NAME 
	animate filename

AUTHOR
	Andy Jacobson
	UCLA Dept. Pharmacology / Crump Inst.
	UCLA School of Medicine  CHS B2-086
	Los Angeles, CA 90024-1721
	afj@DrMemory.nuc.ucla.edu

DATE:	6-2-94

SUMMARY
	Name	unix command
	
	Type	data output

	Inputs	integer
	
	Outputs	none

	Parameter	Name		Type	Default	   Min	Max
			command		string	none
			begin arg	"	"
			integer precision int	4	   1	10  Optional
			end arg		string	none
			run/stop	boolean	stop
			oneshot		oneshot	stop

DESCRIPTION
Often there will be a need to convert a string in AVS to a command or
argument in unix to be performed at the command line. This module allows
the user to output strings and integers to the command line for execution
by the shell in the directory that AVS was run from. The syntax is:
{command}_{begin arg}{integer}{end arg}
The only required input is the initial command string. Any of the other 
values may or may not be used as needed. Once a command has been entered,
it and any arguments are displayed on the "output command line". The value 
can not be changed here, it is for display only. Execution occurs with either
the oneshot button, or with run/stop highlighted. In run mode, any parameter
changes will trigger the module.

NOTE: There is a space between the command and the begin arg, but no others. 
Users may choose to insert spaces as necessary. The command line is up to a 
max of 512 characters.  
NOTE: Any commands that produce output to std. out or std. err. will
display on the AVS console. Similarly, any commands that produce errors
will kill the module.

EXAMPLE

command: "echo"
begin arg: "mydata"
integer precision: 4
integer input: <-output from animate integer (set for min=1, max=20, step=10)
end arg:".x >> /home/mydir/mydata.list" 

Result:
The file /home/mydir/mydata.list will contain:
mydata0001.x
mydata0003.x
mydata0005.x
mydata0007.x
mydata0009.x
mydata0011.x
mydata0013.x
mydata0015.x
mydata0017.x
mydata0019.x

APPLICATION
This is especially useful for making lists of iterations, filenames, etc.
It can also be used to perform operations on files, for example, moving
files to a remote system using the rcp command as they are generated. It
could be used just as well to run command line driven programs to generate
data for reading into avs. Or to record system parameters during an avs
batch run.
Our use is to cull individual frames from a series of consecutively viewed
image files for conversion with a command line driven tool. (This is the
reason for the oneshot button, to allow the viewer to grab selected
frames while viewing a long series.) Similarly, we use it to automate 
generation of batch files for deleting unneeded frames of animation,
(with the echo command, using rm and the file prefix in the begin arg.)

Example NETWORK

		       animate integer
		    	|	    |
		animate filename    |
			|	    |
		read image	    |
			|     	    |
		display image	unix command

This network can be used for example to copy selected image files from a 
series to a new location for further processing.

		
Example NETWORK 2

		       animate integer
		    	|	    |
		animate filename    |
			|	    |-----------+
		read image	    |		|
			|     	    |		|
		display image  unix command  unix command

This network can be used for example to rcp selected files to a remote system 
(without NFS access) and then delete the images to save filespace on the 
local system. (This requires care in selecting which module gets executed 
first!)