WISER Documentation

WISER Documentation#

WISER (Workbench for Imaging Spectroscopy Exploration and Research) is an open-source, cross-platform GUI for visualizing and analyzing hyperspectral imagery. Built in Python on Qt/PySide2, it runs on macOS, Windows, and Linux with no commercial license required.

Developed and maintained by the Ehlmann Research Group at Caltech & CU Boulder.

Key capabilities:

  • Load, display, and navigate hyperspectral and multispectral raster data

  • Click any pixel to view and collect its spectrum in a live spectral plot

  • Regions of Interest (ROIs) for area-averaged spectra and pixel exports

  • Contrast stretch and color mapping for display control

  • Band math with custom expressions and plugin-defined functions

  • Analysis tools: PCA, Spectral Angle Mapper, Continuum Removal, Scatter Plot

  • Georeferencing and coordinate system management

  • Extensible plugin system (Tools Menu, Context Menu, Band Math)

Installation#

Download WISER#

Pre-built installers for macOS, Windows, and Linux are available at: ehlmann.caltech.edu/wiser

Download the installer for your platform and follow the on-screen instructions. Users can also download and install WISER from GitHub Releases.

Note

The download location will change in a future release as WISER transitions to CU Boulder. Links on this page will be updated when that happens.

Running from Source#

If you want to run WISER from source or contribute to development, see the Developer Environment Setup guide.

In brief:

cd etc
make install-dev-env          # macOS/Linux
conda activate wiser-dev
cd ../src
python -m wiser

Supported Platforms#

WISER builds currently target:

  • macOS 15 — ARM (Apple Silicon) and Intel

  • Windows 10/11

  • Linux — Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 11+, Fedora 39+ (amd64 and aarch64)

If you encounter issues building or running WISER, please open a GitHub Issue.

Where to Go Next#

User Manual

Interface Overview · Working with Data · Spatial Tools

Extend WISER

Build plugins to add custom workflows, context-menu operations, and band-math functions — no rebuild required.

Developer Guide

Environment Setup · Contributing & Code Quality · Testing & QA

Get Help

License

Copyright 2019–2026, California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and Regents of the University of Colorado. All rights reserved. See the LICENSE for the full text.