User`s guide

Version 4.5

1. In the directory containing the .coa files create a file coa2cdt.inp and enter the

names of the .coa files to be processed. Put one file name per line and omit the

.coa extension.

2. In a DOS box change to the respective directory and execute coa2cdt.exe. Make

sure the coa2cdt.exe executable is in your path or in the .coa directory. Also make

sure that the .coa files satisfy the .coa format, as described above.

The .cdt files created by coa2cdt.exe are platform-independent and can be used on all

supported platforms.

Please note that if you want to fill the bathymetry and coastlines, you have to close all

polygons in the .coa files, and the interior of the polygons must represent the areas that

are shallower than the respective depth contour or coastline. If your depth contours or

the coastline does not consist of closed polygons, you can still use them with ODV, how-

ever, you should select a line drawing mode and avoid filling in those cases. Use the

Display Options menu of the map to change display settings accordingly (see Using New

Files below).

Installing New Files

When installing the binary version of coastline-, bathymetry-, topography and overlay

files follow these instructions:

• Create a new subdirectory of the ODV coast directory (normally: c:\Program

Files\Ocean Data View (mp)\coast) and choose a descriptive name for it (e.g.,

GulfOfMaine). This directory is the base directory of the new file series. In the

new directory create subdirectories bathymetry, topography, and overlays.

• Copy the coastline file (normally called World.cdt) into the series base directory

(e.g., c:\Program Files\Ocean Data View (mp)\coast\GulfOfMaine).

• Copy all bathymetry files (e.g., 100m.cdt, 500m.cdt, etc.) into the bathymetry

subdirectory, all topography files into the topography directory and all general

purpose overlay files (rivers, lakes, borders, etc.) into the overlays directory. If

no topography and/or overlay files are available the respective directories re-

main empty.

• If you want the new custom series to be used by ODV in automatic series selec-

tion, you must create a text file containing information on the domain and reso-

lution of your series. The file name must be the same as your series name, and

the extension must be .settings. In the example above, the file name would be

GulfOfMaine.settings. The file must be located in the series’ base directory, e.g., in

c:\Program Files\Ocean Data View (mp)\coast\GulfOfMaine. The format and

contents is described below.

Example .settings file:

[Domain]

EastLongitude = 12.

NorthLatitude = 63.0

Contents: Domain longitudes are decimal de-

grees east (negative for deg W), latitudes are

decimal degrees north (negative for deg S).

Domains extending across the Greenwich me-