xtrack-format v3.2.3¶

Mercurial revision 5786:5c8b45563631 | 2026-08-04

Description¶

xtrack-format is a tool designed to convert native along-track altimetry data from the CTOH native format to the XTRACK format. This allows for standardized processing and analysis of altimetry data.

Usage¶

xtrack-format [OPTIONS]

Options¶

Option	Description
`-h`, `--help`	Display this help message and exit.
`-c <convention>`	Convention to read all track files. Default: `track-raw.TPJ1`.
`-p <path>`	Path to the directory containing the track files.
`-z <num>`	Pre-set number to activate zonal crop. See Zones for details. Default: `-1`.

Note: The -o option (output file) is deprecated and no longer supported.

Zones {zones}¶

If the -z <num> option is activated, the program will look for the following files in the current directory to determine the track numbers for the specified zone:

Zone Number	File
`-1`	`traces.txt`
`0`	`traces_ctoh_NEA.txt`
`1`	`traces_ctoh_MED.txt`
`2`	`traces_ctoh_ATLSUD.txt`

Warning: The traces.txt files contain all the track numbers for a dedicated zone. Currently, no automated function based on frame is implemented.

Examples¶

Basic Conversion¶

Convert track files using the default convention (track-raw.TPJ1):

xtrack-format -p /path/to/track/files

Specify a Custom Convention¶

Convert track files using a custom convention:

xtrack-format -c track-raw.TPJ2 -p /path/to/track/files

Use a Specific Zone¶

Convert track files for the Mediterranean zone (1):

xtrack-format -z 1 -p /path/to/track/files

Use the Default Zone¶

Convert track files using the default zone (-1):

xtrack-format -z -1 -p /path/to/track/files

Full Example¶

Convert track files for the North East Atlantic zone (0) with a custom convention:

xtrack-format -c track-raw.TPJ1 -z 0 -p /path/to/track/files

Environment Variables¶

xtrack-format does not use any specific environment variables. However, ensure that:

The input path (-p) is accessible and contains the required track files.
The zone files (e.g., traces.txt, traces_ctoh_NEA.txt) are present in the current directory if using the -z option.

Notes¶

Input Files:

The tool expects track files in the CTOH native format.
The -p option must point to a directory containing these files.

Zones:

The -z option requires the corresponding zone file (e.g., traces_ctoh_MED.txt for -z 1) to be present in the current directory.
If no zone is specified (-z -1), the tool will use traces.txt by default.

Output:

The output files are generated in the XTRACK format and saved in the current directory (./).
The output convention is set to track-ref.TP+J1 by default.

Deprecated Options:

The -o option (output file) is no longer supported. Output is always written to the current directory.