2.5 Configurable Options
The potential configuration changes available for the IFD are numerous.
Discussing each of them is beyond the scope of this course.
This lesson addresses some of the common types.
Adjust the Explorer.xml file, located in the SystemConfigFiles directory, to configure many of the configuration options, including the ones listed in the table above.
Configurable options are in two general categories - appearance and behavior.
Appearance
Here are a few questions to ask yourself when changing appearance aspects of the CHPS IFD:
- Would features be easier to see if the background were a different color?
- Would additional shapefiles be helpful?
- Do the line colors and thickness on the map and time series need adjusting?
Additional configurable options include the display's date/time format, time zone, and geodatum.
The coordinate system in which the grid is defined. It may or may not be the same as the coordinate system of the main display. Some examples of coordinate system include HRAP (radar) and Lambert Conformal Conic (the data in AWIPS).
How do you want the time to appear – YYYYMMDD, DDMMYYY, etc.? Ask the forecasters which format they would prefer.
Behavior
Many of the behavior aspects control what the forecasters can customize.
- Which panels are dockable? If a forecaster cannot undock a window, check the configuration. The option may not be set to "true".
- What panels are visible? Is there a panel, such as Graphics Generator, that would be helpful at your office?
- Are the zoom levels appropriate? Having a zoom level set to CONUS will lead to a lot of frustration because forecasters will have to zoom into their area of concern.
Program Management Suggestion: Highlight a river basin or a forecast group within your RFC's area by specifying a zoom level. See the job sheet below for instructions.
Job Sheet: Creating a Zoom Extent
Instructions: Click here to display regular course navigations once you have clicked on each link.