Create a group template from the surf.gii in fMRIprep

Hi,
I ave noticed fmriprep produced a couple of surf.gii in the anat folder for each subject.
From my understanding these images are in the native space.
Is it possible to average these images to get a group template?
I guess it will require some sort of normalization in template space. How could I do that?
Is freesurfer the best tool to develop this pipeline? Are there good tools in python as well?
Best,
Simon

Hi @simon.thibault,

In FreeSurfer:

USAGE: make_average_surface

Required Arguments
   --subjects <subj1> <subj2> ... <subjN>
             : or declare subjects in SUBJECTS env var
   --fsgd fsgdfile : get subject list from fsgd

Optional Arguments
   --out <average subject name>    : default name is 'average'
   --sdir <SUBJECTS_DIR to use instead of the one in the env>
   --sd      : same as --sdir
   --sd-out topdir : put data here
   --xform <transform_fname>       : filename of transform file
   --ico <number>  : specify icosahedron number, default is 7 (ic7.tri)
   --surf-reg <surface name>   : alternative registration surface
   --lh : only do left  hemi (default is to do both)
   --rh : only do right hemi (default is to do both)
                                 default: sphere.reg
   --force   : overwrite existing average subject data
   --annot-template : use annotation when making tif
   --template-only : useful when creating iterative atlases
   --no-template-only : turns off --template-only
   --no-annot : do not create average annotations (does not affect use with template)
   --no-cortex-label : do not create ?h.cortex.label
   --annot annotname <--annot annotname > : supply list of annots to use (default )
   --meas measname <--meas measname > : supply list of meass to use (default )
   --no-surf2surf : use old parametric surface method (may give big faces at the poles)

   --help       : short descriptive help
   --no-symlink : do not use symbolic links (just copy files)
   --no-lik     : same as --no-symlink
   --version : script version info
   --echo    : enable command echo, for debug
   --debug   : same as --echo

See also: recon-all, make_final_surfaces, morph_subject

Version: FreeSurferEnv.csh 7.4.1

Creates average surfaces and curvatures from a set of subjects.

Calls mris_average_curvature, mris_make_average_surface, mris_smooth,
mris_inflate, and mris_curvature.

EXAMPLE

make_average_surface --out avgsubject --subjects subj1 subj2 subj3 subj4

will create $SUBJECTS_DIR/avgsubject with average surfaces for orig,
white, pial, inflated for each hemi.

SEE ALSO

make_average_subject, make_average_volume

GETTING HELP

Run recon-all --help for extensive text on the reconstruction process.
Or, send email to freesurfer@nmr.mgh.harvard.edu.
Also see http://surfer.nmr.mgh.harvard.edu.

Best,
Steven

Thanks,
I guess the use of this function requires to make sure each template is in the same space (my surf.gii images are in native space).
That is something I am not sure how to do it in freesurfer or with any other software.
Best,
Simon

Hi @simon.thibault,

It uses native space recon-all outputs.

Best,
Steven