Online help can be found at: ips.ucsd.edu/help/smei/pro_frames.html
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For run the cycle_vu program, we need to use the idlz.
In our system, we define idlz equals to the device defaulted to Z-buffer. 
When the device is defaulted to Z, no display will be shown on screen.

alias clock='bash --login -c "IDL_DEV=Z,none; export IDL_DEV; echo clock | idl -quiet 2> /dev/null"'
alias idlz='_idlz'

cycle_vu_stel_stel_diff_12_3_30Rs,filter='nv3h*',/hammer,/fisheye,/remote,/brightness,/ecliptic,/meridional,/density,/speed, 
source='data source directory', destination='output image directory'

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You need to copy the e3_ file to /earth sub-directory, and then run the program.
Use this program, you can plot the time series image.

insitu_drive,/ips,source='for example: ./ips/1D_data/earth',/all
insitu_drive_mag,/ips,source='for example: ./ips/1D_data/earth',/all,/brad

You can use the "vu_spherecut", "vu_synopticmap","vu_planarcut" these subroutine to create the boundary data you like.
Examples can be found in cycle_vu driver program, same keyword can be used.