Model:TopoToolbox

TopoToolbox

Metadata

Also known as
Model type	Tool
Model part of larger framework
Note on status model
Date note status model

Incorporated models or components:

Spatial dimensions	2D
Spatial extent	Regional-Scale, Landscape-Scale, Watershed-Scale
Model domain	Hydrology, Terrestrial
One-line model description	A set of Matlab functions for topographic analysis
Extended model description	TopoToolbox provides a set of Matlab functions that support the analysis of relief and flow pathways in digital elevation models. The major aim of TopoToolbox is to offer stable and efficient analytical GIS utilities in a non-GIS environment in order to support the simultaneous application of GIS-specific and other quantitative methods. With version 2, TopoToolbox adds various tools specifically targeted at tectonic geomorphologists such as Chiplots and slopearea plots.

Keywords:	topographic analysis, geomorphology, geomorphometry, Matlab,

Name	Wolfgang Schwanghart
Type of contact	Model developer
Institute / Organization	Institute of Earth and Environmental Science
Postal address 1	Geohazards
Postal address 2	Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 24-25
Town / City	Potsdam-Golm
Postal code	14476
State	NO STATE
Country	Germany
Email address	w.schwanghart@geo.uni-potsdam.de
Phone
Fax

Name	Dirk Scherler
Type of contact	Model developer
Institute / Organization
Postal address 1
Postal address 2
Town / City
Postal code
State
Country
Email address
Phone
Fax

Supported platforms	Unix, Linux, Mac OS, Windows
Other platform
Programming language	Matlab
Other program language
Code optimized
Multiple processors implemented
Nr of distributed processors
Nr of shared processors
Start year development	2008
Does model development still take place?	Yes
If above answer is no, provide end year model development
Code development status
When did you indicate the 'code development status'?
Model availability	As code
Source code availability (Or provide future intension)	Through CSDMS repository
Source web address
Source csdms web address	https://github.com/csdms-contrib/topotoolbox
Program license type	Other
Program license type other	GNU version 2 or later
Memory requirements
Typical run time

Describe input parameters	GeoTiff, ESRI ASCII digital elevation model
Input format	ASCII, Binary
Other input format
Describe output parameters	topographic derivatives (slope, curvature, flow accumulation, drainage basins), flow paths, chiplots, swath profiles, among others.
Output format	ASCII
Other output format
Pre-processing software needed?	No
Describe pre-processing software
Post-processing software needed?	No
Describe post-processing software
Visualization software needed?	Yes
If above answer is yes	Matlab
Other visualization software

Describe processes represented by the model	The TopoToolbox 2 is a Matlab based software for Digital Elevation Model (DEM) analysis. It uses an object oriented programming (OOP) approach to represent and work with geoferenced raster data, flow directions, stream networks and swath profiles in Matlab. TopoToolbox offers a wide range of tools to analyse DEMs, flow and stream networks, that allow for interactive and automated workflows.
Describe key physical parameters and equations	none
Describe length scale and resolution constraints	All spatial data should be provided as projected, georeferenced (e.g., UTM) grids or shapefiles where spatial units are given in meters. Data referenced in a geographic coordinate system will return unexpected results.
Describe time scale and resolution constraints	none
Describe any numerical limitations and issues	In general, Matlab stores all data in the main memory. Manageable grid size will depend on your available RAM. For conveniently working with grids with ~5000x5000 rows and columns, a 4Gb of RAM will likely be sufficient.

Describe available calibration data sets
Upload calibration data sets if available:
Describe available test data sets
Upload test data sets if available:
Describe ideal data for testing

Do you have current or future plans for collaborating with other researchers?	I am always looking for people interested in improving and enhancing TopoToolbox.

Is there a manual available?	Yes
Upload manual if available:	Media:Usersguide 1 intro.pdf, Media:Usersguide 2 mfd.pdf, Media:Usersguide 3 ksn.pdf
Model website if any
Model forum / discussion board

Comments

This part will be filled out by CSDMS staff

OpenMI compliant	No but possible
BMI compliant	No but possible
WMT component	No but possible
PyMT component
Is this a data component

DOI model	10.1594/IEDA/100175
For model version	1.0.4
Year version submitted	2011
Link to file	https://csdms.colorado.edu/pub/models/doi-source-code/topotoolbox-10.1594.IEDA.100175-1.0.4.tar.gz

Can be coupled with:

Model info

Authors

Wolfgang Schwanghart

Scherler

Source code

View in CSDMS GitHub repository

DOI

Download TopoToolbox version: 1.0.4
Doi: 10.1594/IEDA/100175

Model citations

Nr. of publications:	36
Total citations:	1961
h-index:	15
m-quotient:	1.0

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TopoToolbox

Introduction

TopoToolbox provides a set of Matlab functions that support the analysis of relief and flow pathways in digital elevation models. The major aim of TopoToolbox is to offer stable and efficient analytical GIS utilities in a non-GIS environment in order to support the simultaneous application of GIS-specific and other quantitative methods.

History

See the readme file in the distribution.

References

Nr. of publications:	36
Total citations:	1961
h-index:	15
m-quotient:	1.0

Featured publication(s)	Year	Model described	Type of Reference	Citations
Schwanghart, Wolfgang; Kuhn, Nikolaus J.; 2010. TopoToolbox: A set of Matlab functions for topographic analysis. Environmental Modelling & Software, 25, 770–781. 10.1016/j.envsoft.2009.12.002 (View/edit entry)	2010	TopoToolbox	Model overview	326
Schwanghart, W.; Scherler, D.; 2014. Short Communication: TopoToolbox 2 – MATLAB-based software for topographic analysis and modeling in Earth surface sciences. Earth Surface Dynamics, 2, 1–7. 10.5194/esurf-2-1-2014 (View/edit entry)	2014	TopoToolbox	Model overview	780
See more publications of TopoToolbox

Issues

TopoToolbox is optimized for small data sets (grid size less than 2000 columns x 2000 rows, depending on your available main memory). This short-coming is due to various issues. First of all, Matlab loads all variables in the main memory and does not work on a file basis (such as ArcGIS for example does). Second, Matlab performs best for double precision data and sparse matrix operations currently only support for double precision data. Hence, all variables are stored as double precision, which requires large memory. 64-bit computers may overcome many of these weaknesses.

Help

There are a couple of short documents (userguide_xxx.m) including html-files in the distribution. Each function contains a comprehensive help section with syntax explanations and examples. For additional help, tipps and tricks, and news, please read my blog at http://topotoolbox.wordpress.com/

Input Files

There is a example file included in the distribution (srtm_bigtujunga30m_utm11.tif). Your own data should have the ESRI ArcGIS ASCII raster or Geotiff format and can be read using the function GRIDobj.

Output Files

Output can be written as ESRI ArcGIS ASCII raster and Geotiff format.

License notice

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or (at your option) any later version.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA.