Using WMS time dimension with rasters?

[Jeff Schmaltz]

Hello,

I am exploring the possibility of using MapServer to serve up MODIS
satellite imagery as a WMS.

I have managed to create a working mapfile containing a single raster image
for a single day.  I need to to serve up a 2nd image which covers the same
geographic extents but is from a different date.  Ultimately, I want to
serve up years of daily images, hence my desire to use the time dimension.

Searching the MapServer documentation - in the "WMS Time Support HOWTO", I
found the statement "wms_ timeitem: (Mandatory) this is the name of the
field in the DB that contains the time values".  I am surmising that "DB"
refers to database and that PostGIS is the open source database one would
use with MapServer.  From the PostGIS Manual FAQ "You can store point, line,
polygon, multipoint, multiline, multipolygon, and geometrycollections."

Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that it is NOT currently possible
to use the WMS time dimension for raster data.

1) If I am wrong, can someone please point in the right direction to use the
time dimension in a WMS for rasters?

2) If I am right, can someone please tell me if support for time dimension
for WMS rasters is coming anytime soon in MapServer?

Thank you,

Jeff

Jeffrey E. Schmaltz  (SSAI)
MODIS Rapid Response Team
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Building 33 Room G108  Code 614.5
Greenbelt, MD 20771 - USA
Voice: (+1) 301 614 5135
Fax:   (+1) 301 614 6015
E-mail: Jeff.Schmaltz at gsfc.nasa.gov
URL: http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov