HDF NEWSLETTER #15 October 20, 1994 Contents 1. HDF3.3 Release 4 2. HDF3.3r4 documention update 3. Status of HDF4.0 4. New Contributions 5. Update on NCSA tools 6. New NCSA HDF Staff HDF3.3 Release 4 ==================== NCSA is pleased to annouce yet another release of HDF, HDF3.3r4. HDF3.3r4 is available on the NCSA ftp server (ftp.ncsa.uiuc.edu; new IP address 141.142.3.135) in the directory HDF/HDF3.3r4/. The ABOUT_3.3r4 and README files in that directory and the README files in its subdirectories contain full details on the new features of HDF 3.3, as well as directions on how to download, install and use it. HDF3.3r4 contains the following new features: - A FORTRAN version for DF24nimage - A FORTRAN function d8sjpeg for setting JPEG parameters The following bugs have been fixed: - Unsigned integers in mfhdf interface are now reported correctly - Mfhdf interface reads back data strings and dimensions from old HDF files - Long integers are now translated correctly on the DEC ALPHA - Inordinately large blocks are no longer created for certain appendable structures. - Big-endian, IEEE floating-point I/O is faster with SD interface - The mfhdf interface now reads slabs HDF3.3r4 Documentation update =============================== Documentation for several functions has been added or corrected. We have put these updates on our ftp server so that users may access them before the next official revision of HDF documentation is available. The update file is in subdirectory: HDF/Documentation/HDF3.3/Ref_Manual/Update.Oct94 Status of HDF4.0 ================== In Newsletter #14 we described the next version of HDF, HDF 4.0, which we are currently working on. Our primary goal (among others) for HDF 4.0 was to support multi-file and multi-object access to all major HDF objects, and also to allow users to attach attributes of the form "parameter=value" to these objects. We are currently working on a new version of the raster image interface that will support these new features. This work is going slowly due to a variety of interruptions, but we hope to have it completed in the next couple of months. An Alpha version of HDF 4.0 is available for interested users. This version supports n-bit number types, contains a parallel I/O HDF interface for the CM-5, and reads certain CDF files. Please read ABOUT_4.0.alpha on the ftp server for more details. New Contributions ================== The following are new contributions available on HDF/contrib: LinkWinds --------- The Linked Windows Interactive Data System (LinkWinds) is contributed by Allan S. Jacobson, leader of the LinkWinds Development Task at NASA/JPL. LinkWinds is an integrated multi-application execution environment with a full graphical user interface (GUI). It provides a variety of functions to interactively access, display and analyze multidisciplinary datasets. LinkWinds accepts data in HDF and other formats. See "LinkWinds User's Guide" for more information. The contributed software and its documentation are in subdirectory: HDF/contrib/LinkWinds/. hdf2mpeg converter ------------------ Recently, an HDF user was looking for a tool to convert her HDF RIS's into MPEG files. About a year and a half ago, David Thompson, an X developer of SDG at NCSA, wrote a program yuvconvert for other users with the same goal. With Dave's agreement we contributed this program to HDF users. The program is on our ftp server in subdirectory: HDF/contrib/NCSA/HDF2MPEG Read the README file in that directory for more details. Update on NCSA tools ==================== Mosaic: XMosaic version 2.5 beta 2 was released on Oct. 11, 1994. Its binaries were linked with HDF3.3r3 library. The next release of XMosaic 2.5 will be linked with HDF3.3r4. XMosaic 2.5 beta 2 added several interesting new features, such as Common Client Interface, nested hotlists, etc. For more details, please read the "On Version 2.5b2" in the "Help" menu in Mosaic. New NCSA HDF Staff ================== We are happy to announce the addition of three new staff members to the HDF group: Diana McElroy, Erik Tsui, and Wallace Su. Diana joins Shiming Xu in providing support for the HDF community, bringing 10 years of experience in academia and industry as a programmer, programmer analyst, and system administrator to this very important task. Erik and Wallace, both research assistants in the University of Illinois Department of Computer Science, will be involved primarily in software development. Erik's first task is to complete work on the HDF dumper, and Wallace's first task is to bring the X-Windows version of NCSA Collage up to date with the HDF library.