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r.external.out(1grass) Grass User's Manual r.external.out(1grass)

r.external.out - Redirects raster output to file utilizing GDAL library rather than storing in GRASS raster format.

raster, export, output, external

r.external.out
r.external.out --help
r.external.out [-frp] directory=path [extension=string] format=string [options=string[,string,...]] [--help] [--verbose] [--quiet] [--ui]


List supported formats and exit

Cease using GDAL and revert to native output

Print current status

Print usage summary

Verbose module output

Quiet module output

Force launching GUI dialog


Name of output directory

Extension for output files

Format of output files
Options: VRT, GTiff, NITF, HFA, ELAS, AAIGrid, DTED, PNG, JPEG, MEM, GIF, XPM, BMP, PCIDSK, PCRaster, ILWIS, SGI, SRTMHGT, Leveller, Terragen, GMT, netCDF, HDF4Image, ISIS3, ISIS2, PDS4, ERS, JP2OpenJPEG, FIT, GRIB, RMF, WMS, RST, INGR, GSAG, GSBG, GS7BG, R, KMLSUPEROVERLAY, WEBP, PDF, Rasterlite, MBTiles, CALS, WMTS, MRF, PNM, PAux, MFF, MFF2, BT, LAN, IDA, LCP, GTX, NTv2, CTable2, KRO, ROI_PAC, RRASTER, BYN, ARG, USGSDEM, BAG, NWT_GRD, ADRG, BLX, EPSILON, PostGISRaster, SAGA, XYZ, HF2, JPEGLS, ZMap, SIGDEM, GPKG, NGW, ENVI, EHdr, ISCE

Creation options

r.external.out instructs GRASS GIS to write subsequently generated raster maps as data files (e.g. GeoTIFF) using GDAL instead of storing them in GRASS raster format in the current mapset.

Any new raster map is immediately written out through GDAL as a file.

A relative directory path (parameter directory) is interpreted relative to the current mapset directory, not the current directory where the command was launched. An unspecified or empty directory (which will occur if the user passes a simple filename for output) results in the output file being placed in the "gdal/" subdirectory of the current mapset directory.

The module r.external.out is used to write out processing results directly in GeoTIFF format (any GDAL supported format can be used here):

# define output directory for files resulting from GRASS calculation(s)
# and target format:
mkdir $HOME/gisoutput/
r.external.out directory=$HOME/gisoutput/ format="GTiff"
# prepare sample analysis
g.region raster=elevation -p
# perform GRASS calculation (here: filter by height, write > 120m, NULL otherwise)
# this will store the output map directly as GeoTIFF, so we use .tif extension:
r.mapcalc "elev_filt.tif = if(elevation > 120.0, elevation, null() )"
# ...the "elev_filt.tif" is immediately written.
# cease GDAL output connection and turn back to write out GRASS raster files:
r.external.out -r
# verify resulting file
gdalinfo $HOME/gisoutput/elev_filt.tif

The module r.external.out can be used along with r.external to process external geodata in GRASS while writing out the results directly in GeoTIFF:

# register GeoTIFF file to be used in current mapset:
r.external input=terra_lst1km20030314.LST_Day.tif output=modis_celsius
# define output directory for files resulting from GRASS calculation:
r.external.out directory=$HOME/gisoutput/ format="GTiff"
# perform GRASS calculation (here: extract pixels > 20 deg C)
# this stores the output map directly as GeoTIFF:
r.mapcalc "warm.tif = if(modis_celsius > 20.0, modis_celsius, null() )"
# cease GDAL output connection and turn back to write GRASS raster files:
r.external.out -r
# now use the resulting file elsewhere
gdalinfo $HOME/gisoutput/warm.tif

GDAL Pages: http://www.gdal.org/

r.in.gdal, r.out.gdal, r.external

Glynn Clements

Last changed: $Date: 2017-02-28 17:48:37 +0100 (Tue, 28 Feb 2017) $

Available at: r.external.out source code (history)

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© 2003-2019 GRASS Development Team, GRASS GIS 7.6.0 Reference Manual

GRASS 7.6.0