diff --git a/get-datafiles-northamerica.sh b/get-datafiles-northamerica.sh
index ae8904a..2db94ed 100755
--- a/get-datafiles-northamerica.sh
+++ b/get-datafiles-northamerica.sh
@@ -18,5 +18,5 @@ echo "unpacking state/county borders.."
 unzip -o *.zip
 cd -
 
-./get-datafiles.sh "North_America"
+./get-datafiles.sh -c "North_America"
 
diff --git a/get-datafiles-world.sh b/get-datafiles-world.sh
index f80c60e..fcc5ed3 100755
--- a/get-datafiles-world.sh
+++ b/get-datafiles-world.sh
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@
 # License: Public domain / CC-0
 
 ./get-datafiles-northamerica.sh
-./get-datafiles.sh "South_America"
-./get-datafiles.sh "Africa"
-./get-datafiles.sh "Eurasia"
-./get-datafiles.sh "Australia"
-./get-datafiles.sh "Islands"
+./get-datafiles.sh -c "South_America"
+./get-datafiles.sh -c "Africa"
+./get-datafiles.sh -c "Eurasia"
+./get-datafiles.sh -c "Australia"
+./get-datafiles.sh -c "Islands"
 
 
diff --git a/get-datafiles.sh b/get-datafiles.sh
index 45062f6..19c6c39 100755
--- a/get-datafiles.sh
+++ b/get-datafiles.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/bin/sh
+#!/bin/bash
 
 # get the SRTM data files and convert them for splat use
 
@@ -18,23 +18,30 @@ TOPOFILEDIR=splat-datafiles/sdf/
 # local hgt file archive
 HGTFILEDIR=splat-datafiles/hgtzip/
 
-CONTINENT=$1
-case $CONTINENT in
-	North_America|South_America|Africa|Eurasia|Australia|Islands)
-		echo $CONTINENT
-		;;
-	*)
-		echo "Invalid continent: $CONTINENT"
-		exit 1
-		;;
-esac
+SRTM2SDF_HD=srtm2sdf-hd
+SRTM2SDF=srtm2sdf
 
+INDEXFILE=`mktemp`
+FILELIST=`mktemp`
 
-INDEXURL="http://dds.cr.usgs.gov/srtm/version2_1/SRTM3/${CONTINENT}/"
+#URLs from where to fetch the tiles
+SRTM3URL="http://dds.cr.usgs.gov/srtm/version2_1/SRTM3/"
+SRTM1URL="http://e4ftl01.cr.usgs.gov/SRTM/SRTMGL1.003/2000.02.11/" 
 
-INDEXFILE=`mktemp`
 
-if [ ! -x `which srtm2sdf` ]; then
+#Default options:
+USE_HIGHRES=false
+SRTM2SDF_CMD=$SRTM2SDF
+
+DIRECT_CONVERSION=false
+CONTINENT=unknown
+USE_LONRANGE=false
+USE_LATRANGE=false
+
+
+# Check if all prerequisites are installed
+
+if [ ! -x `which $SRTM2SDF` ]; then
 	echo "error: not found in path: srtm2sdf splat conversion utility"
 	exit 1
 fi
@@ -59,36 +66,191 @@ if [ ! -x `which bzip2` ]; then
 	exit 1
 fi
 
-echo "getting index.."
-wget -q -O - $INDEXURL | \
+
+
+function helptext {
+cat <<EOF
+
+Usage: $0 -c CONTINENT [-x XMIN-XMAX] [-d] [-r]
+
+-h      display this helptext
+
+-c CONTINENT
+        specify the continent to download 
+        Valid options are:
+        North_America, South_America, Africa,
+        Eurasia, Australia, Islands
+
+-r      Download High Resolution SRTM data for use
+        with splat-hd.
+        The whole world will be downloaded, no
+        separation between continents!
+        
+-d      Direct mode, do not store downloaded files,
+        this greatly reduces diskspace.
+        This continously converts the downloaded .hgt.zip files
+        to sdf files and delete all files exept the 
+        resulting sdf file.
+        No resume possible if download process interrupted!
+        
+        
+EOF
+}
+
+#Extract commandline options, see helptext for explanation
+while getopts ":dc:rhx:y:" opt; do
+  case $opt in
+    h)
+      helptext
+      exit 1
+      ;;
+      
+    d)
+      echo "DIRECT MODE: Directly converting *.hgt files, deleting zips"
+      DIRECT_CONVERSION=true
+      ;;
+    c)
+      CONTINENT=$OPTARG
+      echo "Continent set to $CONTINENT"
+      ;;
+    r)
+      USE_HIGHRES=true
+      echo "HIGH RESOLUTION: Using $SRTM2SDF_CMD instead of srtm2sdf"
+      ;;
+    \?)
+      echo "Invalid option: -$OPTARG" >&2
+      helptext
+      exit 1
+      ;;
+    :)
+      echo "Option -$OPTARG requires an argument." >&2
+      helptext
+      exit 1
+      ;;
+  esac
+done
+
+#set url to download tiles from:
+if [ "$USE_HIGHRES" = true ]
+then
+    SRTM2SDF_CMD=$SRTM2SDF_HD
+
+    #unfortunately there is no listing per continent
+    INDEXURL=$SRTM1URL
+    
+else
+    case $CONTINENT in
+	North_America|South_America|Africa|Eurasia|Australia|Islands)
+		echo $CONTINENT
+		;;
+	*)
+		echo "Invalid continent: $CONTINENT"
+		helptext
+		exit 1
+		;;
+    esac
+    INDEXURL=${SRTM3URL}${CONTINENT}/
+fi
+
+
+
+# Start to download tiles:
+echo "getting index.. from $INDEXURL"
+wget -q -O - $INDEXURL > $INDEXFILE
+	
+if [ "$USE_HIGHRES" = true ]
+then  
+   #random magic stolen from the internet
+   grep -F '.hgt.zip<' $INDEXFILE | sed -e 's@.*href="@@g' -e 's/">.*//g' > $FILELIST
+else
+    wget -q -O - $INDEXURL | \
 	sed -r -e '/hgt.zip/!d; s/.* ([NSWE0-9]+\.?hgt\.zip).*$/\1/;' \
-	> $INDEXFILE
+	> $FILELIST
+fi
+
+#cp $FILELIST ./filelist
 
 mkdir -p $HGTFILEDIR
 mkdir -p $TOPOFILEDIR
 
-echo "retrieving files.."
-cd $HGTFILEDIR
-wget -nv -N -B $INDEXURL -i $INDEXFILE
-cd -
-
-rm $INDEXFILE
-
-# to minimize disk space required, run srtm2sdf on each file as it is unzipped.
+echo "retrieving files..."
+FILECOUNT=`wc -l $FILELIST`
+echo "Starting processing of ${FILECOUNT} Files"
 
+#convert to absolute path because srtm2sdf does not accept output path arguments
 HGTREALPATH=`readlink -f $HGTFILEDIR`
 TOPOREALPATH=`readlink -f $TOPOFILEDIR`
 PWD=`pwd`
 
+for FILE in $(cat $FILELIST); do
+    echo "Downloading: ${FILE}"
+    if [ "$USE_HIGHRES" = true ]; then
+        HGTFILE=${FILE%SRTMGL1.hgt.zip}hgt
+    else
+        HGTFILE=${FILE%.zip}
+    fi
+    
+    #download the tile
+    wget -P $HGTFILEDIR -nv -N $INDEXURL$FILE
+    
+    #in direct conversion mode, directly make an sdf.bz2 and delete all downloaded files
+    if [ "$DIRECT_CONVERSION" = true ] ; then
+        echo "Unzip $FILE and then delete zip"
+        nice unzip -o $HGTFILEDIR/$FILE -d $TOPOFILEDIR
+        rm $HGTFILEDIR/$FILE
+        
+	
+        #only execute if file exists:
+	if [ -r $TOPOFILEDIR/$HGTFILE ]; then
+                echo "Convert $HGTFILE to SDF"
+		cd $TOPOFILEDIR
+		nice $SRTM2SDF_CMD -d /dev/null $HGTFILE
+		cd -
+		echo "compressing.."
+		#sadly i am too lazy to figure out srtm2sdf naming schemes
+		for SDF in $TOPOFILEDIR/*.sdf ; do   
+                    if test -f "$SDF" ; then
+                        echo "Compress $SDF"
+                        nice bzip2 -f -- $SDF
+                    fi
+                done
+		echo "deleting hgt file $TOPOFILEDIR/$HGTFILE"
+		rm $TOPOFILEDIR/$HGTFILE
+	fi
+    fi
+    
+    # TODO comment for prod:
+    #break;
+done
+
+#delete tempfiles
+rm $INDEXFILE
+rm $FILELIST
+
+
+
+# Exit in direct conversion mode, because everything is done
+if [ "$DIRECT_CONVERSION" = true ]; then
+    echo "Downloading finished, have fun!"
+    exit 0;
+fi
+
+
+#Conventional processing after all tiles are downloaded
+# to minimize disk space required, run srtm2sdf on each file as it is unzipped.
 echo "unpacking hgt files.."
 cd $HGTFILEDIR
 for e in *.zip ; do 
 	echo $e
 	nice unzip -o $e
-	HGTFILE=`echo $e | sed -r -e 's/\.?hgt.zip/.hgt/'`
+        if [ "$USE_HIGHRES" = true ]; then
+            HGTFILE=${FILE%SRTMGL1.hgt.zip}hgt
+        else
+            HGTFILE=${FILE%.zip}
+        fi
 	if [ -r $HGTFILE ]; then
 		cd $TOPOREALPATH
-		nice srtm2sdf -d /dev/null $HGTREALPATH/$HGTFILE
+		nice $SRTM2SDF_CMD -d /dev/null $HGTREALPATH/$HGTFILE
 		echo "compressing.."
 		nice bzip2 -f -- *.sdf
 		echo "deleting hgt file.."