@staticmethod
def encode_sampling(sampling):
    """
        provides a string representing the sampling (e.g. for the tilenames)
        
        Parameters
        ----------
        sampling : int
            the grid sampling = size of pixels; in metres.

        Returns
        -------
        sampling_str : str
            string representing the sampling 

        """
    if sampling <= 999:
        sampling_str = str(sampling).rjust(3, '0')
    if sampling >= 1000:
        sampling_str = ''.join((str(sampling / 1000.0)[0], 'K', str(
            sampling / 1000.0)[2]))
    return sampling_str
