Ubuntu Manpage: cubeview - view 3D FITS files

NAME

       cubeview - view 3D FITS files

SYNOPSIS

       cubeview [--pixel[=0/1]] [--stand-alone[=0/1]] [--ui=ui] [file]
       or yorick -i cubeview.i [options] [file]
       or from within yorick(1): cubeview,options or cv_gtk[,options].

DESCRIPTION

Cubeview is a 3D data viewer specialized in spectro-imaging, implemented using the Yorick interpreted
language (see yorick(1)). A 3D data cube in the sense of cubeview is a three-dimensional array of
numbers, usually stored in a FITS file.

Cubeview can function either as a stand-alone viewer for viewing 3D FITS files (in which case you don't
need to know much about Yorick to use it) or as a Yorick package, in which case it is possible to view
Yorick arrays directly. Cubeview can be customized and enhanced through "hooks" which can automatically
perform custom actions while the cube is being viewed. For instance, it is possible to overplot some
complex contour map over the slice view each time it is refreshed. For more details about the cubeview
API in Yorick, read cubeview.i. When cubeview is launched from a terminal window, it is possible to type
Yorick commands in that window almost at any time. In the following, this manpage assumes the reader is
not a regular Yorick user.

Since Cubeview is specialized in spectro-imaging, it assumes the first two dimensions of the cube are of
spatial nature while the third is spectral. Cubeview is able to correclty interpret the FITS headers of
data produced with the decommissioned BEAR instrument which used to be operated at CFHT and SINFONI
currently operated at ESO VLT. Other data may be interpreted if they follow the same conventions. If the
FITS header cannot be interpreted, the axes in the plots cannot be trusted, but you can still explore the
3D cube.

Cubeview uses three windows: a toolbox, a slice image window and a spectrum plot window. The toolbox
allows one to open a new FITS file, save the currently selected sub-cube (determined both by the spectrum
and slice being viewed), set various display parameters, and perform various actions, most notably
selecting a new spectrum or a new slice. If file is set in the calling sequence, then all three windows
open at once, else only the toolbox appears at first, allowing the user to select a file to read.

MAIN PAGE

       The  Main  page  in the toolbox offers reasonably self-explanatory buttons to perform various actions. To
       select a new slice, click on Slice in the Select frame, then drag the mouse pointer over  the  region  of
       interest  in  the  spectrum window. Conversely, a new sepctrum is selected by first clicking Spectrum and
       then using the mouse in the slice window. How you use the mouse for selecting a spectrum depends  on  the
       Aperture type selected in the Spectrum property page:

       Circular
           left button: click to select new center; right button: drag from new center to new edge;

       Square
           left button: click to select new center; right button: drag from new center to new edge;

       Rectangular
           drag from one corner to the opposite.

SPECTRUM PAGE

       The  Spectrum  property  page allows one to select the Aperture type mentioned above. In addition, if the
       FITS header has been  interpreted  correctly,  it  is  possible  to  switch  the  spectral  axis  between
       Wavelength, Frequency, Channels (raw indices in the cube, the only meaningful value if the header was not
       interpreted  correctly)  and  Velocity  relative  to a Reference wavelength which can also be set on this
       page. Smoothing FWHM controls whether the displayed spectrum should be Gaussian-smoothed to increase  the
       apparent signal-to-noise.

SLICE PAGE

       The  slice  can  be  displayed  in  two modes. The most usual one (named Normal (palette) in Cubeview) is
       palette-based. The  corresponding  Color  palette  can  be  selected  among  the  standard  Yorick  ones.
       Alternatively,  Cubeview  can  produce  three-color images using virtual, overlapping red, green and blue
       filters. The slice can then be displayed either at 8 or 24 bit color-depth. 24 bit color depth is usually
       better, but 8 bit is useful to save to some image formats, which you can do from the Yorick command line.
       Smoothing FWHM and Oversampling control two means of smoothing the displayed image for eye candy.

OPTIONS

       --pixel[=(false|true)]
           Control whether the slice window axes are in pixels (true) or in world coordinates  as  indicated  by
           the CDELT, CRPIX and CRVAL FITS cards. --pixel is equivalent to --pixel=true. The default is true.

       --stand-alone[=(false|true)]
           Control   whether   closing   the  toolbox  window  exits  Yorick.  --stand-alone  is  equivalent  to
           --stand-alone=true. This is the default for he first form of invocation.  If  set  to  false,  it  is
           necessary to type "quit" at the Yorick prompt to completely quit the application.

       --ui=(gtk|tws|text)
           Control  the  look-and-feel  of  the  toolbox. The default toolbox uses the GTK toolkit, and requires
           several software components in addition to  Yorick  (python,  pygtk  and  libglade).  An  alternative
           toolbox  coded  entirely  in  Yorick is also available. It uses the "TWS" package to draw buttons and
           other widgets. It is uglier, but more portable, than the GTK-based toolbox. Finally, it  is  possible
           to  completely  control cubeview from the Yorick prompt, in "text" mode. Type "cv_library" for a list
           of available commands.

AUTHORS

       Thibaut Paumard <paumard@users.sourceforge.net>

                                                   2008-01-03                                        CUBEVIEW(1)