r.in.wms - GRASS manual
Author: GRASS Development Team
Description: r.in.wms: Downloads and imports data from OGC WMS and OGC WMTS web mapping servers.
Keywords: raster, import, OGC web services, OGC WMS, OGC WMTS

## NAME

r.in.wms - Downloads and imports data from OGC WMS and OGC WMTS web mapping servers.

## KEYWORDS

raster, import, OGC web services, OGC WMS, OGC WMTS

## SYNOPSIS

r.in.wms
r.in.wms --help
r.in.wms [-cob] url=string output=name layers=string[,string,...] [styles=string[,string,...]] [format=string] [srs=integer] [driver=string] [wms_version=string] [maxcols=integer] [maxrows=integer] [urlparams=string] [username=string] [password=string] [method=string] [gdal_createopt=string[,string,...]] [region=string] [bgcolor=string] [proxy=string] [proxy_user_pw=string] [capfile=name] [capfile_output=name] [--overwrite] [--help] [--verbose] [--quiet] [--ui]

### Flags:

-c
  Get the server capabilities, print them out, then exit
-o
  Do not request transparent data
-b
  Keep original bands (default: create composite)
--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:

url=string [required]
  Typically starts with "http://"
output=name [required]
  Name for output raster map
layers=string[,string,...] [required]
  Layer(s) to request from the map server
styles=string[,string,...]
  Layer style(s) to request from the map server
format=string
  Image format requested from the server
  Options: geotiff, tiff, jpeg, gif, png, png8
  Default: png
srs=integer
  EPSG code of requested source projection
  Default: 4326
driver=string
  Driver used for communication with the server
  Options: WMS_GDAL, WMS_GRASS, WMTS_GRASS, OnEarth_GRASS
  Default: WMS_GRASS
  WMS_GDAL: Download data using GDAL WMS driver
  WMS_GRASS: Download data using native GRASS-WMS driver
  WMTS_GRASS: Download data using native GRASS-WMTS driver
  OnEarth_GRASS: Download data using native GRASS-OnEarth driver
wms_version=string
  WMS standard version
  Options: 1.1.0, 1.1.1, 1.3.0
  Default: 1.1.1
maxcols=integer
  Maximum columns to request at a time
  Default: 512
maxrows=integer
  Maximum rows to request at a time
  Default: 512
urlparams=string
  Additional query parameters to pass to the server
username=string
  Username for server connection
password=string
  Password for server connection
method=string
  Interpolation method to use in reprojection
  Options: nearest, linear, cubic, cubicspline
  Default: nearest
gdal_createopt=string[,string,...]
  GDAL creation option(s) to pass to the output format driver
  In the form of "NAME=VALUE", separate multiple entries with a comma
region=string
  Request data for this named region instead of the current region bounds
bgcolor=string
  Background color
  Format: 0xRRGGBB
proxy=string
  HTTP proxy only GDAL driver (GDAL_HTTP_PROXY)
  HTTP proxy
proxy_user_pw=string
  User and password for HTTP proxy only for GDAL driver (GDAL_HTTP_PROXYUSERPWD). Must be in the form of [user name]:[password].
  User and password for HTTP proxy
capfile=name
  Capabilities file to parse (input). It is relevant for WMTS_GRASS and OnEarth_GRASS drivers
capfile_output=name
  File where the server capabilities will be saved ('c' flag)

## DESCRIPTION

r.in.wms handles all of downloading and importing raster data from OGC WMS and OGC WMTS web mapping servers. It only needs be told the desired data to collect (bounds and resolution) via a region, the server to get the data from, and the layer or layers to get. It downloads the data in tiles, reprojects it, imports it, and patches it back together.

## NOTES

To understand the data you are getting it is necessary to look at the capabilities of the WMS server. This should be available via a capabilities request (see examples)

If possible, the EPSG code of the current project should be used with the srs option to avoid unnecessary reprojection.

When using GDAL WMS driver (driver=WMS_GDAL), the GDAL library needs to be built with WMS support, see GDAL WMS manual page for details.

### Tiled WMS

Into the parameter layers the name of the TiledGroup need to be inserted from Tile Service file. Time variable can be specified in urlparams parameter, e.g: `urlparams='time=2012-1-1'`.

## EXAMPLES

### General Get Capabilities Request

    # Topographic WMS with OpenStreetMap by mundialis
    r.in.wms -c url="https://ows.mundialis.de/services/service?"
    r.in.wms -c url="https://ows.mundialis.de/services/service?" | grep Name

    # Czech WMS
    r.in.wms -c url="https://wms.cuzk.cz/wms.asp"

### Download raster data from WMS server (GetMap request)

#### Open Street Map

    # OSM, using WMS_GRASS driver
    g.region n=90 s=-90 w=-180 e=180 res=0:10:00 -p
    r.in.wms url="http://watzmann-geog.urz.uni-heidelberg.de/cached/osm" layers=osm_auto:all output=osm format=png
    r.info osm

    # OSM Overlay WMS (can be used as an overlay for other maps)
    r.in.wms url="http://ows.mundialis.de/services/service?" layer=OSM-Overlay-WMS output=osm_overlay format=png

    # TOPO-OSM-WMS
    r.in.wms url="http://ows.mundialis.de/services/service?" layer=TOPO-OSM-WMS output=topo_osm format=png
    r.info topo_osm

    # TOPO-WMS
    r.in.wms url="http://ows.mundialis.de/services/service?" layer=TOPO-WMS output=topo format=png
    r.info topo

More OSM WMS servers can be found online, e.g. on the OSM wiki in a OSM WMS Servers list and on the WORLD_OSM_WMS page.

#### Countries and coastlines

    # using WMS_GRASS driver
    r.in.wms url="http://www2.demis.nl/WMS/wms.asp" layers=Countries,Borders,Coastline output=countries srs=4326 format=png
    r.info countries

#### Sentinel-2 satellite cloud free global coverage

    # North Carolina sample data
    g.region raster=elevation -p
    # using WMS_GRASS driver
    r.in.wms url="https://tiles.maps.eox.at/wms?" layers=s2cloudless output=sentinel2 format=png
    r.info sentinel2

Figure: Raleigh (NC, USA) seen by Sentinel-2 (10m resolution; image courtesy: EOX)

#### OGC WMTS Example

    # using WMTS_GRASS driver
    r.in.wms url="http://gpp3-wxs.ign.fr/yourAPIkey/geoportail/wmts" layers=ORTHOIMAGERY.ORTHOPHOTOS \
             output=orthophoto srs=3857 format=jpeg driver=WMTS_GRASS style=normal password="*" username="*"
    r.info orthophoto

Note: username, password and API key can be obtained from IGN API website

#### Data covering the Czech Republic

    # using WMS_GRASS driver
    r.in.wms url="http://wms.cuzk.cz/wms.asp" layers=prehledka_kraju-linie srs=4326 output=kn format=png

    # using WMTS_GRASS driver
    r.in.wms url="http://geoportal.cuzk.cz/WMTS_ORTOFOTO/WMTService.aspx" layers=orto output=orthophoto \
             srs=3857 format=jpeg driver=WMTS_GRASS style=default
    r.info orthophoto

Note: data are provided by Czech office for surveying, mapping and cadastre.

#### Satellite data covering Europe

Copernicus Core003 View Services - Optical VHR2 coverage over EU 2011-2013 (provided by JRC; usage is restricted to non-commercial activities):

    # get WMS layer list
    r.in.wms -c url="http://cidportal.jrc.ec.europa.eu/copernicus/services/ows/wms/public/core003?"
    r.in.wms -c url="http://cidportal.jrc.ec.europa.eu/copernicus/services/ows/wms/public/core003?" | grep Name

    # spatial subset of Europe
    # enlarging maxcols and maxrows in order to minimize impact of copyright notice in map
    g.region n=56 s=47 w=5 e=16 res=0:00:10 -pa
    # using WMS_GRASS driver
    r.in.wms url="http://cidportal.jrc.ec.europa.eu/copernicus/services/ows/wms/public/core003?" \
             layer="OI.Mosaic.NaturalColor.Feathering" output="jrc_copernicus_core003_mosaik" \
             maxcols=3400 maxrows=3400
    r.info jrc_copernicus_core003_mosaik

    # Alternatively, using WMS_GDAL driver with BIGTIFF and compression enabled
    r.in.wms url="http://cidportal.jrc.ec.europa.eu/copernicus/services/ows/wms/public/core003?" \
             layer="OI.Mosaic.NaturalColor.Feathering" output="jrc_copernicus_core003_mosaik2" \
             maxcols=3400 maxrows=3400 driver=WMS_GDAL gdal_createopt="BIGTIFF=YES,COMPRESS=DEFLATE"
    r.info jrc_copernicus_core003_mosaik2

## REQUIREMENTS

r.in.wms requires the gdalwarp utility from the GDAL/OGR library.

## REFERENCES

- OGC WMS
- OGC WMTS

## SEE ALSO

r.in.gdal, r.patch, r.colors, r.composite, v.in.wfs

See also WMS support in wxGUI.

## AUTHOR

Stepan Turek, Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic
(bachelor's final project 2012, mentor: Martin Landa)

## SOURCE CODE

Available at: r.in.wms source code (history)

Latest change: Sunday Nov 30 23:32:48 2025 in commit: 0faf765812ccb97fe84aa60a308abc7ee40d4077

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© 2003-2026 GRASS Development Team, GRASS 8.5.1dev Reference Manual