AIPS++ Quarterly Report: 1995 Q2
Tim Cornwell, AIPS++ Project Manager
<tcornwel@nrao.edu>
July 10, 1995
Master URL:
http://aips2.nrao.edu/aips++/docs/project/1995q2.htm
The state of the Project at the beginning of 1995 Q2 was close to
that described by the December 1994 Review Panel
report.
The actions of this last quarter were targeted towards many problems
in the Project, but mainly those identified by the Review. The
following major changes occurred:
- A full-time Project Manager was appointed to provide leadership
and direction,
- The strategy to be followed by the project has been defined:
we will test and extend the infrastructure library by writing
a few key astronomical applications,
- We have instituted development plans, schedules, milestones
and resource allocations; all of which are required to run a project
of the size of AIPS++,
- We have instituted closer ties with the astronomical community
within NRAO.
Overview of developments in 1995 Q2
Inside NRAO, AIPS++ is
now treated as a construction project with dedicated staff and
budget. The AIPS++ group splits into two principal groups: one
in Charlottesville concerned mainly with support of Single Dish
processing, and another in Socorro, concerned with Project Management
and Synthesis support. In addition, NRAO plans dedicated AIPS++
programmers at both the Green Bank and Tucson sites.
The immediate goals of the Project have been defined to be consolidation
and testing of the AIPS++ Library, and development of a few key
applications chosen to provide unique astronomical capabilities.
The long-term goal of the Project has been defined to be the achievement
of functional equivalence to AIPS
by 2000. At that point, AIPS will be a very small subset of AIPS++
and most applications areas will look quite different from the
corresponding areas in AIPS.
A development plan
for the next 12-18 months has been instituted to provide a coherent
overall picture of the direction of the Project in the intermediate
term. Tracking of progress in AIPS++ is now performed using a
Target Dates
mechanism.
The following applications are now present and being developed
further:
- A tool for On-The-Fly mapping using the 12m telescope in rapid
scanning mode,
- A self-calibration/deconvolution tool used principally on
ATCA data,
- A tool for plotting and manipulating data from the GBT systems
integration tests on the 140' telescope.
Documentation
for both Users and Programmers is now available via the World
Wide Web (WWW) and is being developed further.
The following Infrastructure Library changes have occurred:
- A system for class documentation is now in place,
- Numerous improvements have been made to the Glish system used
for task control and Command Line Interface (CLI)
- A very capable tool for visualization (AIPSView) has been
developed by the BIMA group at NCSA.
Intellectual developments are also crucial for the long-term success
of AIPS++:
- A partial design for UV plane Calibration and Imaging (UVCI)
was completed by a team drawn from ATNF, NFRA and NRAO.
- A collaboration of NFRA and ATNF personnel has developed a
very general formalism for the calibration of synthesis polarimetric
observations.
Management
The structure of Project management is now simpler and leaner.
The structure above the Project Manager is easier to deal with
than the previous Steering Committee and affords the correct degree
of latitude to act. There is currently little substructure within
the Project. With a couple of exceptions, either I or my deputy,
Brian Glendenning, intend to be very closely involved in overseeing
all areas of the Project. The main exceptions are the Single Dish
development, for which Bob Garwood is responsible, and the Coordinate
Classes development, for which ATNF, in the guise of Neil Killeen
and Wim Brouw, is responsible.
The overall strategy and the plans for the next 12-18 months are
described in the AIPS++ Development Plan.
We have adopted a more formal way of structuring the work that is
to be done. First a specification is written, usually by a
scientist. Secondly, a design document is prepared by a
programmer/architect. Third, a development plan is put together to
state what is done when and what the required resources are. Then
implementation of the design is performed. We then expect testing and
validation to be performed. Tracking of progress towards these
subtasks is via a list of target dates that
is updated weekly (see an example in Appendix B). We plan to
extend slightly this formality of work structuring by adopting some
ideas developed by the NFRA
Software Engineering Group.
Work on the critical path is limited to those participants in
AIPS++ who have demonstrated a capability to devote a known and
predictable fraction of time to AIPS++ work. This includes all those
in the NRAO AIPS++ Project division, some NRAO programmers and
scientists outside the division, and a (small) number of people at
consortium sites. The intention of this restriction is to achieve
reliability of prediction of milestones, something that is vital for
efficient planning. Participation by others is eagerly welcomed but is
for the moment restricted to tasks not on the critical path. An
example of the latter is the possible development of additional,
supplemental User Interfaces.
Links
to Astronomers
We have started to strengthen the links of AIPS++ to the astronomical
community by involving specific NRAO astronomers in a number of
aspects of AIPS++. Astronomers are involved in writing specifications
of elements of AIPS++ (e.g. the properties of the AIPS++
tasks SDCalc and SDImager that are to be used for analysis of
singled dish spectral data and single dish data for imaging).
An astronomer (Alan Bridle) is developing the User Documentation.
We have chosen to try to form astronomer-programmer alliances
of the sort described by the Review Panel. At the moment, this
is limited due to the overall paucity of applications. However,
we expect the situation to improve in the next two quarters.
In Spring 1996, we intend to start more formal interactions, via
an AIPS++ Scientific Advisory Group.
Consortium Interaction
Distributed development of AIPS++ has not yet been successful.
It only seems to work in those few cases where work of a specific
and limited nature is to be carried. Examples of successful distributed
development include the AIPS++ Table system (a collaboration between
Brian Glendenning of NRAO and Ger van Diepen of NFRA), the Code
Management System (developed mainly by Mark Calabretta of ATNF),
and the AIPSView visualization task (developed by a group at NCSA).
Failures of distributed development are the Green Bank model for
calibration and imaging, and the coordinate system (until the
recent work by Brouw). The message is clear: development of complex
things requires either one person working mainly alone, or good
communication between a number of collaborators. Bearing this
in mind, we have deferred some of the more complex development
until the right people can be in the same place (e.g. Mark
Wieringa, Brian Glendenning, and Tim Cornwell for Synthesis Calibration
and Imaging, which will occur in September 1995 when Mark visits
the AOC for an extended period).
Relations amongst the principal AIPS++ consortium members have
been fruitful and basically harmonious. The main interaction between
the Project Management (Tim Cornwell) and the principal consortium
site managers (Jan Noordam, Dick Crutcher, and Neil Killeen) is
via e-mail and telephone. So far, this seems to have worked reasonably
well though there have been a few examples of poor or non-existent
communication (mainly due to the Project Management).
The core consortium members, ATNF, BIMA, NFRA and NRAO, are contributing
significant personnel and have, with only a few passing exceptions,
produced what has been expected of them by the Project Management.
The main contributions of the various consortium partners have
been:
- NRAO has contributed to Project management, infrastructure
development, documentation, Single Dish support, and design in
various areas,
- NFRA has provided "seed" money for the second position
in Socorro, thus enabling the appointment to be made this year,
instead of early next year,
- NFRA's chief contribution to the software development has
been the continuing work on the AIPS++ Table system that is the
key storage mechanism for all data inside AIPS++. In addition,
NFRA contributed to the design of the documentation system.
- NFRA has continued to investigate the theoretical unification
of calibration of different interferoometric arrays.
- ATNF provided personnel for the maintenance and development
of the AIPS++ Code Maintenance System that maintains copies of
the AIPS++ system at all consortium sites.
- ATNF, NFRA and NRAO provided the personnel for the UV calibration
and imaging design effort.
- As part of the UV calibration and imaging effort, ATNF developed
a self-calibration / deconvolution tool.
- ATNF developed an early version of a hypercube storage manager.
- BIMA provided first and second alpha versions of the
AIPSView visualization tool (see Appendix C for details of the
capabilities of AIPSView).
Plans for 1995 Q3
The development plans for the next 12-18 months are given in the
AIPS++ Development Plan (see
Appendix A). Here I summarize the expected developments over the
next quarter. These can be assigned to various categories:
In Single Dish support, we will support the GBT systems
integration work on the NRAO 140' telescope. This requires reading
of astronomical and engineering data into AIPS++ Tables for manipulation
and plotting using the Glish User Interface. We will continue
to support the On-The-Fly mapping tool developed for and installed
at the NRAO 12m telescope. We will specify SDCalc (for analysis
of Single Dish spectra) and SDImager (for imaging from Single
Dish data). We will choose one of these for high priority development
by the Single Dish group.
In Synthesis support, we will develop tools for advanced
imaging using the Briggs NNLS deconvolution algorithm in a selfcalibration
cycle. This will be important for high dynamic range VLBI imaging.
We will develop a complete calibration package for the ATCA. With
the recent development of a very general formalism for UV calibration,
it may be possible to make this largely consistent with calibration
for other telescopes such as WSRT, VLBA and BIMA. Otherwise, calibration
of these telescopes is expected to await completion of the ATCA
calibration, due in early 1996.
In AIPS++ Infrastructure, we will develop the Glish system
(the User Interface and Control Hub) according to the Glish Development Plan.
We will complete the design of and start implementation of the
support for task control within AIPS++. We will complete design
of the Coordinate classes and start upon implementation. We will
add support for hyper-tiled access to the AIPS++ Table System.
In Visualization, we will continue to add functionality
to AIPSView as needed by other AIPS++ applications (for example
support of selection of regions of interest and visualization
of visibility data). In addition, extension of AIPSView to include
3D visualization will continue. We will select a package for line
graphics inside AIPS++.
In the System area, we will add support for automated testing
of AIPS++ classes. We will investigate use of the new Sun native
code C++ compiler. We will also re-assess any possible use of
the IBM compiler.
In Personnel, we will complete hiring of two positions
in Socorro, one of which will be supported initially by funding
from NFRA. Wieringa will visit Socorro for a 6 month period starting
in September (Funding for this comes from ATNF and NFRA).
In Documentation, we will continue the development of the
overall documentation system, paying particular attention to the
programmer level documentation. We will remove defunct design
documents and update those that apply to current code but are
out of date.
In Management, communication between consortium partners
will be improved by frequent visits of Project Management to consortium
sites. We will request new requirements documents from consortium
partners to allow planning to target the highest priority areas
of development. We will continue to formalize work structuring
by adopting approaches similar to those proposed by the NFRA Software Engineering Group.
A number of long term, operational issues must begin to be addressed.
For example, the Project must decide how system versioning and
updating are to be accomplished. Code acceptance procedures must
be made realistic and enforceable.
Areas of Risk
To summarize the progress that has occurred in the Project, I
think that it is illuminating to consider explicitly the risks
inherent in the Project. My current list of risks is given below.
The current answers are given after each point.
- The Project is very ambitious. Either consortium partners
or oversight bodies may preceive overall progress as being too
slow to warrant continuing support. In my opinion, this possibility
has been exacerbated by the prior use of over-optimistic timelines.
- Focus on specific areas of development. Plan carefully
and conservatively. Be careful about quoting timelines. Track
progress closely.
- The goals for AIPS++ of extensibility, programmability and
maintainability have not yet been balanced against each other.
Thus we might, for example, end up with a system that is extensible
only by expert AIPS++ programmers.
- No real answer yet. This is best addressed once some applications
exist. The standard answer has been that programming by astronomers
at a high level will be reasonably straightforward but that programming
at a deep level will be restricted to a few cognoscenti. I
think this view is probably correct.
- The "architecture" of AIPS++ is too poorly documented
and implemented to support development of complex application
suites.
- Complete the documentation of the architecture and implement
all the major components. Then test it by implementing a few key
applications. This is the current overall strategy.
- The Project will not provide applications sufficiently rapidly
to avoid the need for continuing development in other packages
such as AIPS, MIRIAD and NEWSTAR. This would leach away personnel
from AIPS++.
- Ask each consortium partner to consider carefully what
the key areas of application development are. Aim for generic,
shared solutions such as calibration and imaging for a generic
interferometric array.
- "Invention", rather than adoption, of too much technology
(for example array classes, database technology, distributed objects).
- A problem with developing at the cutting edge is that the
marketplace will not have developed future, long-lived solutions.
All we can do is track such solutions and adopt them when they
become mature and widely available. (Indeed, the C++ language
itself is only settling down now).
- Links with astronomers are too weak to drive the Project towards
astronomically important solutions.
- Arrange informal contacts. Within a year, formalize via
an AIPS++ Users Group or Scientific Advisory Group.
- The Project is too reliant upon a few key people.
- Document architecture, designs and implement well enough
to assure continuity.
- Distributed development cannot work for a Project of this
complexity.
- Restrict distributed development if possible. Monitor necessary
distributed development very closely. For complex areas, either
find one overall architect/designer or arrange extended visits
to one place, e.g. the AIPS++ Center.
- The Project is not addressing the issues of performance, for
example, how best to implement AIPS++ on parallel machines.
- The Project must find an appropriate group and plan a line
of development specifically targeted to High Performance Computing.
Requests
for action or approval
- I expect the Executive Committee to review this document closely
and to comment as it pleases. However, I would specifically appreciate
comments on the Areas of Risk. Are all the areas of risk identified?
For those given, are the solutions plausible?
- The Executive Committee approved the list of risks after
minor modifications..
- I am not in favor of starting another active AIPS++ site until
the current sites can be shown to collaborate well. An important
test of a higher level of collaboration is the development of
the Coordinate Classes that ATNF has agreed to pursue. This will
be done away from the AIPS++ Center but will make significant
requests of the Center to address any required changes in the
Infrastructure Library. In addition, personnel will be allocated
by the Center to work on the Coordinate Classes under the direction
of ATNF managers (Killeen and Brouw). If this is successful, we
will try further collaborations of this sort. For work that cannot
be split up in this way, it is important that the Project be given
more manpower at the Center. With this in mind, I request that
consortium members consider the possibility of sending people
to work at the center for extended periods (6-12 months).
- The Executive Committee approved this approach.
- I strongly prefer to make publicly available many of the Project
management documents. With this in mind, I would like to make
this report publicly available, preferably via the WWW.
- The Executive Committee approved the release of this report.
Appendix A: AIPS++ Development Plan
The development plan is updated every few months. Here I attach
the version from 1995 June 9. The current version
is available on the WWW.
AIPS++ Development Plan
Tim Cornwell AIPS++ Project Manager <tcornwel@nrao.edu>
Last Modified: 9 June 1995
http://aips2.nrao.edu/aips++/docs/project/devplan.html
This document describes and records the development plan for
AIPS++ from March 1995 (when new management of AIPS++ was instituted)
until mid-1996. The plan will evolve and change with time. Revisions
since the last version are shown in bold. Items
subject to continuing discussion are given in italics. With
the exception of this section, which has some general observations,
the style of this document is direct. It says what we will do with
relatively little emphasis on saying why we will do it or who will do
it. This plan is mirrored in the AIPS++
Target Dates where names and time-scales are given. I
have matched the goals here to the personnel available rather than
give a wish-list. I have also described areas where we will not be
active.
First I give some general observations that drive the plan:
- The goal of AIPS++ is to be the next generation software system
for astronomical data analysis. The strategy to achieve this goal
is to follow three phases:
- Develop the infrastructure library,
- Test and extend the library. We will do this by tightly focused
applications development. To attract early adopters of AIPS++,
we will preferentially add key, unique applications that do not
exist in other packages,
- Expand out to completeness.
Phase 1 is mostly complete. We are embarking upon the second phase
in which the infrastructure will be tested and extended. This
will occur principally at the two main NRAO sites (Socorro and
Charlottesville). Once the libraries and central design concepts
are shown to be robust, applications development (Phase 3) can
accelerate and spread to more AIPS++ sites.
- Adoption of AIPS++ by applications programmers requires robust,
reliable, well-designed, well-documented libraries. It would be
irresponsible to develop designs that are not documented. This
will a key part of the AIPS++ intellectual heritage. The completeness
of the documentation of the early design of IRAF serves as a good
example.
- I expect that the libraries will change and grow significantly
as applications are written. This requires close communication
between application developers and those responsible for the library.
The distinction between infrastructure and application code is
hard to make at this early stage since most applications should
produce code that will eventually end up in the library.
- To maintain focus and to provide simple feedback concerning
the library, applications development should proceed in a few
tightly focused areas. These applications will be drawn from single
dish support (specifically GBT commissioning and observing), and
synthesis support. Once these applications have been demonstrated,
we expect that further application development will proceed more
rapidly and with the active involvement of other sites.
AIPS++ is conceptually broken down into various sub-components:
Infrastructure, System,
Documentation, Single Dish Processing,Synthesis Processing,
Image Analysis,Visualization,
Observing support, and Management.
- Object persistence: A mechanism for allowing object
persistence is required.
- User Interface: We will continue to use Glish as the CLI.
There is a separate development plan
for Glish.
- Tasking: We will develop further and implement the
design for Tasking described in Glendenning's memo on the architecture
of AIPS++. As part of this work, the Inputs Classes must be redesigned
to support more complex applications for example
convert input file name to an image directly.
- Graphical User Interface: Paul Shannon will be responsible
for the adoption of an existing GUI or the development of a prototype
GUI. Harvey Liszt and Rick Fisher will advise. This will be done
in partnership with the GBT Monitor and Control group.
- Coordinates: The ATNF group will be responsible for
the completion of the design and implementation of Coordinate
and Measure classes.
- Image Class: The Image class will be integrated with the new
Coordinate and Measure classes. Masks and weights will
be added.
- Plotting Capabilities: 1-D plotting is needed in some form
for the GBT work. For the GBT Systems integration work,
we will use a commercial widget, Xrt/Graph. We will evaluate alternate,
public domain solutions. Paul Shannon will be responsible
for this with advice from Harvey Liszt and Rick Fisher.
- Table development: Storage managers and optimization will
be the key to efficient use of the Table system, particularly
in the "Big Table" model of Measurement Sets. This work
will be under the supervision of Ger van Diepen. The key
remaining development is of a hyper-tiled storage manager.
- FITS Classes: The FITS classes will be augmented to
support random access i/o, to avoid the down-casting now required,
and to improve the interface.
- Code Management System: We will add support for automated
testing.
- Compiler Support: We will evaluate the beta version of the
Sun native compiler. As a second priority, we will also investigate
use of the IBM compiler.
- Overall Documentation: Much of the existing documentation
is out-of-date. We will attempt to update key documentation. We
will distinguish between up-to-date and outdated documentation.
- User Documentation: User documentation is proceeding well
under the direction of Alan Bridle. Decisions must be
made on directory structure and development of tools.
- Programmer Documentation: One person will be given
overall responsibility for programmer documentation and will work
in close collaboration with Alan Bridle to provide a unified approach
to user and programmer documentation. Design documents
must be regarded as a necessary part of the development of a new
class or of a substantial revision of an existing class. For major
existing classes, we will write post hoc design descriptions.
Defunct design documents will be removed from active directories.
- On The Fly Mapping: We will finish the OTFTool developed by
Bob Garwood for the 12m and support it for use at the telescope.
However, substantial additions or augmentations will take second
priority to the GBT support discussed below.
- GBT Commissioning support: AIPS++ will support the GBT systems
integration work on the 140' telescope. This requires filling
into an AIPS++ Table, plotting and some simple manipulations of
engineering and astronomical data, all by July 1995.
- SDCalc: After support for the commissioning of the GBT, we
will start development of a Single Dish Calculator of the sort
envisaged by Harvey Liszt and Rick Fisher. This will require development
of a GUI and plotting capabilities.
- SDImager: After SDCalc, we will develop imaging capabilities
for Single Dish Observing in both spectral line and continuum
modes. These will be analogous to the advanced imaging capabilities
important in interferometry.
- Advanced Imaging: We will develop tools for advanced imaging
using the Briggs NNLS deconvolution algorithm in conjunction with
self-calibration and careful editing of visibility data.
- Calibration: We will develop a complete calibration package
for the ATCA. Calibration for other telescopes is deferred until
a workable scheme for the ATCA has been developed. Calibration
for BIMA, VLBA, WSRT is tentatively planned to be addressed early
1996.
- Image Analysis will be deferred until the initial applications
in Single Dish and Synthesis processing are complete. This is
likely to be until early 1996.
- Visualization will continue to be developed at BIMA sites.
The code will be checked into the AIPS++ Code Management System.
AIPS++ Classes will be used where possible. A second round of
revisions and augmentations to AIPSView will be made with the
goal of supporting the planned applications development (for example,
AIPSView will supporting editing of visibility data)
- The VLBA Observe program (also known as Gnomes) will be ported
to AIPS++ starting Fall 1995.
- This plan is predicated upon the following personnel being
available and dedicated to AIPS++ with high predictability but
not necessarily 100% time allocation.
- The AIPS++ group inside NRAO will be composed as follows:
- Socorro: Cornwell (Project Manager), Glendenning (Deputy),
Roberts and two new hires will work on Management, Infrastructure,
and Synthesis Applications. Hjellming is a scientific advisor.
I expect several long-term visitors to be present in Socorro at
any time over the next few years. Mark Wieringa will visit
the AOC for at least 6 months starting in September 1995 to work
on ATCA calibration. In Fall 1995, Young will join the AIPS++
group. In early 1996, Beasley will begin work on VLBA calibration
inside AIPS++.
- Charlottesville: Garwood, Shannon, and Schiebel will work
on Single Dish and Infrastructure. Bridle and Liszt are scientific
advisors for User Documentation and Single Dish.
- Green Bank: Payne will support Single Dish. Fisher is a scientific
advisor for Single Dish and Infrastructure.
- Tucson: There is currently no AIPS++ support person
at Tucson. Darrel Emerson is a scientific advisor for Single Dish.
- The AIPS++ group at ATNF will be: Killeen (Local Manager),
Brouw, Calabretta, and Wieringa.
- The AIPS++ group at BIMA/NCSA will be: Crutcher (Local Manager),
Baker, Baxter, Ravlin, and Pixton.
- The AIPS++ group at NFRA will be: Noordam (Local Manager),
van Diepen, and Olnon.
- The other AIPS++ sites (HIA/DRAO, NRAL, NCRA) are expected
to provide substantially less than 1 person each to this plan.
- The Project Management will report quarterly to the AIPS++
Board on progress in the last quarter and plans for the next quarter.
- Plans for AIPS++ development will be described in
this document that will be updated as required.
- Tracking of progress in AIPS++ will be via a Target
Dates list that will be updated and distributed to
aips2-workers at the beginning of every week.
tcornwel@nrao.edu
Appendix
B: AIPS++ Target Dates for June 26, 1995
The Target Dates are
accessible via the WWW. Here I attach the list of Target Dates
from 1995 June 26. These are discussed and updated during the
Monday Morning Meeting held every week. In addition, each active
worker is expected to submit a progress report at the end of every
week.
Date Target Who? Original
6/17/95 Specification of Noordam 9/1/95
WSRT calibration
6/26/95 Quarterly Report Cornwell 6/26/95
to AIPS++ Board
7/1/95 Specification of Liszt 7/1/95
SDCalc
7/1/95 Image masks and Roberts 7/1/95
weights
7/1/95 Plan for Cornwell 7/1/95
programmer
documentation
7/1/95 Specification of Cornwell/Emerson 7/1/95
SDIMager
7/1/95 Cleanup of Cornwell 7/1/95
defunct design
docs
7/5/95 Design of generic Olnon 7/5/95
filler
7/5/95 Plan for work in Cornwell 6/1/95
Synthesis
7/7/95 Design of van Diepen 9/1/95
Hypercube/tiled
storage manager
7/10/95 Design of design Cornwell 6/15/95
documentation
7/15/95 GBT initial test Garwood 7/15/95
7/17/95 Design of Glendenning 7/1/95
Tasking, etc.
8/1/95 Second Hire in Cornwell 11/1/95
Socorro
8/1/95 First Hire in Cornwell 8/1/95
Socorro
8/1/95 Specification of Wieringa 8/1/95
ATCA calibration
package
8/1/95 Implement Wieringa 8/1/95
polarization
solve and apply
8/1/95 Design of Young 8/1/95
Programmer
Documentation
8/1/95 Select Graphics Shannon 8/1/95
package
8/1/95 Automated testing Calabretta 7/1/95
8/1/95 Move Functionals, Glendenning 8/1/95
Fitting
8/1/95 Move Lattices, Roberts 8/1/95
Images
8/1/95 Plan for First Cornwell 8/1/95
Generation Image
Analysis
8/15/95 Design of Brouw 8/15/95
Coordinate
classes
9/1/95 Development plan Brouw 9/1/95
for Coordinate
classes
9/1/95 Move Garwood 9/1/95
MeasurementSet
9/1/95 Move Correctors Glendenning 9/1/95
9/1/95 Implementation of Glendenning 9/1/95
Tasking design
9/15/95 12-m Continuum Garwood 9/15/95
OTF data handled
by OTF tool
10/1/95 Select GUI Shannon 10/1/95
10/15/95 GBT second phase Garwood 10/15/95
test
10/22/95 ADASS meeting Cornwell 10/22/95
12/1/95 Reimplement FITS Young 12/1/95
classes
1/1/96 Plan for Image Cornwell 1/1/96
Analysis
1/1/96 Specification of Teuben 1/1/96
BIMA calibration
2/1/96 Design of Garwood 2/1/96
SDImager
2/1/96 Specification of Beasley 2/1/96
VLBA calibration
3/15/96 GBT third phase Garwood 3/15/96
test
5/1/96 Implement alpha Garwood 5/1/96
SDImager
7/1/96 Design of SDCalc Garwood 7/1/96
10/1/96 Implement alpha Garwood 10/1/96
SDCalc
Appendix
C: AIPSView Capabilities
AIPSView is now in a second alpha test. It has the following
capabilities.
- Easy to use, intuitive graphical user interface (Motif based).
- Input of FITS image files.
- Display of 2D images
- Display of any orthogonal 2D slice from a 3D image cube (for
example, display of RA vs. Dec for a given velocity, display of
RA vs. velocity for a fixed Dec, etc.).
- Movie or animation function for time-sequence display of third
dimension of 3D images.
- Simultaneous display of images from multiple data sets.
- Zooming.
- Time synchronized movies of two (or more) data cubes of the
same area of sky (that is, the same velocity of each data cube
is displayed as the two movies are run).
- Blink function for animation display of two (or more) single
planes of different images.
- Interactive display of data values, pixel values, and world
(e.g., RA, Dec) coordinate values as pointer is moved around image.
- Interactive vector (line drawing) plots of data value Vs coordinate
value, for example, for line profile plots or intensity tables
and creation of new tables.
- Interactive (mouse) manipulation of zero point and contrast
of color look-up table.
- Subregion selection, with subregions being rectangular areas
defined by mouse selection of opposite corners.
- AipsView will use the full virtual memory available.
- Glish for communication with and support of AIPS++ visualization.
Appendix D: Personnel
The following changes have occurred:
- Brian Glendenning is Deputy Assistant Director for AIPS++
Project. Effective July 1 1995, he will relocate to Socorro.
- Jim Hortskotte and Gareth Hunt have left the AIPS++ Project.
Both are being replaced by appointments in Socorro. Hiring for
these two positions is now under way. Wes Young is joining the
Project in Socorro. Tony Beasley will start work on VLBI calibration
in January 1996.
- In Dwingeloo, Jayaram Chengalur has become the NFRA AIPS++
Project Scientist
The total roster of programmers and managers working on AIPS++
is shown below, along with percentage time allocated to AIPS++
work:
- NRAO:
- Socorro: Cornwell - Project Manager (100%), Glendenning -
Deputy Project Manager (100%), Roberts (100%), Young (75%),
plus two hires in progress (100%).
- Charlottesville: Garwood (100%), Shannon (100%), and Schiebel
(100%).
- Green Bank: Payne (25%).
- ATNF: Killeen - Local Manager (30%), Brouw (50%), Calabretta
(100%), and Wieringa (50%).
- BIMA/NCSA: Crutcher - Local Manager (25%), Baker (50%), Baxter
(50%), Ravlin (75%), and Pixton (100%).
- NFRA: Noordam - Local Manager (50%), van Diepen (100%), and
Olnon (100%).
- The other AIPS++ sites (HIA/DRAO, NRAL, NCRA) are not involved
significantly.
You could now go back to the:
Copyright © 1995,1996,1999,2000 Associated Universities Inc., Washington, D.C.
tcornwel@nrao.edu
Modified: 2003/07/16 04:06:31 GMT
Installed: 2003/08/21 11:37:44 GMT