MAKEPROFILES(1)

📦
version 0.24 · 5 versions
, in epel 10, epel 9, nixos 26.05, nixpkgs unstable, ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

✨ MAKEPROFILES ✨

ok so bestie, welcome to MakeProfiles — that's the astmkprof program from GNU Astronomy Utilities 0.24, living in section 1 (User Commands) of the manual. she makes standard 2D profiles on an image and honestly? iconic behaviour. 🎀

💖 NAME 💖

MakeProfiles — make standard 2D profiles on an image. that's it, that's the girlboss job description. 💅

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

astmkprof [OPTION...] [Options] [Catalog]

🦋 DESCRIPTION 🦋

okay so MakeProfiles is part of GNU Astronomy Utilities 0.24. what she does is create a FITS image containing literally any number of mock astronomical profiles, all based on an input catalog. no cap. 🫶

and here's the vibe of how she builds them: all the profiles get built from the center outwards. first via Monte Carlo integration, then using the central pixel position. the tolerance level is the thing that decides when she switches from one method to the other. periodt.

want more info? run any of these, bestie:

  • all the options and their values:
$ astmkprof -P
  • inputs/outputs and options (this one is the one, it has a super comprehensive explanation of MakeProfiles's invocation — expected input(s), output(s), and a full description of all the options):
$ info astmkprof
  • full section in the manual/book:
$ info MakeProfiles
  • full Gnuastro manual/book:
$ info gnuastro

and if the manual is not giving you the answers (rude of it honestly), you can get direct help from experienced Gnuastro users and developers. for that, run:

$ info help-gnuastro

👑 MAKEPROFILES OPTIONS 👑

🍓 Input 🍓

  • -B, --backhdu=INT/STR — HDU of background image.
  • --customimg=FITS — Image file for 'custom-img' profile.
  • --customimghdu=INT/STR — HDU of image given to --customimg.
  • --customtable=FITS/TXT — File for 'custom-prof' profile.
  • --customtablehdu=INT/STR — HDU of table given to --customtable.
  • -C, --clearcanvas — All pixels in background image read as zero.
  • -E, --kernel=STR — Parameters to only build one kernel.
  • -h, --hdu=STR/INT — Input catalog HDU name or number (if FITS).
  • -I, --ignorecase — Ignore case in matching/searching columns.
  • -k, --background=FITS — A background image to make the profiles on.
  • --searchin=STR — Select column(s): 'name', 'unit', 'comment'.
  • --stdintimeout=INT — Micro-seconds to wait for standard input.

🌈 Output 🌈

  • -D, --dontdelete — Don't delete output if it exists.
  • -i, --individual — Build all profiles separately.
  • -K, --keepinputdir — Keep input directory for automatic output.
  • -m, --nomerged — Do not create a merged image of all profiles.
  • --outfitsnocommit — No Git commit in 0-th HDU of output FITS.
  • --outfitsnoconfig — No metadata in 0-th HDU of output FITS.
  • --outfitsnodate — No 'DATE' in 0-th HDU of output FITS.
  • --outfitsnoversions — No versions in 0-th HDU of output FITS.
  • -o, --output=STR — Output file name.
  • --psfinimg — PSF profiles made with all in output image.
  • -s, --oversample=INT — Scale of oversampling (>0 and odd).
  • -T, --type=STR — Type of output: e.g., int16, float32, etc...
  • --wcslinearmatrix=STR — WCS linear matrix of output ('pc' or 'cd').
  • -x, --mergedsize=INT[,INT,...] — Merged image size along each dimension.

🧚 Profiles 🧚

  • -c, --prepforconv — Shift and expand based on first catalog PSF.
  • -e, --envseed — Use GSL_RNG_SEED environment variable for seed.
  • -f, --mforflatpix — mcol is flat pixel value (when fcol is 5 or 6)
  • --magatpeak — Magnitude is for peak pixel, not full profile.
  • --mcolissum — mcol is total sum, not magnitude.
  • --mcolnocustimg — Ignore value of mcol in 'custom-img'.
  • --mcolnocustprof — Ignore value of mcol in 'custom-prof'.
  • --mode=STR — Mode of --ccol: 'img' or 'wcs'.
  • -p, --tunitinp — Truncation is in units of pixels, not radius.
  • -r, --numrandom=INT — No. of random points in Monte Carlo integ.
  • -R, --replace — Replace overlapping profile pixels, don't add.
  • -t, --tolerance=FLT — Tolerance to switch to less accurate method.
  • -w, --circumwidth=FLT — Width of circumference (inward) profiles
  • -X, --shift=INT[, ...] — Shift profile centers in output image.
  • -z, --zeropoint=FLT — Magnitude zero point.

💜 Columns, by info (see --searchin), or number (starting from 1) 💜

  • --ccol=STR/INT — Coordinate columns (one call for each dim.).
  • --fcol=STR/INT — sersic (1), moffat (2), gaussian (3), point (4), flat (5), circumference (6), distance (7), custom-prof (8), azimuth (9), custom-img (10).
  • --mcol=STR/INT — Magnitude.
  • --ncol=STR/INT — Sersic index or Moffat beta.
  • --p2col=STR/INT — Second Euler angle (X-Z-X order).
  • --p3col=STR/INT — Third Euler angle (X-Z-X order).
  • --pcol=STR/INT — Position angle (3D: first X-Z-X Euler angle).
  • --q2col=STR/INT — Axis ratio (major/dim3 in 3D).
  • --qcol=STR/INT — Axis ratio (major/dim2 in 3D).
  • --rcol=STR/INT — Effective radius or FWHM in pixels.
  • --tcol=STR/INT — Truncation in units of --rcol.

⭐ WCS parameters ⭐

  • --cdelt=FLT[, ...] — Resolution in each dimension.
  • --crpix=FLT[, ...] — Pixel coordinates of reference point.
  • --crval=FLT[, ...] — WCS coordinates of reference point.
  • --ctype=STR[, ... ] — One of FITS standard WCS types.
  • --cunit=STR[, ... ] — Units of the WCS coordinates (e.g., 'deg').
  • --pc=FLT[, ...] — WCS rotation matrix (all elements).

🎀 Operating modes 🎀

  • -?, --help — give this help list
  • --checkconfig — List all config files and variables read.
  • --cite — BibTeX citation for this program.
  • --config=STR — Read configuration file STR immediately.
  • --config-prefix=STR — Custom prefix of option names config files.
  • --lastconfig — Do not parse any more configuration files.
  • --log — Information about output(s) in a log file.
  • --minmapsize=INT — Min. bytes to avoid RAM automatically.
  • -N, --numthreads=INT — Number of CPU threads to use.
  • --onlyversion=STR — Only run if the program version is STR.
  • -P, --printparams — Print parameter values to be used and abort.
  • --quietmmap — Don't print mmap'd file's name and size.
  • -q, --quiet — Only report errors, remain quiet about steps.
  • -S, --setdirconf — Set default values for this directory and abort.
  • --usage — give a short usage message
  • -U, --setusrconf — Set default values for this user and abort.
  • -V, --version — print program version
⚠️ okay important bestie: Mandatory or optional arguments to long options are also mandatory or optional for any corresponding short options. don't forget it, fr fr. 🙈

GNU Astronomy Utilities home page: http://www.gnu.org/software/gnuastro/

💀 REPORTING BUGS 💀

Report bugs to bug-gnuastro@gnu.org.

Copyright © 2015-2025 Free Software Foundation, Inc. License GPLv3+: GNU General public license version 3 or later.

This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.

There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

Written/developed by Mohammad Akhlaghi. 👑

🔥 SEE ALSO 🔥

The full documentation for MakeProfiles is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the info and MakeProfiles programs are properly installed at your site, the command

info MakeProfiles

should give you access to the complete manual. iykyk. 🦋

and that's the whole page, bestie!! this was GNU Astronomy Utilities 0.24, dated November 2025, straight from the MAKEPROFILES(1) man page. go build some iconic profiles, you absolute main character. 💖✨🎀

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