Some of the things that you do in the GUI are things that you want to work the same way every time that you run the GUI. For instance, in an earlier lesson, you set up the ADDE servers for the GUI. Servers do not change that often, so it's not something that you'll want to have to do every time you start the GUI. The server list is saved and will not have to be re-created every time you run the GUI. Other things that you can configure once and are automatically saved are your map preferences, your cursor preferences, and your short-cut buttons.

In this exercise, you will configure your GUI maps, cursor, and short-cut buttons.

Configuring Your Map Preferences

1. Configure your map by selecting your map color preference. It is recommended to leave the Map Name as "Default Map", so that the command GUI that you are using can choose the best map for your application.

   Select: Display/Map

   Select: Map Color/choose your favorite color

2. Select your preferences for the latitude/longitude lines on your maps. If you do not want lat/lon lines on your maps, do not check the "Draw LAT/LON Lines" box.

   Click: Draw LAT/LON Lines (if desired)

   Select: the color and contour interval for the lat/lon lines

3. Check your new map settings, and when you are satisfied with them, dismiss the map configuration GUI.

   Click: Draw Map to check your settings

   Click: Draw & Dismiss

Changing Your Cursor

Locked	Unlocked

1. Change the shape of your cursor.

   Select: Configure/Cursor Definition

   Change the size, shape, and color of your cursor, until you have a cursor that you like.

2. Save or cancel the changes to your cursor.

   Click: OK to make this your new cursor, or

   Click: Cancel to keep the default cursor

Creating Shortcut Buttons

There is one shortcut button you can not edit or erase - the smaller button labeled 'MAP.' This button displays a map in the default color using the current frame's navigation. If there is no current navigation, the map configuration GUI will be displayed, allowing you to select and display a map of your own choosing.

1. Create a shortcut button named 'temp' which erases the frame and displays the temperatures across the United States.

   Select: Configure/Shortcut Buttons

   Click: New

   Under Button Text, type: temp

   Under Commmand String, type: erase f;sfcplot t usa

   When entering commands, they can be entered just as you would do with the text window, including the use of the semicolon. Also, the macro editor is not case dependent, so your commands can be entered in as lowercase, and will automatically be converted to uppercase like they are in the McIDAS Text and Command window.

2. Click Okay on both editors. The second Okay will also dismiss the GUI, because it is necessary in order for the changes to take effect. You should now see your command 'temp' on the first shortcut button. It should look like this:
   

3. Click on the 'temp' shortcut button to make sure it works. You should see a map of the United States with the current temperatures displayed.

4. Display the latest NEXRAD/BREF1 radar image over Buffalo, New York. Plot the current temperature contours over the image and name the command 'Buffalo'.

   Display the shortcut button GUI and set it up to create a new button.

   For the command string type: EG;IMGDISP MKX_BREF1 ID=BUF;SFCCON T

5. Save the new button and try it out. It should work exactly like the text being entered into the text window. You can continue to create as many shortcut buttons as you like. You can also highlight and edit existing buttons. The Up and Down buttons can be used to change the order in which the buttons are displayed. When the first row of buttons is full, use the arrows on the GUI to switch to the next set.

6. When you are finished, exit McIDAS.

   Select: File/Exit McIDAS

   Click: Yes

Unidata McIDAS Learning Guide - Introduction > Graphical User Interface (GUI)