Last Verified: 2023-12-19
Overview
The Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) are an open source collection of about 60 tools for manipulating geographic and Cartesian data sets (including filtering, trend fitting, gridding, projecting, etc.) and producing Encapsulated PostScript File (EPS) illustrations ranging from simple x-y plots via contour maps to artificially illuminated surfaces and 3-D perspective views. GMT supports about 30 map projections and transformations and comes with support data such as coastlines, rivers, and political boundaries. GMT is released under the GNU General Public License.
Environment
Machines and Versions
See LC visualization software page.
Location
Links to the latest version exist in /usr/tce/bin
Multiple versions may be accessible via modules. Type module avail gmt to see the available options. You can specify a particular version in the module command, e.g., module load gmt/6.1.1
The actual installation directories are in /usr/tce/packages/gmt
Settings
The module load gmt command will setup your PATH and any other needed environment variables.
Usage
You can just type gmt to use the version of GMT from /usr/tce/bin. Note that if you are using GMT version 4 scripts, you will have to modify them to work with later versions of GMT.
To use additional GMT tools, you should type module load gmt to setup your environment. Then you will be able to simply type the name of the GMT tool of choice, including gmt itself.
Help
More information on GMT can be found at the GMT Home Page. Interactive and PDF documentation is available on their Documentation page.
Many examples are available, each including the GMT commands used to create the plots.
Help is available from the LC Hotline: lc-hotline@llnl.gov, (925) 422-4531.
Download
GMT can be downloaded and installed on your local machine. Release files are available at the GMT website's Download page.