[R-sig-Geo] Selecting variable within nc file in raster() or brick()

[Agustin Lobo]

Hi!

For nc (v3) files having only 1 field variable along time such as
open.ncdf(file.path(ncdir,nom1))
[1] "file /media/alobo/FREECOM
HDD/BIGFILES/IMASCOARSESTOCK/SMOS/_DELSMH001DIBEA.nc has 4
dimensions:"
[1] "time   Size: 257"
[1] "lat   Size: 1100"
[1] "lon   Size: 1600"
[1] "time_strlen   Size: 20"
[1] "------------------------"
[1] "file /media/alobo/FREECOM
HDD/BIGFILES/IMASCOARSESTOCK/SMOS/_DELSMH001DIBEA.nc has 1 variables:"
[1] "float HighRes_Soil_Moisture[lon,lat,time]  Longname:1 km Soil
Moisture Missval:-999"

I can simply use
nc1 <- brick(file.path(ncdir,nom1))

But, what in the case of having several variables in the nc file, i.e.:
open.ncdf(file.path(ncdir,nom5))
[1] "file /media/alobo/FREECOM
HDD/BIGFILES/IMASCOARSESTOCK/SMOS/_NRTSM003D025A_ALL_2013.nc has 4
dimensions:"
[1] "time   Size: 365"
[1] "lat   Size: 44"
[1] "lon   Size: 62"
[1] "time_strlen   Size: 20"
[1] "------------------------"
[1] "file /media/alobo/FREECOM
HDD/BIGFILES/IMASCOARSESTOCK/SMOS/_NRTSM003D025A_ALL_2013.nc has 4
variables:"
[1] "int L2_Points[lon,lat,time]  Longname:Number of Measures Missval:0"
[1] "float SM[lon,lat,time]  Longname:Surface soil moisture Missval:-999"
[1] "float SM_DQX[lon,lat,time]  Longname:Surface soil moisture_dqx
Missval:-999"
[1] "float VARIANCE_SM[lon,lat,time]  Longname:Variance of Surface
soil moisture Missval:-999"

Is there a way to select the desired variable within brick() ?
Or should I use  get.var.ncdf() and then transform to raster?
(the only problem in this case is that I have to rotate etc, while
brick() does it all in the first case)

Thanks

Agus