IT Lesson

The most convenient way to process large quantities of SAR data is using the methods through command line. With the "gpt" command as described in the Nest help pages you can process single scenes from command line, but here is a way to process large quantities of scenes from command line. With the DOS "for" command you recursively search through your directories for scenes to be processed and hand these scenes each to the gpt command.

Here is how to do it:

First you create the processing chain with the graph builder as described in part 2 and save it as an XML file. Especially in the beginning, you may want to keep it to simpler processing chains not containing all tasks at once. In our case, lets take only the SARSIM Terrain Correction:


You set the values in Graph Builder and save it, lets say as "SARSIM_TC.xml". You still should check and edit the XML file for the parameters you need (map projection, resolution, etc) and you will have to modify the saved XML file at twoplaces for batch command line use as follows:

Make sure that the filenames in the XML file have $file and $target as placeholders as in the following examples:

 <node id="1-Read">
    <operator>Read</operator>
    <sources/>
    <parameters class="com.bc.ceres.binding.dom.Xpp3DomElement">
      <file>$file</file>
    </parameters>
  </node>

and the Write part (sourceProduct refid may vary in your case):

<node id="2-Write">
    <operator>Write</operator>
    <sources>
      <sourceProduct refid="6-SARSim-Terrain-Correction"/>
    </sources>
    <parameters class="com.bc.ceres.binding.dom.Xpp3DomElement">
           <formatName>BEAM-DIMAP</formatName>
      <file>$target</file>
    </parameters>
</node>

Now you create a SARSIM_TC.bat file containing


for /r C:Usersmaxlocation_of_files %%X in (*.dim) do (gpt   C:Usersmaxlocation_of_XMLfile SARSIM_TC.xml -Pfile="%%X"  -Tfile=" C:Usersmaxlocation_of_files\%%~nX_SarSimTC.dim")

What happens here?

1. The for-command goes through the directory containing your files to find files named "*.dim" and passes the file name to "%%X".
2. For each of these input files "-Pfile="%%X", the NEST command "gpt" applies the Graph Builder production chain saved in "SARSIMTC_dB.xml" 
3. The output is saved in the parameter -Tfile, which here is written "%%~nX_SarSimTC.dim", taking the filename and between original name and filetype adding "_SarSimTC" to indicate this is having been processed with SarSim. You may choose different naming, but I find this convenient.

A characteristic of side-looking SAR image is the so-called foreshortening and layover, a reflected signal from a mountaintop reaches the sensor earlier or at the same time as the signal at the foot of the mountain. This results in the typical look of mountains that seem to have "fallen over" towards the sensor: