= GMT python wrappers =

While there are [http://www.google.com/serch?q=gmt+python other, more sophisticated python interfaces] for the [http://gmt.soest.hawaii.edu Generic Mapping Tools (GMT)] around, we found it simplest to 
write our own, script based interface. The [wiki:hc_docu hc] and [wiki:larry_docu larry] modules, as well as the SEATREE GUI use the[http://geosys.usc.edu/projects/seatree/browser/py-drivers/py-common/gmtPlotter.py gmtPlotter] class for geographic plots. gmtPlotter.py implements a very simple wrapper approach that  issues command-line calls which can be echoed to the shell.

A simple python example for how to use t[http://geosys.usc.edu/projects/seatree/browser/py-drivers/py-common/gmtPlotter.py gmtPlotter]  to make a PNG plot showing global land outlines and plate boundaries is
{{{
#!python
import sys, os
from gmtPlotter import *        # get the gmtPlotter class
verbose=3                       # verbosity
#
# get a plotter instance
#
myPlotter = GMTPlotter(verbose,"","/tmp/","","")
#
# set the projection
#
myPlotter.setMapProjection(GMTProjection("H",180,"",7,""))
#
# set the region
#
myPlotter.setPlotRange(0, 360, -90, 90)
#
# coast line settings
myPlotter.setCoastlineResolution("l")
myPlotter.setCoastlineMaskArea(8000)
#
#
myPlotter.setAnnotation("g60/g30")

#
# PS output
#
outfile="out.ps"                # output file
#
# create the plot
myPlotter.initPSFile(outfile)
myPlotter.drawCoastline(solid=12) # draw land mass and coast lines
myPlotter.drawPlateBoundaries()
myPlotter.closePSFile()
# done
}}}

Note that neither SEATREE nor the [http://geosys.usc.edu/projects/seatree/browser/py-drivers/py-common/gmtPlotter.py gmtPlotter] class make full use of 
[http://gmt.soest.hawaii.edu GMT]'s capabilities. If you are merely interested in mapping, you might wish to check the [http://www.seismology.harvard.edu/~becker/igmt iGMT] web page. iGMT is a Tcl/Tk GUI interface for GMT script generation.