gdal-raster-pipeline - Process a raster dataset

NAME SYNOPSIS DESCRIPTION GDALG OUTPUT (ON-THE-FLY / STREAMED DATASET) EXAMPLES Example 1: Reproject a GeoTIFF file to CRS EPSG:32632 ("WGS 84 / UTM zone32N") and adding a metadata item Example 2: Serialize the command of a reprojection of a GeoTIFF file in aGDALG file, and later read it AUTHOR COPYRIGHT

NAME

gdal-raster-pipeline − Process a raster dataset

Added in version 3.11.

SYNOPSIS

Usage: gdal raster pipeline [OPTIONS] <PIPELINE>

Process a raster dataset.

Positional arguments:

Common Options:
−h, −−help Display help message and exit
−−json−usage Display usage as JSON document and exit
−−config <KEY>=<VALUE> Configuration option [may be repeated]
−−progress Display progress bar

<PIPELINE> is of the form: read [READ−OPTIONS] ( ! <STEP−NAME> [STEP−OPTIONS] )* ! write [WRITE−OPTIONS]

A pipeline chains several steps, separated with the ! (exclamation mark) character. The first step must be read, and the last one write. Each step has its own positional or non−positional arguments. Apart from read and write, all other steps can potentially be used several times in a pipeline.

Potential steps are:

•

read

* read [OPTIONS] <INPUT>
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Read a raster dataset.

Positional arguments:
−i, −−input <INPUT> Input raster dataset [required]

Advanced Options:
−−if, −−input−format <INPUT−FORMAT> Input formats [may be repeated]
−−oo, −−open−option <KEY>=<VALUE> Open options [may be repeated]

•

aspect

* aspect [OPTIONS]
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Generate an aspect map

Options:
−b, −−band <BAND> Input band (1−based index) (default: 1)
−−convention <CONVENTION> Convention for output angles. CONVENTION=azimuth|trigonometric−angle (default: azimuth)
−−gradient−alg <GRADIENT−ALG> Algorithm used to compute terrain gradient. GRADIENT−ALG=Horn|ZevenbergenThorne (default: Horn)
−−zero−for−flat Whether to output zero for flat areas
−−no−edges Do not try to interpolate values at dataset edges or close to nodata values

Details for options can be found in gdal raster aspect.

•

clip

* clip [OPTIONS]
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Clip a raster dataset.

Options:
−−bbox <BBOX> Clipping bounding box as xmin,ymin,xmax,ymax
Mutually exclusive with −−geometry, −−like
−−bbox−crs <BBOX−CRS> CRS of clipping bounding box
−−geometry <GEOMETRY> Clipping geometry (WKT or GeoJSON)
Mutually exclusive with −−bbox, −−like
−−geometry−crs <GEOMETRY−CRS> CRS of clipping geometry
−−like <DATASET> Dataset to use as a template for bounds
Mutually exclusive with −−bbox, −−geometry
−−like−sql <SELECT−STATEMENT> SELECT statement to run on the 'like' dataset
Mutually exclusive with −−like−where
−−like−layer <LAYER−NAME> Name of the layer of the 'like' dataset
−−like−where <WHERE−EXPRESSION> WHERE SQL clause to run on the 'like' dataset
Mutually exclusive with −−like−sql
−−only−bbox For 'geometry' and 'like', only consider their bounding box
−−allow−bbox−outside−source Allow clipping box to include pixels outside input dataset
−−add−alpha Adds an alpha mask band to the destination when the source raster have none.

Details for options can be found in gdal raster clip.

•

color−map

* color−map [OPTIONS]
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Generate a RGB or RGBA dataset from a single band, using a color map

Options:
−b, −−band <BAND> Input band (1−based index) (default: 1)
−−color−map <COLOR−MAP> Color map filename
−−add−alpha Adds an alpha mask band to the destination.
−−color−selection <COLOR−SELECTION> How to compute output colors from input values. COLOR−SELECTION=interpolate|exact|nearest (default: interpolate)

Details for options can be found in gdal raster color−map.

•

edit

* edit [OPTIONS]
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Edit a raster dataset.

Options:
−−crs <CRS> Override CRS (without reprojection)
−−bbox <BBOX> Bounding box as xmin,ymin,xmax,ymax
−−nodata <NODATA> Assign a specified nodata value to output bands ('none', numeric value, 'nan', 'inf', '−inf')
−−metadata <KEY>=<VALUE> Add/update dataset metadata item [may be repeated]
−−unset−metadata <KEY> Remove dataset metadata item [may be repeated]

Details for options can be found in gdal raster edit.

•

hillshade

* hillshade [OPTIONS]
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Generate a shaded relief map

Options:
−b, −−band <BAND> Input band (1−based index) (default: 1)
−z, −−zfactor <ZFACTOR> Vertical exaggeration used to pre−multiply the elevations
−−xscale <XSCALE> Ratio of vertical units to horizontal X axis units
−−yscale <YSCALE> Ratio of vertical units to horizontal Y axis units
−−azimuth <AZIMUTH> Azimuth of the light, in degrees (default: 315)
−−altitude <ALTITUDE> Altitude of the light, in degrees (default: 45)
−−gradient−alg <GRADIENT−ALG> Algorithm used to compute terrain gradient. GRADIENT−ALG=Horn|ZevenbergenThorne (default: Horn)
−−variant <VARIANT> Variant of the hillshading algorithm. VARIANT=regular|combined|multidirectional|Igor (default: regular)
−−no−edges Do not try to interpolate values at dataset edges or close to nodata values

Details for options can be found in gdal raster hillshade.

•

reproject

* reproject [OPTIONS]
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Reproject a raster dataset.

Options:
−s, −−src−crs <SRC−CRS> Source CRS
−d, −−dst−crs <DST−CRS> Destination CRS
−r, −−resampling <RESAMPLING> Resampling method. RESAMPLING=nearest|bilinear|cubic|cubicspline|lanczos|average|rms|mode|min|max|med|q1|q3|sum (default: nearest)
−−resolution <xres>,<yres> Target resolution (in destination CRS units)
Mutually exclusive with −−size
−−size <width>,<height> Target size in pixels
Mutually exclusive with −−resolution
−−bbox <BBOX> Target bounding box (in destination CRS units)
−−bbox−crs <BBOX−CRS> CRS of target bounding box

Advanced Options:
−−target−aligned−pixels Round target extent to target resolution
−−src−nodata <SRC−NODATA> Set nodata values for input bands ('None' to unset). [1.. values]
−−dst−nodata <DST−NODATA> Set nodata values for output bands ('None' to unset). [1.. values]
−−add−alpha Adds an alpha mask band to the destination when the source raster have none.
−−wo, −−warp−option <NAME>=<VALUE> Warping option(s) [may be repeated]
−−to, −−transform−option <NAME>=<VALUE> Transform option(s) [may be repeated]
−−et, −−error−threshold <ERROR−THRESHOLD> Error threshold

Details for options can be found in gdal raster reproject.

•

resize

* resize [OPTIONS]
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Resize a raster dataset without changing the georeferenced extents.

Details for options can be found in gdal raster resize.

•

roughness

* roughness [OPTIONS]
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Generate a roughness map

Options:
−b, −−band <BAND> Input band (1−based index) (default: 1)
−−no−edges Do not try to interpolate values at dataset edges or close to nodata values

Details for options can be found in gdal raster roughness.

•

scale

* scale [OPTIONS]
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Scale the values of the bands of a raster dataset.

Options:
−−ot, −−datatype, −−output−data−type <OUTPUT−DATA−TYPE> Output data type. OUTPUT−DATA−TYPE=Byte|Int8|UInt16|Int16|UInt32|Int32|UInt64|Int64|CInt16|CInt32|Float16|Float32|Float64|CFloat32|CFloat64
−b, −−band <BAND> Select band to restrict the scaling (1−based index)
−−src−min <SRC−MIN> Minimum value of the source range
−−src−max <SRC−MAX> Maximum value of the source range
−−dst−min <DST−MIN> Minimum value of the destination range
−−dst−max <DST−MAX> Maximum value of the destination range
−−exponent <EXPONENT> Exponent to apply non−linear scaling with a power function
−−no−clip Do not clip input values to [srcmin, srcmax]

Details for options can be found in gdal raster scale.

•

select

* select [OPTIONS] <BAND>
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Select a subset of bands from a raster dataset.

Positional arguments:
−b, −−band <BAND> Band(s) (1−based index, 'mask' or 'mask:<band>') [1.. values] [required]

Options:
−−mask <MASK> Mask band (1−based index, 'mask', 'mask:<band>' or 'none')

Details for options can be found in gdal raster select.

•

set−type

* set−type [OPTIONS]
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Modify the data type of bands of a raster dataset.

Details for options can be found in gdal raster set−type.

•

slope

* slope [OPTIONS]
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Generate a slope map

Options:
−b, −−band <BAND> Input band (1−based index) (default: 1)
−−unit <UNIT> Unit in which to express slopes. UNIT=degree|percent (default: degree)
−−xscale <XSCALE> Ratio of vertical units to horizontal X axis units
−−yscale <YSCALE> Ratio of vertical units to horizontal Y axis units
−−gradient−alg <GRADIENT−ALG> Algorithm used to compute terrain gradient. GRADIENT−ALG=Horn|ZevenbergenThorne (default: Horn)
−−no−edges Do not try to interpolate values at dataset edges or close to nodata values

Details for options can be found in gdal raster slope.

•

tpi

* tpi [OPTIONS]
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Generate a Topographic Position Index (TPI) map

Options:
−b, −−band <BAND> Input band (1−based index) (default: 1)
−−no−edges Do not try to interpolate values at dataset edges or close to nodata values

Details for options can be found in gdal raster tpi.

•

tri

* tri [OPTIONS]
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Generate a Terrain Ruggedness Index (TRI) map

Options:
−b, −−band <BAND> Input band (1−based index) (default: 1)
−−algorithm <ALGORITHM> Algorithm to compute TRI. ALGORITHM=Riley|Wilson (default: Riley)
−−no−edges Do not try to interpolate values at dataset edges or close to nodata values

Details for options can be found in gdal raster tri.

•

unscale

* unscale [OPTIONS]
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Convert scaled values of a raster dataset into unscaled values.

Details for options can be found in gdal raster unscale.

•

write

* write [OPTIONS] <OUTPUT>
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−

Write a raster dataset.

Positional arguments:
−o, −−output <OUTPUT> Output raster dataset [required]

Options:
−f, −−of, −−format, −−output−format <OUTPUT−FORMAT> Output format ("GDALG" allowed)
−−co, −−creation−option <KEY>=<VALUE> Creation option [may be repeated]
−−overwrite Whether overwriting existing output is allowed

DESCRIPTION

gdal raster pipeline can be used to process a raster dataset and perform various processing steps.

GDALG OUTPUT (ON-THE-FLY / STREAMED DATASET)

A pipeline can be serialized as a JSON file using the GDALG output format. The resulting file can then be opened as a raster dataset using the GDALG: GDAL Streamed Algorithm driver, and apply the specified pipeline in a on−the−fly / streamed way.

The command_line member of the JSON file should nominally be the whole command line without the final write step, and is what is generated by gdal raster pipeline ! .... ! write out.gdalg.json.

{
"type": "gdal_streamed_alg",
"command_line": "gdal raster pipeline ! read in.tif ! reproject −−dst−crs=EPSG:32632"
}

The final write step can be added but if so it must explicitly specify the stream output format and a non−significant output dataset name.

{
"type": "gdal_streamed_alg",
"command_line": "gdal raster pipeline ! read in.tif ! reproject −−dst−crs=EPSG:32632 ! write −−output−format=streamed streamed_dataset"
}

EXAMPLES

Example 1: Reproject a GeoTIFF file to CRS EPSG:32632 ("WGS 84 / UTM zone32N") and adding a metadata item

$ gdal raster pipeline −−progress ! read in.tif ! reproject −−dst−crs=EPSG:32632 ! edit −−metadata AUTHOR=EvenR ! write out.tif −−overwrite

Example 2: Serialize the command of a reprojection of a GeoTIFF file in aGDALG file, and later read it

$ gdal raster pipeline −−progress ! read in.tif ! reproject −−dst−crs=EPSG:32632 ! write in_epsg_32632.gdalg.json −−overwrite
$ gdal raster info in_epsg_32632.gdalg.json

AUTHOR

Even Rouault <[email protected]>

COPYRIGHT

1998-2025

Updated 2026-06-01 - jenkler.se | uex.se