NAME
r.grow.distance - Generates a raster map containing distances to nearest raster features.
KEYWORDS
raster,
distance,
proximity
SYNOPSIS
r.grow.distance
r.grow.distance --help
r.grow.distance [-m] input=name [distance=name] [value=name] [metric=string] [--overwrite] [--help] [--verbose] [--quiet] [--ui]
Flags:
- -m
- Output distances in meters instead of map units
- --overwrite
- Allow output files to overwrite existing files
- --help
- Print usage summary
- --verbose
- Verbose module output
- --quiet
- Quiet module output
- --ui
- Force launching GUI dialog
Parameters:
- input=name [required]
- Name of input raster map
- distance=name
- Name for distance output raster map
- value=name
- Name for value output raster map
- metric=string
- Metric
- Options: euclidean, squared, maximum, manhattan, geodesic
- Default: euclidean
r.grow.distance generates raster maps representing the
distance to the nearest non-null cell in the input map and/or the
value of the nearest non-null cell.
The user has the option of specifying five different metrics which
control the geometry in which grown cells are created, (controlled by
the
metric parameter):
Euclidean,
Squared,
Manhattan,
Maximum, and
Geodesic.
The Euclidean distance or Euclidean metric is the "ordinary" distance
between two points that one would measure with a ruler, which can be
proven by repeated application of the Pythagorean theorem.
The formula is given by:
d(dx,dy) = sqrt(dx^2 + dy^2)
Cells grown using this metric would form isolines of distance that are
circular from a given point, with the distance given by the
radius.
The Squared metric is the Euclidean distance squared,
i.e. it simply omits the square-root calculation. This may be faster,
and is sufficient if only relative values are required.
The Manhattan metric, or Taxicab geometry, is a form of geometry in
which the usual metric of Euclidean geometry is replaced by a new
metric in which the distance between two points is the sum of the (absolute)
differences of their coordinates. The name alludes to the grid layout of
most streets on the island of Manhattan, which causes the shortest path a
car could take between two points in the city to have length equal to the
points' distance in taxicab geometry.
The formula is given by:
d(dx,dy) = abs(dx) + abs(dy)
where cells grown using this metric would form isolines of distance that are
rhombus-shaped from a given point.
The Maximum metric is given by the formula
d(dx,dy) = max(abs(dx),abs(dy))
where the isolines of distance from a point are squares.
The Geodesic metric is calculated as geodesic distance, to
be used only in latitude-longitude locations. It is recommended
to use it along with the -m flag in order to output
distances in meters instead of map units.
North Carolina sample dataset:
g.region raster=streams_derived -p
r.grow.distance input=streams_derived distance=dist_from_streams
Euclidean distance from the streams network in meters (map subset)
Euclidean distance from the streams network in meters (detail, numbers shown
with d.rast.num)
g.region raster=sea -p
r.grow.distance -m input=sea distance=dist_from_sea_geodetic metric=geodesic

Geodesic distances to sea in meters
r.grow,
r.distance,
r.buffer,
r.cost,
r.patch
Wikipedia Entry:
Euclidean Metric
Wikipedia Entry:
Manhattan Metric
Glynn Clements
Last changed: $Date: 2016-01-21 12:46:54 +0100 (Thu, 21 Jan 2016) $
Main index |
Raster index |
Topics index |
Keywords index |
Full index
© 2003-2016
GRASS Development Team,
GRASS GIS 7.0.4 Reference Manual