diff --git a/avaframe/com1DFA/particleTools.py b/avaframe/com1DFA/particleTools.py
index 3a4e05df3..63ee17c16 100644
--- a/avaframe/com1DFA/particleTools.py
+++ b/avaframe/com1DFA/particleTools.py
@@ -1011,7 +1011,9 @@ def savePartDictToPickle(partDict, fName):
     fi.close()
 
 
-def createAssetsRasterFromParticleLocations(particlesTimeArrays, dem, uniqueAssets, assetsValues):
+def createAssetsRasterFromParticleLocations(
+    particlesTimeArrays, dem, uniqueAssets, assetsValues, noAssetsClass=-1
+):
     """create a raster indicating particle trajectories colorcoded with assets classes, highest overrides lower classes
 
      Parameters
@@ -1023,7 +1025,10 @@ def createAssetsRasterFromParticleLocations(particlesTimeArrays, dem, uniqueAsse
     uniqueAssets: list
         list of assets class values sorted from low to high
     assetsValues: dict
-        dictionary with for each infrastructure class value the affected cell numbers
+        dictionary with affected cell numbers for each asset class
+    noAssetsClass: int
+        optional: value that is set for those parts of particle trajectories that do not affect any assetsValues
+        default it is set to -1
 
     Returns
     ---------
@@ -1069,7 +1074,7 @@ def createAssetsRasterFromParticleLocations(particlesTimeArrays, dem, uniqueAsse
 
     # set all locations where particles were but not affecting assets to class -1.0
     testArray = np.full((dem["header"]["nrows"], dem["header"]["ncols"]), np.nan)
-    testArray[xyIndAllUnique[:, 1], xyIndAllUnique[:, 0]] = -1.0
+    testArray[xyIndAllUnique[:, 1], xyIndAllUnique[:, 0]] = noAssetsClass
     particleAssets = np.where(~np.isnan(particleAssets), particleAssets, testArray)
 
     return particleAssets, particlesTimeArrays
diff --git a/avaframe/runScripts/runParticlesAssetsInfo.py b/avaframe/runScripts/runParticlesAssetsInfo.py
index 163953fc8..43ae64b8f 100644
--- a/avaframe/runScripts/runParticlesAssetsInfo.py
+++ b/avaframe/runScripts/runParticlesAssetsInfo.py
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@
 from avaframe.in3Utils import logUtils
 
 # +++++++++REQUIRED+++++++++++++
+# set the code for parts of particle trajectories that do not affect any assets class
+# if not provided, default -1 is used
+noAssetsClass = -1
 # if particle locations are saved e.g. every second, the resulting assets raster might
 # show gaps as particles travelled further within this time step, to avoid these gaps
 # option to perform interpolation - can lead to errors if particle locations too spaced out
@@ -26,10 +29,16 @@
 cellSizeFactor = 0.5
 resizeThreshold = 3
 meshCellSizeThreshold = 0.001
-useCompression = True
+useCompression = True # only active with .tif outputFileType, no .asc compression
 remeshInterpMethod = "nearest"
 # ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
 
+# +++++++++OPTIONAL+++++++++++++
+# choose whether outputFileType = '.tif', '.asc' or 'default'
+# 'default' resolves to the file type of the utilized input DEM
+outputFileType = '.tif'
+# ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+
 # load avalanche directory
 cfgMain = cfgUtils.getGeneralConfig()
 avalancheDir = cfgMain["MAIN"]["avalancheDir"]
@@ -93,12 +102,25 @@
 
     # derive info on which particles interacted with infrastructure
     particleAssets, particleTimeInfo = pT.createAssetsRasterFromParticleLocations(
-        particleTimeInfo, dem, uniqueAssets, assetsValues
+        particleTimeInfo,
+        dem,
+        uniqueAssets,
+        assetsValues,
+        noAssetsClass,
     )
+
+    if outputFileType in ['.asc', '.tif']:
+        _extMap = {".asc": "AAIGrid", ".tif": "GTiff"}
+        dem["header"]["driver"] = _extMap[outputFileType]
+    elif outputFileType != 'default':
+        msg = f"{outputFileType} is not a valid option for 'outputFileType' --> use any of ['default','.asc','.tif']"
+        raise ValueError(msg)
+
     # export raster
     rU.writeResultToRaster(
         dem["header"], particleAssets, (outDir / ("particleAssetsInfo_%s" % simName)), flip=True
     )
+    
 
     # create plot
     plotName = "particleAssetsInfo_%s" % simName
diff --git a/avaframe/tests/test_particleTools.py b/avaframe/tests/test_particleTools.py
index d4138f043..56dc9e3ef 100644
--- a/avaframe/tests/test_particleTools.py
+++ b/avaframe/tests/test_particleTools.py
@@ -375,7 +375,11 @@ def test_createAssetsRasterFromParticleLocations():
 
     # call function to be tested
     particleAssets, particleTimeArrays = particleTools.createAssetsRasterFromParticleLocations(
-        particlesTimeArrays, dem, uniqueAssets, assetsValues
+        particlesTimeArrays,
+        dem,
+        uniqueAssets,
+        assetsValues,
+        -1,
     )
 
     particleAssetsTest = np.zeros((8, 10)) * np.nan
diff --git a/docs/moduleOut3Plot.rst b/docs/moduleOut3Plot.rst
index ae12156ca..4ec84dcd6 100644
--- a/docs/moduleOut3Plot.rst
+++ b/docs/moduleOut3Plot.rst
@@ -248,14 +248,16 @@ To run
 particle assets information
 =============================
 :py:mod:`out3Plot.particleAnalysisPlots` can also be used to create a plot that shows the cells affected by the particle
-trajectories color-coded according to different assets classes (from high to low). This functionality is implemented only
-for :py:mod:`com1DFA.com1DFA` and relies on particle dictionaries that are saved for each simulation run. For this,
-adding *particles* to the ``resType`` and adjusting the desired saving time step in ``tSteps`` (see Note) in your local copy
-of ```com1DFACfg.ini`` is required. To reduce the amount of data that is saved, consider only exporting the required
-particle properties by setting ``exportParticlePorperties`` to: *ID|indXDEM|indYDEM|x|y|z|inCellDEM|nPart*.
+trajectories color-coded according to different assets classes (from high to low). Cells that are affected by particle
+trajectories but not interacting assets are also shown (semi-transparent white), their default value is -1. This
+functionality is implemented only for :py:mod:`com1DFA.com1DFA` and relies on particle dictionaries that are saved
+for each simulation run. For this, adding *particles* to the ``resType`` and adjusting the desired saving time
+step in ``tSteps`` (see Note) in your local copy of ``com1DFACfg.ini`` is required. To reduce the amount of data
+that is saved, consider only exporting the required particle properties by setting ``exportParticlePorperties``
+to: *ID|indXDEM|indYDEM|x|y|z|inCellDEM|nPart*.
 In addition, an assets raster file in ``avalancheDir/Inputs/INFRA`` is required. Classes have to be > 0,
 negative and zero values are treated as no data values. Preferably, the extent and resolution of the provided
-assets raster should match the extent and resolution of the simulation DEM. If extents or resolution do not match,
+assets raster should match the extent and resolution of the simulation DEM. If extent and/or resolution do not match,
 remeshing will be performed. However, this can potentially introduce geometrical artefacts in the assets layer
 (a corresponding warning will be written to the log-file). In order to avoid introducing new classes as a result
 of interpolation, the default setting in the corresponding run script (parameter ``remeshInterpMethod``)