1. First, load in the layout model example from the Toolbar->Workshop->Station model exercise menu.
2. Open up the Layout Model Editor with the edit layout model button: in the display control window or from the Tools->Layout Models menu.
3. You should see something like this:


4. The Layout Model Editor consists of:
• A drawing canvas.
• A list of symbols.
• Select Is an editing command. Puts the editor into select mode.
• Text Displays text. Used for station identifiers, text results from Jython, etc.
• Value Displays a numeric value. Lets you specify a display unit and a format.
• Label Shows a fixed text label.
• Shape Shows a shape.
• Mapped Shape Maps a value to a shape.
• Windbarb Shows wind direction and speed.
• Cloud coverage, Present weather, Low cloud, etc. These symbols are used to map a value into a predefined range of display symbols.
• An alignment toolbar.
• File, Edit, View, Layout Models and Help menus.
5. Let's go look at the METAR layout model.
   • Right click on the symbol in the upper left that represents temperature and select Properties
   • Change some of the properties (e.g., scale, background color, format) and click Apply.
   • The Apply and OK buttons save your changes to the layout model in the editor.
   • The Save button saves the changes plus writes out the layout model and updates the display.
   • Close the dialog and use the File->Remove menu to get rid of your local changes. Re-select the METAR layout model with the Layout Models menu.
   • Try moving some the position of the symbols around. To apply the change to the display use the File->Save menu item.
   • Look at the Earthquake layout model. View the properties for the symbol.
6. Create a new Layout Model, called "Workshop".
   • Select the File->New menu item.
   • In the dialog box enter the name of the new layout model, "Workshop".
   • Click the OK button.
7. Add a symbol.
• Select the Text symbol in the symbol list.
• Click in the center of the drawing canvas.
• In the Properties dialog you can select what parameter from the data set is used and other display information.
• The value in the Parameter field should be "IDN", the WMO Station ID.
• Select Courier in the Font menu.
• Select an 11 point font in the Size menu.
• Click the OK button.
8. Position the symbol.
• Click and drag the symbol to the center of the screen.
• Note the red dot on the symbol. This is the Alignment point. It determines the point on the bounding box of the symbol that is used to align the symbol with the center point of the display coordinate space.
• Right click on the symbol to bring up the Symbol Menu
• Select the Alignment Point->NW menu item. This should change the red dot on the symbol to the upper left corner.
• Right click on the symbol again, but this time select the Center->Center menu item. This aligns the symbol's alignment point to the center of the display space.
9. Save this layout model with the File->Save menu item.
10. Close the window by selecting the File->Close menu item.
11. Back to the Point Data Display, choose the Workshop layout model. Humm, why isn't anything displayed?

Unidata IDV Workshop for version 2.7u2 > Accessing and Displaying Data > Point Observations