MODIS LDOPE mask_sds Error

Question

I am using the LDOPE mask_sds tool to mask a MODIS image based on the quality flags for MOD13A3 NDVI. The full command that I am using is:

mask_sds -of=mask.hdf -fill=-3000 -sds='1km monthly NDVI' -mask="MOD13A3.A2000336.h25v02.005.2007112105435.hdf,'1km monthly VI Quality',0-1==00,AND,*,*,11-13==001" -meta MOD13A3.A2000336.h25v02.005.2007112105435.hdf

I am getting the following error:

Cannot find the SDS '1km monthly VI Quality' 
Ignoring input masking option MOD13A3.A2000336.h25v02.005.2007112105435.hdf,'1km monthly VI Quality',0-1==00,AND
Cannot open the input HDF file *
Cannot open the HDF file *
Ignoring input masking option *,*,11-13==001
usage: 
    mask_sds -help [filename] 

    mask_sds -of=<output filename> -sds=<SDSname1>[,<SDSname2>[,...]]> 
    [-fill=<mask fill value>] -mask=<mask1>[,AND|OR,<mask2>[,...]] [-meta]
    filename 
       where maskn=< filename>,<SDSname>,<bit_numbers operator bit_values>

It looks like it can not find the SDS (science data set) for the quality flag. I have tried several variations of '1km monthly VI Quality', including without quotes. This website lists SDS's for each MODIS product (I am using MOD13A3).

I would appreciate any suggestions.

Thank you, Kevin

Answer 1

There were two issues with my mask_sds command call:

1. You need to use double quotes for the first SDS, and no quotes for the second SDS (originally, I had used single quotes for each).

2. 1km should be 1 km (with a space between 1 and km

   mask_sds -of=mask.hdf -fill=-3000 -sds="1 km monthly NDVI" -mask="MOD13A3.A2000336.h25v02.005.2007112105435.hdf,1 km monthly VI Quality,0-1==00,AND,,,11-13==001" -meta MOD13A3.A2000336.h25v02.005.2007112105435.hdf

Unfortunately there is very little documentation on the LDOPE tool (other than the user manual, which didn't help much with my problem). I had to resort to trial and error until (after I invested way too much time) I found the right syntax.