2. Install the GEON IDV Plugin
The GEON IDV plugin has additional code that modifies the Unidata (meteorological) IDV,
to make the GEON IDV for solid earth data.
The current GEON IDV plugin works with IDV version 2.5 and higher, and dates from
23 December 2008. Be sure you have version 2.5 of the IDV and the latest plugin for it.
If you already have the GEON IDV set up, with the GEON IDV plugin installed before 23 December 2008,
uninstall the
(older) plugin and install the GEON IDV plugin again to get the latest one. The latest one has
improved plotting for earthquakes and some new color tables for tomography.
When you have the Unidata IDV running, in the window with the map display, make the main
menu choice "Tools -> Plugin Manager." The Plugin Manager window pops up.
If you have been using an older GEON IDV with an older plugin installed, remove the old plugin installation now.
In the Installed plugins section, click to "Uninstall" the GEON IDV plugin.
Restart the IDV (which will not show the GEON IDV logo).
To install the GEON IDV plugin, in the category "Customized IDVs" where it says "GEON IDV,"
click on "Install."
Now exit the IDV (main menu choice File->Exit), and restart it.
When the GEON IDV runs
you will see the "GEON IDV" logo,
shown at the top of this page, in the start up window. If
you only see the smaller "IDV" logo without the word GEON, the GEON IDV plugin is not installed.
3. Increase Memory Available for the GEON IDV, and Restart the GEON IDV
Always do this important step.
The installed code to run the IDV allocates 512 MB of memory for the IDV (this is a Java resource
control feature). More than 512 MB is needed
for most uses of the IDV in geophysics; more than 1000 MB is best. The IDV
can use up to 1500 MB in most desktops.
If you have a 64 bit Linux system, you can use the IDV with several GB of RAM.
First, quit the IDV.
Linux and Windows Memory Available
If your
computer has more than 512 MB of RAM - which it really needs to run the IDV well --
do the folowing. Find the IDV start script file.
Its filename is runIDV.bat on Windows, and runIDV on Linux and Solaris. On Windows it may be in
C:\Program Files\IDV_2.4\.
That file will have a text line something like (but not exactly)
/usr/local/bin/java/j2sdk1.4/bin/java -Xmx512m -jar idv.jar
or
jre\bin\java -Xmx512m -Didv.enableStereo=false -jar idv.jar %*
This is the command line that actually starts the IDV on your system.
The important part is the number 512.
The " -Xmx512m" tells the IDV to use, at most, 512 megabytes of memory in RAM.
In every place you see -Xmx512m, change the "512" to a larger value such as 1200. Now the IDV
can access more memory, that many megabytes of memory. You can use up to 1500 if you have more than that
available.
For Vista Windows systems, you will not be allowed to change the file runIDV.bat for
an IDV installed under the "Program Files" folder. For Vista you first need to create a new folder in your own area,
where you are allowed to edit files, and then install the IDV there during the installer step.
Mac Memory Available
Here is the way to increase the memory limit on the Mac.
The IDV installed on the Mac OS X comes with the maximum memory preset for 512 mb. In order to increase the memory to say 1024 mb, you need to edit the Info.plist file in the IDV application contents. To do this first go into the IDV folder in the Applications folder and holding the Control button on the keyboard and click on "IDV". For a 3-button mouse just right click. This will give the Contents of the file in a new window. Then click on Contents folder. You can edit the Info.plist file by dragging it into a text editor or into a terminal window (type vi first). After the line VMOptions is the memory setting "-Xmx512m". Change this to -Xmx1024m and save the file. You can now launch the IDV by double clicking on the IDV application. You should see 1024 MB as the allocated memory at the bottom of the IDV window.
Alternatively for unix types: in a terminal window type vi /Applications/IDV_2.1/IDV.app/Contents/Info.plist
where IDV_2.1 is the version (directory) of your IDV install.
Do not use the maximum amount of memory on your machine as some is needed for the operating system itself.
For a system with 2 Gb of physical memory, you can probably allocate 1.5 Gb to the IDV.
If you have less than 1 Gb of RAM, you should start the IDV with about 1/2 of the total memory (512 MB).
(Unidata)
At present, you really cannot go much beyond 1.5 GB dedicated to the IDV, even if
you have more physical memory in the computer. The "32 bit limit" is still in the JRE [Java] ....some
day (soon?) they'll go beyond this. (Tom Whittaker)
Now, RESTART the GEON IDV, to get full memory use
4. Learn to use the GEON IDV
The IDV is a powerful, 3D, display system with a large number of features. It is
generalized to display many kinds of data, not customized to show any particular kind of data
in a particular kind of display in one step. Learning how it works will save a lot of time trying things.
To learn to use the GEON IDV, see the UNAVCO help resources:
the
GEON IDV Tutorial, and
How to use the GEON IDV.
The IDV's home is at
Unidata, which is associated with NCAR
the largest atmospheric research institution in the United States. The
Unidata IDV web site
has the
Unidata IDV Users Guide
and FAQ-s online,
and Unidata has offered on-site IDV training in Boulder
(schedule). The Unidata IDV training
text is online, as well as training
webcasts from Unidata.
You can join Unidata's email list servers "idvusers" and "idvdevelopers."
