select a box region on figure

Sometimes it is useful to choose a box region on a figure, e.g. to choose an interesting (normally a smaller) region to get XY coordinates for further analysis. In this case, you may try select_box.pro routine.

---- Module: select_box.pro
---- From: $SSW/gen/idl/display
---> Call: PRO SELECT_BOX,MX,MY,IX,IY,DATA=DATA,INIT=INIT,FIXED_SIZE=FIXED_SIZE

; Outputs :
; MX, MY = Size of selected box, in device coordinates.
; IX, IY = Coordinates of lower left-hand corner of selected box.
; Keywords :
; DATA = If this keyword is set, then the values are in returned in
; data coordinates instead of device coordinates.
;
; The following keywords are only relevant when used on a graphics device
; that supports windows:
;
; INIT = If this keyword is set, MX, MY, and IX, IY contain the
; initial parameters for the box.
;
; FIXED_SIZE = If this keyword is set, MX and MY contain the initial size
; of the box. This size may not be changed by the user.

Get Back the Old Google Image Search with a URL Hack

If you're not happy with the new Google Image search and would prefer to stick with the old search as your default, reader The_Doc offers this simple URL tweak.

The new Google Image search has a Switch to basic version link at the bottom of the page, but it doesn't stick, so if you prefer the old view, you'll have to scroll all the way down there every time.
Here is the workaround:

If you don't like the new Google Image Search design, add:

&sout=1

to the URL to use the the "basic" (i.e. old) version. Update your bookmarked keyword searches accordingly.

So, for example:

http://images.google.com/images?q=space

...would become:

http://images.google.com/images?q=space&sout=1

(via lifehacker)

---

If you're using Chrome, you may set up a customized Search Engines (right click address bar => Edit Search Engines). Type in the following string in URL row:

http://images.google.com/images?q=%s&sout=1

Like this:

(via google.org.cn)

vso_search & vso_get to get SDO (AIA, HMI) and SOHO (EIT, MDI) data

1. VSO in solarsoft

first of all, vso branch is located at $SSW/gen/idl/interfaces/vso
so you could use vso routines in a straight way - i.e. you don't need to have vso included in your SSW instrument list ($SSW_INSTR) or set vso in SETSSW command

2. Examples:

; Syntax : IDL> a = vso_search(date, instrument)


; Some useful examples:


IDL> a = vso_search('2005-JAN-01', instrument='eit')

;search EIT data on 2005-JAN-01

IDL> a = vso_search(date='2002-1-4 - 2002-1-4T07:05', inst='mdi') ;

;search MDI data in a time period between 2002-1-4 and 2002-1-4T07:05

IDL> a = vso_search(date='2004/1/4T07:40-2004/1/4T07:45', inst='trace')

; search TRACE data in a time period - use a different formate for time string

IDL> a = vso_search('2004/1/1','2004/12/31', wave='171', inst='eit')

; search EIT 171 Angstrom data

IDL> a = vso_search('2004/1/1','2004/12/31', wave='171-304', inst='eit')

; search EIT data within 171-304 Angstrom waveband

IDL> a = vso_search('2010-06-10', '2010-06-10 00:05', wave='193', inst='aia', pixels=1024)

; search AIA 193 Angstrom data with pixel size 1024
; Full size AIA data is 4096 pixels

IDL> a = vso_search('2010-06-10', '2010-06-11', inst='hmi', sample=3600)

; due to very high time-resolution, search will return large number of entries even in a day period. In above example, use SAMPLE flag (unit: second) to reduce number of hits (ie. lower time-resolution) - 3600 means 1 hour cadence.

IDL> print_struct, a

; print infomation of return entries

IDL> print_struct, a.time

; only print start & end time of return entries

IDL> vso_get, a ; attempt to download products

; to download actual data files from the search

Another way to download data files:

IDL> a = vso_search('2010-JUN-01', instrument='AIA', wave='193', sample=3600, /url)

; generate downloading URLs and put it into the return structure 'a'

IDL> sock_copy, a.url

;use sock_copy to download data files (into current directory)

A site about IDL and solarsoft routines

created in 2010