Offer clear geo dataset groups

[hugohartmann]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.
In geographical data, it is not clear which DataSet groups contain all essential data for running geogrid.
Describe the solution you'd like
Only specify datasets (e.g. lowres, default) that contain geographical data to run geogrid

[letmaik]

Just to clarify, are you referring to downloading of geographic data (in Datasets -> Geo) or selecting geographic datasets (in Simulation -> Data)?

[hugohartmann]

selecting geographic datasets (in Simulation -> Data)

[dmey]

@hugohartmann default and lowres are alias corresponding to a specific dataset as specified in the GEOGRID.TBL file.
For example for the HGT_M variable:

===============================
name=LANDUSEF
        priority=1
        dest_type=categorical
        z_dim_name=land_cat
        dominant = LU_INDEX
        landmask_water =    nlcd2006_9s:17         # Calculate a landmask from this field
        landmask_water =   nlcd2006_30s:17         # Calculate a landmask from this field
        landmask_water =    nlcd2011_9s:17         # Calculate a landmask from this field
        landmask_water =       nlcd2006:17         # Calculate a landmask from this field
        landmask_water =       ssib_10m:16         # Calculate a landmask from this field
        landmask_water  =       ssib_5m:16         # Calculate a landmask from this field
        landmask_water =      modis_15s:17         # Calculate a landmask from this field
        landmask_water =      modis_30s:17         # Calculate a landmask from this field
        landmask_water = modis_30s_lake:17,21      # Calculate a landmask from this field
        landmask_water =       usgs_30s:16         # Calculate a landmask from this field
        landmask_water =     usgs_lakes:16,28      # Calculate a landmask from this field
        landmask_water =    modis_lakes:17,21      # Calculate a landmask from this field
        landmask_water =        usgs_2m:16         # Calculate a landmask from this field
        landmask_water =        usgs_5m:16         # Calculate a landmask from this field
        landmask_water =       usgs_10m:16         # Calculate a landmask from this field
        landmask_water =         lowres:17,21      # Calculate a landmask from this field
        landmask_water =        default:17,21      # Calculate a landmask from this field
        interp_option =    nlcd2006_9s:average_gcell(0.0)
        interp_option =   nlcd2006_30s:average_gcell(0.0)
        interp_option =    nlcd2011_9s:average_gcell(0.0)  
        interp_option =       nlcd2006:nearest_neighbor
        interp_option =       ssib_10m:four_pt
        interp_option =        ssib_5m:four_pt
        interp_option =      modis_15s:nearest_neighbor
        interp_option =      modis_30s:nearest_neighbor
        interp_option = modis_30s_lake:nearest_neighbor
        interp_option =       usgs_30s:nearest_neighbor
        interp_option =     usgs_lakes:nearest_neighbor
        interp_option =    modis_lakes:nearest_neighbor
        interp_option =        usgs_2m:four_pt
        interp_option =        usgs_5m:four_pt
        interp_option =       usgs_10m:four_pt
        interp_option =         lowres:average_gcell(4.0)+four_pt
        interp_option =        default:nearest_neighbor
        rel_path =    nlcd2006_9s:nlcd2006_ll_9s/
        rel_path =   nlcd2006_30s:nlcd2006_ll_30s/
        rel_path =    nlcd2011_9s:nlcd2011_ll_9s/
        rel_path =       nlcd2006:nlcd2006_ll_30s/
        rel_path =       ssib_10m:ssib_landuse_10m/
        rel_path =        ssib_5m:ssib_landuse_5m/
        rel_path =      modis_15s:modis_landuse_20class_15s/
        rel_path =      modis_30s:modis_landuse_20class_30s/
        rel_path = modis_30s_lake:modis_landuse_20class_30s_with_lakes/
        rel_path =       usgs_30s:landuse_30s/
        rel_path =     usgs_lakes:landuse_30s_with_lakes/
        rel_path =    modis_lakes:modis_landuse_21class_30s/
        rel_path =        usgs_2m:landuse_2m/
        rel_path =        usgs_5m:landuse_5m/
        rel_path =       usgs_10m:landuse_10m/
        rel_path =         lowres:modis_landuse_20class_5m_with_lakes/
        rel_path =        default:modis_landuse_20class_30s_with_lakes/
===============================

Are you suggesting to remove all the current 'clutter' from the Avalable Datasets list and only give users two options: default and lowres? If so, how will users be able to select different datasets not included in those two groups such as the nlcd2011_9s one?

[hugohartmann]

I understand your point. However, newbies will probably not have knowledge about the GEOGRID.TBL file. Maybe a little bit more documentation is needed on the usage of the geographical datasets. The lowres and high res groups offer a complete dataset that is required for geogrid to run. Could you add more documentation on how to use other geographical datasets? For instance, the n1cd2011_9s dataset, I am not familiar with this one. Is this a complete dataset to run geogrid, or should I add it on top of the complete 'default' group?

[dmey]

OK -- I will add it to #87 so that it can be added to the docs. I have also added it to #88 so that it can be mentioned in a tutorial. n1cd2011_9s is for CONUS area and LANDUSEF only. If specified before other detasets, it will have precedence over other datasets when Geogrid interpolates data to grid -- e.g. nlcd2011_9s + lowres will results in Geogrid picking up nlcd2011_9s where available (in this case CONUS). If you think it would be clear enough to address this in docs and tutorial, feel free to close this issue.

[hugohartmann]

Fine!