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NAME

       dx - start the Data Explorer visualization system.  Optionally directly
       start the User Interface  (dxui),  the  executive  (dxexec),  the  Data
       Prompter, the Module Builder or the Tutorial.

SYNOPSIS

       dx   [ -8bitcmap < private | shared | 0-1 > ]
            [ -builder ]
            [ -cache < on | off > ]
            [ -colors < colors file > ]
            [ -connect < host:port > ]
            [ -data < path list > ]
            [ -directory  < dir > ]
            [ -display < display name > ]
            [ -dxroot < dir > ]
            [ -echo ]
            [ -edit ]
            [ -encode ]
            [ -exec < executable > ]
            [ -execonly ]
            [ -execute ]
            [ -execute_on_change ]
            [ -full ]
            [ -file < filename > ]
            [ -help ]
            [ -highlight < on | off > ]
            [ -host < host name > ]
            [ -hwrender < gl | opengl > ]
            [ -image ]
            [ -include < path list > ]
            [ -key < 64bit hex > ]
            [ -license < type > ]
            [ -local ]
            [ -log < on | off > ]
            [ -macros  < path list > ]
            [ -mdf < filename > ]
            [ -memory < # of Mbytes > ]
            [ -menubar ]
            [ -metric ]
            [ -modules < path list > ]
            [ -morehelp ]
            [ -nodeid ]
            [ -optimize < memory | precision > ]
            [ -outboarddebug ]
            [ -processors ]
            [ -program < filename > ]
            [ -prompter ]
            [ -readahead < on | off > ]
            [ -script [ < script file > ] ]
            [ -startup ]
            [ -suppress ]
            [ -timing < on | off >]
            [ -trace < on | off > ]
            [ -trialkey ]
            [ -tutor ]
            [ -uionly | -execonly ]
            [ -verbose ]
            [ -version]

       dx   -prompter      ( start the Data Prompter )
            [ -full ]
            [ -file ] [ < header file name > ]

       dx   -builder  ( start the Module Builder )
            [-file ] [ < .mb file name > ]

DESCRIPTION

       dx  is  the  command  that starts the Data Explorer Startup Window, and
       optionally starts the  Data  Explorer  User  Interface,  Data  Explorer
       Executive, Data Explorer Data Prompter, Data Explorer Module Builder or
       the Data Explorer Tutorial.

       The  Data  Explorer  Startup  Window  is  an  X   windows/Motif   based
       application  which  allows  easy access to the other subsystemes of the
       Data Explorer visualization system.

       The  Data  Explorer  User  Interface  is  an  X   windows/Motif   based
       application  that  provides  a  visual  programming  environment and an
       interface to the executive.  The executive provides  the  computational
       tools and mechanisms to create data visualizations.  The

       Data  Explorer  Data  Prompter  is an X windows/Motif based application
       that helps users import data in a  variety  of  formats,  and  provides
       general  purpose  visual programs to visual imported data, leading to a
       shortened "time to first picture".

       The  Data  Explorer  Module  Builder  is  an  X   windows/Motif   based
       application  that helps users build their own modules to be included in
       a custom version of Data Explorer.

       The Data Explorer Tutorial is an application that helps users learn  to
       use  Data  Explorer by leading them through a sequence of tasks.  Users
       can easily skip around in the tutorial in order to concentrate on tasks
       of most use to their work.

       For a more complete description of the Data Explorer User Interface and
       Executive see the IBM Visualization Data Explorer Users Guide.  For  a
       more  complete  description  of the Data Explorer Data Prompter see the
       IBM Visualization Data Explorer QuickStart Guide.  For a more  thorough
       description   of   the   Data  Explorer  Module  Builder  see  the  IBM
       Visualization Data Explorer Programmers Reference.

OPTIONS

       With no options  the  dx  command  starts  the  Startup  Window,  an  X
       windows/Motif  program  from which the other parts of the Data Explorer
       system  can  be  started.   The  various  command  line   options   and
       environment  variables  listed  below  can  be  specified to change the
       default behavior.

       Options set by including them in the DXARGS  environment  variable  are
       placed at the start of the command line, followed by any options set by
       environment variables, followed by  explicit  command  line  arguments.
       When conflicting options are given, the last option has precedence.

       -8bitcmap < private | shared | 0-1  | -1 >
              Overrides  the  DX8BITCMAP environment variable (see ENVIRONMENT
              VARIABLES below).

       -cache < on | off >
              Turn on or off the executive  caching  system.   When  the  Data
              Explorer   caching   mechanism  is  enabled  the  Data  Explorer
              executive  automatically   caches   the   intermediate   results
              generated   during   its   visualization  computations.   Unlike
              standard caching mechanisms, these results are accessed by means
              of their functional derivation.  This allows for automatic graph
              optimization and helps to avoid the recomputation of  previously
              utilized   intermediates,  especially  when  the  Data  Explorer
              sequencer is being used.  In certain rare instances,  a  machine
              with  a  small amount of memory may want to disable this caching
              to conserve memory and reduce paging.  Default = on.

       -colors < colors file >
              Override  DXCOLORS   environment   variable   (see   ENVIRONMENT
              VARIABLES below).

       -connect < host:port >
              Start a distributed executive only (no user interface).

       -data < path list >
              Override  DXDATA environment variable (see ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
              below).

       -directory < dir >
              Cause the executive to be run in the given directory.

       -display < display name >
              Set the name of the X display to be used by the  user  interface
              and the executive.

       -dxroot < dir >
              Overrides the default dx root directory.

       -echo < dir >
              Echo the command lines without executing them.

       -edit  Cause  the  user interface to be started with the Visual Program
              Editor (VPE)  window  as  the  top  level  window  of  the  user
              interface  (the  top level window is denoted by an anchor in the
              upper left  hand  corner).   Also  see  -image,  -startup,   and
              -menubar.

       -encode < filename >
              Encode  the  given  file  into a binary format with a key (which
              must be specified with the -key option). For example
                  dx -encode -key 1234567890abcdef foo.net The resulting  file
              can  only  be encoded by the DX user interface when the same key
              is used. For example
                  dx -image -key 1234567890abcdef foo-e.net

       -exec < executive executable >
              Use the given file as a replacement  for  the  executive.   This
              option  allows  a  user  to  build  and  use  his/her own custom
              executive.

       -execonly
              Start the executive in remote mode in which it will then await a
              connection  from  the user interface.  The user interface is not
              started with this option.  Also see -script.

       -execute
              Execute once after the user interface has made a connection with
              the executive.

       -execute_on_change
              Cause  Data  Explorer to go into execute-on-change mode at start
              up.  Execute-on-change mode causes  the  Visual  Program  to  be
              executed  any  time  any  of  the  values  (i.e.  module inupts,
              interactor values...)  in the program change.

       -file < filename >
              Start the Data Prompter, Module Builder, or Data  Explorer  User
              Interface with the header file filename.

       -full  When used with -prompter, starts the full Data Prompter.

       -help  Print a brief listing of options and usage for dx.

       -highlight < on | off >
              Turn  on  or off module execution highlighting.  If highlighting
              is turned on, the user interface will highlight each  module  as
              it is executed.  Default = on.

       -host < host name >
              Override  DXHOST environment variable (see ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES
              below).

       -hwrender < gl | opengl >
              Override the default  hardware  rendering  choice  on  platforms
              where  both  are  supported. Default is opengl. Sets the DXHWMOD
              environment variable to either DXhwdd.o or DXhwddOGL.o.

       -image Cause the user interface to be started with the image window  as
              the  top  level  window  of  the  user interface.  Also, control
              panels that are configured to  open  automatically  are  opened.
              Also see -edit, -startup and -menubar.

       -include < path list >
              Override   DXINCLUDE   environment   variable  (see  ENVIRONMENT
              VARIABLES below).

       -key < 64bit hex >
              16 character hexidecimal (64bit) number that is used  to  encode
              and decode .net files. See -encode.

       -license < type >
              Force  a  specific  license  for  either  the  user interface or
              executive.  The following are valid values for type:

              runtime: forces a run-time license (UI or executive).

              timed: forces a timed (limited function) license (UI only).

              develop: forces a developer license (UI or executive).

       -local Override the DXHOST environment variable (if set) and cause  the
              executive  to  be  run on the local host.  In the absence of the
              DXHOST environment variable, this is the default.

       -log < on | off >
              Turn on or off executive logging.  If logging  is  on  then  the
              executive  logs output to the file dx.log in the directory where
              the executive is executing.  Default = off.

       -macros < path list >
              Override the  DXMACROS  environment  variable  (see  ENVIRONMENT
              VARIABLES below).

       -menubar
              Start  Data Explorer with a menubar as the anchor window.  Also,
              control panels that are configured  to  open  automatically  are
              opened.  See also -image, -edit, and -startup.

       -mdf < mdf file >
              Override   the   DXMDF  environment  variable  (see  ENVIRONMENT
              VARIABLES below).

       -memory < # of MB >
              Set the maximum amount of memory, in megabytes rounded up  to  a
              two  megabyte  boundary, that the executive is able to allocate.
              Default = the amount of physical memory minus 8 MB.

       -metric
              Have the ui use metric units  when  possible,  for  example  for
              setting the image size for printing postscript images.

       -modules < pathlist >
              Set the list of directories to be searched for outboard modules.

       -morehelp
              Displays this information

       -nodeid
              print out the node id of the machine that the command is run on.
              The node id is used when generating a license.

       -optimize < memory | precision >
              Select  whether  to minimize memory usage or produce more color-
              accurate images.  When memory is optimized,  image  objects  are
              generated  with  24 bits/pixel instead of 96, and ReadImage will
              produce delayed color images if supported  by  the  format.  The
              default is precision.

       -outboarddebug
              Enable  user  to  start  outboard modules manually for debugging
              when they are called in a visual program.

       -processors
              For Data Explorer SMP, sets the number of processors to use.

       -program < programname >
              Start the user interface with the visual program filename.

       -prompter
              Start the data prompter.

       -readahead < on | off >
              Specify whether or not the executive reads ahead  in  its  input
              stream  before  executing  the  commands  it  receives  from the
              stream.  If this is turned off, then the executive will  execute
              each command line as it is received.  This is useful for certain
              debugging purposes, such as memory leak  detection.   Default  =
              on.

       -script [ < script file > ]
              Run  just  the  executive  in  script  mode.   If a file name is
              provided then the executive reads and executes commands from the
              given  script  and  then  terminates.  If a file is not provided
              then when the executive starts up  it  enters  interactive  mode
              where it waits for script commands.  Also see -execonly.

       -startup
              Start  Data  Explorer  with  the  startup  window as the initial
              window. This  is  the  default.  See  also  -image,  -edit,  and
              -menubar.

       -suppress
              Do  not  open  any  control  panels at start-up. This is used in
              -image mode and -menubar mode only.

       -timed Start DX using a timed license.

       -timing < on | off >
              Turn on or off the executive timing mechanism.  If enabled, then
              when  the executive exits it will list on standard output or the
              logging file timing statistics for each  module  that  was  used
              during the course of execution.  Default = off.

       -trace < on | off >
              Turn  on  or off the executive trace mechanism.  When tracing is
              enabled the executive displays informative  messages  about  the
              execution  sequence on either standard output or the log file if
              logging is enabled.  Default = off.

       -trialkey
              Determines the information necessary for generating a  trialkey.

       -tutor Start the Data Explorer tutorial.

       -uionly
              Cause  the  user  interface  to  be  started  without  making  a
              connection to an executive.

       -verbose
              Echo commands in the dx script as they are executed.

       -version
              Print version numbers of various executables.

ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

       The following environment variables provide an  alternate  way  to  set
       certain  of  the command line options, or alter the default behavior of
       Data Explorer in some way. Options set with environment  variables  are
       overridden  if  the  same option is also specified on the command line.
       Options set with DXARGS are overridden by  both  environment  variables
       and explicit command line options.

       DX8BITCMAP
              When  Data  Explorer  displays images in 8-bit windows, it makes
              every effort to create an accurate representation of  the  image
              using the default colormap shared among applications using 8-bit
              windows.  If the  colors  required  by  Data  Explorer  are  not
              present  in  the  colormap  and  there are not enough free color
              cells available in the shared color map  for  their  allocation,
              Data Explorer will find approximations among the colors that are
              available.  However, in certain  circumstances,  the  difference
              between  the  desired color and the approximation is found to be
              too great to be acceptable.   In  such  circumstances,  DX  will
              allocate  a private colormap for more accurate results.  In this
              case, depending on your X server, you may need to move the mouse
              to  select  the Image or Display window in order for the correct
              colors to appear.  The -8bitcmap flag sets the  level  at  which
              the  change  to  using a private colormap is made.  The value of
              this parameter should be a number between 0 and 1, or  "private"
              or  "shared",  and  it repressents the Euclidean distance in RGB
              color  space,  normalized  to  1,  for   the   maximum   allowed
              discrepancy.   If  you  set  this parameter to 1, then a private
              colormap will never be used. If you set it to -1, then a private
              colormap will always be used. The default is 0.1.

       DXARGS This  contains  the  default  set  of  arguments  used by the dx
              script.  The arguments are prepended to those given to dx on the
              command  line.   This  variable  allows for the dx command to be
              easily customized.

       DXAXESMAXWIDTH
              Sets the number of digits in axes tick labels at which a  switch
              to scientific notation is made. The default is 7.

       DXCOLORS
              This  contains  the  name  of  an  alternate  file that contains
              mappings of color names to red, green, blue triplets in a format
              like    that    of    the    default   color   file   found   in
              /usr/lpp/dx/lib/colors.txt.

       DXDATA This contains a colon separated list of directories in which the
              executive  will  search  for  data  files.   Also  see the -data
              option.

       DXDELAYEDCOLORS
              If set to anything other than 0,  enables  ReadImage  to  create
              delayed  color  images if the image is a tiff format image saved
              in a byte-with-colormap format or a gif image.

       DXEXEC Specifies an executive to be run at start-up.

       DXFLING
              If DXFLING is set to 1, then for  hardware-rendered  images,  in
              rotation  mode and execute-on-change mode, if you drag the mouse
              across the image, and  release  the  mouse  button  outside  the
              image,  the  object  in the image will begin to rotate, and will
              continue to rotate  until  you  click  inside  the  image.   The
              direction  and  speed  of  the  mouse motion before release will
              affect the rotation direction and rotation speed of  the  object
              in the window.

       DXGAMMA
              Sets the gamma correction for software-rendered images displayed
              to the screen using the Display and Image  tools.   The  default
              value is 2, except for 8-bit windows on the sgi architecture.

       DXGAMMA_8BIT,
              DXGAMMA_12BIT,  DXGAMMA_24BIT  sets  the gamma correction factor
              for software-rendered images for the windows with the  indicated
              window depth.  Overrides the value set by DXGAMMA.

       DXHOST This  contains  the  name  of the host machine that will run the
              executive.  If this is not set then a default of "localhost"  is
              used,  unless  the local host is a PVS console in which case the
              default is to run the executive on the PVS.  Also see the -host,
              -local and -server options.

       DXHWGAMMA
              Sets the gamma correction for hardware-rendered images displayed
              to the screen using the Display and Image  tools.   The  default
              value is 2.

       DXHWMOD
              Specifies the name of the hardware rendering library to use when
              more than  one  is  supported.  Should  be  either  DXhwdd.o  or
              DXhwddOGL.o.

       DXINCLUDE
              This contains a colon separated list of directories in which the
              executive will search for  "included"  scripts.   Also  see  the
              -include option.

       DXMACROS
              This contains a colon separated list of directories in which the
              user interface searches for macros that  will  be  automatically
              loaded.   When running in script mode one must "include" all the
              macros by hand prior to referencing them.  Also see the  -macros
              option.

       DXMDF  This  contains  the name of a module description file (mdf) that
              contains user defined modules for a customized  version  of  the
              executive.  Also see the -mdf option.

       DXMEMORY
              sets the amount of memory (in megabytes) that can be used by the
              executive.

       DXMODULES
              This contains a colon separated list of directories in which the
              executive  searches for outboard modules.  Also see the -modules
              option.

       DX_NESTED_LOOPS
              For faces, loops, and edges data, if  set,  allows  loops  other
              than  the enclosing loop for a face to be listed first. However,
              there  is  a  consequent  decrease  in   performance   if   this
              environment variable is set.

       DXNO_BACKING_STORE
              If  set  to  anything,  disables framebuffer readbacks.  Setting
              this environment variable may improve performance of interaction
              with hardware rendered images, especially for machines for which
              readback is slow.  The  default  behavior  is  that  framebuffer
              readbacks are enabled. If you set this environment variable, not
              that some interactions using the Image tool  will  result  in  a
              black  image  while interaction is taking place. However, if you
              are not using the Image tool, it is  strongly  recommended  that
              you set this environment variable.

       DXPIXELTYPE
              sets  the  image type to either 24-bit color images or floating-
              point-based  96-bit  images  (the  default).  This  affects  the
              behavior  of  Render and ReadImage.  This variable can be set to
              either DXByte (24 bits) or  DXFloat  (96  bits).   Setting  this
              variable  to DXByte will result in images taking up less memory.

       DXPROCESSORS
              Sets the number of processors to be used for Data Explorer  SMP.

       DXRSH  Specifies  the  remote  shell  command to use when connecting to
              other systems (such as those when using distributed  execution).
              The default is the the path to rsh.

       DXRSH_NOENV
              Prevents  the  remote  "invoke dxexec" script from being written
              with a full carbon copy of the local environment  (only  DISPLAY
              is set).

       DXROOT Specifies   the  top-level  directory  for  all  the  files  and
              directories needed by Data Explorer.

       DXSHMEM
              If set to anything other than -1, forces  shared  memory  to  be
              used  (if  allowed  by  the  architecture).   If  set to -1, (if
              allowed by the architecture) will  cause  the  data  segment  to
              simply  be  extended. Please see Appendix C of the Data Explorer
              User Guide for more information.

       DX_SOCKET_BUFSIZE
              Allows the user to specify the size  of  the  send  and  recieve
              buffers  for  the socket connection between the UI and the exec.
              This value is clamped to the max allowed by the system. This can
              fix  a  problem  where  the  executive  and  UI hang involving a
              deadlock  situation  in  the  socket  communication.  The  value
              assigned  to  it  is  passed  as the parameter to setsockopt for
              SOL_SNDBUF and SOL_RCVBUF. A  typcial  increased  value  may  be
              262144.

       DX_USER_INTERACTOR_FILE
              Specifies  a  file  containing  user  interactors for use by the
              SuperviseState and SuperviseWindow modules.

       DX_WEB_BROWSER
              Under UNIX specifies the web browser to launch for  viewing  the
              HTML  documentation.  Under  Windows  and  MacOS  X setting this
              environment  variable  will  launch  the  systems  default   web
              browser.

EXAMPLES

       The  next few examples assume that none of the DX environment variables
       have been set.

       1. To start both the user interface and the executive with the  network
       named cfd.net:
              dx -edit -program cfd

       2.  To  start and execute the visual program cfd.net in image mode with
       /usr/users/me and /usr/data as data directories:
              dx -image -execute -data ’/usr/users/me:/usr/data’ cfd

       3. To run just the executive on the script named f15wing:

              dx -script -file f15wing

       4. To  start  the  user  interface  and  execute  the  user  customized
       executive  named  mydxexec containing user defined modules described in
       custom.mdf:

              dx -edit -mdf custom.mdf -exec mydxexec

       5. To start the Data Prompter :

              dx -prompter

       6. To start the Module Builder :

              dx -builder
       7. To start the Tutorial :

              dx -tutorial

SEE ALSO

       README* - The README file(s) found in the dx
              installation directory  are  an  added  source  of  information.
              html/allguide.htm contains html versions of the documentation.