Tools of the trade
In my recent "Show and Talk" post, I discussed my commitment to sharing my learning journey, a process that continues to evolve. Many of you have shown interest and are starting to sign up for this series. If you're reading this and haven't yet signed up, I encourage you to do so. Here's the signup form, or you can opt to subscribe to this blog for updates.
Since the beginning my analysis work, many have asked about the tools I use for my visualizations and simulations. Although I have previously discussed this sporadically, my toolkit and workflow have expanded significantly. It's time to revisit this topic and document it, not just for my future reference but also to assist you, especially if you're embarking on this journey from scratch. I intend to keep this post updated and as relevant as possible.
Working with GeoTiff
In my discussion with Zeta, I explained how data in the visible spectrum is disseminated by various organizations. I utilized the following tools to work with GeoTiff files:
| Tool | Where to Download | is FOSS? | What Expertise required? | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| gdal/Python | https://gdal.org/download.html#download | yes | CLI and Python - Not for beginners | Extensive documentation is available so learning to use isn't that difficult |
| QGIS | https://qgis.org | yes | GUI - Easy | Very good starting point and has extensive documentation and tutorials on YT |
| ArcGIS/ArcMap | https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/ | no | GUI - Easy | Very good paid software |
However, my preferred tool for visualization and analysis is QGIS, and I use Python extensively to create specialized visualizations, particularly for public dissemination. If you follow me on X, you might have seen images like these – they are created using Python and the GDAL library. I wrote a collection of such libraries over the time and I intend to opensource them at some point.
One of the newer ones, is the so-called Aerial zoom view to a location
Aerial zoom of ShivShakti Point. Credits: ISRO/C.Tungathurthi
Creating Orbital Simulations
Although creating Orbital simulation is a complex topic in itself – and you'll learn more about it in my series, I primarily use the following tools for creating them:
