rast_calc: Cellwise calculation over aligned rasters (map algebra)

In vectra: Columnar Query Engine for Larger-than-RAM Data

Cellwise calculation over aligned rasters (map algebra)

Description

Evaluates an expression cell by cell across one or more .vec rasters that share a grid, reading every input one tile-row strip at a time so no whole band is ever resident. Inside expr each name in rasters refers to that raster's strip as a numeric vector, so ordinary vectorised R expresses the calculation: a band index (nir - red) / (nir + red), a reclassification cut(dem, breaks), a threshold ifelse(slope > 30, 1L, 0L), or arithmetic across layers. The result is written one strip at a time to a single-band output.

Usage

rast_calc(
  rasters,
  expr,
  band = 1L,
  path = NULL,
  dtype = "f32",
  compression = c("fast", "balanced", "max")
)

Arguments

rasters	A named list of vectra_raster handles or .vec paths sharing a grid. The names are the variables available inside expr.
expr	An expression in those names producing one value per cell (or a scalar, recycled). Evaluated against each strip with the caller's environment as the enclosing scope.
band	Band read from every input (1-based). Default 1.
path	Optional output .vec path. When given the result is streamed to disk and the opened vec_open_raster() handle is returned invisibly; when NULL the result is returned as an in-memory matrix.
dtype	Storage dtype for .vec output (see vec_write_raster()). Default "f32".
compression	Compression effort for .vec output. Default "fast".

Details

This is the monoid fold tier of the spatial toolbox: bounded to one strip per input, a single streaming pass, no spill. The rasters must share dimensions and geotransform; warp() them onto a common grid first if they do not. No sf is needed.

Value

When path is NULL, a numeric matrix (row 1 northmost) carrying gt, extent, and crs attributes. When path is given, the written vectra_raster handle (invisibly).

See Also

warp() to align rasters onto a shared grid first, focal() for neighbourhood rather than cellwise calculation.

Examples

nir <- matrix(c(40, 50, 60, 70), 2, 2)
red <- matrix(c(10, 20, 30, 40), 2, 2)
fn <- tempfile(fileext = ".vec"); fr <- tempfile(fileext = ".vec")
vec_write_raster(nir, fn, dtype = "f64", extent = c(0, 0, 2, 2))
vec_write_raster(red, fr, dtype = "f64", extent = c(0, 0, 2, 2))

ndvi <- rast_calc(list(nir = fn, red = fr), (nir - red) / (nir + red))
round(ndvi, 3)
unlink(c(fn, fr))

vectra documentation built on July 10, 2026, 5:08 p.m.