A graphic parameter file contains all the parameters needed by GRANNOT to extract a data set from a grid file and generate an annotation file from it. It includes information on grid distance, variable to access, type of representation, colors, hatch widths, title, legend, etc.
Each record of a parameter file starts with a two letter keyword indicating the type of record. Depending of the type of record, the keyword is followed by one or more type specific parameter values and optional comments. The parameter values are separated by blanks. Texts, such as title and legend strings, are surrounded by single quotes.
Records which start with the character # are considered as comments.
They may appear anywhere in the file.
The following tables list the various record types and the associated parameters. The first table shows the record types which are applicable to all types of representation:
| Record | Parameter | Contents | |
| Type | No. | Type | Description |
| GD | 1,2 | real | Horizontal, vertical grid distances |
| GC | 1 | int | Color index used for grid contour |
| CG | 1 | 0/1 | Indicator flag for drawing complete grid |
| DN | 1 | string | Name or position of grid file variable to be accessed |
| RP | 1 | int | Type of representation: 0=classes, 1=numeric values, 2=proportional hatching |
If a representation by classes is chosen, the following record types are used to define the intervals and the legend type and layout:
| Record | Parameter | Contents | |
| Type | No. | Type | Description |
| LG | 1 | int | Type of legend: 0=none, 1=standard, 2=customized |
| LB | 1,2 | real | Width, height of legend boxes |
| LK | 1,2 | real | X-, Y-coordinate of lower left corner of first legend box |
| TD | 1,2 | real | Relative X-, Y-offsets for legend text |
| TS | 1 | real | Size of legend text |
| LD | 1,2 | real | Relative X-, Y-offsets for next legend box |
| LT | 1 | text | Legend title (surrounded by single quotes) |
| TI | 1 | real | Size of legend title |
| TK | 1,2 | real | X-, Y-offsets for legend title from lower left corner of first legend box |
| NC | 1 | int | Number of interval classes |
| LC | 1 | int | Class number to be defined in this record |
| 2,3 | real | Lower, upper threshold defining the value interval for this class. The interval is defined including the lower, but excluding the upper threshold value. | |
| 4 | int | Color used for hatching grid cells belonging to this class | |
| 5,6 | real | Horizontal, vertical hatching distance for this class (0 indicating no hatching in this direction) | |
| 7 | text | Legend text for this class surrounded by single quotes | |
For representation by display of numerical values within the grid boxes the following parameter records are used:
| Record | Parameter | Contents | |
| Type | No. | Type | Description |
| PC | 1 | int | Color used to display the numeric values |
| NS | 1 | real | Text size used to display the numeric values (default 1/8 of grid distance) |
| DT | 1 | int | Minimum field width used for numeric value (default 5) |
| DF | 1 | int | Number of digits after the decimal point (default 0) |
| DG | 1,2 | real | X-, Y-offset for numeric value from lower left corner of grid box (default 10% of horizontal, vertical grid distance) |
Finally, if the grid variable is displayed using proportional hatching, the following parameter records are used:
| Record | Parameter | Contents | |
| Type | No. | Type | Description |
| PC | 1 | int | Color used for proportional hatching |
| SC | 1 | real | Scale factor, the number of hatch lines for a grid cell is obtained by dividing the corresponding attribute value by this scale factor. |