---
title: "Overview"
---

## What is isistools?

**isistools** is a Python toolkit that replaces ISIS3's legacy Qt-based review
applications (Qmos, Qnet) with modern, interactive visualization built on the
Python geospatial stack (HoloViews, Panel, datashader, geopandas).

## Why?

ISIS's Qmos and Qnet have several long-standing pain points:

- **Qmos** requires level-1 unprojected images but displays footprints in map
  projection (confusing), and renders image content very slowly.
- **Qnet** requires level-2 map-projected images but displays them flipped in
  detector readout order (makes comparison difficult).
- **Both** use a color scheme where registered control points are nearly
  invisible while unregistered points are prominent --- the opposite of what
  you want during review.

isistools fixes all of these.

## Commands

| Command | Purpose |
|---------|---------|
| `isistools footprints` | Interactive footprint map viewer + static PNG export |
| `isistools footprintinit` | Batch-run ISIS `footprintinit` in parallel |
| `isistools mosaic` | Mosaic review app (Qmos replacement) |
| `isistools tiepoints` | Tie point review app (Qnet replacement) |
| `isistools cnet-info` | Control network summary statistics |

## Installation

```bash
pip install isistools
```

For development:

```bash
git clone https://github.com/michaelaye/isistools.git
cd isistools
pip install -e ".[dev]"
```

## Requirements

- ISIS cube files with `footprintinit` already run (for footprint display)
- Control networks in ISIS3 binary format (compatible with jigsaw)
- GDAL with ISIS3 driver support (for reading `.cub` files via rioxarray)

## Quick start

```bash
# View footprints interactively in the browser
isistools footprints cubes.lis

# Export a publication-ready footprint overview
isistools footprints cubes.lis --png --title "My Mosaic"

# Review a mosaic with control network overlay
isistools mosaic cubes.lis --cnet control.net

# Review individual tie points
isistools tiepoints cubes.lis control.net

# Print control network statistics
isistools cnet-info control.net
```
