Ray:

I am making the animations for GWMVE1-VE7, and putting the files
in the vestal directory /d/timevid. There is one file for
each field and pressure, e.g., tn.zp-11.hdf for temperature
at zp = -11. I will be copying files to this directory as
they are ready. (so far I have finished tn at -11, -9, and -7.

The .hdf suffix means the files are formatted for use by
NCSA's ximage program. To view the movies with ximage, do
the following FROM A VESTAL WINDOW (i.e., logged into vestal,
not sting):

0. cd to /d/timevid

1. make sure your DISPLAY env var is set correctly
   (setenv DISPLAY vestal:0)

2. give the command ximage &
   (this puts ximage in background, so you can continue to use
   the window from which you gave the command)
   You should see a small rectangular window labelled NCSA X Image
   Version 1.2.1. This is the "master" window for ximage.

3. Click on the Animate button at bottom of the ximage window.
   You should get another window containing a scrollable list of
   files in the current dir. Click on the desired file, then click
   on the Open button.  After a few seconds, you will see a very
   small window: click on "animate from X server memory", then
   click on the Ok button. Then you will get a larger window with
   the graphics, and it will begin to load the frames. (text messages
   are printed out in the original ximage window)

4. After the frames are loaded into memory you can use the vcr type
   display at the bottom to control the animation (>> for fast
   forward, << for fast reverse, etc). You can click on Repeat to
   make it repeat the sequence over and over, etc.

5. You can go back to the original "master" ximage window, and make 
   another animation like the first. You can have as many animations 
   up simultaeneously as you want, or that memory will allow.

I have interpolated twice between each hour (every 20 minutes),
so there are 73 frames per file. These are all B&W, but I can 
make color movies too, if you want. All frames are CE projection,
with local noon always at center of x-axis (continents drift by). 
All frames in each animation have the same contour interval.

Good luck -- call or send email if you have problems.

--Ben