1 Software for Manipulating or Displaying NetCDF Data {#software}
2 ===================================================
4 This document provides references to software packages that may be used for manipulating or displaying [netCDF](/software/netcdf/) data. We include information about both freely-available and licensed (commercial) software that can be used with netCDF data. We rely on developers to help keep this list up-to-date. If you know of corrections or additions, please [send them to us (mailto:support@unidata.ucar.edu). Where practical, we would like to include WWW links to information about these packages in the HTML version of this document.
6 Other useful guides to utilities that can handle netCDF data include ARM's list of [ARM-tested netCDF data tools](http://science.arm.gov/%7ecflynn/ARM_Tested_Tools/), which includes some downloadable binaries and the NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory [guide to netCDF utilities](http://nomads.gfdl.noaa.gov/sandbox/products/vis/data/netcdf/GFDL_VG_NetCDF_Utils.html).
8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
10 [Freely Available Software](#freely)
11 ------------------------------------
13 - [ANDX (ARM NetCDF Data eXtract) and ANAX (ARM NetCDF ASCII
16 - [ANTS (ARM NetCDF Tool Suite)](#ANTS)
17 - [ARGOS (interActive thRee-dimensional Graphics ObServatory)](#ARGOS)
18 - [CDAT (Climate Data Analysis Tool)](#CDAT)
19 - [CDFconvert (Convert netCDF to RPN and GEMPAK Grids)](#CDFconvert)
20 - [cdfsync (network synchronization of netCDF files)](#cdfsync)
21 - [CDO (Climate Data Operators)](#CDO)
22 - [CIDS Tools](#CIDS_Tools)
23 - [CSIRO MATLAB/netCDF interface](#CSIRO-MATLAB)
25 - [Excel Use](#ExcelUse)
27 - [FAN (File Array Notation)](#FAN)
29 - [FIMEX (File Interpolation, Manipulation, and EXtraction)](#fimex)
30 - [FWTools (GIS Binary Kit for Windows and Linux)](#fwtools)
31 - [GDAL (Geospatial Data Abstraction Library)](#GDAL)
32 - [GDL (GNU Data Language)](#GDL)
33 - [Gfdnavi (Geophysical fluid data navigator)](#Gfdnavi)
34 - [GMT (Generic Mapping Tools)](#GMT)
36 - [GrADS (Grid Analysis and Display System)](#GrADS)
38 - [GXSM - Gnome X Scanning Microscopy project](#GXSM)
39 - [HDF (Hierarchical Data Format) interface](#HDF_interface)
40 - [HDF-EOS to netCDF converter](#HDF-EOS)
41 - [HIPHOP (Handy IDL-Program for HDF-Output Plotting)](#HIPHOP)
42 - [HOPS (Hyperslab OPerator
44 - [iCDF (imports chromatographic netCDF data into MATLAB)](#iCDF)
45 - [IDV (Integrated Data Viewer)](#IDV)
47 - [Intel Array Visualizer](#IntelArrayVisualizer)
48 - [IVE (Interactive Visualization Environment)](#IVE)
49 - [JSON format with the ncdump-json utility](#JSON)
50 - [Java interface](#Java_interface)
51 - [Kst (2D plotting tool)](#KST)
52 - [Labview interface](#Labview-API)
53 - [MBDyn (MultiBody Dynamics)](#MBDyn)
54 - [Max_diff_nc](#Maxdiffnc)
55 - [MeteoExplorer](#MeteoExplorer)
56 - [MeteoInfo](#MeteoInfo)
57 - [MexEPS (MATLAB interface)](#MexEPS)
58 - [MEXNC and SNCTOOLS (a MATLAB interface)](#MEXNC)
59 - [Mirone (Windows MATLAB-based display)](#Mirone)
60 - [ncBrowse (netCDF File Browser)](#ncBrowse)
61 - [nccmp (netCDF compare)](#nccmp)
62 - [ncdx (netCDF for OpenDX)](#ncdx)
63 - [ncensemble (command line utility to do ensemble
64 statistics)](#ncensemble)
65 - [NCL (NCAR Command Language)](#NCL)
66 - [NCO (NetCDF Operators)](#NCO)
67 - [ncregrid](#ncregrid)
68 - [nctoolbox (a MATLAB common data model interface)](#nctoolbox)
70 - [NetCDF Toolbox for MATLAB-5](#matlab5)
72 - [netcdf tools](#netcdf_tools)
73 - [netcdf4excel (add-in for MS Excel)](#netcdf4excel)
74 - [NetCDF95 alternative Fortran API](#netcdf95)
75 - [Objective-C interface](#Objective-C)
76 - [Octave interface](#NCMEX)
77 - [Octave interface (Barth)](#Octave)
78 - [OPeNDAP (formerly DODS)](#OPeNDAP)
79 - [OpenDX (formerly IBM Data Explorer)](#OpenDX)
81 - [Parallel-NetCDF](#Parallel-NetCDF)
82 - [Paraview and vtkCSCSNetCDF](#Paraview)
83 - [Perl interfaces](#Perl)
84 - [PolyPaint+](#PolyPaint)
85 - [Pomegranate](#pomegranate)
86 - [Pupynere (PUre PYthon NEtcdf REader)](#pupynere)
87 - [PyNGL and PyNIO](#PyNGL)
88 - [Python interfaces](#Python)
89 - [QGIS (Quantum GIS)](#QGIS)
91 - [Ruby interface](#Ruby)
92 - [Scientific DataSet (SDS) Library](#SDS)
93 - [Apache Spatial Information System (SIS)](#SIS)
94 - [Tcl/Tk interfaces](#TclTk)
95 - [Tcl-nap (N-dimensional array processor)](#Tcl-nap)
96 - [Visual Basic and VB.net](#VB)
98 - [WebWinds](#WebWinds)
99 - [xray (Python N-D labelled arrays)](#xray)
101 - [User-contributed software](#user)
103 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
105 [Commercial or Licensed Packages](#commercial)
106 ----------------------------------------------
108 - [ASA ViewNcDap](#ViewNcDap)
111 - [Barrodale UFI](#BCS-UFI)
112 - [DioVISTA/Storm](#DioVISTAStorm)
113 - [EnSight](#EnSight)
114 - [Environmental WorkBench](#Environmental_WorkBench)
117 - [HDF Explorer](#HDF-Explorer)
118 - [IDL Interface](#IDL)
119 - [InterFormat](#InterFormat)
120 - [IRIS Explorer Module](#IRIS_Explorer_Module)
121 - [LeoNetCDF](#LeoNetCDF)
122 - [Mathematica](#Mathematica)
127 - [PV-Wave](#PV-Wave)
128 - [Slicer Dicer](#SlicerDicer)
131 - [VISAGE and Decimate](#VISAGE_and_Decimate)
132 - [Voyager](#Voyager)
136 Freely Available Software {#freely}
137 =========================
139 ANDX and ANAX {#ANDX}
140 ------------------------------------
142 The ARM Program has developed [ANDX (ARM NetCDF Data
143 eXtract)](http://engineering.arm.gov/~sbeus/andx-web/html/), a
144 command-line utility designed for routine examination and extraction of
145 data from netcdf files. Data can be displayed graphically (line-plot,
146 scatter-plot, overlay, color-intensity, etc.) or extracted as ASCII
147 data. Whether displayed graphically or extracted as ASCII, results can
148 be saved to disk or viewed on screen.
150 [ANAX (ARM NetCDF ASCII
151 eXtract)](http://science.arm.gov/~cflynn/ARM_Tested_Tools/) is a
152 scaled-down version of ANDX -- it is designed to only extract ASCII
153 data. All features of ANDX pertaining to non-graphic data extraction are
157 ---------------------------
159 The ARM Program has developed [ANTS (ARM NetCDF Tool
160 Suite)](http://science.arm.gov/~cflynn/ANTS/), a collection of netCDF
161 tools and utilities providing various means of creating and modifying
162 netcdf files. ANTS is based on nctools written by Chuck Denham. The
163 utilities within nctools were modified to compile with version 3.5 of
164 the netCDF library, the command syntax was modified for consistency with
165 other tools, and changes were made to accommodate ARM standard netCDF.
167 The original functions from nctools were intended mainly for the
168 creation, definition, and copying of fundamental netCDF elements. ARM
169 added others which focus on manipulation of data within existing netCDF
170 files. Additional functions have special support for multi-dimensional
171 data such as "slicing" cross sections from multi-dimensional variable
172 data or joining lesser-dimensional fields to form multi-dimensional
173 structures. Functions have been added to support execution of arithmetic
174 and logical operations, bundling or splitting netCDF files, comparing
175 the structure or content of files, and so on.
177 Essentially every type of netCDF library function call is exercised in
178 ANTS. In this way then, this open-source collection of tools also
179 represents a library of coding examples for fundamental netCDF tasks.
180 See the [website](http://science.arm.gov/~cflynn/ANTS/) for more
184 -----------------------------
186 [ARGOS](http://www.lapeth.ethz.ch/argos/index.html) (interActive
187 thRee-dimensional Graphics ObServatory) is a new IDL-based interactive
188 3D visualization tool, developed by [David N.
189 Bresch](http://www.lapeth.ethz.ch/~david/index.html) and [Mark A.
190 Liniger](http://www.lapeth.ethz.ch/~mark/index.html) at the Institute
191 for Atmospheric Science at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology,
194 A highly optimized graphical user interface allows quick and elegant
195 creation of even complex 3D graphics (volume rendering,
196 isosurfaces,...), including Z-buffered overlays (with hidden lines),
197 light and data shading, Xray images, 3D trajectories, animations and
198 virtual flights around your data, all documented in a full on-line
199 [html-help](http://www.lapeth.ethz.ch/argos/argos_general.html). The
200 netCDF data format is preferred, but any other format can be read by
201 providing an IDL (or FORTRAN or C or C++) interface. Some toolboxes (for
202 atmospheric model output, trajectory display, radar data) have already
203 been written, others might easily be added (in IDL, FORTRAN or C code).
204 All interactive activities are tracked in a script, allowing quick
205 reconstruction of anything done as well as running ARGOS in batch script
208 Information about [copyright and licensing
209 conditions](http://www.lapeth.ethz.ch/argos/argos_copyright.html) are
210 available. For further information and installation, please E-mail to:
211 bresch@atmos.umnw.ethz.ch
214 ---------------------------
216 The [Climate Data Analysis Tool (CDAT)](http://cdat.sf.net), developed
217 by the [Program for Climate Model Diagnosis and Intercomparison
218 (PCMDI)](http://www-pcmdi.llnl.gov/) at Lawrence Livermore National
219 Laboratory, provides the capabilities needed to analyze model data,
220 perform complex mathematical calculations, and graphically display the
221 results. It provides the necessary tools to diagnose, validate, and
222 intercompare large observational and global climate model data sets.
223 It includes the ability to ingest large climate datasets in netCDF, HDF,
224 DRS, and GrADS/GRIB format; the Visualization and Computation System
225 (VCS) module, visually displays and animates ingested or created data;
226 and the Library of AMIP Data Transmission Standards (LATS) module
227 outputs data in the machine-independent netCDF or GrADS/GRIB file
230 In addition, the Command Line Interface (CLI) module allows CDAT to
231 receive argument and function input via the command line, and the
232 Graphical User Interface (GUI) allows CDAT to receive argument and
233 function input via a point-and-click environment.
235 The software, which runs as a standalone process or within PCMDI's
236 Visualization and Computation System (VCS), provides climate scientists
237 with an easy and fast method to read different file formats, and to
238 analyze and graphically display climate data in an integrated fashion.
239 CDAT includes a set of pre-defined functions to allow the user to
240 manipulate the data and send the output to a file which can be viewed as
241 an image, or as a collection of images in an animation. The software has
242 a gradual learning curve, allowing the novice user to quickly obtain
245 CDFconvert {#CDFconvert}
246 ---------------------------------------
249 package](http://www.atmos.albany.edu/facstaff/rmctc/cdf_cvt/) provided
250 by the Mesoscale Research Group, McGill University/SUNY Albany, is
251 designed to address data conversion issues for gridded datasets stored
253 [COARDS](http://ferret.wrc.noaa.gov/noaa_coop/coop_cdf_profile.html)
254 convention. CDFconvert converts regular Cylindrical Equidistant
255 (Lat/Long) and Gaussian (Spherical) netCDF grids into either the
256 Canadian [RPN Standard
257 File](http://www.cmc.ec.gc.ca/rpn/modcom/si/libraries/rmnlib/fstd/index.html)
258 or [GEMPAK](/software/gempak/index.html) file formats. MRG CDFconvert
259 has the flexibility to handle netCDF files generated by a number of
260 sources, including NCEP and ECMWF. User-definable conversion tables make
261 the extension of the package to different datasets possible.
264 ---------------------------------
266 Joe Sirott of NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory has
267 developed cdfsync, a program that allows users to rapidly synchronize a
268 set of netCDF files over a network. Fast synchronization times are
269 achieved by only transmitting the differences between files. It is built
270 on the Open Source [rsync](http://samba.anu.edu.au/rsync/) program, but
271 contains a number of optimizations including:
273 - Special handling of netCDF files for faster synchronization
275 - Much faster updates of large numbers of small netCDF files
276 - In-place updates of large netCDF files
278 The latest version should run on Linux variants and Solaris.
280 More information is available at the [cdfsync
281 website](http://www.epic.noaa.gov/epic/software/cdfsync/).
283 CDO (Climate Data Operators) {#CDO}
284 --------------------------------------------------
286 Uwe Schulzweida at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology has
287 developed [CDO](http://code.zmaw.de/projects/cdo), a collection of
288 Operators to manipulate and analyze Climate Data files. Supported file
289 formats include netCDF and GRIB. There are more than 350 operators
290 available. The following table provides a brief overview of the main
293 - File information (info, sinfo, diff, ...)
294 - File operations (copy, cat, merge, split\*, ...)
295 - Selection (selcode, selvar, sellevel, seltimestep, ...)
296 - Missing values (setctomiss, setmisstoc, setrtomiss)
297 - Arithmetic (add, sub, mul, div, ...)
298 - Mathematical functions (sqrt, exp, log, sin, cos, ...)
299 - Comparision (eq, ne, le, lt, ge, gt, ...)
300 - Conditions (ifthen, ifnotthen, ifthenc, ifnotthenc)
301 - Field statistics (fldsum, fldavg, fldstd, fldmin, fldmax, ...)
302 - Vertical statistics (vertsum, vertavg, vertstd, vertmin, ...)
303 - Time range statistics (timavg, yearavg, monavg, dayavg, ...)
304 - Field interpolation (remapbil, remapcon, remapdis, ...)
305 - Vertical interpolation (ml2pl, ml2hl)
306 - Time interpolation (inttime, intyear)
308 As an example of use of CDO, converting from GRIB to netCDF can be as
311 cdo -f nc copy file.grb file.nc
313 or with relative time axis (for usage with GrADS)
314 cdo -r -f nc copy file.grb file.nc
316 or using ECMWF reanalysis on a reduced grid
317 cdo -R -f nc copy file.grb file.nc
319 More information is available on the [CDO
320 homepage](http://code.zmaw.de/projects/cdo).
322 CIDS Tools {#CIDS_Tools}
323 ---------------------------------------
325 The Center for Clouds Chemistry and Climate
326 ([C4](http://www-c4.ucsd.edu/)) Integrated Data Systems
327 ([CIDS](http://www-c4.ucsd.edu/~cids/)) group has developed several
328 useful netCDF utilities:
329 - cdf2idl: Writes an IDL script to read a NetCDF file.
330 - cdf2c: Writes C code to read a NetCDF file.
331 - cdf2fortran: Writes FORTRAN source code to read a NetCDF file.
332 - cdf2asc: Dumps NetCDF data to an ASCII file.
334 The source for these utilities can be downloaded from [CIDS NetCDF
336 site](http://www-c4.ucsd.edu/~cids/software/visual.html).
338 CSIRO MATLAB/netCDF interface {#CSIRO-MATLAB}
339 ------------------------------------------------------------
341 The [CSIRO MATLAB/netCDF
342 interface](http://www.marine.csiro.au/sw/matlab-netcdf.html) is now
343 available from the [CSIRO Marine
344 Laboratories](http://www.marine.csiro.au).
345 The CSIRO MATLAB/netCDF interface is run from within MATLAB and has a
346 simple syntax. It has options for automatically handling missing values,
347 scale factors, and permutation of hyperslabs. It is, however, limited to
348 retrieving data from, and information about, existing netCDF files.
350 The basis of the interface is a machine-dependent mex-file called
351 mexcdf53. Rather than call the mex-file directly users are advised to
352 employ both [Chuck Denham's netCDF toolbox](#NC4ML5) and the CSIRO
353 MATLAB/netCDF interface described here. For read-only access to existing
354 netCDF data, the CSIRO interface has a simpler syntax than the netCDF
355 Toolbox, but the latter may also be used to create and manipulate netCDF
356 variables and datasets.
359 ---------------------------
361 NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory
362 ([PMEL](http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/)) has developed the
363 [EPIC](http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/epic/) software package for
364 oceanographic data. EPIC provides graphical display and data field
365 manipulation for multi-dimensional netCDF files (up to 4 dimensions).
366 PMEL has been using this software on Unix and VMS several years. At
369 - a data file I/O library (
370 [epslib](http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/epic/eps-manual/epslib_toc.html),
371 which is layered on top of the netCDF library).
372 - epslib allows transparent access to multiple data file formats
374 interface](http://www.epic.noaa.gov/epic/software/mexeps.htm) for
375 using any supported EPIC file with MATLAB
377 programs](http://www.epic.noaa.gov/epic/software/ep_programs.htm)
378 for graphics and analysis of hydrographic profile data and time
381 This software was developed on Sun/Unix and is also supported for
382 DEC/Ultrix and VAX/VMS as a system for data management, display and
383 analysis system for observational oceanographic time series and
384 hydrographic data. The EPIC software includes over 50 programs for
385 oceanographic display and analysis, as well as utilities for putting
386 in-situ or observational data on-line (with on-the-fly graphics and data
387 download) on the WWW.
388 The developers are interested in coordinating with others who may be
389 developing oceanographic software for use with netCDF files. The EPIC
390 software is available via anonymous FTP from ftp.noaapmel.gov in the
391 epic/ and /eps directories. To obtain the EPIC software, please see Web
392 pages at <http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/epic/download/index.html>. For
393 information about EPIC, please see the Web pages at
394 <http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/epic/index.html>. Contact epic@pmel.noaa.gov,
395 or Nancy Soreide, nns@noaapmel.gov, for more information.
398 ------------------------------------
400 Several packages are available for accessing netCDF data from Microsoft
401 Excel, including the [netcdf4excel](#netcdf4excel) add-in for Excel, and
402 a [Scientific Dataset (SDS) Library](#SDS) that supports a DataSetEditor
403 add-in for Excel to view and modify various forms of data, including
407 -----------------------------
409 A FORTRAN library called
410 [EzGet](http://www-pcmdi.llnl.gov/ktaylor/ezget/ezget.html) has been
411 developed at [PCMDI](http://www-pcmdi.llnl.gov/PCMDI.html) to facilitate
412 retrieval of modeled and observed climate data stored in popular formats
413 including [DRS](http://www-pcmdi.llnl.gov/drach/DRS.html),
414 [netCDF](/software/netcdf/), [GrADS](http://grads.iges.org/grads), and,
415 if a control file is supplied,
416 [GRIB](ftp://nic.fb4.noaa.gov/pub/nws/nmc/docs/gribed1/). You can
417 specify how the data should be structured and whether it should undergo
418 a grid transformation before you receive it, even when you know little
419 about the original structure of the stored data (e.g., its original
420 dimension order, grid, and domain).
421 The EzGet library comprises a set of subroutines that can be linked to
422 any FORTRAN program. EzGet reads files through the
423 [cdunif](http://www-pcmdi.llnl.gov/drach/cdunif.html) interface, but use
424 of EzGet does not require familiarity with cdunif. The main advantages
425 of using EzGet instead of the lower level cdunif library include:
427 - Substantial error trapping capabilities and detailed error messages
428 - Versatile capability of conveniently selecting data from specified
429 regions (e.g., oceans, North America, all land areas north of 45
430 degrees latitude, etc.)
431 - Ability to map data to a new grid at the time it is retrieved by
433 - Automatic creation of \`\`weights'' for use in subsequent averaging
435 - Increased control in specifying the domain of the data to be
438 For more information about EzGet, including instructions for downloading
439 the documentation or software, see the EzGet home page at
440 <http://www-pcmdi.llnl.gov/ktaylor/ezget/ezget.html>. For questions or
441 comments on EzGet, contact Karl Taylor (taylor13@llnl.gov).
444 -------------------------
446 [FAN (File Array Notation)](/software/netcdf/fan_utils.html) is Harvey
447 Davies' package for extracting and manipulating array data from netCDF
448 files. The package includes the three utilities nc2text, text2nc, and
449 ncrob for printing selected data from netCDF arrays, copying ASCII data
450 into netCDF arrays, and performing various operations (sum, mean, max,
451 min, product, ...) on netCDF arrays. A library (fanlib) is also included
452 that supports the use of FAN from C programs. The package is available
453 via anonymous FTP from
454 <ftp://ftp.unidata.ucar.edu/pub/netcdf/contrib/fan.tar.Z>. Questions and
455 comments may be sent to Harvey Davies, harvey.davies@csiro.au.
458 -------------------------------
460 [FERRET](http://ferret.wrc.noaa.gov/Ferret/) is an interactive computer
461 visualization and analysis environment designed to meet the needs of
462 oceanographers and meteorologists analyzing large and complex gridded
463 data sets. It is available by anonymous ftp from abyss.pmel.noaa.gov for
464 a number of computer systems: SUN (Solaris and SUNOS), DECstation
465 (Ultrix and OSF/1), SGI, VAX/VMS and Macintosh (limited support), and
466 IBM RS-6000 (soon to be released).
467 FERRET offers a Mathematica-like approach to analysis; new variables may
468 be defined interactively as mathematical expressions involving data set
469 variables. Calculations may be applied over arbitrarily shaped regions.
470 Fully documented graphics are produced with a single command. Graphics
471 styles included line plots, scatter plots, contour plots, color-filled
472 contour plots, vector plots, wire frame plots, etc. Detailed controls
473 over plot characteristics, page layout and overlays are provided. NetCDF
474 is supported both as an input and an output format.
476 Many excellent software packages have been developed recently for
477 scientific visualization. The features that make FERRET distinctive
478 among these packages are Mathematica-like flexibility, geophysical
479 formatting (latitude/longitude/date), "intelligent" connection to its
480 data base, special memory management for very large calculations, and
481 symmetrical processing in 4 dimensions. Contact Steve Hankin,
482 hankin@noaapmel.gov, for more information.
485 -----------------------------
487 Heiko Klein (Norwegian Meteorological Institute) has developed the
488 [fimex](https://wiki.met.no/fimex/start) (File Interpolation,
489 Manipulation, and EXtraction) C++ library for gridded geospatial data.
490 It converts between several data formats (currently netCDF, NcML, GRIB1
491 or GRIB2, and felt). Fimex also enables you to change the projection and
492 interpolation of scalar and vector grids, to subset the gridded data,
493 and to extract only parts of the files. Fimex supports a growing list of
494 other [features](https://wiki.met.no/fimex/features), including support
495 for most NcML features and for netCDF-4 compression.
497 For simple usage, Fimex also comes with the command line program fimex.
499 Documentation and downloads are available from the [fimex web
500 site](http://wiki.met.no/fimex/).
502 FWTools (GIS Binary Kit for Windows and Linux) {#fwtools}
503 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
505 [FWTools](http://fwtools.maptools.org/) is Frank Warmerdam's set of Open
506 Source GIS binaries for Windows (win32) and Linux (x86 32bit) systems.
507 The kits are intended to be easy for end users to install and get going
508 with, and include OpenEV, GDAL, MapServer, PROJ.4 and OGDI as well as
509 some supporting components. FWTools aims to track the latest development
510 versions of the packages included as opposed to official releases, "to
511 give folks a chance to use the *latest and greatest*".
514 ---------------------------
516 Frank Warmerdam's [GDAL](http://www.remotesensing.org/gdal/index.html)
517 is a translator library for raster geospatial data formats that is
518 released under an X/MIT style Open Source license. As a library, it
519 presents a [single abstract data
520 model](http://www.remotesensing.org/gdal/gdal_datamodel.html) to the
521 calling application for all supported formats. The related
522 [OGR](http://www.remotesensing.org/gdal/ogr) library (which lives within
523 the GDAL source tree) provides a similar capability for simple features
526 GDAL is in active use in several projects, and includes roughly 40
527 format drivers, including a translator for netCDF (read/write). Other
528 translators include GeoTIFF (read/write), Erdas Imagine (read/write),
529 ESRI .BIL (read), .aux labeled raw (read/write), DTED (read), SDTS DEM
530 (read), CEOS (read), JPEG (read/write), PNG (read/write), Geosoft GXF
531 (read) and Arc/Info Binary Grid (read). A full list is available in
533 Formats](http://www.remotesensing.org/gdal/formats_list.html).
535 GDAL has recently included support for the netCDF-4 enhanced data model
536 and netCDF-4 format, as well as improved support for recent additions to
539 As an example of the use of GDAL, converting an ArcInfo ASCII grid to
540 netCDF (GMT conventions) as easy as:
542 gdal_translate arc_ascii.grd -of GMT gmt_grid.nc
544 GDL (GNU Data Language) {#GDL}
545 ---------------------------------------------
547 [GDL](http://gnudatalanguage.sourceforge.net/) is a free implementation
548 of most of the programming language supported by [IDL](#IDL)
549 (Interactive Data Language). GDL supports the netCDF-3 API.
551 Gfdnavi (Geophysical fluid data navigator) {#Gfdnavi}
552 --------------------------------------------------------------------
554 [Gfdnavi](http://www.gfd-dennou.org/arch/davis/gfdnavi/index.en.htm) is
555 a web-based tool to archive, share, distribute, analyze, and visualize
556 geophysical fluid data and knowledge. The software is under development
557 by members of the GFD Dennou Club, including T. Horinouchi (RISH, Kyoto
558 U.), S. Nishizawa (RIMS, Kyoto U.), and colleagues. Gfdnavi uses a
559 metadata database for managing and analyzing data and visualizations. It
560 also permits publishing data for web access and will soon support access
561 to data on other Gfdnavi servers. Web service APIs are now under
562 development. A presentation [Introducing
563 Gfdnavi](http://www.gfd-dennou.org/arch/davis/gfdnavi/presen/2007-03-05_GfdnaviIntro.En/pub/)
564 describes the architecture and shows examples of use.
566 Gfdnavi is dependent on two technologies:
568 - [Ruby on Rails](http://www.rubyonrails.com/), a framework for web
570 - [the Dennou Ruby Project](http://ruby.gfd-dennou.org/), a collection
571 of tools for geophysical data. These tools include
572 [GPhys](http://ruby.gfd-dennou.org/products/gphys/) software to
573 handle GRIB, GrADS, and netCDF data uniformly.
575 As an example of this technology, Takuji Kubota has established [a
576 Gfdnavi server](http://www.gsmap.aero.osakafu-u.ac.jp/gfdnavi/) for the
577 Global Satellite Mapping of Precipitation
578 ([GSMaP](http://www.radar.aero.osakafu-u.ac.jp/~gsmap/index_english.html))
582 -------------------------
584 [GMT](http://gmt.soest.hawaii.edu/) (Generic Mapping Tools) is an open
585 source collection of about 60 tools for manipulating geographic and
586 Cartesian data sets (including filtering, trend fitting, gridding,
587 projecting, etc.) and producing Encapsulated PostScript File (EPS)
588 illustrations ranging from simple x-y plots via contour maps to
589 artificially illuminated surfaces and 3-D perspective views. GMT
590 supports 30 map projections and transformations and comes with support
591 data such as coastlines, rivers, and political boundaries. GMT is
592 developed and maintained by Paul Wessel and Walter H. F. Smith with help
593 from a global set of volunteers, and is supported by the National
594 Science Foundation. It is released under the GNU General Public License.
596 The package can access COARDS-compliant netCDF grids as well as ASCII,
597 native binary, or user-defined formats. The GMT package is available via
598 anonymous ftp from several servers; see
599 [gmt.soest.hawaii.edu](http://gmt.soest.hawaii.edu) for installation
603 -----------------------------
605 [Grace](http://plasma-gate.weizmann.ac.il/Grace/) is a tool to make
606 two-dimensional plots of scientific data, including 1D netCDF variables.
607 It runs under the X Window System and OSF Motif (recent versions of
608 LessTif are, by and large, fine, too). Grace runs on practically any
609 version of Unix. As well, it has been successfully ported to VMS, OS/2
610 and Win9\*/NT (some functionality may be missing, though). Grace is a
611 descendant of ACE/gr.
612 A few features of Grace are:
614 - User defined scaling, tick marks, labels, symbols, line styles,
616 - Batch mode for unattended plotting.
617 - Read and write parameters used during a session.
618 - Regressions, splines, running averages, DFT/FFT,
619 cross/auto-correlation, ...
620 - Support for dynamic module loading.
621 - Hardcopy support for PostScript, PDF, GIF, and PNM formats.
622 - Device-independent Type1 font rastering.
623 - Ability to read or write netCDF data.
626 -----------------------------
628 [GrADS](http://grads.iges.org/grads/grads.html) (Grid Analysis and
629 Display System) is an interactive desktop tool from
630 [COLA/IGES](http://grads.iges.org/cola.html) that is currently in use
631 worldwide for the analysis and display of earth science data. GrADS is
632 implemented on all commonly available UNIX workstations, Apple
633 Macintosh, and DOS or Linux based PCs, and is freely available via
634 anonymous ftp. GrADS provides an integrated environment for access,
635 manipulation, and display of earth science data in several forms,
636 including GRIB and netCDF. For more information, see the [GrADS User's
637 Guide](http://grads.iges.org/grads/gadoc/users.html).
640 -------------------------
642 Gri is an extensible plotting language for producing scientific graphs,
643 such as x-y plots, contour plots, and image plots. Dan Kelley of
644 Dalhousie University is the author of Gri, which can read data from
645 netCDF files as well as ASCII and native binary data. For more
646 information on Gri, see the URL <http://gri.sourceforge.net/>.
649 ---------------------------
651 The GXSM is the Gnome X Scanning Microscopy project, it is a bit more
652 than just a piece of software (the GXSM itself), there is full hardware
653 support for DSP cards including open source DSP software and a growing
654 set of SPM related electronics. For more information, see
655 <http://gxsm.sourceforge.net/>.
657 HDF interface {#HDF_interface}
658 ---------------------------------------------
660 The National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) has added the
661 netCDF interface to their [Hierarchical Data Format
662 (HDF)](http://hdf.ncsa.uiuc.edu/) software. HDF is an extensible data
663 format for self-describing files. A substantial set of applications and
664 utilities based on HDF is available; these support raster-image
665 manipulation and display and browsing through multidimensional
666 scientific data. An implementation is now available that provides the
667 netCDF interface to HDF. With this software, it is possible to use the
668 netCDF calling interface to place data into an HDF file. The netCDF
669 calling interface has not changed and netCDF files stored in XDR format
670 are readable, so existing programs and data will still be usable
671 (although programs will need to be relinked to the new library). There
672 is currently no support for the mixing of HDF and netCDF structures. For
673 example, a raster image can exist in the same file as a netCDF object,
674 but you have to use the Raster Image interface to read the image and the
675 netCDF interface to read the netCDF object. The other HDF interfaces are
676 currently being modified to allow multi-file access, closer integration
677 with the netCDF interface will probably be delayed until the end of that
679 Eventually, it will be possible to integrate netCDF objects with the
680 rest of the HDF tool suite. Such an integration will then allow tools
681 written for netCDF and tools written for HDF to both interact
682 intelligently with the new data files.
684 HDF-EOS to netCDF converter {#HDF-EOS}
685 -----------------------------------------------------
687 The Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center ([GES
688 DISC](http://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov)) has developed an on-the-fly HDF-EOS to
689 netCDF/CF converter for the following products, making them easier to
690 use in the [Unidata IDV](#IDV) and
691 [McIDAS-V](http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/mcidas/software/v/):
693 - AIRS Level 2 (scene) profiles of moisture, air temperature and trace
695 - AIRS Level 3 (global grid) profiles of moisture, air temperature and
697 - OMI UV-B at the surface
698 - TOMS ozone and aerosols
700 [Instructions](http://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/services/NetCDFConversionforIDVandMcIDAS-V.shtml)
701 are available for searching and converting these data. More information
702 on AIRS products is available at
703 <http://disc.gsfc.nasa.gov/AIRS/index.html>.
706 -------------------------------
708 [HIPHOP](http://www.knmi.nl/onderzk/atmosam/English/Service/hiphop/hiphop.html),
709 developed by Dominik Brunner, is a widget based IDL application that
710 largely facilitates the visualization and analysis of 2D, 3D, and 4D
711 atmospheric science data, in particular atmospheric tracer distributions
712 and meteorological fields.
713 Graphical output of (atmospheric model) data can be quickly generated in
714 a large number of different ways, including horizontal maps at selected
715 model or pressure levels, vertical north-south, east-west, or slant
716 cross-sections (including zonal averages), time slices, animations, etc.
717 It also allows mathematical operations on the existing fields to
718 generate new fields for further analysis, and it can be run as a batch
721 The program handles data in netCDF, HDF and GRIB format. Interfaces to
722 other data formats (e.g. ASCII and binary data) can be added easily.
724 Beginning with Version 4.0, it also supports the ability to overlay
725 meteorological fields on a number of different satellite images, and to
726 draw air parcel trajectories.
728 Hyperslab OPerator Suite (HOPS) {#HOPS}
729 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
731 Hyperslab OPerator Suite
732 ([HOPS](http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/gds/svn/hyperslab.html)), developed by
733 R. Saravanan at NCAR, is a bilingual, multi-platform software package
734 for processing data in netCDF files conforming to the NCAR-CCM format or
735 the NCAR Ocean Model format. HOPS is implemented in [IDL](#IDL), the
736 widely-used commercial interpreted language, and also in
737 [Yorick](ftp://ftp-icf.llnl.gov/pub/Yorick/), a public-domain
738 interpreted language that is freely available from the Lawrence
739 Livermore National Laboratory. The IDL version of HOPS should run on any
740 platform supported by IDL. The Yorick version too runs on most common
741 UNIX platforms, such as Sun, SGI, Cray, and LINUX computers.
742 HOPS is not a monolithic program, but a suite of operators that act on
743 data units called "hyperslabs". The design of HOPS is object-oriented,
744 rather than procedure-oriented; the operators treat the numeric data and
745 the associated meta-data (like coordinate information) as a single
748 Note that HOPS is not a general purpose netCDF utility and works only
749 for the NCAR CSM netCDF formats. For more information, check the [HOPS
750 home page](http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/gds/svn/hyperslab.html).
752 iCDF (imports chromatographic netCDF data into MATLAB) {#iCDF}
753 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
755 Klavs M. Sørensen, Thomas Skov and Rasmus Bro (Faculty of Life Sciences,
756 University of Copenhagen) have developed
757 [iCDF](http://www.models.life.ku.dk/source/iCDF/index.asp), a free and
758 documented toolbox for importing chromatographic data in the
759 netCDF-based format that most manufacturers of chromatographic software
762 The iCDF software is currently for XC-MS data (X: GC, LC, HPLC), but
763 soon it will be able to import data using other detectors as well. It
764 can be used to open netCDF files from many different instruments (e.g.
765 Agilent, Bruker) and many chromatographic software packages (e.g.
768 For more information, see the paper
770 > Skov T and Bro R. (2008) Solving fundamental problems in
771 > chromatographic analysis Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, 390
774 IDV (Integrated Data Viewer) {#IDV}
775 --------------------------------------------------
777 Unidata's [Integrated Data Viewer (IDV)](/software/idv/) is a Java
778 application (for Java 1.4 or later) that can be used to display a
779 variety of netCDF files, particularly well formatted, geolocated
780 datasets. Features include:
782 - Access to local and remote netCDF files and a variety of [other data
783 formats](/software/idv/docs/userguide/data/DataSources.html)
784 - Slicing and probing of multidimensional data
785 - Support for netCDF conventions (CF, COARDS, NUWG, AWIPS)
786 - InstallAnywhere installers for easy download and installation
787 - Save display state to a bundle for easy recreation of views
788 - Support for non-gridded data through the [Common Data Model
789 (CDM)](/software/netcdf-java/CDM/)
791 The IDV uses the [VisAD Java
792 library](http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/~billh/visad.html) for interactive and
793 collaborative visualization and analysis and the [netCDF Java
794 library](/software/netcdf-java/) for reading and manipulating netCDF
798 -------------------------------
800 [Ingrid](http://ingrid.ldgo.columbia.edu/), by M. Benno Blumenthal
801 <benno@ldeo.columbia.edu>, is designed to manipulate large datasets
802 and model input/output. It can read data from its data catalog, a netCDF
803 file, or a directly attached model, and output the data, either by
804 feeding it to a model, creating a netCDF file, or creating plots and
805 other representations of the data.
807 Ingrid has a number of filters which allow simple data manipulations,
808 such as adding two datasets together, smoothing, averaging, and
809 regridding to a new coordinate. In addition to netCDF, it also reads
810 HDF, CDF, VOGL, and SGI GL.
812 Ingrid is currently running as a WWW daemon that can be accessed through
813 <http://rainbow.ldgo.columbia.edu/datacatalog.html> to see some of its
814 capabilities on a climate data catalog maintained by the [Climate
815 Group](http://rainbow.ldeo.columbia.edu/) of the [Lamont-Doherty Earth
816 Observatory](http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/) of Columbia University. To
817 quote the introduction:
819 > The Data Catalog is both a catalog and a library of datasets, i.e. it
820 > both helps you figure out which data you want, and helps you work with
821 > the data. The interface allows you to make plots, tables, and files
822 > from any dataset, its subsets, or processed versions thereof.
824 > This data server is designed to make data accessible to people using
825 > WWW clients (viewers) and to serve as a data resource for WWW
826 > documents. Since most documents cannot use raw data, the server is
827 > able to deliver the data in a variety of ways: as data files (netCDF
828 > and HDF), as tables (html), and in a variety of plots (line, contour,
829 > color, vector) and plot formats (PostScript and gif). Processing of
830 > the data, particularly averaging, can be requested as well.
832 > The Data Viewer in particular demonstrates the power of the Ingrid
835 Ingrid currently runs on Linux, for which binaries are available. CVS
836 access to the current source can be arranged.
838 Intel Array Visualizer {#IntelArrayVisualizer}
839 --------------------------------------------------------------
842 Visualizer](http://www.intel.com/cd/software/products/asmo-na/eng/compilers/226277.htm)
843 and Intel® Array Viewer are available as [free
844 downloads](http://www.intel.com/cd/software/products/asmo-na/eng/compilers/226277.htm)
845 for Windows platforms. They offer an application and a set of software
846 tools and components, which include C, Fortran, and .Net libraries, for
847 developing scientific visualization applications and for creating
848 interactive graphs of array data in various formats, including HDF and
852 -------------------------
854 [IVE (Interactive Visualization
855 Environment)](http://www.atmos.washington.edu/ive/) is a software
856 package designed to interactively display and analyze gridded data. IVE
857 assumes the data to be displayed are contained in one- two-, three- or
858 four-dimensional arrays. By default, the numbers within these arrays are
859 assumed to represent grid point values of some field variable (such as
860 pressure) on a rectangular evenly spaced grid. IVE is, nevertheless,
861 capable of displaying data on arbitrary curvilinear grids.
863 If the data points are not evenly spaced on a rectangular grid, IVE must
864 be informed of the grid structure, either by specifying "attributes" in
865 the data input or by specifying the coordinate transform in a user
866 supplied subroutine. Stretched rectangular grids (which occur when the
867 stretching along a given coordinate is a function only of the value of
868 that coordinate) can be accommodated by specifying one-dimensional
869 arrays containing the grid-point locations along the stretched
870 coordinate as part of the IVE input data. Staggered meshes can also be
871 accommodated by setting "attributes" in the input data. The structure of
872 more complicated curvilinear grids must be communicated to IVE via user
873 supplied "transforms," which define the mapping between physical space
874 and the array indices.
876 Since four-dimensional data cannot be directly displayed on a flat
877 computer screen, it is necessary to reduced the dimensionality of the
878 data before it is displayed. One of IVE's primary capabilities involves
879 dimension reduction or "data slicing." IVE allows the user to display
880 lower-dimensional subsets of the data by fixing a coordinate or by
881 averaging over the coordinate.
883 IVE currently has the capability to display
889 - a single point value
890 - vector fields as 2D vector plots
892 IVE lets you overlay plots, loop plots, and control a wide variety of
895 IVE also can perform algebraic computations on the gridded data and can
896 calculate derivatives. More complicated computations can be performed in
897 user supplied subroutines.
899 IVE uses NetCDF for the data input format, and uses the [NCAR Graphics
900 Library](http://ngwww.ucar.edu/ng/) to produce graphical output. IVE is
901 [available](http://www.atmos.washington.edu/ive/getting.html) as source
902 via anonymous ftp; and as binary on request for licensees of NCAR
905 JSON format with the ncdump-json utility {#JSON}
906 ---------------------------------------------------------------
908 Josep Llodrà has developed a program to output the contents of a
909 netCDF-3 or netCDF-4 file in JSON (JavaScript Object Notation). It is
910 based on Unidata's NCDUMP utility, and it keeps the original ncdump
911 functionality, unless the "-j" option is used to specify JSON output.
913 The program and source are available from
914 <https://github.com/jllodra/ncdump-json> .
916 Java interface {#Java_interface}
917 -----------------------------------------------
919 The [NetCDF-Java 4.2 Library](/software/netcdf-java/) is a Java
920 interface to netCDF files, as well as to many other types of scientific
921 data formats. It is freely available and the source code is released
922 under the (MIT-style) netCDF C library license. Previous versions use
923 the GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL).
925 The library implements a Common Data Model
926 ([CDM](/software/netcdf-java/CDM/)), a generalization of the netCDF,
927 OpenDAP and HDF5 data models. The library is a prototype for the
928 netCDF-4 project, which provides a C language API for the "data access
929 layer" of the CDM, on top of the HDF5 file format. The NetCDF-Java
930 library is a 100% Java framework for *reading* netCDF and other file
931 formats into the CDM, as well as *writing* to the netCDF-3 file format.
932 The library also implements
933 [NcML](http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/netcdf/ncml/), which allows
934 you to add metadata to CDM datasets, as well as to create virtual
935 datasets through aggregation.
937 Kst (2D plotting tool) {#KST}
938 --------------------------------------------
940 [Kst](http://kst-plot.kde.org) is an open-source, cross-platform 2D
941 plotting tool focused on performance and ease of use. Packages for
942 Windows, various Linux distributions and Mac OS X are
943 [available](http://sourceforge.net/projects/kst/files/), as well as the
944 complete source code and CMake-based build files. A more detailed
945 presentation of Kst can be found on the web page at
946 <http://kst-plot.kde.org>, including numerous screenshots and all the
947 useful download links.
949 Kst is characterized by the following features:
951 - Outstanding performance: curves with millions of points are no
953 - Plotting of live streams
954 - Out-of-the box support for a variety of formats (currently ASCII,
955 netCDF, dirfile, Qimage-supported types, fits images)
956 - User-friendly with a modern and consistent user interface
957 - A set of unique tools to boost efficiency, including a data import
958 wizard, capacity to edit multiple objects at once or the "Change
959 Data File" tool to compare multiple experiments easily
960 - An active community
961 - Easily expandable for new data formats or data analysis algorithms
962 thanks to a plugin-based architecture
963 - Available on Windows, Linux, and Mac OSX
965 Labview interface {#Labview-API}
966 -----------------------------------------------
968 A netCDF Labview interface, implemented in the Labview programming
969 language is available. The software includes A graphical user interface
970 for editing netCDF data and conversion to other data formats. The
971 package was developed and is maintained by L. F. Hwang of Sun Yat-sen
972 University in China. For more information and to download the source
973 code, see the [NetCDFLabview web
974 site](https://sourceforge.net/projects/netcdflabview/).
976 MBDyn (MultiBody Dynamics) #{MBDyn}
977 --------------------------------------------------
979 [MBDyn](http://www.aero.polimi.it/~mbdyn/) is an open-source MultiBody
980 Dynamics analysis system developed at the Dipartimento di Ingegneria
981 Aerospaziale of the University "Politecnico di Milano", Italy. It uses
982 netCDF as its primary output format.
984 MBDyn features the integrated multidisciplinary analysis of multibody,
985 multiphysics systems, including nonlinear mechanics of rigid and
986 flexible constrained bodies, smart materials, electric networks, active
987 control, hydraulic networks, essential fixed-wing and rotorcraft
988 aerodynamics. It allows users to simulate the behavior of heterogeneous
989 mechanical, aero-servo-elastic systems based on first principles
990 equations. It is being actively developed and used in the aerospace and
991 automotive fields for dynamics analysis and simulation of complex
992 systems. Dynamic linking of user-defined modules is heavily exploited to
993 let users extend the feature library.
995 Max_diff_nc ${Maxdiffnc}
996 -------------------------------------------
998 This is a program which compares two NetCDF files. Variables with the
999 same ID in the two files are assumed to be of the same type and have the
1000 same shape. For each such couple of variables, the program computes the
1001 maximum of the absolute value of the difference, and the maximum of the
1002 absolute value of the relative difference. The program also tells you at
1003 what location (the subscript list of the array) the maximum difference
1006 The web page for this program is:
1007 <http://web.lmd.jussieu.fr/~lglmd/Max_diff_nc>
1009 This is a freely available tool.
1011 MeteoExplorer {#MeteoExplorer}
1012 ---------------------------------------------
1014 [MeteoExplorer](http://www.eastmodelsoft.com/index_en.htm), developed by
1015 Lianqing Yu at China Meteorological Administration, is a cross-platform
1016 software application for analyzing and rendering atmospheric science and
1017 geoscience data. It supports popular data formats including WMO
1018 GRIB1/GRIB2, NetCDF, and MICAPS, and provides basic GIS functionalities.
1019 Developed with C++, Meteo Explorer targets multiple computing platforms
1020 including Microsoft Windows, GNU Linux, and SGI IRIX operating systems.
1022 The primary features include:
1024 - Graphics layer management (navigation and animation)
1025 - Objective analysis of physical elements in surface or upperair
1027 - Isoline analysis and shading of grid field
1028 - Streamline analysis of wind field
1029 - Computation of physics elements
1030 - NetCDF data process and display
1031 - GRIB1/GRIB2 data process and display
1032 - MICAPS data process and display
1033 - Satellite nephogram data display and animation, support AWX, GPF and
1035 - Interactive composition of synoptic chart (command undo/redo,
1037 - Map zoom, pan, projection and clipping
1038 - Full screen display and zoom to area
1039 - Quick navigation via thumbnail view of graphics layers
1040 - Save screen shot as image file (support formats: BMP, JPG, PNG)
1041 - Vector graphics exported to clipboard or saved as EMF file (Windows
1043 - Remote desktop connection support
1044 - System configuration (dynamic menu)
1045 - Fast switch of user interface language on the fly
1047 For more information, please visit [MeteoExplorer's home
1048 page](http://www.eastmodelsoft.com/software/mexplorer.htm) or contact
1049 the support staff via meteoexplorer@hotmail.com .
1051 MeteoInfo {#MeteoInfo}
1052 -------------------------------------
1054 For better cross-platform support,
1055 [MeteoInfo](http://www.meteothinker.com) has recently been re-developed
1056 using Unidata's NetCDF Java library. MeteoInfo is GIS software for
1057 visualization and analysis of spatial and meteorological data. The Java
1058 edition can be run in Windows, Mac OS, Linux, and Unix systems. The
1059 Groovy script engine was coupled in the software, so users can write
1060 Groovy script to run the software automatically for analysis with
1063 Download: <http://www.meteothinker.com/>
1065 Java 6 is needed to run the software.
1068 -------------------------------
1070 [PMEL](http://www.pmel.noaa.gov/) has developed a MATLAB interface,
1071 [MexEPS](http://www.epic.noaa.gov/epic/software/mexeps.htm), which
1072 supports several netCDF file conventions, including [those adopted by
1073 PMEL](ftp://ftp.unidata.ucar.edu/pub/netcdf/Conventions/PMEL-EPIC/).
1074 Many styles of time axes are supported and time manipulation routines
1075 ease the use of the time axis in MATLAB. The MexEPS package supports the
1076 following data formats:
1077 - reading, writing and editing netCDF files;
1078 - reading and writing Classic EPIC files
1079 - reading formatted ASCII files
1082 - VARIABLE, AXIS, ATTRIBUTE manipulation routines
1084 - TIME enters MATLAB as YYMMDDhhmmss.fff
1085 - Can be converted to netCDF udunits time convention (e.g. days
1086 *since* 1990-01-01 00:00:00)
1087 - [MATLAB help](ftp://ftp.pmel.noaa.gov/eps/mexeps/help-m/) and
1088 [example scripts](ftp://ftp.pmel.noaa.gov/eps/mexeps/examples/)
1090 - **ASCII2MAT** mexFunction, which reads a formatted file into MATLAB
1093 The MexEPS package is freely available in PMEL's anonymous ftp directory
1094 <ftp://ftp.pmel.noaa.gov/eps/mexeps/>
1096 If you have any questions or comments, please contact the author, Willa
1097 Zhu [(willa@pmel.noaa.gov)](mailto:willa@pmel.noaa.gov) or Nancy Soreide
1098 (nns@pmel.noaa.gov).
1100 MEXNC and SNCTOOLS {#MEXNC}
1101 ------------------------------------------
1103 John Evans of Rutgers University maintains MEXNC and developed SNCTOOLS.
1104 [MEXNC](http://mexcdf.sourceforge.net/) is a mexfile interface to NetCDF
1105 files for MATLAB that has roughly a one-to-one equivalence with the C
1107 [SNCTOOLS](http://mexcdf.sourceforge.net/tutorial/index.html) is a set
1108 of higher-level m-files that sit atop MEXNC, shielding the user from
1109 such low level netCDF details as file IDs, variable IDs, and dimension
1110 IDs. The general philosophy behind SNCTOOLS is providing the ability to
1111 read and write data without trying to invent a new syntax.
1113 Mirone (Windows MATLAB-based display) {#Mirone}
1114 --------------------------------------------------------------
1116 Joaquim Luis of Universidade do Algarve has developed
1117 [Mirone](http://w3.ualg.pt/~jluis/mirone/), a Windows MATLAB-based
1118 framework tool that allows the display and manipulation of a large
1119 number of grid/images formats through its interface with the
1120 [GDAL](http://remotesensing.org/gdal/) library. Its main purpose is to
1121 provide users with an easy-to-use graphical interface to manipulate
1122 [GMT](http://gmt.soest.hawaii.edu/) grids. In addition it offers a wide
1123 range of tools dedicated to topics in the earth sciences, including
1124 tools for multibeam mission planning, elastic deformation studies,
1125 tsunami propagation modeling, earth magnetic field computations and
1126 magnetic Parker inversions, Euler rotations and poles computations,
1127 plate tectonic reconstructions, and seismicity and focal mechanism
1128 plotting. The high quality mapping and cartographic capabilities for
1129 which GMT is renowned is guaranteed through Mirone's ability to
1130 automatically generate GMT cshell scripts and dos batch files.
1132 Although Mirone is written in MATLAB, a stand-alone version to run under
1133 Windows is also provided. Regrettably this version is not as efficient
1134 as the native MATLAB code but provides a solution for users that don't
1138 J. F. Luis. Mirone: A multi-purpose tool for exploring grid data.
1139 Computers & Geosciences, 33, 31-41, 2007.
1141 ncBrowse {#ncBrowse}
1142 -----------------------------------
1144 Donald Denbo of NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory has
1145 developed and made available
1146 [ncBrowse](http://www.epic.noaa.gov/java/ncBrowse), a Java application
1147 (JDK1.2) that provides flexible, interactive graphical displays of data
1148 and attributes from a wide range of netCDF data file conventions.
1151 - Designed to work with arbitrary netCDF files.
1152 - Browses file using the EPIC and COARDS conventions.
1153 - Provides a "tree" view of the netCDF file.
1154 - Handles character variables.
1155 - Handles dimensions without an associated variable.
1156 - Uses sgt graphics to perform 1 and 2 dimensional cuts through data.
1157 - Save to file single variable as a "cdl" text file.
1158 - InstallAnywhere scripts for UNIX, Win32, and MacOS.
1159 - Currently uses Java 2 and Swing.
1161 ncBrowse will run on any UNIX or Windows machine with a Java 2 (JDK1.2)
1162 virtual machine installed. Automated installation scripts are available
1163 for Windows and UNIX. Additional information on ncBrowse and download
1164 instructions are available at <http://www.epic.noaa.gov/java/ncBrowse>.
1166 Questions and suggestions should be directed to
1167 <[dwd@pmel.noaa.gov>](mailto:dwd@pmel.noaa.gov). If you have problems
1168 reading a netCDF file with ncBrowse, please send him a copy of the file
1169 and he'll get ncBrowse to read it!
1172 -----------------------------
1174 Remik Ziemlinski of the NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory has
1175 developed [nccmp](http://nccmp.sourceforge.net/), a tool to compare two
1176 netCDF files. It can use MPI, include/exclude specific variables or
1177 metadata and operates quickly. Highly recommended for regression testing
1178 with large datasets. See the Web site <http://nccmp.sourceforge.net/>
1179 for more information.
1182 -------------------------
1184 The [NCAR Command Language (NCL)](http://www.ncl.ucar.edu/) is an
1185 intepreted programming language for scientific data analysis and
1186 visualization developed and maintained in NCAR's [Computational and
1187 Information Systems Laboratory](http://www.cisl.ucar.edu/).
1189 NCL has many features common to modern programming languages, including
1190 types, variables, operators, expressions, conditional statements, loops,
1191 and functions and procedures. NCL also has features that are not found
1192 in other programming languages, including those that handle the
1193 manipulation of metadata, the configuration of visualizations, the
1194 import of data from a variety of data formats, and an algebra that
1195 supports array operations.
1197 NCL has robust file input and output capabilities. It allows different
1198 datasets of different formats (netCDF, netCDF-4 classic, HDF4, HDF4-EOS,
1199 GRIB-1, and GRIB-2) to be imported into one uniform and consistent data
1200 manipulation environment, which internally is the netCDF data format.
1201 NCL doesn't place any restrictions or conventions on the organization of
1204 NCL comes with many useful built-in functions and procedures for
1205 processing and manipulating data. There are over 600 functions and
1206 procedures that include routines for use specifically with climate and
1207 model data, empirical orthogonal functions, Fourier coefficients,
1208 wavelets, singular value decomposition, 1-, 2-, and 3-dimensional
1209 interpolation, approximation, and regridding, and computer analysis of
1210 scalar and vector global geophysical quantities.
1212 The visualizations are publication-quality and highly customizable, with
1213 hundreds of options available for tweaking the looks of your graphics.
1214 NCL can generate contours, XY plots, vectors, streamlines, and can
1215 overlay these plots on many different map projections. There are also
1216 specialized functions for generating histograms, wind roses, meteograms,
1217 skew-T plots, weather maps.
1219 Included with the software are two command line tools: "ncl\_convert2nc"
1220 for converting GRIB-1/2 or HDF files to netCDF files, and
1221 "ncl\_filedump" which will dump the contents of a file format that NCL
1222 recognizes (netCDF, GRIB-1/2, HDF, etc).
1224 NCL is available under an open source license or in binary form for
1225 several popular UNIX platforms, including (but not limited to) Linux,
1226 MacOSX, and Windows/Cygwin.
1228 Documentation and additional information on NCL are available from the
1229 [NCL website](http://www.ncl.ucar.edu/), which contains hundreds of
1230 [application examples](http://www.ncl.ucar.edu/Applications/) for one to
1231 download. You can also contact Mary Haley, at <haley@ucar.edu> for more
1235 -------------------------
1237 [NCO](http://nco.sourceforge.net) (netCDF operators) is a package of
1238 command line operators that work on generic netCDF or HDF4 files:
1239 - ncap2 - arithmetic processor
1240 - ncatted - attribute editor
1241 - ncbo - binary operator
1242 - ncdiff - differencer
1243 - ncea - ensemble averager
1244 - ncecat - ensemble concatenator
1245 - ncflint - file interpolator
1246 - ncks - kitchen sink (extract, cut, paste, print data)
1247 - ncpdq - permute dimensions quickly
1248 - ncra - running averager
1249 - ncrcat - record concatenator
1250 - ncrename - renamer
1251 - ncwa - weighted averager
1253 All operators may now be [OPeNDAP](www.opendao.org) clients. OPeNDAP
1254 enables network transparent data access to any OPeNDAP server. Thus
1255 OPeNDAP-enabled NCO can operate on remote files accessible through any
1256 OPeNDAP server without transferring the files. Only the required data
1257 (e.g., the variable or hyperslab specified) are transferred.
1259 The source code is freely available from the [NCO home
1260 page](http://nco.sourceforge.net/), as is the NCO User's Guide.
1262 For more information, contact the author, Charlie Zender.
1264 ncregrid {#ncregrid}
1265 -----------------------------------
1267 Patrick Jöckel of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry has developed
1268 **ncregrid**, a tool (written in FORTRAN-90) for data transfer of
1269 gridded 2- and 3-dimensional (spatial) geophysical/geochemical scalar
1270 fields between grids of different resolutions. The algorithm handles
1271 data on rectangular latitude/longitude grids (not necessarily evenly
1272 spaced) and vertical pressure hybrid grids of arbitrary resolution. The
1273 input/output data format is netCDF. ncregrid is freely available without
1274 any warranty under the GNU public license (GPL). ncregrid can be used as
1275 a "stand-alone" program, and/or linked as an interface to a model, in
1276 order to re-grid automatically the input from an arbitrary grid space
1277 onto the required grid resolution.
1279 More information is available on the web-page:
1280 <http://www.mpch-mainz.mpg.de/~joeckel/ncregrid/index.html>.
1282 nctoolbox (a MATLAB common data model interface) {#nctoolbox}
1283 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1285 [nctoolbox](http://nctoolbox.github.io/nctoolbox/) is a MATLAB interface
1286 that provides read-only access to [Common Data
1287 Model](/software/netcdf-java/CDM/index.html) datasets. Under the hood,
1288 nctoolbox uses Unidata's NetCDF-Java as the data access layer. This
1289 allows nctoolbox to access to netCDF, OPeNDAP, HDF5, GRIB, GRIB2, HDF4,
1290 and many (15+) other file formats and services using the same API. It
1291 works with MATLAB 2008a and later. The nctoolbox software was developed
1292 by Brian Schlining (MBARI), Rich Signell (USGS), Sachin Kumar Bhate
1293 (freelance), and Alex Crosby (RPS/ASA).
1296 ---------------------------
1298 Patrick Jöckel of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry has developed
1299 **ncdx**, a tool (written in FORTRAN-90) that scans a netCDF file and
1300 makes it [OpenDX](#OpenDX) compliant. ncdx is freely available without
1301 any warranty under the GNU public license (GPL). More information is
1302 available on the web-page:
1303 <http://www.mpch-mainz.mpg.de/~joeckel/ncdx/index.html>.
1305 ncensemble {#ncensemble}
1306 ---------------------------------------
1308 Alan Iwi, of Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, offers this command line
1309 ensemble statistics utility. More information is available on the
1310 web-page: <http://home.badc.rl.ac.uk/iwi/ncensemble/>.
1313 -------------------------------
1315 [Ncview](http://meteora.ucsd.edu/~pierce/ncview_home_page.html) is a
1316 visual browser for netCDF files. Typically you would use ncview to get a
1317 quick and easy, push-button look at your netCDF files. You can view
1318 simple movies of the data, view along various dimensions, take a look at
1319 the actual data values, change color maps, invert the data, etc. It runs
1320 on UNIX platforms under X11, R4 or higher. For more information, check
1321 out the [README](http://meteora.ucsd.edu/~pierce/docs/ncview.README)
1322 file; you can also see a representative [screen
1323 image](http://meteora.ucsd.edu/~pierce/docs/ncview.gif) (GIF, 66K) of
1325 The source may be downloaded from <ftp://cirrus.ucsd.edu/pub/ncview/>.
1326 For more information, please contact the author, David W. Pierce at
1329 NetCDF Toolbox for MATLAB-5 {#matlab5}
1330 ----------------------------------------------------
1332 The [NetCDF Toolbox for MATLAB-5](http://mexcdf.sourceforge.net/),
1333 originally developed by Charles R. Denham, combined netCDF-3 with
1334 [MATLAB](http://www.mathworks.com/products/matlab/) to form an interface
1335 that used MATLAB operator-syntax for arithmetic, logical, and
1336 subscripting operations on netCDF entities. The NetCDF Toolbox is in
1337 bug-fix-only mode, and is maintained by John.G.Evans.NE@gmail.com, on
1338 the [MEXNC, SNCTOOLS, and the NetCDF Toolbox](http://mexcdf.sf.net) web
1342 -----------------------------
1344 [Ncvtk](http://ncvtk.sourceforge.net/) is a program for exploring
1345 planetary data stored in a NetCDF file. The NetCDF file should loosely
1346 follow the [CF metadata
1347 conventions](http://www.cgd.ucar.edu/cms/eaton/cf-metadata/).
1349 Ncvtk was designed from the ground up with the aim of offering a high
1350 degree of interactivity to scientists who have a need to explore
1351 structured, three-dimensional, time-dependent climate data on the
1352 sphere. A graphical user interface allows users to interact with their
1353 data via color/transparency/contour/vector plots, apply vertical slices,
1354 probe data, apply an external sun light, overlay hydrographic and
1355 geopolitical data, rotate, zoom, etc. with minimal fuss.
1357 Ncvtk is written in python and is based on the [Visualization Toolkit
1358 (VTK)](http://public.kitware.com/VTK/). Like python and VTK, Ncvtk is
1359 highly portable and known to run on Windows and Linux (i386, ia64,
1360 EMT64) platforms. More information about Ncvtk is available at
1361 <http://ncvtk.sourceforge.net>.
1363 Ivan Shmakov's netcdf tools {#netcdf_tools}
1364 ----------------------------------------------------------
1366 The NetCDF tools is a free software package consisting of a few tools
1367 operating on NetCDF and, by utilizing the compatibility API, HDF4 files,
1368 which are intended to be usable from Shell scripts.
1370 The currently packaged tools are:
1372 - a couple of simple shell wrappers over the respective NetCDF
1373 functions (ncattget and ncattput);
1374 - a more sophisticated ncget tool.
1376 The ncget tool implements functionalilty that is similar to hdp dumpsds
1377 (for NetCDF, which lacks such a tool), or complements it in the case of
1378 HDF4. It can be seen as a complement to the ncdump tool (included in
1379 both the NetCDF and HDF4 distributions) as well.
1381 This tool allows a selected part of a NetCDF variable or an HDF4
1382 scientific data set (SDS) to be extracted in either an ASCII or binary
1383 form, applying the transformation specified by the usual scale\_factor
1384 and add\_offset attributes. It allows one to feed the data contained in
1385 NetCDF variables (or HDF4 SDS) to the tools designed to operate on
1386 either ASCII (text) or raw (binary) data.
1388 This version of the package is the first one to be announced to the
1389 public. It has some known bugs and limitations, but it's proved to be
1390 quite usable. A [project
1391 page](http://freshmeat.net/projects/netcdf-tools) on freshmeat.net. The
1392 [source](http://waterlily.siamics.net/~ivan/src/netcdf-tools-0.1-rc1.tar.gz)
1395 netcdf4excel (add-in for MS Excel) {#netcdf4excel}
1396 -----------------------------------------------------------------
1398 Alexander Bruhns has developed [a netCDF add-in written in Visual Basic
1399 for MS Excel](http://code.google.com/p/netcdf4excel/). This add-in
1400 simplifies the use of NetCDF data in Excel, providing a ready to use
1401 solution for manipulating this type of data.
1403 For developers, the open-source (GPL V3 license) can be downloaded
1404 directly or checked out with Mercurial.
1406 The add-in is written in VBA 6.0 (so it won't work with Office 2010 64
1407 bits) and is designed for Excel 2007 running with the Microsoft Windows
1408 operating system. It supports opening netCDF classic format data with
1409 Excel for read or write access.
1411 More details are available on the [netcdf4excel web
1412 site](http://code.google.com/p/netcdf4excel/).
1414 NetCDF95 alternative Fortran API {#netcdf95}
1415 -----------------------------------------------------------
1417 Lionel Guez has developed and made feely available
1418 [NetCDF95](http://web.lmd.jussieu.fr/~lglmd/NetCDF95), a new alternative
1419 Fortran interface to the NetCDF library. Compared to the
1420 Unidata-provided Fortran 90 netCDF interface, the NetCDF95 interface is
1421 meant to be easier to use and more secure.
1423 Objective-C API {#Objective-C}
1424 ---------------------------------------------
1426 Tom Moore has an Objective-C API, available here:
1427 [www.paleoterra.com/software](http://www.paleoterra.com/software). The
1428 netCDF Framework is an open source (Argonne Open Source License) MacOSX
1429 application framework that provides an Objective-C interface to the NCAR
1430 netCDF library version 3. The framework is available both as source code
1431 and universal compiles (works on both PPC and Intel macs). The source
1432 code has also been compiled by users for the GNUStep environment.
1433 Version 2 of the framework will provide classes for accessing multiple
1434 netCDF files, working with in-memory data slabs using standard notation,
1435 and some support for multithreading.
1437 ### Mark Tracy's Objective-C API
1439 Mark Tracy has written [NetcdfStep](http://www.mt-se.com/nc_1.html), an
1440 Objective-C API for netCDF that uses Objective-C Foundation Classes.
1442 NetcdfStep is framework for using the netCDF library in object-oriented
1443 programming with Objective-C. It now supports the full functionality of
1446 A [complete Mac OS X
1447 distribution](http://www.mt-se.com/pub/NetcdfStep-1.0.2.zip) including
1448 pre-built static library and [online
1449 documentation](http://www.mt-se.com/netcdfstep_doc/) are available.
1450 Applications linked to this framework have no external dependencies
1451 (other than Mac OS X itself). A [source-code only
1452 distribution](http://www.mt-se.com/pub/NetcdfStep-GNUstep-0.6.1.tar.gz)
1453 synced up to version 0.6.1 is available for GNUstep for use on Linux and
1454 other Unix platforms.
1456 Octave interface {#NCMEX}
1457 ----------------------------------------
1459 The ARM Program has contributed NCMEX for Octave, a port of Chuck
1460 Denham's MATLAB NCMEX to [Octave](http://www.octave.org). The calling
1461 syntax is identical, so scripts using NCMEX in MATLAB should in theory
1462 be portable to Octave. In order to build NCMEX, a compiled C NetCDF
1463 library must already be installed.
1465 In addition to the base NetCDF library interface, this package includes
1466 a simple toolbox to automate the reading and writing of NetCDf files
1467 within Octave using NCMEX. These tools as well as the source for NCMEX
1469 <http://engineering.arm.gov/~sbeus/octavex/octavex.tar> (NOTE: this .tar
1470 file contains other Octave extension functions besides NCMEX.)
1472 Also see [Octcdf](http://ocgmod1.marine.usf.edu/octcdf/), a netCDF
1475 For installation instructions, see the README file inside the .tar file.
1477 Octave interface (Barth) {#Octave}
1478 -------------------------------------------------
1480 Alexander Barth has contributed the following:
1482 Octcdf is a netCDF toolbox for [Octave](http://www.octave.org/) which
1483 uses the same operator syntax as the [matlab netCDF
1484 toolbox](http://mexcdf.sourceforge.net/netcdf_toolbox.html) of Charles
1485 R. Denham. NetCDF dimensions, attributes and variables are Octave
1486 objects and can be accessed, sliced and changed just as regular
1487 variables. Unlike most netCDF toolboxes for matlab, it does not depend
1488 on the NCMEX wrapper around the netCDF interface. This octave toolbox is
1489 written in C++ calling directly the netCDF library. The octcdf toolbox
1490 can also be used to download data from an OpenDAP server. The octcdf
1491 source code is available at
1492 <http://modb.oce.ulg.ac.be/mediawiki/index.php/NetCDF_toolbox_for_Octave>.
1493 It was also included in the Octave Repository
1494 [octave-forge](http://octave.sourceforge.net/).
1496 OPeNDAP (formerly DODS) {#OPeNDAP}
1497 -------------------------------------------------
1499 The [OPeNDAP](http://opendap.org/) (formerly known as DODS) is an
1500 Open-source Project for a Network Data Access Protocol that makes local
1501 data and subsets of local data accessible to remote locations
1502 independent of the local storage format. OPeNDAP also provides tools for
1503 transforming existing applications into OPeNDAP clients, enabling them
1504 to remotely access OPeNDAP served data. OPeNDAP is based on existing
1505 data access tools; rather than developing a self contained system, it
1506 makes extensive use of existing data access APIs.
1508 OPeNDAP can be used to make netCDF data files available over the
1509 Internet and it can also be used to adapt existing software which use
1510 the netCDF API (by re-linking) to read data served by an OPeNDAP data
1511 server. In principle, any program written using netCDF can be adapted to
1512 read data from an OPeNDAP server - in other words any program which uses
1513 netCDF can become a client in the OPeNDAP client-server system. Included
1514 in the source and binary distributions are two freely available programs
1515 that have already been modified (re-linked).
1517 With a client program accessing data from a netCDF server, it is
1518 possible to access a small subset of a large dataset over the Internet
1519 without copying the entire dataset (as you would have to do with FTP or
1520 AFS). The client can see changes to the netCDF dataset, e.g. when new
1521 records are added (which would not be possible with FTP). Finally, the
1522 client can also access cross-sections of variable data without paging
1523 large amounts of data across the network (as you would have to do with
1526 OPeNDAP software is freely available in both source form or binary form
1527 for selected platforms.
1530 -------------------------------
1532 [OpenDX](http://www.opendx.org/about.html) (formerly IBM Data Explorer,
1533 also known as simply DX) is a general-purpose software package for data
1534 visualization and analysis. It employs a data-flow driven client-server
1535 execution model and provides a graphical program editor that allows the
1536 user to create a visualization using a point and click interface.
1537 DX runs on 7 major UNIX platforms as well as Windows 95/NT and is
1538 designed to take full advantage of multi-processor systems from IBM, SGI
1541 DX is built upon an internal data model, which describes and provides
1542 uniform access services for any data brought into, generated by, or
1543 exported from the software. This data model supports a number of
1544 different classes of scientific data, which can be described by their
1545 shape (size and number of dimensions), rank (e.g., scalar, vector,
1546 tensor), type (float, integer, byte, etc. or real, complex, quaternion),
1547 where the data are located in space (positions), how the locations are
1548 related to each other (connections), aggregates or groups (e.g.,
1549 hierarchies, series, composites, multizone grids, etc.). It also
1550 supports those entities required for graphics and imaging operations
1551 within the context of Data Explorer. Regular and irregular, deformed or
1552 curvilinear, structured and unstructured data as well as "missing" or
1553 invalid data are supported.
1555 The details of the data model are hidden at the user level. As a result
1556 DX operations or modules are polymorphic and appear typeless. The DX
1557 Import module, which reads data for use within Data Explorer directly
1558 utilizes data in netCDF as well as other formats (e.g., HDF, CDF). One
1559 or more variables may be selected as well as step(s) of a time series.
1560 Data in conventional netCDFs are directly imported. Since the DX data
1561 model is more comprehensive than the netCDF data model, a methodology to
1562 extend netCDF via attribute conventions (e.g., for unstructured meshes,
1563 non-scalar data and hierarchies) for use with Data Explorer is
1566 DX supports a number of realization techniques for generating renderable
1567 geometry from data. These include color and opacity mapping (e.g., for
1568 surface and volume rendering), contours and isosurfaces, histograms,
1569 two-dimensional and three-dimensional plotting, surface deformation,
1570 etc. for scalar data. For vector data, arrow plots, streamlines,
1571 streaklines, etc. are provided. Realizations may be annotated with
1572 ribbons, tubes, axes, glyphs, text and display of data locations, meshes
1573 and boundaries. Data probing, picking, arbitrary surface and volume
1574 sampling, and arbitrary cutting/mapping planes are supported.
1576 DX supports a number of non-graphical functions such as point-wise
1577 mathematical expressions (e.g., arithmetic, transcendental, boolean,
1578 type conversion, etc.), univariate statistics and image processing
1579 (e.g., transformation, filter, warp, edge detection, convolution,
1580 equalization, blending, morphological operations, etc.). Field/vector
1581 operations such as divergence, gradient and curl, dot and cross
1582 products, etc. are provided. Non-gridded or scattered data may be
1583 interpolated to an arbitrary grid or triangulated, depending on the
1584 analysis requirements. The length, area or volume of various geometries
1585 may also be computed. Tools for data manipulation such as removal of
1586 data points, subsetting by position, sub/supersampling, grid
1587 construction, mapping, interpolation, regridding, transposition, etc.
1590 Tools for doing cartographic projections and registration as well as
1591 earth, space and environmental sciences examples are available at
1592 Cornell University via info.tc.cornell.edu. Also see the [ncdx](#ncdx)
1593 tool for making netCDF files OpenDX compliant.
1596 ---------------------------------
1598 [Panoply](http://www.giss.nasa.gov/tools/panoply/) is an application
1599 that plots geo-gridded and other arrays from netCDF, HDF, GRIB, and
1600 other datasets. Features include:
1602 - Slice and plot geo-gridded latitude-longitude, latitude-vertical,
1603 longitude-vertical, or time-latitude arrays from larger
1604 multidimensional variables.
1605 - Two arrays may be combined in one plot by differencing, summing, or
1607 - Lon-lat data may be plotted as global maps (using any of over 75 map
1608 projections) or as zonal average plots.
1609 - Overlay continent outlines or masks on lon-lat plots.
1610 - Use your favorite CPT, GGR, PAL, or ACT color table for scale
1612 - Save plots to disk in GIF, JPEG, PNG or TIFF bitmap images or as PDF
1613 or PostScript graphics files.
1614 - Export lon-lat map plots in KMZ format.
1615 - Export animations as AVI or MOV video or as a collection of
1616 invididual frame images.
1617 - Explore remote THREDDS and OpenDAP catalogs and open datasets served
1620 Panoply requires that your computer have a Java SE 6 runtime
1621 environment, or better, installed.
1623 Panoply is developed at the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies.
1624 Questions and suggestions should be directed to [Dr. Robert B.
1625 Schmunk](http://www.giss.nasa.gov/staff/rschmunk.html).
1627 Parallel-NetCDF {#Parallel-NetCDF}
1628 -------------------------------------------------
1630 A group of researchers at Northwestern University and Argonne National
1631 Laboratory (Jianwei Li, Wei-keng Liao, Alok Choudhary, Robert Ross,
1632 Rajeev Thakur, William Gropp, and Rob Latham) have designed and
1633 implemented a new [parallel interface for writing and reading netCDF
1634 data](http://www.mcs.anl.gov/parallel-netcdf/), tailored for use on high
1635 performance platforms with parallel I/O. The implementation builds on
1636 the MPI-IO interface, providing portability to most platforms in use and
1637 allowing users to leverage the many optimizations built into MPI-IO
1638 implementations. Testing so far has been on Linux platforms with ROMIO
1639 and IBM SP machines using IBM's MPI.
1641 Documentation and code for Parallel-NetCDF is now available for testing.
1642 Although a few interfaces are not implemented yet, the current
1643 implementation is complete enough to provide significant I/O performance
1644 improvements on parallel platforms, as described in a [technical
1645 report](ftp://info.mcs.anl.gov/pub/tech_reports/reports/P1048.pdf).
1646 Users are invited to test Parallel-NetCDF in their applications.
1648 Paraview and vtkCSCSNetCDF {#Paraview}
1649 -----------------------------------------------------
1651 <http://www.paraview.org/>
1653 ParaView is an application designed with the need to visualize large
1654 data sets in mind. The goals of the ParaView project include the
1657 - Develop an open-source, multi-platform visualization application.
1658 - Support distributed computation models to process large data sets.
1659 - Create an open, flexible, and intuitive user interface.
1660 - Develop an extensible architecture based on open standards.
1662 ParaView runs on distributed and shared memory parallel as well as
1663 single processor systems and has been successfully tested on Windows,
1664 Linux and various Unix workstations and clusters. Under the hood,
1665 ParaView uses the Visualization Toolkit as the data processing and
1666 rendering engine and has a user interface written using a unique blend
1669 A vtk/ParaView reader for netCDF files can be found here.
1671 Perl interfaces {#Perl}
1672 --------------------------------------
1674 There are two netCDF interfaces for Perl:
1675 - [PDL::NetCDF](http://search.cpan.org/~dhunt/PDL-NetCDF-4.05/netcdf.pd),
1676 Doug Hunt's perl interface which uses the PDL (perl data language)
1678 - [NetCDFPerl](/software/netcdf-perl/), Steve Emmerson's extension
1679 module, based on version 2 of the netCDF package. Uses perl lists
1680 for representing netCDF variables.
1682 PolyPaint+ {#PolyPaint}
1683 ---------------------------------------
1685 [PolyPaint+](http://lasp.colorado.edu/polypaint/home.html) is an
1686 interactive scientific visualization tool that displays complex
1687 structures within three-dimensional data fields. It provides both color
1688 shaded-surface display and simple volumetric rendering in either index
1689 or true color. For shaded surface rendering, the PolyPaint+ routines
1690 first compute the polygon set that describes a desired surface within
1691 the 3D data volume. These polygons are then rendered as continuously
1692 shaded surfaces. PolyPaint+ contains a wide variety of options that
1693 control lighting, viewing, and shading. Objects rendered volumetrically
1694 may be viewed along with shaded surfaces. Additional data sets can be
1695 overlaid on shaded surfaces by color coding the data according to a
1696 specified color ramp. 3D visualizations can be viewed in stereo for
1697 added depth perspective.
1698 Currently supported 3D visualizations are the following:
1701 - Transparent contour shells or isosurfaces at varying levels
1702 - Volumetric or density plot
1705 - Topographic surface from 2D geographic data sets
1707 3D data volumes may be sliced in the X, Y, or Z plane using an
1708 interactive cutting plane. A cross section of the data volume can be
1709 viewed in a 2D window as a 2D contour plot, a vector plot, a raster
1710 image or a combination of these options superimposed. Map outlines can
1711 be used as a background for 2D cross section plots of geographic data.
1712 All data is projected according to the coordinates specified by the user
1713 for the cross section window.
1715 The user interface provides direct manipulation tools for specifying the
1716 eye position, center of view, light sources, and color ramps. Subsetting
1717 of data can be done easily by selecting the data by index or geographic
1718 coordinate. On-line contextual help provides easy access to more detail
1719 about the software. Tutorials which range from very simple
1720 visualizations to complex combinations of data sets provide the user
1721 with a quick learning tool.
1723 Currently PolyPaint+ accepts only data which is in the NetCDF file
1724 format. A file conversion utility which converts from raw binary data to
1725 netCDf is a part of the application.
1727 PolyPaint+ is a joint effort of the University of Colorado and NCAR
1728 (National Center for Atmospheric Research) funded by the NASA AISRP
1729 program. A beta version of PolyPaint+ is currently available free of
1730 charge using FTP or for a nominal fee which would cover tape
1731 distribution. A license agreement must be signed in order to use it.
1735 - TELEPHONE : 303-492-7289 (Margi Klemp) : 303-497-8159 (Bill Boyd)
1739 University of Colorado / LASP
1744 - E-MAIL : margi@aries.colorado.edu
1746 Pomegranate {#Pomegranate}
1747 -----------------------------------------
1749 The P9E Team at NASA JPL has developed
1750 [Pomegranate](http://pomegranate.jpl.nasa.gov/), a python application
1751 that "webifies" science data files. Supported formats include netCDF,
1752 HDF4, HDF5, GRIB and FITS.
1754 Pomegranate can be installed on web servers as either a WSGI or CGI
1755 application to provide webification (w10n) services. To learn more about
1756 w10n of science data files, please visit <http://webification.org/>. A
1757 brief [help](http://pomegranate.jpl.nasa.gov/test/help.txt) document
1758 describes how to use the [demo
1759 directory](http://pomegranate.jpl.nasa.gov/test) to browse or download
1760 metadata or data in netCDF, JSON, or other formats by clicking on data
1761 folder and document icons.
1763 Pomegranate can also be used as a standalone library or command line
1764 application. This greatly simplifies the retrieval of metadata and data
1765 from files in supported formats.
1767 Pomegranate is open source software and can be downloaded from
1768 <http://www.openchannelsoftware.com/projects/Pomegranate/>.
1770 PyNGL and PyNIO {#PyNGL}
1771 ---------------------------------------
1773 NCAR's Computational and Information Systems Laboratory has developed
1774 [PyNGL](http://www.pyngl.ucar.edu/), a python package for scientific
1775 visualization and data analysis and
1776 [PyNIO](http://www.pyngl.ucar.edu/Nio.shtml), a Python package
1777 supporting access to a variety of data formats using an interface
1780 Python interfaces {#Python}
1781 ------------------------------------------
1783 Python is an interpreted, object-oriented language that is supported on
1784 a wide range of hardware and operating systems. Python information and
1785 sources can be obtained from <http://www.python.org/>. There are now
1786 several netCDF interfaces for Python.
1788 Jeff Whitaker of the NOAA Earth System Research Lab has developed a
1789 netCDF-4 module for python: <http://code.google.com/p/netcdf4-python/>.
1790 Most new features of netCDF-4 are implemented, such as multiple
1791 unlimited dimensions, groups and zlib data compression. All the new
1792 numeric data types (such as 64-bit and unsigned integer types) are
1793 implemented. Compound and variable length (vlen) data types are
1794 supported, but the enum and opaque data types are not. Mixtures of
1795 compound and vlen data types (compound types containing vlens, and vlens
1796 containing compound types) are not supported.
1798 [xray](#xray) is a higher-level interface that uses netcdf4-python
1799 internally to implement a pandas-like package for N-D labelled arrays
1800 for scientific data.
1802 André Gosselin of the Institut Maurice-Lamontagne, Péches & Océans
1803 Canada, has implemented pycdf, a new Python interface to the netCDF
1804 library. It is available from <http://pysclint.sourceforge.net/pycdf/>,
1805 where you will find the install files, installation instructions,
1806 extensive documentation in text and html format, and examples. pycdf
1807 requires the Numeric python package, and installs through the simple
1808 "python setyp.py install" command.
1810 Bill Noon (noon@snow.cit.cornell.edu) has implemented another netCDF
1811 Python module that allows easy creation, access, and browsing of netCDF
1812 data. The bindings also use the [udunits library](/software/udunits/) to
1813 do unit conversions. More information and source for Noon's Python
1814 netCDF module are available from
1815 <http://snow.cit.cornell.edu/noon/ncmodule.html>.
1817 The package from Konrad Hinsen has been integrated into his
1818 [ScientificPython](https://sourcesup.cru.fr/projects/scientific-py/)
1821 Dave Brown of NCAR's Computational and Information Systems Laboratory
1822 has developed [PyNIO](http://www.pyngl.ucar.edu/Nio.shtml), a Python
1823 package that allows read and/or write access to a variety of data
1824 formats using an interface modelled on netCDF. Currently supported
1825 formats include netCDF, HDF4, GRIB1 and GRIB2 (read only), and HDF-EOS 2
1826 Grid and Swath data (read only).
1828 Vicente Galiano of Miguel Hernandez University has developed a Python
1829 interface to PnetCDF. This Python's package called "PyPnetCDF" allows
1830 access to NetCDF files using MPI and the library pnetCDF developed by
1831 http://www.mcs.anl.gov/parallel-netcdf/. The tools are very similar to
1832 Konrad Hinsen's NetCDF package to Python but can read and write in a
1833 parallel way. For more information, see:
1834 <http://www.pyacts.org/pypnetcdf>.
1836 Pupynere (PUre PYthon NEtcdf REader) Roberto
1837 De Almeida has developed
1838 [pupynere](http://pypi.python.org/pypi/pupynere/), a PUre PYthon NEtcdf
1839 REader that allows read-access to netCDF files using the same syntax as
1840 the Scientific.IO.NetCDF Python module. Even though it's written in
1841 Python, the module is up to 40% faster than Scientific.IO.NetCDF and
1845 -------------------------------
1847 The R Project for Statistical Computing has developed
1848 [R](http://www.R-project.org/), a language and environment for
1849 statistical computing and graphics. It provides a wide variety of
1850 statistical and graphical techniques, including linear and nonlinear
1851 modelling, statistical tests, time series analysis, classification, and
1854 David Pierce has contributed the [ncdf4
1855 package](http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/ncdf4/index.html) for
1856 reading netCDF data into R and for creating new netCDF dimensions,
1857 variables, and files, or manipulating existing netCDF files from R.
1859 Pavel Michna has contributed another package,
1860 [RNetCDF](http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/RNetCDF/index.html),
1861 that also provides access to netCDF data and to udunits calendar
1864 Robert Hijmans (with additional contributors) has created the [R raster
1865 package](http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/raster/index.html) for
1866 geographic data analysis and modeling. The raster package can be used
1867 for reading, writing, manipulating, analyzing and modeling gridded
1868 spatial data. The package is especially useful for large datasets that
1869 don't fit into memory, because data is processed in chunks. See
1870 [Introduction to the 'raster'
1871 package](http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/raster/vignettes/Raster.pdf)
1872 for more information.
1874 Quantum GIS (QGIS) {#QGIS}
1875 -----------------------------------------
1877 [Quantum GIS](http://www.qgis.org/) (QGIS) is an Open Source Geographic
1878 Information System (GIS) licensed under the GNU General Public License.
1879 QGIS is an official project of the Open Source Geospatial Foundation
1880 (OSGeo). It runs on Linux, Unix, Mac OSX, and Windows and supports
1881 numerous vector, raster, and database formats and functionalities. QGIS
1882 supports a desktop, browser, server, and client for viewing, editing,
1883 analysis, serving, and accessing data. Its server complies with the OGC
1884 WMS 1.3 standard. In addition to PostGIS and SpatiaLite formats, it can
1885 access data in vector formats supported by the OGR library as well as
1886 most raster formats supported by the GDAL library, including netCDF. For
1887 a more detailed list of features of the QGIS desktop, browser, server,
1888 and client, see the [QGIS features
1889 page](http://www.qgis.org/en/about-qgis/features.html).
1891 Ruby interface {#Ruby}
1892 -------------------------------------
1894 A group at the Research Institute for Sustainable Humanosphere (RISH) of
1895 Kyoto University has developed a [netCDF interface for
1896 Ruby](http://www.gfd-dennou.org/arch/ruby/products/ruby-netcdf/), an
1897 interpreted, object-oriented scripting language. This interface is
1898 intended to cover all the functionality of the C library for netCDF.
1899 Also available are combination functions such as iterators (which offer
1900 abstract ways to scan files and variables). Numeric arrays are handled
1901 by the "NArray" multi-dimensional array class, which is becoming the de
1902 facto standard multi-dimensional array for Ruby. See also the Ruby-based
1903 [GPhys software and Gfdnavi tool](#Gfdnavi) for accessing GRIB, GrADS,
1904 and netCDF data uniformly.
1906 More information about Ruby is available from the [Ruby web
1907 site](http://www.ruby-lang.org/).
1909 Scientific DataSet (SDS) Library {#SDS}
1910 ------------------------------------------------------
1912 The [Scientific DataSet Library and Tools
1913 project](http://sds.codeplex.com), developed jointly by Microsoft
1914 Research Cambridge and Moscow State University, is aimed at manipulation
1915 and visualization of multidimensional data sets.
1917 Scientific DataSet (or SDS in short) is a .NET class library for
1918 manipulating scientific data and their metadata. SDS provides a unified
1919 API for convenient access to various data storages. Three types of
1920 storages are supported by the first release: NetCDF files, CSV text
1921 files and volatile in-memory datasets. SDS uses native NetCDF library
1922 built from version 4.0.1 both for 32 and 64-bit Windows platforms. New
1923 storage types can be added to SDS infractructure as plugins. Support for
1924 accessing TIFF image files from SDS as 2D arrays will be available soon
1925 as a separate CodePlex project.
1927 Three applications are built on top of SDS:
1929 - sds command line utility. It allows users to examine data set
1930 schema, copy data sets, modify their metadata.
1931 - DataSetViewer application for visualization of data sets.
1932 DataSetViewer is both a standalone application and Windows
1933 Presentation Foundation Control that can be built into your
1934 applications. DataSetViewer has support for interactive slicing of
1935 multidimensional data along any dimension.
1936 - DataSetEditor add-in for Microsoft Office Excel. DataSetEditor
1937 provides ability to view and modify the contents of any data set as
1940 You can read the Getting Started document at
1941 <http://sds.codeplex.com/Project/Download/FileDownload.aspx?DownloadId=127282>
1942 for a more detailed introduction to the Scientific DataSet software. A
1943 Windows Installation package for SDS binaries along with DataSet Viewer
1944 and DataSet Editor are available also. You can also build core class
1945 libraries and the sds utility under Mono. You may use, copy, and
1946 reproduce this software for any non-commercial purpose. For further
1947 details see license at <http://sds.codeplex.com/license>.
1949 The SDS project is in beta phase and keeps evolving. You are welcome to
1950 join discussions or report issues at the CodePlex site:
1951 <http://sds.codeplex.com>.
1953 Apache Spatial Information System (SIS) {#SIS}
1954 -------------------------------------------------------------
1956 [Apache Spatial Information System
1957 (SIS)](https://builds.apache.org/job/sis-trunk/site/index.html) is a
1958 Java library for developing geospatial applications. SIS enables
1959 representation of coordinates for searching, data clustering, archiving,
1960 or any other relevant spatial needs. The library is an implementation of
1961 GeoAPI 3.0 interfaces and can be used for desktop or server
1964 SIS provides data structures for geographic data and associated metadata
1965 along with methods to manipulate those data structures. The SIS metadata
1966 module forms the base of the library and enables the creation of
1967 metadata objects which comply with the ISO 19115 metadata model and
1968 which can be read from or written to ISO 19139 compliant XML documents.
1969 The SIS referencing module will enable the construction of geodetic data
1970 structures for geospatial referencing based on the ISO 19111 model such
1971 as axis, projection and coordinate reference system definitions, along
1972 with the associated operations which enable the mathematical conversion
1973 of coordinates between different systems of reference. The SIS storage
1974 modules will provide a common approach to the reading and writing of
1975 grid coverages applicable to simple imagery and multidimensional data
1978 SIS supports creating ISO 19115 metadata from metadata in a netCDF store
1979 from a given file, URL, stream, or NetcdfFile object. SIS netCDF storage
1980 is intended to be a bridge between NetCDF Climate and Forecast (CF)
1981 conventions and ISO 19115 metadata.
1983 SIS is under developement as an Apache project. Release 0.3 is currently
1984 available for download.
1986 Tcl/Tk interfaces {#TclTk}
1987 ------------------------------------------
1989 Dan Schmitt has developed [cdftcl](http://cnrit.tamu.edu/rsg/cdftcl/), a
1990 [Tcl/Tk](http://www.scriptics.com/) interface for netCDF. It allows the
1991 use of "wildcards" (\*) or ranges (1-4) in the subscript notation, and
1992 use of name references instead of variable IDs. Contact dan@computer.org
1993 for more information.
1996 ---------------------------------
1998 [Tcl-nap](http://tcl-nap.sourceforge.net) (n-dimensional array
1999 processor) is a loadable extension of Tcl which provides a powerful and
2000 efficient facility for processing data in the form of n-dimensional
2001 arrays. It has been designed to provide an array-processing facility
2002 with much of the functionality of languages such as
2003 [APL](http://www.acm.org/sigapl/), Fortran-90, [IDL](#IDL),
2004 [J](http://www.jsoftware.com/), [matlab](http://www.mathworks.com), and
2005 [octave](http://www.octave.org/).
2007 Support is provided for data based on n-dimensional grids, where the
2008 dimensions correspond to continuous spatial coordinates. There are
2009 interfaces to the HDF and netCDF file formats commonly used for such
2010 data, especially in Earth sciences such as Oceanography and Meteorology.
2012 The internal data structure is called a NAO (n-dimensional array object)
2013 and contains similar information to that of HDF SDSs and netCDF
2016 Tcl-nap was developed as part of the [CSIRO CAPS
2017 project](http://www.dar.csiro.au/rs/avhrr_processing_software.htm), but
2018 can be loaded and used without the (satellite oriented) CAPS extension.
2020 Visual Basic and VB.net interfaces {#VB}
2021 -------------------------------------------------------
2023 Carsten Wieczorrek has developed code in VB 6 to export chromatographic
2024 data into the netcdf/ANDI format. The application writes netCDF files
2025 that can be read by CHROMELEON, for example. For others interested in
2026 programming with netcdf.dll from VB 6, see Wieczorrek's web page on
2027 [netCDF and VB 6.0](http://www.mn-net.com/netcdf_vb6) and for VB.net,
2028 see [netCDF and VB.net](http://www.mn-net.com/netcdf_vbnet).
2031 -----------------------------
2033 [VisAD](http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/~billh/visad.html) is a Java class
2034 library for interactive and collaborative visualization and analysis of
2035 numerical data. It combines:
2036 - The use of pure Java for platform independence and to support data
2037 sharing and real-time collaboration among geographically distributed
2038 users. Support for distributed computing is integrated at the lowest
2039 levels of the system using Java RMI distributed objects.
2040 - A general mathematical data model that can be adapted to virtually
2041 any numerical data, that supports data sharing among different
2042 users, different data sources and different scientific disciplines,
2043 and that provides transparent access to data independent of storage
2044 format and location (i.e., memory, disk or remote). The data model
2045 has been adapted to netCDF, FITS, HDF-EOS, McIDAS, Vis5D, GIF and
2047 - A general display model that supports interactive 3-D, data fusion,
2048 multiple data views, direct manipulation, collaboration, and virtual
2049 reality. The display model has been adapted to Java3D and Java2D and
2050 used in an ImmersaDesk virtual reality display.
2051 - Data analysis and computation integrated with visualization to
2052 support computational steering and other complex interaction modes.
2053 - Support for two distinct communities: developers who create domain-
2054 specific systems based on VisAD, and users of those domain-specific
2055 systems. VisAD is designed to support a wide variety of user
2056 interfaces, ranging from simple data browser applets to complex
2057 applications that allow groups of scientists to collaboratively
2058 develop data analysis algorithms.
2059 - Developer extensibility in as many ways as possible.
2061 VisAD was written by programmers at the [SSEC Visualization
2062 Project](http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/~billh/vis.html) at the University of
2063 Wisconsin-Madison [Space Science and Engineering
2064 Center](http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/), and the [Unidata Program
2065 Center](/index.html).
2067 WebWinds {#WebWinds}
2068 -----------------------------------
2070 [WebWinds](http://www.openchannelsoftware.com/projects/WebWinds/) is a
2071 free Java-based science visualization and analysis package. In addition
2072 to several new analysis tools, the current fourth version does automatic
2073 scripting. This allows
2075 1. a user to rapidly and automatically create and store a session,
2076 either for his own use, or for use by a collaborator on another
2078 2. a data provider to automatically create a specialized analysis
2079 environment which can be downloaded (as a small script file) along
2080 with a dataset from a Website; and
2081 3. realtime collaboration or sharing of sessions over (even
2082 low-bandwidth) networks, including the Internet.
2084 This scripting requires no knowledge of the scripting language syntax.
2085 Several sample script files are included with the distribution.
2087 In addition, this version contains a capability to geo-reference some
2088 data and to read ASCII data in tabular format. Also new is the ability
2089 to output data in numerical form (e.g. NetCDF) and a context sensitive,
2090 integrated help system.
2092 As with earlier versions, data in several different formats, including
2093 NetCDF, can be read in easily from your local machine or from the Web.
2094 In addition, most data can be subset or subsampled on load, making it
2095 possible to visualize very large multidimensional and/or multispectral
2096 datasets. The package includes several step-by-step examples.
2097 Installation of the software (including Java) on the PC or Mac is a
2098 process requiring one file to be downloaded and opened. If you need help
2099 getting started, a remote tutorial is available once you've downloaded
2102 WebWinds is \`point and click' rather than language driven and it runs
2103 well on Unix, Windows (95/98/NT) and Mac platforms. It currently
2104 requires JDK 1.1. To download a copy of this release, go to
2105 <http://www.sci-conservices.com/rel4/webpage/wwhome.html>
2107 xray (Python N-D labelled arrays) {#xray}
2108 --------------------------------------------------------
2110 [xray](http://xray.readthedocs.org/en/stable/index.html) is an open
2111 source project and Python package that aims to bring the labeled data
2112 power of [pandas](http://pandas.pydata.org/) to the physical sciences,
2113 by providing N-dimensional variants of the core pandas data structures,
2114 Series and DataFrame: the xray DataArray and Dataset.
2116 xray adopts the [Common Data
2117 Model](http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/software/thredds/current/netcdf-java/CDM)
2118 for self-describing scientific data in widespread use in the Earth
2119 sciences (e.g., netCDF and OPeNDAP): xray.Dataset is an in-memory
2120 representation of a netCDF file.
2122 xray is being developed by Stephan Hoyer, Alex Kleeman, and [other
2123 contributors](https://github.com/xray/xray/graphs/contributors).
2126 -----------------------------
2128 [Zebra](http://www.atd.ucar.edu/rdp/zebra.html) (formerly named Zeb) is
2129 a system for data ingest, storage, integration and display, designed to
2130 operate in both real time and postprocessing modes. Zebra was developed
2131 by Jonathan Corbet and others in NCAR's [Research Data
2132 Program](http://www.atd.ucar.edu/rdp/rdp_home.html).
2133 Zebra's primary use is for the superpositioning of observational data
2134 sets (such as those collected by satellite, radar, mesonet and aircraft)
2135 and analysis products (such as model results, dual-Doppler synthesis or
2136 algorithm output). Data may be overlaid on a variety of display types,
2137 including constant altitude planes, vertical cross-sections, X-Y graphs,
2138 Skew-T plots and time-height profiles. The fields for display, color
2139 tables, contour intervals and various other display options are defined
2140 using an icon based user-interface. This highly flexible system allows
2141 scientific investigators to interactively superimpose and highlight
2142 diverse data sets; thus aiding data interpretation.
2144 Data handling capabilities permit external analysis programs to be
2145 easily linked with display and data storage processes. The data store
2146 accepts incoming data, stores it on disk, and makes it available to
2147 processes which need it. An application library is available for data
2148 handling. The library functions allow data storage, retrieval and
2149 queries using a single applications interface, regardless of the data's
2150 source and organization. NetCDF data that conforms to Zebra conventions
2151 is supported by this interface.
2153 Zebra is currently available to the university research community
2154 through the NCAR/ATD Research Data Program. Email requests to
2155 rdp-support@atd.ucar.edu. More information is on the web page
2156 http://www.atd.ucar.edu/rdp/zebra.html.
2158 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
2160 User-Contributed Software {#user}
2161 ================================================
2163 Unidata makes available a separate
2164 [catalog](/software/netcdf/Contrib.html) to a
2165 [directory](ftp://ftp.unidata.ucar.edu/pub/netcdf/contrib/) of freely
2166 available, user-contributed software and documentation related to the
2167 netCDF library. This software may be retrieved by anonymous FTP. We
2168 haven't necessarily used or tested this software; we make it available
2171 The criteria for inclusion in the netcdf/contrib/ directory of
2172 user-contributed software are:
2174 - General usefulness to a significant part of the netCDF community
2176 - Infrequent need for updates
2179 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
2181 Commercial or Licensed Packages {#commercial}
2182 ===============================
2184 ASA ViewNcDap {#ViewNcDap}
2185 -----------------------------------------
2187 Applied Science Associates, Inc. has made the ASA View NC/Dap
2188 application freely available for
2189 [download](http://www.asascience.com/downloads). ViewNcDap is a
2190 stand-alone research-based tool (with included demonstration data) that
2191 allows a user to visualize four dimensional NetCDF and OPeNDAP data.
2192 ViewNcDap is a Windows application that includes temporal/time step
2193 functionality for viewing animations of data that include temporal
2194 information. The application may be used to visualize a variety of
2195 time-varying geospatial scientific data in a simple map framework. It
2196 handles CF conventions and includes some aliasing features that could
2197 permit additional formats to be read. It should not be considered a GIS
2198 system, but is used to quickly preview a variety of data on a simple
2199 map. Data may also be filtered and saved to a local netCDF file.
2202 -----------------------------
2204 [Avizo](http://www.avizo3d.com/) software is a powerful tool for 3D data
2205 visualization and analysis. It offers a comprehensive feature set that
2206 addresses visualization, processing, analysis, communication and
2207 presentation. [Avizo Green
2208 Edition](http://www.vsg3d.com/vsg_prod_avizo_green.php) includes an
2209 advanced set of features dedicated to climate, oceanography,
2210 environmental or earth-mapped data. It provides high-level support for
2211 the netCDF format, a dedicated Earth visualization module, and a set of
2212 advanced geographical projections applicable to a wide range of fast 2D
2213 and 3D data representations.
2215 For more information, see [www.avizo3d.com](http://www.avizo3d.com/).
2218 -------------------------
2220 [AVS](ftp://testavs.ncsc.org/avs/Info/WHAT_IS_AVS) (Application
2221 Visualization System) is a visualization application software and
2222 development environment. An AVS module has been written that allows
2223 multi-dimensional netCDF data sets to read into AVS as uniform or
2224 rectilinear field files. The AVS user can point and click to specify the
2225 name of the variable in the selected netCDF file, as well as selecting
2226 the hyperslab. If 1D coordinate variables exist (a variable that has the
2227 same name as a dimension) then the coordinate variable will be used to
2228 specify the coordinates of resulting rectilinear field file. If no
2229 coordinate variable exists, then the resulting field file will be
2230 uniform. Once in AVS, there are hundreds of analysis and display modules
2231 available for image processing, isosurface rendering, arbitrary slicing,
2232 alpha blending, streamline and vorticity calculation, particle
2233 advection, etc. AVS runs on many different platforms (Stardent, DEC,
2234 Cray, Convex, E and S, SET, Sun, IBM, SGI, HP, FPS and WaveTracer), and
2235 it has a flexible data model capable of handling multidimensional data
2236 on non-Cartesian grids.
2237 The module source code and documentation is available from the
2238 [International AVS Center](http://iac.ncsc.org/), in the
2239 <ftp://testavs.ncsc.org/avs/AVS5/Module_Src/data_input/read_netcdf/>
2242 See also the information on [DDI](#DDI) for another way to use netCDF
2245 Barrodale UFI {#BCS-UFI}
2246 ---------------------------------------
2248 [Barrodale Computing Services Ltd.](http://www.barrodale.com) (BCS) has
2249 developed a product that addresses one of the main objections heard from
2250 "technologists" (e.g., scientists, engineers, and other researchers) who
2251 avoid using databases to manage their data: "my very large data files
2252 are too cumbersome/difficult/slow/costly to load into a database". In
2253 addition to netCDF, these files come in a variety of formats (HDF5,
2254 GRIB, NITFS, FITS, etc.).
2256 This BCS product is called the [Universal File Interface
2257 (UFI)](http://www.barrodale.com/bcs/universal-file-interface-ufi); it's
2258 a database extension based on the IBM Informix Virtual Table Interface
2259 (VTI). *(Please continue reading even if you don't have Informix running
2260 on your system, because IBM has just made available, at no charge, the
2262 Edition](http://www-01.ibm.com/software/data/informix/innovator-c-edition/)
2263 of Informix.)* A demo that uses UFI to access wind speeds can be seen
2264 [here](http://www.barrodale.com/bcs/universal-file-interface-animation).
2266 VTI is a technology that supports making external datasets appear as
2267 tables to SQL queries and statements. UFI is a BCS database extension
2268 for delivering the contents of external data files as though they were
2269 rows in a database table. UFI makes a file look like a set of database
2270 tables, so "UFI managed tables" are actually virtual database tables.
2271 Consequently, users of UFI can perform SQL queries on their files
2272 without having to first load them into a database.
2274 DioVISTA/Storm {#DioVISTAStorm}
2275 -----------------------------------------------
2277 [DioVISTA/Storm](http://www.hitachi-power-solutions.com/products/product03/p03_61.html)
2278 is a commercial software package that visualizes content of netCDF files
2279 as a time series of grids, isosurfaces, and arrows on a 3D virtual
2280 earth. Its user interface is similar to standard 3D earth visualizing
2281 software. It displays OGC KML files, Shapefiles, and online map
2282 resources through OGC Web Tile Map Services (WTMS). It supports CF
2283 Conventions version 1.6 (lon-lat-alt-time axis and trajectory). Its
2284 first version was released on Aug 5 2014.
2286 Environmental WorkBench {#Environmental_WorkBench}
2287 -----------------------------------------------------------------
2289 [SuperComputer Systems Engineering and Services
2290 Company](http://www.ssesco.com/) (SSESCO) has developed the
2291 [Environmental WorkBench](http://www.ssesco.com/files/ewb.html) (EWB),
2292 an easy to use visualization and analysis application targeted at
2293 environmental data. The EWB currently has numerous users in the fields
2294 of meteorological research, air quality work, and groundwater
2296 EWB system features include:
2298 - Random access file structure using the netCDF-based public domain
2299 MeRAF file system with support for gridded, discrete (non-grid-based
2300 observation), and particle types
2301 - Support for geo-referenced or Cartesian coordinate systems
2302 - Object oriented Graphical User Interface (GUI) that is very easy to
2304 - Tools for converting model and observational data sets and data
2306 - Interactive rotation/translation of scenes in 3D space
2307 - Time sequencing controls to step forward/backward, animate
2308 sequentially, or go to a chosen time step; including multiple
2309 asynchronous or non-uniform time steps
2310 - Interactive slicers to select cross sections through 3D data sets
2311 - Display operators available on the slices, including
2312 - Contour lines with selectable contour levels
2313 - Color shading by data value with variable transparency level
2314 - Arrow and streamline representation for vector quantities
2315 - Positional reference lines at user selected intervals
2316 - Color coded shapes at each grid node
2317 - Multiple 3D isosurfaces at selected parameters and values with
2318 variable transparency
2319 - Display of particle positions with coloring by type, height, and
2321 - Display of discrete data using colored spheres and labels for scalar
2322 data and arrows for vectors (with arrowheads or meteorological
2324 - Multiple user definable color maps to which isosurface and colored
2325 field shading may be separately assigned
2326 - On screen annotation for generation of report ready figures
2327 - Image export in any of the common image formats (gif, tiff,
2328 encapsulated postscript, etc.)
2329 - Graceful handling of missing or bad data values by all the graphics
2331 - Automatic data synchronization to allow automatic screen updating as
2332 new data arrives in real-time from a model or set of sensors
2333 - Two and three dimensional interpolation from scattered observations
2334 to a grid, using the Natural Neighbor Method. This robust volume
2335 based method yields results far superior to distance weighting
2338 Systems currently supported include Win95, WinNT, OS/2, IBM RS/6000,
2339 Silicon Graphics, HP and SUN workstations.
2341 SSESCO has implemented a meta-file layer on top of the netCDF library,
2342 called MeRAF. It handles multiple netCDF files as well as automatic
2343 max-min calculations, time-varying gridded, particle, and discrete data,
2344 logical groupings for discrete data, and an overall simplified and
2345 flexible interface for storing scientific data. MeRAF is being used by
2346 the DOE at the Hanford-Meteorological Site for observational data and
2347 will be used for their weather-modeling.
2350 ---------------------------
2352 [ESRI ArcGIS](http://www.esri.com/software/arcgis/index.html) version
2353 9.2 and later support [accessing netCDF time-based and multidimensional
2354 data](http://webhelp.esri.com/arcgisdesktop/9.2/index.cfm?TopicName=An_overview_of_data_support_in_ArcGIS)
2355 that follows CF or COARDS conventions for associating spatial locations
2356 with data. A selected slice of netCDF data may be displayed in ArcGIS as
2357 a raster layer, feature layer, or table. You can also drag a netCDF file
2358 from Windows Explorer and drop it in an ESRI application such as ArcMap.
2361 -------------------------
2363 [FME](http://www.safe.com/fme), developed by [Safe Software
2364 Inc.](http://www.safe.com), is a tool for transforming data for exchange
2365 between over [300 different formats and
2366 models](http://www.safe.com/fme/format-search/), including netCDF. FME's
2367 read and write support for netCDF allows users to move data into the
2368 netCDF common standard, regardless of its source, and conversely enables
2369 end-users to consume netCDF data for use in their preferred systems. For
2370 more information visit <http://www.safe.com/fme>.
2372 HDF Explorer {#HDF-Explorer}
2373 -------------------------------------------
2375 [HDF Explorer](http://www.space-research.org/) is a data visualization
2376 program that reads the HDF, HDF5 and netCDF data file formats (including
2377 netCDF classic format data). HDF Explorer runs in the Microsoft Windows
2380 HDF Explorer offers a simple yet powerful interface for the
2381 visualization of HDF and netCDF data. The data is just a click of the
2382 mouse away. Data is first viewed in a tree-like interface, and then
2383 optionally loaded and visualized in a variety of ways. HDF Explorer
2384 features include fast access to data, grid, scalar and vector views. It
2385 also allows exporting your data either as an ASCII text file or a bitmap
2388 IDL Interface {#IDL}
2389 -----------------------------------
2391 [IDL](http://www.exelisvis.com/ProductsServices/IDL.aspx) (Interactive
2392 Data Language) is a scientific computing environment, developed and
2393 supported by [Excelis Visual Information
2394 Solutions](http://www.exelisvis.com/), that combines mathematics,
2395 advanced data visualization, scientific graphics, and a graphical user
2396 interface toolkit to analyze and visualize scientific data. Designed for
2397 use by scientists and scientific application developers, IDL's
2398 array-oriented, fourth-generation programming language allows you to
2399 prototype and develop complete applications. IDL now supports data in
2401 As an example, here is how to read data from a netCDF variable named GP
2402 in a file named "data/aprin.nc" into an IDL variable named gp using the
2405 id = ncdf_open('data/april.nc')
2406 ncdf_varget,id, ncdf_varid( id, 'GP'), gp
2408 Now you can visualize the data in the gp variable in a large variety of
2409 ways and use it in other computations in IDL. You can FTP a demo version
2410 of IDL, including the netCDF interface, by following the instructions in
2411 pub/idl/README available via anonymous FTP from gateway.rsinc.com or
2412 boulder.colorado.edu.
2413 Other software packages that use or interoperate with IDL to access
2414 netCDF data includes [ARGOS](#ARGOS), [CIDS Tools](#CIDS_Tools),
2415 [DDI](#DDI), [HIPHOP](#HIPHOP), [Hyperslab OPerator Suite
2416 (HOPS)](Hyperslab_OPerator_Suite_(HOPS)), and [Noesys](Noesys).
2418 InterFormat {#InterFormat}
2419 -----------------------------------------
2421 [InterFormat](http://www.radio-logic.com/) is a medical image format
2422 conversion program with both Motif and character interfaces. InterFormat
2423 can automatically identify and convert most popular medical image
2424 formats and write output files in many standard medical image formats,
2425 or in formats such as netCDF that are suitable for input to leading
2426 scientific visualization packages. InterFormat runs on UNIX
2427 workstations; a version for OpenVMS is also available. A separate
2428 external module for [IBM Data Explorer](#OpenDX) is available for use in
2429 IBM Data Explorer's Visual Program Editor.
2430 For more details about the formats handled, program features, and
2431 pricing, see the Radio-Logic web site at
2432 [<http://www.radio-logic.com>](http://www.radio-logic.com).
2434 IRIS Explorer Module {#IRIS_Explorer_Module}
2435 -----------------------------------------------------------
2437 The Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Group at the National Center for
2438 Supercomputing Applications (NCSA) and the Mesoscale Dynamics and
2439 Precipitation Branch at NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center have developed
2440 the NCSA PATHFINDER module set for [IRIS
2441 Explorer](http://www.nag.co.uk:70/1h/Welcome_IEC). Two of the modules,
2442 [ReadDFG](http://redrock.ncsa.uiuc.edu/PATHFINDER/pathrel2/explorer/ReadDFG/ReadDFG.html)
2443 (to output Grids), and
2444 [ReadDF](http://redrock.ncsa.uiuc.edu/PATHFINDER/pathrel2/explorer/ReadDF/ReadDF.html)
2445 (to output Lattices) are capable of reading from NCSA HDF files,
2446 MFHDF/3.3 files, and Unidata netCDF files. A user-friendly interface
2447 provides control and information about the contents of the files.
2449 For ReadDF, the format translation is handled transparently. Up to five
2450 unique lattices may be generated from the file (as these files can
2451 contain multiple data fields) using a single module. A variety of
2452 dimensionalities and data types are supported also. Multiple variables
2453 may be combined in a single lattice to generate vector data. All three
2454 Explorer coordinate systems are supported.
2456 With ReadDFG, user selected variables from the file are output in up to
2457 five PATHFINDER grids. Each grid can consist of scalar data from one
2458 variable or vector data from multiple variables. Coordinate information
2459 from the file is also included in the grids. Any number of dimensions in
2460 any of the Explorer coordinate types are supported.
2462 For more information on the NCSA PATHFINDER project and other available
2463 modules, visit the WWW/Mosaic PATHFINDER Home Page at
2464 <http://redrock.ncsa.uiuc.edu/PATHFINDER/pathrel2/top/top.html> The
2465 ReadDF module may be downloaded either via the WWW server or anonymous
2466 ftp at redrock.ncsa.uiuc.edu in the /pub/PATHFINDER directory. For more
2467 information please send email to: pathfinder@redrock.ncsa.uiuc.edu
2469 See also the information on [DDI](#DDI) for another way to use netCDF
2470 data with IRIS Explorer.
2472 LeoNetCDF {#LeoNetCDF}
2473 -------------------------------------
2475 [LeoNetCDF](http://www.leokrut.com/leonetcdf.html) is a Windows
2476 application (Windows95/NT and higher) for editing netCDF files. It can
2477 display content of netCDF files in tree style control and permits
2478 editing its parameters in a standard Windows interface environment.
2480 Mathematica {#Mathematica}
2481 -----------------------------------------
2483 [Mathematica](http://www.wolfram.com/products/mathematica/index.html) is
2484 a technical computing environment that provides advanced numerical and
2485 symbolic computation and visualization. As of version 6, Mathematica
2486 adds classic [netCDF
2487 data](http://reference.wolfram.com/mathematica/ref/format/NetCDF.html)
2488 to the many forms of data it can import, export, and visualize.
2491 -------------------------------
2493 [MATLAB](http://www.mathworks.com/products/matlab/) is an integrated
2494 technical computing environment that combines numeric computation,
2495 advanced graphics and visualization, and a high-level programming
2496 language. Versions 7.7 and later of MATLAB have built-in support for
2497 reading and writing netCDF data. MATLAB version 2012a includes the
2498 netCDF 4.1.2 library with OPeNDAP client support turned on, so remote
2499 access to netCDF and other data formats supported by OPeNDAP servers is
2501 For earlier versions, several freely-available software packages that
2502 implement a MATLAB/netCDF interface are available:
2503 [nctoolbox](#nctoolbox), [NetCDF Toolbox for MATLAB-5](#NC4ML5),
2504 [MexEPS](#MexEPS), the [CSIRO MATLAB/netCDF interface](#CSIRO-MATLAB),
2506 reader](http://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/fileexchange/loadFile.do?objectId=15177&objectType=file),
2507 and [fanmat](/software/netcdf/Contrib.html).
2510 -------------------------------
2512 [Noesys](http://www.rsinc.com/NOeSYS/index.cfm) is software for desktop
2513 science data access and visualization. Available for both Windows and
2514 Power Macintosh platforms, Noesys allows users to access, process,
2515 organize and visualize large amounts of technical data.
2516 Noesys can be used to:
2518 - Access and organize complex technical data
2519 - Export data objects to text and binary
2520 - View and edit large multidimensional data sets (up to 7D) in a
2521 spreadsheet-like environment
2522 - Manipulate and process data using
2523 [IDL®](http://www.exelisvis.com/ProductsServices/IDL.aspx), the
2524 Interactive Data Language, from Research Systems, Inc.
2525 - Interactively visualize column, matrix, and volumetric data sets
2526 - Image global datasets as various map projections
2527 - Create various projections from partial data or partial projections
2528 from global data (Windows only)
2529 - View and Edit HDF-EOS grid object data
2530 - Subset datasets and data tables with a GUI dialog
2531 - Change and save the number format of datasets and data table fields
2532 - Drag and Drop HDF objects between files to organize or subset files
2533 - Attach text annotations directly to the data file
2534 - Add new data objects to files and create hierarchical groups
2535 - Edit or create new color palettes
2536 - Generate publication-quality graphics for data presentation
2538 Noesys has an interface to IDL®, allowing data to move back and forth
2539 between Noesys and IDL with the click of a mouse. Noesys includes the
2540 visual data analysis tools, Transform, T3D and Plot, for menu driven
2541 plotting, rendering, and image analysis. Noesys can import HDF, HDF-EOS,
2542 netCDF, ASCII, Binary, DTED, GeoTIFF, SDTS, TIFF, PICT, and BMP files,
2543 create annotations, macros, images, projections and color palettes
2544 specific to the data and save it the result as an HDF file. Noesys also
2545 includes an HDF-EOS Grid Editor. Noesys runs on Windows 95/98 & NT and
2546 Power Macintosh OS. More details and information about ordering Noesys
2548 [<http://www.rsinc.com/NOeSYS/index.cfm>](http://www.rsinc.com/NOeSYS/index.cfm).
2551 -------------------------------
2553 Ryan Toomey reports:
2555 Our website is <http://www.originlab.com/>
2557 A general description of Origin: Origin includes a suite of features
2558 that cater to the needs of scientists and engineers alike. Multi-sheet
2559 workbooks, publication-quality graphics, and standardized analysis tools
2560 provide a tightly integrated workspace for you to import data, create
2561 and annotate graphs, explore and analyze data, and publish your work. To
2562 ensure that Origin meets your data analysis requirements, intuitive
2563 tools for advanced statistics, regression, nonlinear curve fitting,
2564 signal processing, image processing and peak analysis are built-in.
2565 Since any analysis operation can be set to automatically recalculate,
2566 you can reuse your projects as templates for future work, thereby
2567 simplifying your daily routine.
2569 A general description of OriginPro: OriginPro offers all of the features
2570 of Origin plus extended analysis tools for statistics, 3D fitting, image
2571 processing and signal processing.
2573 A general description of OriginLab Corporation: "OriginLab Corporation
2574 produces professional data analysis and graphing software for scientists
2575 and engineers. Our products are designed to be easy-to-use, yet have the
2576 power and versatility to provide for the most demanding user."
2579 -----------------------------
2581 [Plot-Plus (PPLUS)](http://dwd6.home.mindspring.com/) is a general
2582 purpose scientific graphics package, which is used in several PMEL
2583 applications. It will read most standard ascii or binary files, as well
2584 as netCDF file format, which used by the TOGA-TAO Project and the EPIC
2585 system for management display and analysis. PPLUS is an interactive,
2586 command driven, scientific graphics package which includes features such
2587 as Mercator projection, Polar Stereographic projection, color or gray
2588 scale area-fill contour plotting, and support for many devices:
2589 X-windows, PostScript, HP, Tektronix, and others. This powerful and
2590 flexible package recognizes netCDF data format, and it can extract axis
2591 lables and graph titles from the data files. The user can customize a
2592 plots, or combine several plots into a composite. Plots are of
2593 publication quality. The PPLUS graphics package is used for all the TAO
2594 workstation displays, including the animations. The animations are
2595 created by generating a PPLUS plot for each frame, transforming the
2596 PPLUS metacode files into HDF format with the PPLUS m2hdf filter, and
2597 then displaying the resulting bit maps as an animation with the
2598 XDataSlice utility, which is freely available on Internet from the
2599 National Center for Supercomputing Applications, at
2600 anonymous@ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu (141.142.20.50). There is also a new m2gif
2601 utility which produces GIF files from PPLUS metacode files.
2602 PPLUS is supported for most Unix systems and for VAX/VMS, and is in use
2603 at many oceanographic institutes in the US (e.g., (PMEL, Harvard, WHOI,
2604 Scripps, NCAR, NASA, University of Rhode Island, University of Oregon,
2605 Texas A&M...) and also internationally (Japan, Germany, Australia,
2608 Plot Plus is now available at no charge. It does require licensing on a
2609 per computer basis, but the license is at no cost. For more information
2610 about licensing, see
2611 [http://dwd6.home.mindspring.com/pplus_license.html/](http://dwd6.home.mindspring.com/pplus_license.html);
2612 source and documentation are available via anonymous FTP from
2613 <ftp://ftp.halcyon.com/pub/users/dwd/pplus1_3_2.tar.gz> and
2614 <ftp://ftp.pmel.noaa.gov/epic/manual-dir/pplus.pdf>.
2616 Email: plot_plus@halcyon.com
2617 Postal mail: c/o Donald Denbo
2620 Fax and Voice: (206) 366-0624
2623 ---------------------------------
2625 [PV-Wave](http://www.vni.com/products/wave/index.html) is a software
2626 environment from [Visual Numerics](http://www.vni.com/) for solving
2627 problems requiring the application of graphics, mathematics, numerics
2628 and statistics to data and equations.
2629 PV-WAVE uses a fourth generation language (4GL) that analyzes and
2630 displays data as you enter commands. PV-WAVE includes integrated
2631 graphics, numerics, data I/O, and data management. The latest version of
2632 PV-Wave supports data access in numerous formats, including netCDF.
2634 See also the information on [DDI](#DDI) for another way to use netCDF
2637 Slicer Dicer {#SlicerDicer}
2638 ------------------------------------------
2640 [Slicer Dicer](http://www.slicerdicer.com/) is a volumetric data
2641 visualization tool, currently available for Windows and under
2642 development for other platforms. The Slicer Dicer Web site includes a
2643 complete list of features, an on-line user's guide, and examples of
2644 Slicer Dicer output. Visualizations features include:
2645 - Perspective view of data rendered on interactively selected
2646 orthogonal slices, oblique slices, blocks (arbitrary rectilinear
2647 sub-volumes), cutouts, isosurfaces, and projected volumes (projected
2648 maximum, minimum, maximum absolute, or minimum absolute).
2649 - Optional annotations: caption, axes ticks and labels (default
2650 "pretty" ticks, or override to place ticks where you want them),
2651 color legend, data-cube outline.
2652 - Animation modes: slices, space, time (any parametric dimension),
2653 transparency, oblique slice orientation, rotation. Built-in
2654 animation viewer supports speed and image size controls,
2655 single-step, forward, backward, loop, and back-and-forth modes.
2656 - Select color scale from 25+ built in color tables, or import from
2657 palette file. Any data level or range of levels can be painted with
2659 - Any data level or range of levels can be rendered as either opaque
2663 ------------------------------------------
2665 [Surfer](http://www.goldensoftware.com/products/surfer) is a 3D
2666 visualization, contouring, and surface modeling package that runs
2667 under Microsoft Windows. Surfer is useful for terrain modeling,
2668 bathymetric modeling, landscape visualization, surface analysis,
2669 contour mapping, watershed and 3D surface mapping, gridding,
2670 volumetrics, and more. A sophisticated interpolation engine transforms
2671 XYZ data into publication-quality maps. Surfer imports from and
2672 exports to a multitude of file formats, including NetCDF grids.
2675 ---------------------------
2677 [vGeo](http://www.vrco.com/products/vgeo/vgeo.html) (Virtual Global
2678 Explorer and Observatory) is an end-user product from
2679 [VRCO](http://www.vrco.com/) designed to import and visualize multiple
2680 disparate data sets, including computer simulations, observed
2681 measurements, images, model objects, and more. vGeo is available for
2682 IRIX, Linux and Windows platforms and supports displays ranging from
2683 desktop monitors to multi-walled projection systems. It accepts data in
2684 a variety of formats, including netCDF, and allows the user to specify
2685 how multiple files and variables are mapped into a data source. 3D
2686 graphics are built from the underlying data in real-time, and the user
2687 has interactive control of graphics, navigation, animation, and more.
2689 VISAGE and Decimate {#VISAGE_and_Decimate}
2690 ---------------------------------------------------------
2692 [VISAGE](http://www.crd.ge.com/esl/cgsp/projects/visage/)
2693 (VISualization, Animation, and Graphics Environment) is a turnkey 3D
2694 visualization system developed at General Electric Corporate Research
2695 and Development, (Schroeder, WJ et al, "VISAGE: An Object-Oriented
2696 Scientific Visualization System", Proceedings of Visualization \`92
2697 Conference). VISAGE is designed to interface with a wide variety of
2698 data, and uses netCDF as the preferred format.
2700 VISAGE is used at GE Corporate R & D, GE Aircraft Engine, GE Canada, GE
2701 Power Generation, as well as ETH Zurich, Switzerland, MQS In Chieti,
2702 Italy, and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.
2704 GE has another application called "Decimate" that does polygon
2705 reduction/decimation (Schroeder,WJ et al, "Decimation of Triangle
2706 Meshes", Proceedings of SIGGRAPH \`92). This application uses netCDF as
2707 a preferred format. Decimate is currently licensed to Cyberware, Inc.,
2708 makers of 3D laser digitizing hardware. Decimate is currently bundled
2709 with the scanners, and will soon be available as a commercial product.
2712 ---------------------------------
2714 [Makai Voyager](http://voyager.makai.com/), developed by Makai Ocean
2715 Engineering, Inc., is 3D/4D geospatial visualization software that
2716 enables users to import, fuse, view, and analyze large earth, ocean, and
2717 atmosphere scientific data as it is collected or simulated in a global
2718 geo-referenced GIS platform. The key differentiator of Makai Voyager is
2719 its level-of-detail (LOD) technology that enables users to stream big
2720 data rapidly over a network or the web.
2722 Features in Makai Voyager Version 1.2 include:
2724 - Preprocessing LiDAR, GIS, & volumetric data from common formats into
2726 - Volume rendering for large 4D (3D + time) data, such as NetCDF
2727 - Analysis tools and customizable graphs
2728 - WMS and other streamable formats
2730 Individual or group licenses are available for Windows (32- and 64-bit),
2731 Linux, and Mac OS X. A full-featured 30-day trial version of Makai
2732 Voyager is [available for download](http://voyager.makai.com).