About adding an image service layer to ArcMap

There are many ways to access imagery over the web to add it to your map. One method is to add web services that you can find on ArcGIS.com. From applications like ArcMap or ArcGlobe, you can add web services containing imagery from this site by clicking File > Add Data > Add Data From ArcGIS Online, or you can visit the website to download the links, documents, or layer files containing the references to the data.

The other way to access imagery is directly from ArcGIS for Server's image service. You can connect to an image service the same way you would any other service by connecting to ArcGIS for Server and choosing the image service that is available. Once connected to ArcGIS for Server, image services are shown on the Add Data dialog box with this icon: .

Steps:

1. Click the Add Data button .
2. Click the Look in drop-down arrow and navigate to the GIS Servers folder.
3. Scroll the list and double-click the server you want to use.

   If you don't see the server you want, double-click Add ArcGIS Server and connect to another ArcGIS Server.

4. Click the image service, which appears as the following icon: .
5. Click Add.

Optionally, you can drag and drop an image service from the Catalog window.

Legacy:

If your image services are served from ArcGIS Image Server, you can use the Add Image Server Connection button from the Customize dialog box to access the image service.

Note:

Some image services may be cached. When you add a cached image service to ArcMap, the capabilities are limited. You can still use the Identify tool, but you cannot change some of the properties, such as the mosaic method. A cached image service provides better display performance and is ideal as a base image layer. If you want to access it as a dynamic image service, you can. Right-click the image service layer in the table of contents and uncheck Enable Cache View Mode. To re-enable and use this image service as a cached service, just check this option back on.