The Image Service Definition Editor toolbar

The Image Service Definition Editor toolbar provides two options for creating an image service definition; the one you use depends on how advanced the image service definition is. Image Service Editor Wizard will help you create three of the most common types of image service definitions: panchromatic, color, or elevation. The wizard will walk you through all the steps required to create an image service definition, including adding the data, optimizing the image service definition, enhancing the imagery or visualizing the elevation data, and compiling the service.

If you need to build more advanced image service definitions that may, for example, use a variety of processes, use the Advanced options available on the Image Service Definition Editor toolbar.

With whatever option you use to create an image service definition, the same basic set of files is created. The image service definition (.ISDef) file contains all the parameters specific to the image service definition. When you compile the image service definition, an image service compiled definition (.ISCDef) file is created. This compiled .ISCDef file is used by the service providers.

To learn more about the set of files created with an image service definition, see The image service definition file structure.

There are two additional wizards available from the Image Service Definition Editor toolbar. Add Data Wizard allows you to add raster data to an existing image service definition. To learn more about adding raster data, see About adding raster data to an image service definition. Analyze Image Service Wizard allows you to inspect your image service definition to check for valid raster sources and the raster process definition files.

An overview of the toolbar's commands

You can add and remove raster data, change image service definition properties and raster properties, optimize the image service definition, and view and change attributes in the service table with the Image Service Definition Editor toolbar.

Learn how to add the Image Service Definition Editor toolbar

The Image Service drop-down menu has the following commands:

Image Service menu commands	Description
New Image Service	Opens New Image Service Wizard that enables you to create an image service definition, add raster data, define the spatial reference system, enhance the image service definition display, generate service overviews, enter metadata, and compile the image service definition.
Add Data	Opens Add Data Wizard that enables you to add raster data to an existing service, apply an enhancement, regenerate overviews, and compile the image service definition.
Analyze Image Service	Opens Analyze Image Service Wizard that enables you to validate your raster sources (to ensure that they are from a valid raster dataset and location) and raster process definition files. This sort of validation is often required when the rasters, service, or source files have been relocated.
Advanced	New Service Definition—Creates a new image service definition and adds it to the table of contents. Creating a new image service definition opens the Image Service Definition dialog box, where you enter the required image service properties. Add Raster Dataset—Opens the dialog box used to add raster datasets to the image service definition. Remove Raster Dataset—Removes the raster datasets that have their footprints selected. Edit Raster Properties—Allows you to perform edits on multiple raster process definition files in an image service definition. Synchronize Raster Dataset—Updates the information in the .RPDef files to match the edited footprint or information in the service table. Build—Constructs and validates selected parts of the image service definition to determine derived parameters, including pixel size ranges, metadata fields, image service definition boundary, histograms, and images used for optimization. Optimize—Creates specific raster datasets to optimize the image service definition, allowing clients to access raster data faster. The Optimize submenu has the following commands: Derived Tiles—Generates preprocessed, tiled raster datasets at a high resolution for an area defined by a polygon. These can be generated for the areas of interest that are most often requested by clients. Service Overviews—Creates preprocessed, low-resolution tiles for the entire service. These overviews are used when clients are viewing large portions of the image service definition at a lower resolution. Derived Rasters—Generates a preprocessed raster dataset at a particular resolution for a particular raster. These can be generated to reduce the time to serve processing-intensive data of frequently visited areas of interest. Compile—Generates the compiled image service definition file that is used by the service provider to serve the data. Save As—Saves a copy of the image service definition with options to enable linking of the existing service table, raster datasets, seamline polygon, and service boundary to the newly saved image service definition. By default, the date of creation is appended to the name of the image service definition.
Image Server Help	Opens the ArcGIS Image Server Help content.

Image Service Definition Editor toolbar menu options

The following describes the buttons on the Image Service Definition Editor toolbar:

Button	Title	Description
	Image Service Properties	Opens the Image Service Properties dialog box
	Service Table	Opens the image service definition attribute table for the selected service
	Raster Properties	Opens the Raster Properties dialog box for a single selected raster

Image Service Definition Editor toolbar buttons

The Layer drop-down menu allows you to select the image service definition you are working with, when there is more than one open.

About Image Service Editor licensing

You can use the Image Service Editor toolbar if you have an ArcGIS Image Server license. When you attempt to create a new image service definition or edit an image service definition, you may be prompted to define a server host machine and port number. If the server is licensed on the same machine as Image Service Editor, it will automatically see this license and will not prompt for the server's information.

If the license is not available, the following message can be expected:

Image Server not licensed

Licensing the Service Editor