Panoply4.10.4

Panoply is a cross-platform software application whose purpose is to help you plot raster images. It lets you view photos created with NetCDF, HDF, GEMPACK, GRIB and other datasets, and combine or slice geo-gridded and other types of arrays.

Portable running mode

Deploying the tool on your system implies only the running of the executable file. It doesn’t write entries in your Windows registry and leave configuration data in your computer. You may store it on USB flash drives or other portable devices and carry it with you.This is a Java-based program so you need to previously install the working environment on your computer.

User interface and importing/exporting options.

The multi-tabbed layout makes it easier for you to switch between the key features of the utility, namely datasets, catalogs and bookmarks.Files can be imported in the working environment using the built-in browse button or drag-and-drop support. You are allowed to add data from one of the datasets mentioned at the beginning of the review and print or export plots to KMZ, GIF, PDF, PNG, PS, AVI or MOV file format. In addition, you may save data to CSV, CDL or plain text file format.

Work with plots

Panoply allows you to create plots from variables while offering the possibility to build geo-gridded , 2D or line plots. In addition, you may zoom in or out of the plot, as well as alter plot data (e.g. make the background white, interpolate, invert scale colors).A series of tweaking parameters can be applied to scaling factors (e.g. you may adjust the color table, fill color, scale label), map (change the projection, position and grid color), overlay data, contours (style, color and location), vectors, and labels.What’s more, you can combine two arrays in one plot by differencing, summing or averaging the info, slice specific arrays from larger multidimensional variables, plot longitude/latitude data as global maps or zonal averages, plot longitude-latitude data using various global map projections or a specific region, as well as overlay continent outlines or masks on plots.

Bottom line

All in all, Panoply is a noteworthy and comprehensive software application that helps you plot and analyze raster images of geo-gridded data from NetCDF and other datasets. The GUI cannot be described as highly intuitive so rookies may need extra time to get used to working with it.