1. Start fresh by clearing all displays and data and going to a CONUS projection.
2. Use the Displays→Maps and Backgrounds→Add Background Image menu to load in the background image control. The default view is the Blue Marble image from NASA.
3. The WMS display allows you to save off the displayed image in either IDV's ximg format or Google Earth's kml/kmz format.
   • Change the Layer in the WMS display control to Blue Marble Dynamic.
   • From the WMS display's File→Save menu choose Save As Image XML/KML File....
   • Enter bluemarble.ximg.
   • Now, from the Files data source chooser press Update and select bluemarble.ximg.
   • Create a 3 Color (RGB) Image.
   • Toggle visibility of the displays.
   • Remove this display.
4. Let's look at a Topographic map.
   • Change the Layer in the WMS display control to Topographic Map
   • Note that all we get is a white background. This is because the size of the view is too large and the WMS we are accessing just returns a white image.
   • Zoom in over Colorado .
   • Note that the WMS Control automatically fetches a new image when the view changes. This can be turned off with the Auto-Reload button.
   • Keep zooming. What happens? The screen went blank. This is because we just zoomed through the surface of the earth.
   • We can fix this by changing the projection. Choose the Projections→Use Displayed Area menu item.
5. Let's find out how far it is to walk to the cafeteria in FL2
   • Change the Layer to Urban Area
   • First we need to find our building. View menu on the display control window select Go to Address. Note: you can also do this from the Projections menu in the main view window.
   • Enter our building's address:

     3300 Mitchell Lane, Boulder, CO
     

   • Press OK
   • We should now be looking at FL4. Move the display so FL4 (control key/right mouse drag) is in the lower left.
   • Add a Range and Bearing control with the Displays→Special→Range and Bearing menu.
   • Move the endpoints to figure the distance.
   • Let's see how many furlongs it is.
     • From the Range and Bearing Edit menu select Change Display Unit....
     • Enter "furlongs" and press OK.
6. Now, go try to find your home. The Go to Address dialog can take addresses, zip codes, city/state names or lat/lon points. Mousing over the Address field will show a tooltip with the different formats available.

Unidata IDV Workshop for version 5.7 > Accessing and Displaying Data > Miscellaneous Displays