1. First of all save this isl.xidv file to your isl directory.
2. Run this file:

   <isl debug="true" offscreen="false">
        <bundle file="isl.xidv"/>
   </isl>
   

   image1.isl
3. Now, change directory to the home directory (cd) and run:

   runIDV /home/idv/isl/image1.isl
   

4. What happened?
5. The bundle reference in the isl was relative to where you run the idv from. We'll use the islpath property:

   <isl debug="true" offscreen="false">
        <bundle file="${islpath}/isl.xidv"/>
   </isl>
   

   image2.isl
6. Note, no images were created. Only the bundle was loaded. To create an image we'll use the image tag:

   <isl debug="true" offscreen="false">
        <bundle file="${islpath}/isl.xidv"/>
   
   <!-- Wait until everything is loaded -->
        <pause/>
   
   <!-- Take a screen shot -->
        <image file="${islpath}/isl.png"/>
   </isl>
   

   image3.isl
7. The movie tag lets us create a time-loop movie or animated gif.

   <isl debug="true" offscreen="false">
        <bundle file="${islpath}/isl.xidv"/>
   
        <pause/>
   
   <!-- Generate an quicktime movie -->
        <movie file="${islpath}/isl.mov"/>
   
   <!-- Generate an animate gif -->
        <movie file="${islpath}/isl.gif"/>
   </isl>
   

   image4.isl
8. The IDV gives you an easy way to save off a basic ISL file. Run the IDV with the above bundles. Select File→Save As... and choose the /home/idv/isl directory and enter image.isl.
9. At the ISL Properties dialog:
   1. Turn off Offscreen.
   2. Turn off Image
   3. Turn on Movie and enter image.kmz.
   4. Press OK. This saves a bundle (image.xidv) and an ISL file.
10. The ISL file should look like this:

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?>
    <isl debug="true" loop="1" offscreen="false" sleep="3600">
      <bundle clear="true" file="${islpath}/image.xidv" wait="true"/>
      <movie file="${islpath}/image.kmz"/>
    </isl>
    

    image.isl
11. If we enter a kmz suffix for the movie the IDV will generate a Google Earth kmz file of the animation loop.
12. Now, we'll show you an easier way to do all of this.
    • Bring up the IDV again and load the above bundle.
    • Now, do a File→Save As and this time call it idv.isl.
    • Select Generate a Movie and press OK.
    • Let's look at this file.
    • Now, save the bundle as idv2.isl and this time select Include Bundle Inline and press OK.
    • Look at the result.

Unidata IDV Workshop for version 5.7 > Advanced Topics > Scripting with IDV