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Export Formats

speclib supports exporting spectra to multiple formats used in remote sensing and spectroscopy workflows.

Supported Formats

Format Extension Description
Esri Spectral Library .esl ArcGIS-compatible spectral library
ENVI Spectral Library .sli ENVI header + binary spectral library
SPECPR .spc USGS SPECPR binary format (round-trip compatible)
ASCII .txt Tab-delimited wavelength/reflectance pairs
JSON .json Structured JSON with metadata

Usage

Python

spectrum = lib.search("quartz")[0]

# Export single spectrum
spectrum.export("quartz.esl", format="esl")
spectrum.export("quartz.sli", format="sli")
spectrum.export("quartz.json", format="json")

# SPECPR — bit-level header compatibility with USGS tools
spectrum.export("quartz.spc", format="specpr")

CLI

speclib export usgs_mineral_quartz_a1b2c3d4 --format sli --output quartz.sli
speclib export usgs_mineral_quartz_a1b2c3d4 --format specpr --output quartz.spc

SPECPR Compatibility

The SPECPR exporter produces binary files that round-trip with USGS SPECPR tools. Header structure and byte layout match the original USGS implementation for interoperability with PRISM, TETRACORDER, and other USGS software.