A python script to download data in bulk from OpenTopo
OpenTopo is home to a mass of free, accessible topography data. These data include lidar point clouds and digital elevation model rasters. This python script automates the process of selecting and downloading data.
If you don't know what format of data you want and/or the numbers corresponding to specific datasets on OpenTopo's website, this script will list the available datasets for download for the data format you request at the expense of your user input. Simply place the script in the directory you wish to download data to and run:
python OpenTopoDL.py
Upon execution, you will be prompted if you want to download Lidar or Raster data. Input 'l' or 'L' for Lidar data and 'r' or 'R' for Raster data. Next, the available datasets for that format will be listed. Proceed by inputting the number corresponding to the dataset you wish to download. Once completed, the data for the specified dataset will be downloaded to your local machine.
If you already know the data format and the number of the dataset you wish to download, you can run this script directly from the command line and avoid any user input. Command line arguments are as follows:
- OpenTopoDL.py
- 'l' for lidar data or 'r' for Raster data
- The number of the dataset you wish to download
An example is provided below:
python OpenTopoDL.py l 2
Running this will download the Lidar dataset listed as #2 (Tushar Mountains, Utah) on the OpenTopo website.