Preprocessing
=============

Preprocessing phase contains all file and configuration preparation before 
running the model. Depending on the processes you want to take into account 
you will need diffrent steps of preprocessing, for example for running an 
interannual regional run you will first need to define :

* the grid you will work on
* the initial and boundary condition you will use
* enventually the atmospheric, tidal or river forcing you will add
* ... 

Two possibilities are available to generate the accurate files :

* croco_tools : historic tools based on Matlab scripts
* croco_pytools : tools based on Python scripts

Matlab Tools : croco_tools
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CROCO preprocessing tools have been developed under Matlab software by 
IRD researchers (former Roms_tools). 

These tools have been made to build easily regional configurations using 
climatological data. To use interannual data, some facilities 
are  available (NCEP, CFSR, QuickScat data for atmospheric forcing, 
SODA and ECCO for lateral boundaries). However, to use other data, 
you will need to adapt the scripts. All utilities/toolbox requested for 
matlab crocotools programs are provided within the UTILITIES directory, 
or can be downloaded here: http://www.croco-ocean.org/download/utilities/

The documentation for this toolbox is available at: 
https://croco-ocean.gitlabpages.inria.fr/croco_tools/ 


Python Tools : croco_pytools
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

These python tools bring together the methods of several
users of the CROCO community but do not constitute a definitive toolbox.
A new, more complete toolbox is under development by the CROCO team.

For preprocessing, **croco_pytools** toolbox consists of **prepro** directory: 
a set of python routines, interface with fortran to process 
the grid and forcing files (initialization, open-boundary conditions, tides 
forcing, rivers forcing)

The documentation for this toolbox is available at: 
https://croco-ocean.gitlabpages.inria.fr/croco_pytools/