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Working with TemplateFlow in neuroatlas

neuroatlas Dev Team

2026-02-26

Source: vignettes/working-with-templateflow.Rmd
working-with-templateflow.Rmd

Introduction

TemplateFlow is a repository of curated neuroimaging templates and atlases, accessible via a Python client. The neuroatlas package provides an R interface to TemplateFlow, allowing you to easily discover, download, and use these resources within your R workflows.

This vignette provides a guide to using the TemplateFlow functionalities in neuroatlas.

Getting Started: The templateflow Object

The main entry point for interacting with TemplateFlow is by creating a templateflow interface object. This object manages the connection to the Python API and caching configurations.

# Create a templateflow interface object
tf <- create_templateflow()
print(tf)

If Python or the templateflow module are not available, you’ll need to install them first:

# Install the Python templateflow package
install_templateflow()

Running print(tf) (if tf is successfully created) will show you: - The local cache path where TemplateFlow files will be stored. neuroatlas sets this up in a user-specific directory (e.g., ~/.cache/neuroatlas/templateflow on Linux). - The status of the connection to the Python API. - A few examples of available templates and their total count.

Output might look like:

#> <neuroatlas TemplateFlow Interface>
#>   Cache Path:  /Users/youruser/Library/Caches/org.R-project.R/R/neuroatlas/templateflow 
#>   API Status:  Connected (Python API handle initialized) 
#>   Available Templates (Examples):  AMYGDALA, ARA, BRODMANN, CHARITE, Fischer344, ... (Total: 76)

(Note: The exact cache path and template list may vary.)

The underlying Python TemplateFlow library uses the TEMPLATEFLOW_HOME environment variable to determine its storage location. neuroatlas attempts to set this to its managed cache path to centralize downloads.

Discovering Templates and Metadata

Before fetching files, you might want to see what’s available.

Listing Available Template Spaces

Use tflow_spaces() to get a list of all top-level template space identifiers:

# List all available template spaces
all_templates <- tflow_spaces()
print(head(all_templates))
cat("Total templates available:", length(all_templates), "\n")

(If nothing prints here during build, see the note below.)

cat("TemplateFlow was not available during vignette build.\n")
#> TemplateFlow was not available during vignette build.
cat("Run the chunk locally to see your real template list.\n")
#> Run the chunk locally to see your real template list.

You can also filter this list with a pattern (regular expression):

# Find all MNI templates
mni_templates <- tflow_spaces(pattern = "MNI")
print(mni_templates)
cat("TemplateFlow was not available during vignette build.\n")
#> TemplateFlow was not available during vignette build.
cat("Run this chunk locally to see matching MNI spaces.\n")
#> Run this chunk locally to see matching MNI spaces.

Discovering Volumetric Templates

Use tflow_files() to query available volumetric files within a template space:

# Find all T1w images for MNI space
mni_t1w_files <- tflow_files(
  space = "MNI152NLin2009cAsym",
  query_args = list(suffix = "T1w")
)
print(mni_t1w_files)

# Find brain masks at specific resolution
mni_masks <- tflow_files(
  space = "MNI152NLin2009cAsym",
  query_args = list(suffix = "mask", desc = "brain", resolution = "1")
)
print(mni_masks)

# Find tissue probability maps (GM, WM, CSF)
mni_probseg <- tflow_files(
  space = "MNI152NLin2009cAsym",
  query_args = list(suffix = "probseg")
)
print(mni_probseg)

# Find all files at 2mm resolution
mni_2mm <- tflow_files(
  space = "MNI152NLin2009cAsym",
  query_args = list(resolution = "2")
)
print(mni_2mm)

# Find atlas/parcellation files
mni_atlases <- tflow_files(
  space = "MNI152NLin2009cAsym",
  query_args = list(suffix = "dseg")  # discrete segmentation
)
print(mni_atlases)

Common volumetric query parameters: - suffix: “T1w”, “T2w”, “mask”, “probseg”, “dseg” - desc: “brain”, “head”, or specific descriptions - resolution: “1”, “2”, “01”, “02” (template-dependent) - label: “GM”, “WM”, “CSF” (for probseg files) - atlas: atlas name (e.g., “Schaefer2018”)

This function returns a character vector of full paths to the files that TemplateFlow has cached (downloading them if needed).

Discovering Surface Templates

TemplateFlow includes surface geometry files for templates like fsLR and fsaverage. Here’s how to discover what’s available:

# Find surface-related template spaces
tflow_spaces(pattern = "fs")
#> [1] "fsLR"      "fsaverage"

# List available surface files for fsLR
# Filter by hemisphere
fslr_left <- tflow_files("fsLR", query_args = list(hemi = "L"))
print(head(fslr_left))

# Filter by surface type and density
fslr_midthick <- tflow_files("fsLR", query_args = list(
  suffix = "midthickness",
  hemi = "L",
  density = "32k"
))
print(fslr_midthick)

# List fsaverage surfaces
fsavg_pial <- tflow_files("fsaverage", query_args = list(
  suffix = "pial",
  hemi = "L"
))
print(fsavg_pial)

Common surface query parameters: - hemi: “L” or “R” for hemisphere - density: “32k”, “164k”, etc. (template-dependent) - suffix: surface type - “pial”, “white”, “midthickness”, “inflated”, “sphere” - resolution: “06” for fsaverage6, etc.

Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues listing templates or fetching files:

Fetching Templates with get_template()

The primary function for fetching template files is get_template(). It provides a flexible R interface to the TemplateFlow archive.

Basic Retrieval (Volumetric Data)

To get the default MNI T1-weighted brain template (1mm resolution):

# Get the default template (MNI152NLin2009cAsym T1w brain at 1mm)
mni_t1w <- get_template() 
print(mni_t1w)

For this vignette, we’ll simulate the object:

#> [1] "MNI152NLin2009cAsym_T1w"

To fetch a specific template space, suffix, and resolution:

# Get MNI T1w template at 2mm resolution
mni_t1w_res2 <- get_template(
  space = "MNI152NLin2009cAsym", 
  suffix = "T1w", 
  resolution = "2" # or 2
)
print(mni_t1w_res2)

Fetching Other Variants (e.g., Masks)

You can specify other TemplateFlow entities like desc (description) and label.

# Get brain mask for MNI template
mni_brain_mask <- get_template(
  space = "MNI152NLin2009cAsym",
  desc = "brain", # 'brain' for brain masks
  suffix = "mask",
  resolution = "1"
)
print(mni_brain_mask)

Tissue Probability (GM/WM/CSF)

For tissue probability maps, use variant = "probseg" and set label (e.g., "GM", "WM", "CSF"). Do not set desc for these — it’s determined by suffix + label.

# Gray matter probability map at 1mm
mni_gm_prob <- get_template(
  space = "MNI152NLin2009cAsym",
  variant = "probseg",
  label = "GM",
  resolution = "1"
)
print(mni_gm_prob)

# File path only
gm_path <- get_template(
  space = "MNI152NLin2009cAsym",
  variant = "probseg",
  label = "GM",
  path_only = TRUE
)
print(gm_path)

Getting File Paths Only

If you only need the path to the file (e.g., for use with other tools), set path_only = TRUE:

# Get just the file path, not the loaded NeuroVol object
mni_t1w_path <- get_template(
  space = "MNI152NLin2009cAsym", 
  suffix = "T1w", 
  path_only = TRUE
)
print(mni_t1w_path)

Example output (path will vary):

[1] "/Users/youruser/Library/Caches/org.R-project.R/R/neuroatlas/templateflow/tpl-MNI152NLin2009cAsym/tpl-MNI152NLin2009cAsym_res-01_T1w.nii.gz"

Vectorized Retrieval

get_template() allows one of space, variant, modality, resolution, or label to be a vector, returning a named list of results.

# Get both 1mm and 2mm resolution templates
t1_multi_res <- get_template(
  space = "MNI152NLin2009cAsym", 
  suffix = "T1w",
  resolution = c("1", "2") # Get both 1mm and 2mm
)
print(names(t1_multi_res))
# Access individual resolutions
print(t1_multi_res[["1"]]) # The 1mm NeuroVol
print(t1_multi_res[["2"]]) # The 2mm NeuroVol

Key Parameters for get_template()

  • space: Template identifier (e.g., “MNI152NLin2009cAsym”).
  • variant: High-level type (e.g., “brain”, “mask”, “probseg”). Used to infer desc and suffix for common cases.
  • modality: Image type (e.g., “T1w”, “T2w”). Used to infer suffix.
  • resolution: Resolution (e.g., “1”, “2”, “01”).
  • desc: Specific TemplateFlow desc field.
  • suffix: Specific TemplateFlow suffix field.
  • label: E.g., for variant="probseg", tissue labels like “GM”, “CSF”.
  • atlas: E.g., “Schaefer2018” if fetching an atlas file.
  • ...: Other BIDS-like entities (e.g., hemi="L", den="32k") can be passed.

The function performs pre-flight validation checks for space and resolution against information available from TemplateFlow.

Typed Helper Functions

For common tasks, neuroatlas provides convenient wrappers:

Volumetric Data with get_volume_template() 

# Get T1-weighted volume using the convenience function
t1_vol <- get_volume_template(
  template = "MNI152NLin2009cAsym", 
  type = "T1w", 
  resolution = "1"
)
print(t1_vol)

Supported types include “T1w”, “T2w”, “bold”, “probseg”, “dseg”.

Surface Data with get_surface_template()

This helper typically returns file paths, as surfaces are often handled by specialized geometry software.

# Get fsLR left hemisphere pial surface
fslr_pial_L_path <- get_surface_template(
  template_id = "fsLR",       # e.g., "fsaverage", "fsLR"
  surface_type = "pial",      # e.g., "pial", "white", "inflated"
  hemi = "L",                 # "L" or "R"
  density = "32k"             # e.g., "32k", "164k" (for fsLR)
)
print(fslr_pial_L_path)

Example output (path will vary):

[1] "/Users/youruser/Library/Caches/org.R-project.R/R/neuroatlas/templateflow/tpl-fsLR/tpl-fsLR_den-32k_hemi-L_desc-pial_surf.gii"

Downloading Templates to a Local Folder

TemplateFlow automatically caches files when you query them. If you want to copy templates to a specific folder (e.g., for use with other tools or sharing), here are some approaches:

Copy from TemplateFlow cache 

# Get file paths (files are downloaded to cache automatically)
files <- tflow_files("fsLR", query_args = list(hemi = "L", density = "32k"))

# Copy to your folder
dest_folder <- "~/my_surfaces"
dir.create(dest_folder, showWarnings = FALSE, recursive = TRUE)
file.copy(files, dest_folder)

Download specific surfaces with get_surface_template() 

# Download and get path to a specific surface
path <- get_surface_template("fsLR", "midthickness", hemi = "L", density = "32k")
file.copy(path, "~/my_surfaces/")

Bulk download helper

For downloading multiple files at once:

download_templateflow_files <- function(space, query_args = list(), dest_folder) {
  dir.create(dest_folder, recursive = TRUE, showWarnings = FALSE)

  files <- tflow_files(space, query_args = query_args)

  if (length(files) == 0) {
    message("No files found")
    return(invisible(character(0)))
  }

  # Copy files preserving names
  dest_paths <- file.path(dest_folder, basename(files))
  success <- file.copy(files, dest_paths, overwrite = TRUE)

  message("Copied ", sum(success), " of ", length(files), " files to ", dest_folder)
  invisible(dest_paths[success])
}

# Download all fsLR 32k left hemisphere surfaces
download_templateflow_files(
  "fsLR",
  query_args = list(hemi = "L", density = "32k"),
  dest_folder = "~/my_surfaces/fsLR"
)

# Download fsaverage pial surfaces (both hemispheres)
download_templateflow_files(
  "fsaverage",
  query_args = list(suffix = "pial"),
  dest_folder = "~/my_surfaces/fsaverage"
)

Caching Behavior

neuroatlas and TemplateFlow employ multiple layers of caching: 1. R-level Memoisation: get_template() memoises the file paths it resolves. If you request the same template with identical parameters multiple times in an R session, the path is retrieved from this memory cache. If path_only=FALSE, as_neurovol() (which loads the NIfTI file) is also memoised, so the NeuroVol object itself is cached in memory for the session if the same path is read again. 2. Python Disk Cache: The underlying Python templateflow library maintains a disk cache for downloaded files. neuroatlas configures this to use a directory like ~/.cache/neuroatlas/templateflow (path varies by OS). Once a file is downloaded, subsequent requests (even in new R sessions) will use the disk-cached version if TEMPLATEFLOW_HOME remains consistent.

You can inspect and manage the neuroatlas-specific TemplateFlow cache:

# Show the path to the cache directory
cache_loc <- show_templateflow_cache_path()
print(cache_loc)

# Clear the disk cache and R-level memoisation for TemplateFlow paths
# clear_templateflow_cache()                 # Asks for confirmation if interactive
# clear_templateflow_cache(confirm = FALSE)  # Clears without asking

Integration with Other neuroatlas Functions

The outspace argument in functions like get_schaefer_atlas() can accept TemplateFlow identifiers:

# Load Schaefer atlas resampled to a TemplateFlow space
schaefer_in_mni <- get_schaefer_atlas(
  parcels = "100", 
  networks = "7",
  outspace = "MNI152NLin2009cAsym" # Resolves to default 1mm T1w brain
)

# Or be more specific with a list:
schaefer_in_mni_res2 <- get_schaefer_atlas(
  parcels = "100",
  networks = "7",
  outspace = list(space = "MNI152NLin2009cAsym", resolution = "2")
)
print(schaefer_in_mni_res2)

This uses an internal helper .resolve_template_input() to fetch the template and extract its NeuroSpace information.

Summary

The neuroatlas package provides a comprehensive R interface to TemplateFlow:

  • Easy Setup: Use create_templateflow() to initialize the interface
  • Discovery: Find templates with tflow_spaces() and tflow_files()
  • Flexible Retrieval: Use get_template() with various parameters
  • Integration: Use TemplateFlow spaces directly in atlas functions
  • Caching: Automatic caching at both R and Python levels

Further Information

For more details on TemplateFlow itself, including the full range of available templates and BIDS-inspired naming conventions, please visit the TemplateFlow website.