How do I display a two-dimensional array of heights in IRIS Explorer?
A two-dimensional array of topographic heights provides an example of a dataset where one variable (the height) is a function of two others (latitude and longitude). Other examples could include the temperature of a two-dimensional surface, or a mathematical function of two variables, f(x,y). In general, the two variables x and y are referred to as independent variables, while the third variable (f) is called the dependent variable. There are two classes of techniques in IRIS Explorer which can be used to display this type of data data: • contour-based, in which contour lines are drawn to connect together all places in the dataset having the same value for the dependent variable. This can be done by the Contour module; Run ViewDemo with the contour.skm script file to illustrate its use. • surface-based, in which a three-dimensional surface is constructed across the dataset. The height of the surface at each point is determined by the local value of the dependent variable. In addition,
