Exercise 5: Color balancing a mosaic dataset

This topic applies to ArcGIS for Desktop Standard and ArcGIS for Desktop Advanced only.

Complexity: Beginner Data Requirement: ArcGIS Tutorial Data for Desktop Data Path: C:\arcgis\ArcTutor\Raster\Data Goal: Create a mosaic dataset and apply a color correction to balance the mosaicked image.

In this exercise, you will create a mosaic dataset wherein all the raster datasets will be color balanced using geoprocessing tools in ArcMap.

This exercise does not rely on any previous exercises.

Before you begin, it is assumed that you have installed the tutorial at C:\arcgis\ArcTutor\Raster\Data. If not, make the appropriate path changes throughout this tutorial so it works properly for you.

Start ArcMap

Steps:

1. Start ArcMap by clicking Start > All Programs > ArcGIS > ArcMap 10.2.2.
2. Click Cancel on the ArcMap - Getting Started window.

   This window may not open if you've previously opted not to show it.

   Note:

   You will be setting the default map document's geodatabase later in this exercise.

Create a file geodatabase

If you have already created ImageGDB in another exercise, you can skip this section of steps.

Steps:

1. Click the Catalog button on the Standard toolbar.

   This opens the Catalog window.

2. In the Location text box, type C:\arcgis\ArcTutor\Raster and press ENTER.

   This location is added to the Catalog tree under the Folders Connection heading.

   If your tutorial data was installed in a different location, alter the path according to your installation location.

3. Right-click the Raster folder and click New > Folder.
4. Name the folder Exercises.
5. Right-click the Exercises folder and click New > File Geodatabase.
6. Rename the new file geodatabase ImageGDB.

Set the default geodatabase

Each map document has a default geodatabase, which is the home location for the spatial content of your map. This location is used for adding datasets and saving resulting datasets created by various editing and geoprocessing operations.

Learn about the default geodatabase

Steps:

1. Right-click the ImageGDB geodatabase in the Catalog window and click Make Default Geodatabase.

Create a new mosaic dataset

Steps:

1. Right-click ImageGDB in the Catalog window and click New > Mosaic Dataset.

   This opens the Create Mosaic Dataset tool dialog box.

2. Type ColorCorrected in the Mosaic Dataset Name text box.
3. Click the Coordinate System browse button .
4. Expand Projected Coordinate Systems > UTM > NAD 1983, click NAD 1983 UTM Zone 15N, and click OK.
5. Click OK to run the tool.

   The progress bar displays the status of the running tool.

   Once the process is complete, a pop-up message will appear.

   The ColorCorrected mosaic dataset is created in the geodatabase and added to the ArcMap table of contents. This is an empty mosaic dataset. You will be adding raster datasets to it in the next steps.

When the mosaic dataset is added to the table of contents, it is added as a mosaic layer, which is essentially a special group layer. The top level has the name of the mosaic dataset—ColorCorrected. There are also empty Boundary, Footprint, and Image layers.

Add rasters to the mosaic dataset

Steps:

1. Right-click the ColorCorrected mosaic dataset in the Catalog window and click Add Rasters.

   This opens the Add Rasters To Mosaic Dataset tool dialog box.

2. Raster Type should be set to Raster Dataset.
3. Click the Input drop-down arrow and click Workspace.
4. Click the Input browse button .
5. Navigate to C:\arcgis\ArcTutor\Raster\Data\Orthos and click Add.

   Normally, you would expand Advanced Options and check the options Build Raster Pyramids and Calculate Statistics; however, these input files are MrSIDs and already have this information stored within their format, so you do not need to check these options.

6. Click OK to run the tool.

   The progress bar displays the status of the running tool.

   Once the process is complete, a pop-up message will appear.

   The raster datasets are added to the mosaic dataset. The footprints are created for each raster dataset, and the boundary is generated for the entire mosaic dataset.

7. Click the Full Extent button to view the mosaic dataset.

Color balance the mosaic dataset

Tip:

Your raster datasets must have statistics to use color balancing. In this tutorial, the source MrSID files already had statistics calculated. If statistics do not exist, and you've already added your raster data to the mosaic dataset, use the Build Pyramids and Statistics with the Calculate Statistics check box checked on.

Steps:

1. In the scale box on the Standard toolbar, type 150,000 and press ENTER.

   At this scale, you should see the images in the mosaic dataset. They may not all draw because, by default, there is a display limit of 20 rasters.
2. In the Catalog window, right-click the ColorCorrected mosaic dataset and click Properties.

   This opens the Mosaic Dataset Properties dialog box.

3. Click the Defaults tab.
4. Click in the Maximum Number of Rasters per Mosaic text box and type 50.

5. Click OK to close the Mosaic Dataset Properties dialog box.
6. Click the Refresh button at the bottom of the window.

   All the images in the display should be viewable.
7. In the Catalog window, right-click the ColorCorrected mosaic dataset and click Enhance > Color Balance.

   This opens the Color Balance Mosaic Dataset tool.

8. Click the Color Surface Type drop-down arrow and click FIRST_ORDER.
9. Click OK to run the tool.

   The progress bar displays the status of the running tool. Once the process is complete, a pop-up message will appear.

   The display view is updated with a color balanced image.

Generate the overviews

Steps:

1. In the Catalog window, right-click the ColorCorrected mosaic dataset and click Optimize > Build Overviews.

   This opens the Build Overviews tool.

2. Click OK to run the tool.

   The progress bar displays the status of the running tool. Once the process is complete, a pop-up message will appear.

The mosaic dataset is created and is ready to publish as an image service using ArcGIS for Server. You can also use the mosaic dataset as a layer within ArcMap or ArcGlobe.