Model Evaluation Tools Plus (METplus) {#METplus_install_guide} ====================================================== Welcome to the documentation for METplus. METplus is a set of Python wrapper scripts around the MET verification tools and METViewer (a tool used for plotting MET output verification statistics). Background and Future --------------------- METplus development began in 2016 with initial development for the cyclone-relative verification for the Stony Brook University (SBU) project. Development in 2017 will focus on replicating the Global Deterministic National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Verification and future work will focus on ensemble, meso, and storm scale verification at NCEP and public support. Dependencies ------------ The MET verification tools package is required to be installed on your system prior to running the METplus wrapper scripts. METplus was developed using Python version 2.7.9. Python version 2.7 or greater is required. - METplus requires the following to be installed on your system: - ncdump utility - http://www.unidata.ucar.edu/downloads/netcdf/index.jsp - ncap2 utility - http://nco.sourceforge.net/ - convert utility (part of ImageMagick) - https://www.imagemagick.org/script/binary-releases.php - wgrib2 utility - http://www.cpc.noaa.gov/products/wesley/wgrib2/compile_questions.html - egrep utility - http://directory.fsf.org/wiki/Grep - rm, cut, tr utilities (standard on Linux) Version Control --------------- METplus uses GIT for version control in a public GitHub repository: https://github.com/NCAR/METplus. Getting the Code and Test Data ------------------------------ Get the METplus latest release from the NCAR/METplus GitHub repository, and click on the 'releases' link to download the latest release, documentation, and sample data. Configuring the Environment --------------------------- Configure the following environment variables in your login shell. The example below assumes C shell. Open up your .cshrc (or similar file) using the editor of your choice and add the following: To your PYTHONPATH, add: (full path to METplus/ush):${PYTHONPATH} (replacing the text and () with the full path) If you do not currently have a PYTHONPATH, add: setenv PYTHONPATH (full path to METplus/ush) (replacing the text and () with the full path) To your PATH (path), add: setenv PATH ${PATH}:(full path to METplus/ush) (replacing the text and () with the full path) Optional: Add the METplus job log file, JLOGFILE setenv JLOGFILE (full path/filename) (replacing the text in () with the desired full path and filename of your job log file. Save the changes and source your .cshrc (or similar file) by running, for example: source ~/.cshrc Configuration Files ------------------- There are two sets of configuration files - one for running METplus and one for running MET. The MET configuration files are found in the parm/met_config directory. There are three main configuration files for METplus: + METplus_data.conf + METplus_system.conf + METplus_runtime.conf These are located in the parm/metplus_config subdirectory. Users have the ability to override specific fields in metplus_data.conf, metplus_system.conf, and/or metplus_runtime.conf via use case configuration files and/or their own config file. The three main METplus configuration files do not need to be specified on the command line when running METplus. Any additional configuration file Configuration Setup ------------------- The user should look at metplus_data.conf, metplus_system.conf, and metplus_runtime.conf to modify necessary and desired fields. Please refer to @ref confguide How to Run? ----------- Once you have set up your environment variables and necessary configuration files, run the following from the command line: + for running a particular use case: master_metplus.py -c parm/use_cases//.conf + for running a specific example under a use case: master_metplus.py -c parm/use_cases//.conf -c parm/use_cases//examples/.conf + for running a particular use case with settings from your custom configuration file (to over-ride existing settings set in one of the main METplus configuration files): master_metplus.py -c parm/use_cases//.conf -c /full/path/to/my_custom.conf ================================================================================ Release Notes ================================================================================ Beta Release Notes: ------------------ 2017 October 20: METplus Beta is available under the 'release' link of the GitHub repository. The release contains the METplus training tutorial documentation and accompanying sample data. The feature relative, QPE, track and intensity, and cyclone plotter use cases are now available for users to use by simply replacing /path/to with the appropriate full file paths. Alpha Release Notes: ------------------- 2017 May 9: METplus is now using the NOAA/NCEP/EMC produtil package. This changed how configuration files, logging, subprocess execution, and some file operations are implemented. 2017 Jan: - Initial release of the code.