Files, tables, and web services raster types

Raster types supported by ArcGIS are listed in the Raster Type drop-down list on the Add Rasters To Mosaic Dataset tool. If your organization has created its own raster type, or if you have modified the properties for a raster type and saved it, you may have to navigate to the *.art file to choose it. Raster types can be divided into two groups: those describing files, tables, or web services and those describing products, typically from satellite sensors.

Below is the information for the raster types for adding files, tables, and web services. For additional raster types, see the following:

Satellite sensor raster typesAerial imagery raster types

CADRG/ECRG

Compressed ARC Digitized Raster Graphics (CADRG) and Enhanced Compressed Raster Graphic (ECRG) data can be added to a mosaic dataset using the CADRG raster type or the raster dataset raster type.

It is recommended that you use the CADRG/ECRG raster type when adding CADRG or ECRG data to a mosaic dataset. The following are advantages of using this type when adding CADRG data:

RPF a.toc files cannot be added to a mosaic dataset. Use the CADRG/ECRG raster type to add your collection of files.

By accessing the Raster Type Properties dialog box, you can alter the filters used when adding the data on the General tab. You can also modify the band combination on the Properties tab.

For more information about the CADRG/ECRG raster format, see Supported raster dataset file formats.

CIB

Controlled Image Base (CIB) data can be added to a mosaic dataset using the CIB raster type or the raster dataset raster type.

It is recommended that you use the CIB raster type when adding CIB data to a mosaic dataset. There are advantages to using this type when CIB data is added:

RPF a.toc files cannot be added to a mosaic dataset. Use the CIB raster type to add your collection of CIB files.

By accessing the Raster Type Properties dialog box, you can alter the filters used when adding the data on the General tab. You can also modify the band combination on the Properties tab.

For more information about the CIB raster format, see Supported raster dataset file formats.

DTED

Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED) data and Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) data in DTED format can be added to a mosaic dataset using the DTED raster type or the raster dataset raster type.

It is recommended that you use the DTED raster type when adding DTED data to a mosaic dataset. You will gain these advantages:

For more information about the DTED raster format, see Supported raster dataset file formats.

HRE

High Resolution Elevation (HRE) data is intended for a wide variety of National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and National System for Geospatial Intelligence (NSG) partners and members, and customers external to the NSG, to access and exploit standardized data products. HRE data replaces the current nonstandard High Resolution Terrain Elevation/Information (HRTE/HRTI) products and also replaces nonstandard products referred to as DTED level 3 through 6.

This data format is similar to NITF.

Image service definition

The image service definition raster type allows you to add image service definition (*.ISDef) files created with the Image Service Definition Editor toolbar (installed by ArcGIS Image Server, versions 9.2 to 10). You can add these files by pointing to either a particular file or a workspace or folder location containing many .ISDef files.

Using this raster type is the recommended way to migrate image service definitions into mosaic datasets.

This raster type will add the contents from the image service definition's footprint table and will translate the required information from the associated .RPDef files. Any processes applied on the rasters will be converted to the appropriate function in the mosaic dataset. Any processes or properties set on the image service definition (defined in the .ISDef) will not be carried over to the mosaic dataset. You will have to edit the processes and properties on the mosaic dataset to reapply what you may have defined within the image service definition.

Image service reference

The image service reference raster type allows you to add image service reference (*.ISRef) files created from image services (typically served from ArcGIS Image Server, versions 9.2 to 10). You can add these files by pointing to either a particular file or a workspace or folder location containing many .ISRef files.

The .ISRef file defines an image service connection and the set of service properties.

LAS

LAS is an industry format created and maintained by the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS). LAS is an open/published standard file format for the interchange of lidar data. Light detection and ranging (lidar) data contains measures of distances obtained through an optical (active) remote sensing technology.

You can add LAS files as individual files or as a folder to a mosaic dataset. When this data is added to a mosaic dataset it is converted into raster data.

When adding this data to a mosaic dataset, you must enter an output pixel size. To do this, open the Raster Type Properties dialog box, click the LAS tab, and enter a Pixel size value.

LAS dataset

A LAS dataset is generated by ArcGIS to store and manage collections of LAS files. It stores references to one or more LAS files (containing lidar point cloud data) on disk and to features containing surface constraints. It allows you to quickly display the data as point clouds or triangulated surfaces in ArcGIS, provides the capability to edit the source LAS files, and more.

When this data is added to a mosaic dataset it is converted into raster data.

When adding this data to a mosaic dataset, you must enter an output pixel size. To do this, open the Raster Type Properties dialog box, click the LAS Dataset tab, and enter a Pixel size value.

Mosaic dataset

There is no mosaic dataset raster type. To add a mosaic dataset to another mosaic dataset, use the Table raster type or Raster dataset raster type. If you use the Table raster type, the attribute table from the input mosaic dataset will be copied into the receiving mosaic dataset. Therefore, all the items in the from mosaic dataset will continue to be individual items in the receiving mosaic dataset. If you use the Raster dataset raster type, then the input mosaic dataset will be added as a single item in the receiving mosaic dataset's attribute table.

NITF

The NITF raster type is used to add NITF version 1.1, 2.0, and 2.1 datasets to a mosaic dataset and extract specific metadata items to the attribute table. For a list of attribute items, see NITF raster type.

By accessing the Raster Type Properties dialog box, you can modify the band combination and specify the elevation parameter for data being orthorectified on the Properties tab.

Raster catalog

There is no raster catalog raster type. To add a raster catalog to a mosaic dataset, use the Table raster type.

Raster dataset

The raster dataset raster type is used to add any raster dataset (file format) supported by ArcGIS. To obtain the full list, see Supported raster dataset formats.

Raster process definition

The raster process definition raster type allows you to add raster process definition (*.RPDef) files. You can add these files by pointing to either a particular file or a workspace or folder location containing many .RPDef files.

These files were created with the Image Service Definition Editor (installed by ArcGIS Image Server, versions 9.2 to 10) when raster data was added to an image service definition; however, you can generate your own if necessary. The .RPDef file is an XML file that contains information about a raster dataset:

When you add these files, the .RPDef will be checked and the location of the raster data will be verified, or it will not be added to the mosaic dataset. Any processes defined in the .RPDef will be converted to the appropriate function.

Table

Using the Table raster type, you can add the following to your mosaic dataset:

When you add a raster catalog or a mosaic dataset to a mosaic dataset, using the Table raster type, every item in the table of the source raster catalog or mosaic dataset will exist as an item in the mosaic dataset. Additionally, for mosaic datasets, any other tables will be copied as well, such as the seamline and color correction tables. If you want to add the source raster catalog or mosaic dataset as a single source in the mosaic dataset, then you should add them using the Raster Dataset raster type.

You can add raster data to a mosaic dataset using any ArcGIS supported table, using the Table raster type. Your table must have a field, named Raster, which contains the path and name of every raster dataset you want added to the mosaic dataset. The Table raster type is looking for four specific fields, which will be used to populate the default fields in the mosaic dataset attribute table. You will identify these in the Raster Type Properties dialog box. These are:

If there are other fields in your table, they will be added to the mosaic dataset attribute table.

There are two processing templates for the Table raster type which can be picked from the Raster Type Properties dialog box. These are:

Terrain

A terrain dataset is a multiresolution, TIN-based surface built from measurements stored as features in a geodatabase. They're typically made from lidar, sonar, and photogrammetric sources. Terrains reside in the geodatabase, inside feature datasets with the features used to construct them.

The Terrain raster type allows you to add the terrain dataset to a mosaic dataset. When this data is added to a mosaic dataset it is converted into raster data.

When adding this data to a mosaic dataset, you must enter an output pixel size. To do this, open the Raster Type Properties dialog box, click the Terrain tab, and enter a Pixel size value.

Web services

You can add several types of web services as source data to a mosaic dataset. Web service-specific raster types include:

When you add a web service from ArcGIS for Server, a WCS service, or a WMS service, you can make the connection directly to the server within the Add Rasters To Mosaic Dataset tool or using the Catalog window and add the service to the mosaic dataset, or you can enter the URL. To add a web service from ArcGIS Online to the mosaic dataset, you must first save it as a layer file.

Image Service

When adding an image service to the mosaic dataset, the default settings on the image service are not used. This includes settings such as the transmission compression, resampling method, and the mosaic method. To define the default settings, save a layer referencing the image service that contains all the properties, including those listed and others, such as defining a query. You can create a layer using the Make Image Server Layer tool. Once you have a layer, you can add it to the mosaic dataset using the Image Service raster type.

WMS

When adding a WMS service to a mosaic dataset you must set one (not both) of the following in the Raster Type Properties dialog box on the WMS tab:

  • Pixel size—Specify the smallest size of the pixel you want to derive from the WMS service. This dimension is given in the units of the WMS's spatial reference system.
  • Rows and columns—Specify the total dimension of the WMS service in rows and columns. The default is 1,000 by 1,000.

You can also specify the image format requested from the WMS service and used by the mosaic dataset. The options are JPEG, PNG, PNG24, and PNG32.

Related Topics

5/18/2014