r.surf.random(1)

📦
version 8.4.2 · 8 versions
, in fedora 44

r.surf.random 💖✨

okay bestie, gather round, because this is the GRASS GIS manual page for r.surf.random(1) and honestly? it's giving random-number-queen. 👑

🌸 NAME 🌸

r.surf.random — produces a raster surface map of uniform random deviates with defined range. literally it just makes you a whole raster full of random numbers, and you get to say how big they're allowed to be. 💅

🎀 KEYWORDS 🎀

raster, surface, random

✨ SYNOPSIS ✨

r.surf.random
r.surf.random --help
r.surf.random [-i] output=name  [min=float]   [max=float]
[seed=integer]   [--overwrite]  [--help]  [--verbose]  [--quiet]  [--ui]

🦋 Flags:

  • -i — create an integer raster map. whole numbers only bestie, no decimals allowed 💀
  • --overwrite — lets your output files just bulldoze whatever was already there. overwrite existing files, permission granted. 🙈
  • --help — prints the usage summary, aka the "wait what do I type" button 🫶
  • --verbose — verbose module output. it's gonna talk. a lot. 🗣️
  • --quiet — quiet module output. shhh. 🤫
  • --ui — force launches the GUI dialog, for when you want the pretty little clicky interface ✨

🌈 Parameters:

  • output=name — [required] the name for your output raster map. yes you have to name it. name your baby. 👶
  • min=float — minimum random value. default is 0. this is the floor, the low bar, the bare minimum 🧚
  • max=float — maximum random value. default is 100. this is the ceiling, the limit, the you-can't-sit-with-us ✋
  • seed=integer — the seed for the random number generator. you can reuse the same seed to get the exact same results again (reproducibility slay 💅), or you can generate a random seed by other means if you're feeling chaotic.

💜 DESCRIPTION 💜

r.surf.random produces a raster map layer of uniform random deviates whose range can be expressed by the user. so like — you make a raster, it's full of random numbers, and you decide the range. main character energy, truly.

it is essentially the same as r.surf.gauss, but it uses a linear random number generator instead. so if r.surf.gauss is the artsy one with the bell curve, r.surf.random is the flat, even, everybody-gets-equal-chance one. 🎲

ngl the fun detail: it uses the random number generator drand48() or rand(), depending on the user's platform. so it's platform-dependent, iykyk. 🔥

🌟 EXAMPLE 🌟

here's the whole vibe, copy-paste ready:

g.region -p n=228500 s=215000 w=630000 e=645000 res=10
r.surf.random out=random min=0 max=100
# check result
r.univar random

Figure: Random surface example (min: 10; max: 100)

and with the histogram tool the cell values versus count can be shown. so you can literally see your randomness being random. obsessed. 📊

Figure: Histogram of random surface example (min: 10; max: 100)

👀 SEE ALSO 👀

  • r.random.surface
  • r.surf.contour
  • r.surf.fractal
  • r.surf.gauss
  • r.surf.idw
  • v.surf.rst

go read those too, the whole surf family ate. 🍓

👑 AUTHOR 👑

Jo Wood Midlands Regional Research Laboratory (ASSIST) University of Leicester October 1991

like, 1991?? the longevity. the legacy. iconic behavior fr fr. 🎀

💻 SOURCE CODE 💻

Available at: r.surf.random source code (history)

Accessed: Saturday Jan 17 05:41:02 2026

Main index | Raster index | Topics index | Keywords index | Graphical index | Full index

© 2003-2025 GRASS Development Team, GRASS GIS 8.4.2 Reference Manual

and that's the whole page bestie, no cap, every flag and every number intact 💖

okay bye, this was r.surf.random(1) from GRASS 8.4.2, written by the GRASS Development Team with the reference manual copyright © 2003-2025, and accessed Saturday Jan 17 05:41:02 2026. go make some random rasters, you absolute legend 🌈✨💅

📦 where this page comes from