Merge pull request #6 from TomLav/vimrc

Improve robustness of ncmaps, add a .ncviewrc file.

README.md

@@ -21,42 +21,52 @@ Oslo (cmcrameri)
 
 ![Example of Oslo colormap](images/oslo_example.png)
 
-Eclipse (cmasher)
-
-![Example of Eclipse colormap](images/eclipse_example.png)
-
 ## Installation
 
-There are two ways for getting ncview to use the scientific colormaps:
+There are two ways for getting `ncview` to use the scientific colormaps:
 
-*Option 1:* 
- 1. Fetch the ncmaps repo from github;
+*Option 1: (easiest)* 
+ 1. Fetch this repo from github;
  2. Define (export) a shell environment variable to the sub-directory `ncmaps/`: `export NCVIEWBASE=</path/to/local/ncmaps/copy>/ncmaps/`.
+ 2. Copy `ncmaps/.ncviewrc` to your HOME: `cp </path/to/local/ncmaps/copy>/ncmaps/.ncviewrc ${HOME}`.
 
-For example: `export NCVIEWBASE=/home/tomlav/software/ncmaps/ncmaps/` (note `ncmaps` twice). You should add the export to your `.profile`.
+For example: `export NCVIEWBASE=/home/tomlav/software/ncmaps/ncmaps/` (note `ncmaps` twice) and `cp /home/tomlav/software/ncmaps/ncmaps/.ncviewrc /home/tomlav/`.
+You should add the export to your `.profile`.
 
-*Option 2:*
- 1. Fetch the ncmaps repo from github;
+*Option 2: (requires python3)*
+ 1. Fetch this repo from github;
  2. Run `python3 write_ncmaps` in the terminal;
  3. Define (export) a shell environment variable: `export NCVIEWBASE=${HOME}/.ncmaps`;
+ 2. Copy `${HOME}/.ncmaps/.ncviewrc` to your HOME: `cp ${HOME}/.ncmaps/.ncviewrc ${HOME}/`.
+
+Here again, you should put the `export` command in your `.profile`.
 
-The second option is mainly if you want to develop the package and add more colormaps (please consider making a PR).
-
 In both cases, new colormaps should be available next time you run `ncview`.
 
 ## Supported colormaps
 *ncmaps* harvests scientific colormaps from the following python modules:
  * [matplotlib](https://matplotlib.org/stable/tutorials/colors/colormaps.html)
  * [cmocean](https://matplotlib.org/cmocean/)
  * [cmcrameri](https://pypi.org/project/cmcrameri/)
- * [cmasher](https://cmasher.readthedocs.io/index.html)
 
-These modules must be installed and accessible to your your python implementation (e.g. via *pip* or *conda*) **before** running `write_ncmaps`.
-This might require activating a *virtualenv*. Colormap modules that are not available are skipped.
+If you choose _Option 2_ above, these modules must be installed and accessible to your your python implementation
+(e.g. via *pip* or *conda*) **before** running `write_ncmaps`. This might require activating a *virtualenv*.
+
+Installing the colormaps modules is not required if you choose Option 1 above.
+
+## Notes about ncview
+1. The most widely available version of `ncview` _(Ncview 2.1.8 David W. Pierce  8 March 2017)_ has a bug in the way
+it loads the colormaps. This bug limits the number of colormaps we can prepare to a maximum of 79.
+When triggered, the bug results in ncview refusing to launch with `Error, too many colormaps -- max is 200`.
+Should this happen to you, try to: delete your `.ncviewrc` file (in your HOME). If it persists, fetch a new version of this repo.
+This bug is the reason why we do not support additional colormaps (e.g. `cmasher`).
 
-## Command-line parameters
+2. `ncview` offers a way to enable, disable, and re-order the colormaps (see button `Opts`). The configuration is saved into the
+`.ncviewrc` file in your HOME. The `.ncviewrc` file we provide in this package 1) disables all the "legacy" colormaps of `ncview` and
+2) orders the colormaps by name (alphabetic). Using our `.ncvirewc` file will overwrite your own preferences. You can start from our
+`.ncvirewc` file and further customize your colormaps.
 
-Running `write_ncmaps` should be enough in most cases, but check `write_ncmaps -h`.
+![The Opts interface in ncview](images/ncview_opt.png)
 
 ## Author
 Thomas Lavergne, Norwegian Meteorological Institute

ncmaps/.ncviewrc

@@ -0,0 +1,91 @@
+-1 "STRINGLIST_SAVE_FILE_VERSION" INT 1
+0 "NCVIEW_STATE_FILE_VERSION" INT 1
+1 "CMAP_acton" INT 1
+2 "CMAP_algae" INT 1
+3 "CMAP_amp" INT 1
+4 "CMAP_balance" INT 1
+5 "CMAP_bam" INT 1
+6 "CMAP_bamako" INT 1
+7 "CMAP_bamO" INT 1
+8 "CMAP_batlow" INT 1
+9 "CMAP_batlowK" INT 1
+10 "CMAP_batlowW" INT 1
+11 "CMAP_berlin" INT 1
+12 "CMAP_bilbao" INT 1
+13 "CMAP_broc" INT 1
+14 "CMAP_brocO" INT 1
+15 "CMAP_buda" INT 1
+16 "CMAP_bukavu" INT 1
+17 "CMAP_bwr" INT 1
+18 "CMAP_cividis" INT 1
+19 "CMAP_coolwarm" INT 1
+20 "CMAP_cork" INT 1
+21 "CMAP_corkO" INT 1
+22 "CMAP_curl" INT 1
+23 "CMAP_davos" INT 1
+24 "CMAP_deep" INT 1
+25 "CMAP_delta" INT 1
+26 "CMAP_dense" INT 1
+27 "CMAP_devon" INT 1
+28 "CMAP_diff" INT 1
+29 "CMAP_fes" INT 1
+30 "CMAP_gray" INT 1
+31 "CMAP_grayC" INT 1
+32 "CMAP_haline" INT 1
+33 "CMAP_hawaii" INT 1
+34 "CMAP_ice" INT 1
+35 "CMAP_imola" INT 1
+36 "CMAP_inferno" INT 1
+37 "CMAP_lajolla" INT 1
+38 "CMAP_lapaz" INT 1
+39 "CMAP_lisbon" INT 1
+40 "CMAP_magma" INT 1
+41 "CMAP_matter" INT 1
+42 "CMAP_nuuk" INT 1
+43 "CMAP_oleron" INT 1
+44 "CMAP_oslo" INT 1
+45 "CMAP_oxy" INT 1
+46 "CMAP_phase" INT 1
+47 "CMAP_PiYG" INT 1
+48 "CMAP_plasma" INT 1
+49 "CMAP_PRGn" INT 1
+50 "CMAP_rain" INT 1
+51 "CMAP_RdBu" INT 1
+52 "CMAP_roma" INT 1
+53 "CMAP_romaO" INT 1
+54 "CMAP_solar" INT 1
+55 "CMAP_speed" INT 1
+56 "CMAP_tarn" INT 1
+57 "CMAP_tempo" INT 1
+58 "CMAP_thermal" INT 1
+59 "CMAP_tofino" INT 1
+60 "CMAP_tokyo" INT 1
+61 "CMAP_topo" INT 1
+62 "CMAP_turbid" INT 1
+63 "CMAP_turku" INT 1
+64 "CMAP_twilight" INT 1
+65 "CMAP_twilight_shifted" INT 1
+66 "CMAP_vanimo" INT 1
+67 "CMAP_vik" INT 1
+68 "CMAP_vikO" INT 1
+69 "CMAP_viridis" INT 1
+70 "CMAP_3gauss" INT 0
+71 "CMAP_detail" INT 0
+72 "CMAP_ssec" INT 0
+73 "CMAP_bright" INT 0
+74 "CMAP_banded" INT 0
+75 "CMAP_rainbow" INT 0
+76 "CMAP_jaisnb" INT 0
+77 "CMAP_jaisnc" INT 0
+78 "CMAP_jaisnd" INT 0
+79 "CMAP_blu_red" INT 0
+80 "CMAP_manga" INT 0
+81 "CMAP_jet" INT 0
+82 "CMAP_wheel" INT 0
+83 "CMAP_3saw" INT 0
+84 "CMAP_bw" INT 0
+85 "CMAP_default" INT 0
+86 "CMAP_extrema" INT 0
+87 "CMAP_helix" INT 0
+88 "CMAP_helix2" INT 0
+89 "CMAP_hotres" INT 0