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GDAL Scripts Reference

This reference guide provides comprehensive documentation for all GDAL planetary science scripts organized by functionality.

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Script Categories

Coordinate Scripts

Conversion utilities for transforming between pixel, meter, and geographic coordinate systems

Conversion Scripts

Format conversion tools for ISIS3, PLY, gores, geocentric XYZ, and shapefile formats

Planetary Scripts

Specialized tools for planetary data processing including slope analysis and IAU coordinate systems

Utility Scripts

General-purpose utilities for metadata, histograms, and image size calculations

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Coordinate Conversion Scripts

Convert between different coordinate systems:
  • pixel2longlat.py - Convert pixel coordinates to longitude/latitude
  • pixel2meters.py - Convert pixel coordinates to projected meters
  • longlat2meters.py - Convert geographic coordinates to projected meters
  • meters2longlat.py - Convert projected meters to geographic coordinates

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Format Conversion Scripts

Convert geospatial data between formats:
  • Astropedia_gdal2ISIS3.py - Create ISIS3 compatible labels from GDAL images
  • gdal2PLY.py - Convert DEMs to PLY mesh format for 3D visualization
  • gdal2gores.py - Create gore projections for sphere mapping
  • gdal2xyz_geocentricSpace.py - Convert DEMs to body-fixed XYZ coordinates
  • AsterMeta2Shapefile.py - Convert ASTER metadata files to shapefiles

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Planetary-Specific Scripts

Specialized planetary science tools:
  • gdal_baseline_slope.py - Calculate slopes using various baseline lengths
  • create_IAU2000_wkt_v3.py - Generate IAU planetary coordinate system definitions
  • isis3_to_pds4_LOLA_pvl.py - Convert ISIS3 labels to PDS4 format
  • fix_jp2_v2 - Fix GeoJP2 Equirectangular projection keywords

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General Utility Scripts

Common analysis and utility functions:
  • gdal2metadata.py - Generate FGDC metadata from GDAL rasters
  • gdal_hist.py - Export image histograms in tabular format
  • slope_histogram_cumulative_graph.py - Create histogram visualizations
  • gdalSize.py - Calculate image size from geographic bounds

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Quick Start

Most scripts follow standard Python command-line patterns: 
python script_name.py [options] input_file output_file
For detailed usage of any script: 
python script_name.py --help
# or
python script_name.py

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Common Requirements

All scripts require:
  • Python 2.7+ or Python 3.x (version varies by script)
  • GDAL/OGR Python bindings
  • Additional dependencies listed in individual script documentation

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Installation

Install GDAL Python bindings: 
# Using conda (recommended)
conda install -c conda-forge gdal

# Using pip
pip install gdal

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Support

For issues or questions about these scripts, contact the USGS Astrogeology Science Center or visit the repository documentation.