GrADS downloads web page (http://iges.org/grads/downloads.html)
> has been updated with links to the source code and a few pre-
> compiled binaries. Binaries for additional operating systems will be
> posted as they become available.
>
> Please report any problems or questions to this forum. Enjoy!
>
> --
> Jennifer M. Adams
> IGES/COLA
> 4041 Powder Mill Road, Suite 302
> Calverton, MD 20705
> jma at cola.iges.org
>
>
> 2011-09-29 Version 2.0.0
> Features:
> * New shaded contouring algorithm: "set gxout shade2"
> Polygons are closed, have no holes, do not overlap, and are as
> large and few in number as is feasible
> Use of -1 for a color # will suppress drawing of the shaded
> contour, making it effectively transparent
> * Legacy shaded contouring routine: "set gxout shade1"
> * "set gxout shaded" is now an alias for legacy shaded
> contouring routine
> * Support for creating polygon shapefiles with new option "-
> poly" to "set shp" command
> * Support for creating polygon KML files with new option "-poly"
> to "set kml" command
> * 1D loglog plots with new command "set log1d"
> * New environment variable GASHP, contains 1 or more directories
> that may contain shapefiles.
> GASHP delimiters are space, semicolon, comma, or colon.
> Algorithm is:
> 1. Tries to open filename as provided by user
> 2. Parses GASHP and prepends each dir to filename
> 3. Prepends GADDIR directory (only one dir) to filename
> * New command "set strmopts" to control streamline density plus
> arrowhead spacing, size, and type.
> Support for negative streamline density values (between -10
> and -1) for high-res grids.
>
> Misc:
> * Mixed case ensemble names are now allowed
> * Changes to improve masked contour labeling; also now works
> with "set vpage"
> * Support for grib1 time range indicator 7, which subtracts the
> forecast time
> from the basetime to get the valid time
> * Loosened restrictions in gribmap for mapping monthly data
> * Previously undocumented command: "screen"
> * Added "query calendar" command to discover calendar mode
> (unset, 365-day, or standard)
> * Added ":" to list of delimiters for multiple dirs in GASCRP
> environment variable (now same as GASHP)
> * Added "NULL" as an option for scale factor attribute name in
> the UNPACK descriptor file entry
> when add offset occurs alone
> * Updated wgrib.c to version 1.8.1.2a
> * Updated grib2scan to show start/ending times for averages, and
> valid times for instantaneous fields
> * Handles GRIB2 Product Definition Template 4.15
> * Added aliases 'line' for 'ln' and 'point' for 'pt' in 'set
> shp' and 'set kml' commands
> * Added alias 'image' for 'img' in 'set kml' command
>
> Bugs:
> * Fixed errors when retrieving data from a very large defined
> object that has more than 2Gb elements.
> * Patched memory leak when reading NetCDF attributes with
> lengths larger than 128
> * Patched memory leaks in cdiff(), gr2stn(), and coll2gr()
> functions and collect() command
> * Cannot have a leap and no-leap file open at the same time
> * Calendar mode cleared with "reinit" only
> * Fixed big/little endian error when reading 2-byte binary data
> * Fixed bug where 2-point contour segments are not drawn in
> upper right corner of grid
> * Fixed contouring bug for very high res grids with vertices too
> close together to resolve graphically
> * Fixed contouring bug for small grids that left a gap in
> contour line
> * Added check for strictly increasing contour levels
> * Fixed streamlines in areas where grid boxes are not square
> (e.g. near the poles)
> * Disabled erroneous vector/barb drawing in some projections
> (mollweide, orthographic, and robinson)
> * Fixed erroneous results from 'q xy2gr' for some projections
> (returns -999.9 instead of garbage)
>
> Supplib Updates:
> * Linked with jasper-1.900.1, g2clib 1.2.2, hdf5-1.8.7,
> netcdf-4.1.3, zlib-1.2.5
>
>
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--
Jennifer M. Adams
IGES/COLA
4041 Powder Mill Road, Suite 302
Calverton, MD 20705
jma at cola.iges.org
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