:allow_comments: False

.. _doc_user_manual_data:

Data handling
=============

Met.3D supports gridded data (e.g., from numerical simulations or from observations) and trajectory data.

Data can be loaded from the graphical user interface and from the command line.

This section provides an overview of the data and file formats supported
by Met.3D.

- Met.3D supports gridded, structured data with a **regular, georeferenced
  longitude-latitude grid** in the horizontal, and either **levels of constant
  pressure** (in the following "pressure levels") or **hybrid sigma-pressure
  levels** (as used, e.g., by the ECMWF integrated forecast system) in the
  vertical.s

- Multiple datasets (that can have different grids) and ensemble datasets are
  natively supported.

- Also, trajectory data is supported.

- Currently, gridded data can be read from **NetCDF** files following the
  `Climate and Forecast (CF) Metadata Conventions`_ and from **ECMWF GRIB files**;
  trajectory data can be read from NetCDF files with a custom formatting.

- Met.3D also supports polar (volume) scans of weather radar data in HDF5 files
  that follow the ODIM_H5 information model, such as the daily volume and precipitation
  scans made publicly available by DWD.

.. note:: If your data cannot be read by Met.3D (i.e., if you don't have access
    to your datasets after start-up), a (admittedly currently limited) set of
    error messages is displayed by the software in the start-up output on the
    text console. Please contact us if you need help.

.. note:: Display of non-georeferenced data on regular grids (e.g., output
    from **LES models**) is possible but requires some hacking on the NetCDF
    side. Please contact us if you are interested. We are working on making
    data import for such data easily possible in a future Met.3D version.

This section provides details on:

.. toctree:: 
    :maxdepth: 1

    gridded_data
    trajectory_data
    radar_data
    derived_vars
    computing_diff_fields
    python_interface
    data_preparation

.. _`Climate and Forecast (CF) Metadata Conventions`: http://cfconventions.org/cf-conventions/v1.6.0/cf-conventions.html