NAME

       ncargintro - NCAR Graphics Overview

SYNOPSIS

       ncargintro

DESCRIPTION

       NCAR  Graphics  is  a  collection  of  graphics  libraries  that  supports  the display of
       scientific data. The  low-level  utilities  (LLUs)  are  the  traditional  C  and  Fortran
       interfaces  for  contouring,  mapping,  drawing  field  flows,  drawing  surfaces, drawing
       histograms, drawing X/Y plots, labeling, and more.

       Output from these interfaces can be directed in a combination of three ways: an NCGM (NCAR
       Graphics  Computer  Graphics  Metafile),  an X11 window, or one of many PostScript outputs
       (regular, Encapsulated, or Interchange PostScript format).  Other  formats  are  available
       through NCGM translators and accompanying device drivers.

MATH LIBRARY

       As  of  March,  1998  the  Ngmath  library contains a collection of interpolators for one-
       dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional data. The packages are:  dsgrid  --  a
       three-dimensional  random  data  interpolator based on a simple inverse distance weighting
       algorithm.

       csagrid -- an approximation  package  for  one-dimensional,  two-dimensional,  and  three-
       dimensional  random  data  based  on David    Fulker's package Splpack. Csagrid uses cubic
       splines to calculate its approximation function.

       cssgrid -- an interpolation package for random data on the surface of  a  sphere.  Cssgrid
       uses  cubic  splines to calculate its interpolation function. Cssgrid is based on the work
       of Robert Renka.

       fitgrid -- an interpolation package for one-dimensional and two-dimensional  gridded  data
       based on Alan Cline's package Fitpack, an early version of which is available from netlib.
       Fitpack uses splines under tension to interpolate in one and two dimensions.

       natgrid -- a two-dimensional random data interpolation  package  based  on  Dave  Watson's
       package nngridr.

       shgrid  --  an  interpolation  package  for random data in 3-space. Shgrid uses a modified
       Shepard's algorithm to calculate its interpolation function. Shgrid is based on  the  work
       of Robert Renka.

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

       Every user of NCAR Graphics will either need to set the environment variable NCARG_ROOT or
       the environment variables NCARG_BIN, NCARG_LIB, and NCARG_INCLUDE depending  on  how  NCAR
       Graphics was installed on your system.

       If  the NCAR Graphics binaries, libraries, and include files were installed under one root
       directory,  say  for  example  /usr/local/bin,  /usr/local/lib,   and   /usr/local/include
       respectively, then you'll need to do the following:

       setenv NCARG_ROOT /usr/local

       If the binaries, libraries, and include files were NOT installed under one root directory,
       say for example /usr/local/ncarg/bin, /usr/local/ncarg/lib, and  /usr/local/include,  then
       you'll need to do the following:

       setenv NCARG_BIN /usr/local/ncarg/bin

       setenv NCARG_LIB /usr/local/ncarg/lib

       setenv NCARG_INCLUDE /usr/local/include

       The  environment  variable NCARG_GKS_OUTPUT may be used to direct the metafile output from
       the NCAR Graphics GKS package to a file (use just the file  name)  or  to  pipe  it  to  a
       translator (give the name of the translator, preceded by a "|").

       The  environment  variable  NCARG_GKS_PSOUTPUT may be used to direct the PostScript output
       from the NCAR Graphics GKS package to a file (stdout is allowed).

       The environment variable NCARG_GKS_PDFOUTPUT may be used to direct the PDF output from the
       NCAR Graphics GKS package to a file (stdout is allowed).

       The  environment  variables  GRAPHCAP and FONTCAP may be used to tell the NCGM translators
       "ctrans", "ictrans" and "idt" what default "graphcap" and "fontcap" to use.  See  the  man
       pages for ctrans(1NCARG), ictrans(1NCARG), and idt(1NCARG) for more information.

       The environment variable DISPLAY is not actually used by the translators; if you are using
       X Windows, it determines where the translator output is to be displayed.

SEE ALSO

       Online:

       Commands which facilitate compiling and running with NCAR Graphics:

       nhlf77(1NCARG),  nhlcc(1NCARG),  ncargf77(1NCARG),   ncargcc(1NCARG),   ncargpath(1NCARG),
       ncargrun(1NCARG)

       NCAR Command Language:

       ncl

       Fortran utilities in NCAR Graphics:

       areas(3NCARG),   autograph(3NCARG),   bivar(3NCARG),   colconv(3NCARG),   conpack(3NCARG),
       dashline(3NCARG),   dashpack(3NCARG),    ezmap(3NCARG),    gflash(3NCARG),    gks(3NCARG),
       gridall(3NCARG),  histogram(3NCARG), isosurface(3NCARG), labelbar(3NCARG), ngmisc(3NCARG),
       plotchar(3NCARG),     softfill(3NCARG),      surface(3NCARG),      scrolled_title(3NCARG),
       streamlines(3NCARG), tdpack(3NCARG), vectors(3NCARG), wmap(3NCARG)

       NCGM translators:

       ctrans(1NCARG), ictrans(1NCARG), idt(1NCARG), med(1NCARG)

       Raster formats and applications:

       ras_formats(1NCARG),  ras_palette(1NCARG), rascat(1NCARG), rasview(1NCARG), rasls(1NCARG),
       rasgetpal(1NCARG)

       LLU NCAR Graphics C-binding:

       ncarg_cbind(3NCARG) ncarg_gks_cbind(3NCARG)

       Descriptions of environment variables:

       ncarg_env(5NCARG),

       Descriptions of fontcaps and graphcaps:

       fcaps(1NCARG), fontcap(5NCARG), gcaps(1NCARG), graphcap(5NCARG)

       Metafile filters:

       cgm2ncgm(1NCARG) ncgm2cgm(1NCARG), pre2ncgm(1NCARG), psblack(1NCARG), pswhite(1NCARG),

       A command which tells you what version of NCAR Graphics you are using:

       ncargversion(1NCARG)

       Utility for generating NCAR Graphics Fortran and C examples:

       ncargex(1NCARG),

       Utilities for giving you access to special NCAR Graphics files and/or tables.

       ncargfile(1NCARG)

       Programs for generating sample NCGMs: ncargworld,tgks0a

       Online documentation:

       http://ngwww.ucar.edu/ngdoc/ng/

COPYRIGHT

       Copyright (C) 1987-2002
       University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
       The use of this Software is governed by a License Agreement.