Load a Vertical Reflectivity Cross-Section Image Product Using the Volume Browser

Purpose:

This task demonstrates how to use the AWIPS-2 Volume Browser to generate a reflectivity cross-section.

Tasks:

 

  1. From the Tools menu, select Home.
  2. Middle-click the Home Location legend text to make the Home Location editable.
  3. Right-click the radar location on the map to snap the Home Location to the radar location.
  4. From one of your dedicated radar menus, select 0.5 Z+SRM8.
  5. Press the “.” key on the keypad to toggle to reflectivity.
  6. From the Tools menu, select Baselines.                                                                       A baseline (circled) positioned across some radar data in preparation for loading a cross section
    1. In the main display panel, select one of the baselines that appears and position it where you want an RCS product to be generated (resize as necessary).
    2. Note which baseline, identified by letters A-J, you positioned for your RCS product.
  7. From the Volume menu, select Browser.
  8. In the Volume Browser window, left-click on the pull-down menu to the right of the Tools menu (by default says “Plan View”) and select Cross Section. When filling out the Volume Browser menus it is not uncommon to have the menus become not selectable (greyed out). If that happens, then you can clear out the fields using the options in the Edit menu, and that will usually fix it.
  9. In the Sources panel: from the Volume menu select the desired radar.
    • Prior to 21.4.1 builds, the Radar menu is a generic menu, and it requires the Home to be placed on the desired radar (see step 1).
    • Starting in 21.4.1, the individual local radars are identified in the radar menu, and the Home is not used in the Volume Browser radar loading.
  10. In the Fields panel: from the Other menu select Reflectivity.
  11. In the Planes panel: from the Specified menu select the baseline that you positioned previously.           The Volume Browser
  12. Left-click on the Load button at the bottom of the Volume Browser window.
    • It may take a few seconds to load. Note the cross section has loaded in a new tab.
    • For the local 17.3.4 WES-2 Bridge builds, an image will come up when loading.
    • For operational AWIPS builds, the Volume Browser loads a contour product, you need to right click on the text legend for the contour product and load as image to obtain a radar image.
  13. Task Complete!