# PyGMT v0.13.0 released

**Announcing PyGMT v0.13.0, with improved support for non-ASCII characters and two new tutorials!**

The PyGMT team is pushing forward with version [v0.13.0](https://www.pygmt.org/v0.13.0)! Here are some of the highlights :tada::

* Add new documentation section "**Technical Reference**" :books: and document the supported encodings and fonts
* Tutorial for "**Draping a dataset on top of a topographic surface**" :earth_asia: ([#3316](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/3316))
* Tutorial for "**Typesetting non-ASCII characters**" :clipboard: ([#3389](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/3389))

Read through the [changelog](https://www.pygmt.org/v0.13.0/changes.html) for the full list of changes. Installation/upgrade :arrow_up: instructions are at https://www.pygmt.org/v0.13.0/install.html! Note that this version is cross-compatible with GMT 6.3 - 6.5, but it requires Python 3.10+ :snake:, NumPy 1.24+, Pandas 1.5+, and Xarray 2022.09+ following [SPEC 0](https://scientific-python.org/specs/spec-0000/). Go try it online at [try-gmt](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/try-gmt) :rocket:.

Nice enhancements :sparkles::

* Non-ASCII characters in ISO-8859-*x* can be used directly in PyGMT arguments and text strings passed to `Figure.text` ([#3310](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/3310))¶
* Tables of supported [Fonts](https://www.pygmt.org/v0.13.0/techref/fonts.html) and [Encodings and Non-ASCII Characters](https://www.pygmt.org/v0.13.0/techref/encodings.html) that you can copy and paste in your scripts.

As usual, please feel free to report any bugs :beetle: with the [issue template on GitHub](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/issues/new?assignees=&labels=bug&template=bug_report.yaml). Your feedback is what helps us to improve 🙏! For example, this bug report at issue [#3104](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/issues/3104) sparked off a major refactoring by @seisman at PR [#3132](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/3132) that removed a ton of workarounds in PyGMT's codebase related to spaces and funny characters!

### :bulb: Updates on Intros, Tutorials, and Gallery examples
- Tutorial for "**Draping a dataset on top of a topographic surface**" :earth_africa: ([#3316](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/3316)) by yvonnefroehlich
- Tutorial for "**Typesetting non-ASCII characters**" :clipboard: ([#3389](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/3389)) by seisman
- External resources [Examples from Publications and Posters](https://www.pygmt.org/v0.13.0/external_resources.html#examples-from-publications-and-posters): Add tutorial in Portuguese and using PyGMT in Google Colab ([#3360](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/3360)) by andre

| Draping a dataset on top of a topographic surface | Typesetting non-ASCII characters |
|:--:|:--:|
| [](https://www.pygmt.org/v0.13.0/tutorials/advanced/draping_on_3d_surface.html#sphx-glr-tutorials-advanced-draping-on-3d-surface-py) | [](https://www.pygmt.org/v0.13.0/tutorials/advanced/non_ascii_text.html#sphx-glr-tutorials-advanced-non-ascii-text-py) |

<!--
### In memory of Paul Wessel

We'd like to take a moment here to reflect on the passing of Pål (Paul) Wessel, who has been instrumental in the development and maintenance of the Generic Mapping Tools (GMT) library over the past four decades. More details are at https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/paul-wessel-31-august-1959-26-march-2024/4777 on how you can visit the memorial website Pål's family has shared to look over photos, share memories, donate to continue Pål's legacy at SOEST (University of Hawaiʻi), and find out about the Pål's Celebration of Life event planned for May 26th.

> “I do hope that among the thousands of GMT users there will be a small subset who feel perhaps they should give back by involving themselves at some level in the GMT community and thus ensure GMT will not disappear overnight when I do.”
>
> <cite>From: Wessel, P. (2024). The Origins of the Generic Mapping Tools: From Table Tennis to Geoscience. Perspectives of Earth and Space Scientists , 5 (1), e2023CN000231. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023CN000231</cite>
-->

### :railway_track: Roadmap to [v0.14.0](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/milestone/20)

While the team has been busy refactoring the internals of PyGMT in recent releases, there are still lots of documentation and new features we'd like to add! Check out the [good first issue label](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/issues?q=is%3Aopen+is%3Aissue+label%3A%22good+first+issue%22) on GitHub or the list below for things you can help with!

- Features/enhancements :sparkles:
- Wrap [clip](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/1779), [coupe](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/issues/2019), [earthtide](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/1824), [fitcircle](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/1550), [movie](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/issues/1347), [polar](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/issues/2358), and [sac](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/issues/2358)
- Implement high-level methods of `Figure.plot` and `Figure.plot3d` ([#2797](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/issues/2797)): `Figure.scatter`, `Figure.hlines` ([#923](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/923)) and `Figure.vlines` ([#670](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/issues/670)), `Figure.choropleth`, `Figure.errorbar`, `Figure.stem`, `Figure.fill_between`
- Implement high-level methods of `Figure.basemap` or `Figure.coast` ([#2831](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/issues/2831)): `Figure.scale_bar`, `Figure.directionrose`, `Figure.magneticrose`

- Documentation improvements :book:
- Add a beginner :beginner: friendly PyGMT tutorial that is a good roadmap for new GMT/PyGMT users ([#770](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/issues/770))
- Add a tutorial explaining the generally accepted input types ([#1268](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/issues/1268))

Please don't be shy to [reach out on GitHub](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt) if you're interested in contributing :smile:!

### :warning: Upcoming deprecations

- **v0.14.0**
- [Minimum Supported Versions](https://www.pygmt.org/v0.13.0/minversions.html): Dropping of GMT 6.3.0
- `Figure.grdcontour`: Disallow passing `list[str]` arguments to the `annotation` parameter (e.g. `[100, "e", "f10p", "gred"]`), pass in a string like `100+e+f10p+gred` instead (FutureWarning raised since PyGMT v0.12.0)
- `pygmt.helpers`: Remove the `build_arg_string` function, use `build_arg_list` instead (FutureWarning raised since PyGMT v0.12.0)
- Remove the `sequence_plus` converter, only used for the `annotation` parameter of `Figure.grdcontour` (FutureWarning raised since PyGMT v0.12.0)
- **v0.15.0**
- `pygmt.clib`: Remove the `open_virtual_file` method, use `open_virtualfile` instead (FutureWarning raised since PyGMT v0.11.0)
- `pygmt.clib`: Remove the `virtualfile_from_data` method, use `virtualfile_in` instead
- **v0.16.0**
- `Figure.grdcontour`: Remove parameter `interval`, use `levels` instead (FutureWarning raised since PyGMT v0.12.0)
- **v1.0.0**
- Short form aliases (e.g. `R`) will not work if long form aliases (e.g. `region`) are available (SyntaxWarning raised since PyGMT v0.4.0, see [#1316](https://github.com/GenericMappingTools/pygmt/pull/1316))

The compatibility matrix for GMT, Python, and the required core package dependencies NumPy, Pandas, and Xarray is listed at https://www.pygmt.org/v0.13.0/minversions.html, so make sure you keep things up to date!

### :world_map: Conference presentations/workshops/sprints

The GMT and PyGMT teams are organizing an [AGU pre-conference workshop for GMT and PyGMT](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/agu-2024-pre-conference-workshop/4817) :computer: in Washington D.C. 🏛️ on 2024-12-08, so mark your calendars :date:! "_PREWS9 Mastering Geospatial Visualizations with GMT/PyGMT at AGU Fall Meeting 2024_" will be an in-person, full-day workshop, for details have a look at https://www.generic-mapping-tools.org/workshops/#upcoming-workshops.
Besides this there will be an union-wide memorial session for Paul Wessel "*U019 - The impact of GMT in the Earth, Ocean and Space sciences: What’s next?*" during the AGU fall meeting, with eight invited talks and likely some poster presentations on various topics of the GMT world.

**P.S.** Share the word on Instagram [@genericmappingtools](https://www.instagram.com/genericmappingtools/) :camera_with_flash: and ResearchGate!