IntroductionΒΆ

Xconv is a program designed to convert model output into a format suitable for use in various plotting packages. Xconv is designed to be simple to use with a point and click, windows based interface. Xconv can read data in the following formats:

  • Data output from the Met. Office Unified Model

  • Met. Office PP format

  • GRIB format (Edition 1 and 2)

  • NetCDF format (classic, 64-bit offset and netCDF-4 classic model)

  • Grads format

The following output formats are supported by xconv:

  • NetCDF format (classic, 64-bit offset and netCDF-4 classic model)

  • Grads format

Xconv can be used to see what fields are contained within a data file and to look at the data values, either directly at the numerical values or at a grid box fill plot of the data. xconv can also be used to manipulate the input data before it is converted into the output format. Data manipulations available are:

  • Spectral data can be transformed to grid point data

  • The inverse Laplacian operator can be applied to spectral data

  • Grid point data can interpolated onto a different grid using either bilinear interpolation or area weighted interpolation

  • Data which is on a rotated grid can be unrotated, plus normal gridded data can be put on a rotated grid.

  • Data values can be extrapolated over missing data values

  • Zonal and meridonal means can be computed

  • The missing data value can be changed

Also available is convsh, which allows scripts to be written to automate various xconv tasks. Convsh uses the tcl scripting language, plus various extensions for reading, writing and manipulating data files.