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- Path: sparky!uunet!cis.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!agate!agate!usenet
- From: wessel@soest.hawaii.edu (Paul Wessel)
- Newsgroups: comp.archives
- Subject: [sci.geo.geology] New Release of GMT (Generic Mapping Tools)
- Followup-To: sci.geo.geology
- Date: 16 Aug 1992 00:37:30 GMT
- Organization: SOEST
- Lines: 71
- Approved: adam@soda.berkeley.edu
- Distribution: world
- Message-ID: <16k80aINN5i7@agate.berkeley.edu>
- References: <1992Aug12.003010.2730@news.Hawaii.Edu>
- NNTP-Posting-Host: soda.berkeley.edu
- X-Original-Newsgroups: sci.geo.geology
- X-Original-Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 00:30:10 GMT
-
- Archive-name: auto/sci.geo.geology/New-Release-of-GMT-Generic-Mapping-Tools
-
- *** G M T Version 2.1 ***
-
- We are pleased to announce that GMT version 2.1 is now available via anonymous ftp
- from pub/gmt on kiawe.soest.hawaii.edu (128.171.151.16). GMT (Generic Mapping Tools)
- is a set of Unix tools for manipulating and displaying x,y[,z] data. It includes
- tools for filtering, resampling, interpolation, gridding, and more. You can
- display your data using any of 15 map projections (in addition to standard
- x-y linear, low, and power scaling). GMT can create most plots ranging from
- simple x-y diagrams to complicated, full-color, 3-D perspective surfaces with
- artificial illumination. All graphics is rendered using the PostScript language.
- (More information on GMT can be found in EOS Trans. AGU, 72, 41, p441, 1991.)
-
- GMT 2.1 is a major update of 2.0.x with many changes, including:
-
- * 8 new map projections (for a total of 15).
- * Netcdf format for coastline files
- * More compact PostScript output from grdview (by 1/3) + scanline conversion
- * Numerous bug fixes (but for every pair we kill we add one bug :-)
- * Updated Cookbook with complete section on map projection usage with
- examples for each map type.
- * Support for European accented characters and composite characters.
- * FORTRAN bindings in the pslib library (thanx to John Goff)
- * More than one .gmtdefaults file allowed (current directory checked first)
-
- and many minor features added to individual programs. The CHANGES file
- outlines in gory detail all the changes that have taken place since Day One.
- Old users are advised to go through the entire documentation to avoid some
- frustration later since a few programs have had cosmetic name changes.
-
- In addition, information on how to obtain GMT code written by 'outsiders'
- is provided. Programs include plotting of 'beachballs' focal mechanisms
- and error ellipses, Delauney triangulation, and an X-windows grdfile editor.
- The GMT examples shellscripts and support data are available as a separate
- tar archive for those who would like to modify the examples for their own
- purposes.
-
- GMT still has recognized weaknesses. Among them are no direct support for
- time series plotting (time axes), true perspective viewing (GMT views from
- infinity), high-resolution coastline database, handling of 3-D data grids
- (i.e., w = f(x,y,z)), to name but a few. These are/will be addressed, but
- not in 2.1.
-
- GMT was developed on Sun workstations. However, we would like to make sure
- that GMT is as portable as possible. Thanks to William Weibel, Ameet Raval,
- and Andrew MacRae, GMT 2.1 should now install on DEC, Silicon Graphics, and
- NEXT workstations without trouble. Users of other workstations that experience
- difficulties with the installation are encouraged to contact us, either for
- help or to pass on any modifications that were necessary to install the programs.
-
- While much more portable, the netcdf package also has some minor problems.
- Please do not send us info about these, but address them to unidata directly
- using their mailing-list (see the netcdf documentation).
-
- Registered users do not have to mail us a new registration form, but new users
- should since they will benefit from updates and bug-fix information which tend
- to peak in the first weeks after a new release. Only registered users will be
- put on our mailing-list (if they choose to).
-
- We hope you will be pleased with the new release and that you will continue to
- use GMT for your generic data manipulation and display needs. As always, we
- encourage you to give us feedback on the package. Such messages should be
- addressed to gmt@soest.hawaii.edu.
-
- Paul Wessel SOEST, U. of Hawaii
- Walter H. F. Smith Scripps, U. California at San Diego
-
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