Supported 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.
Files, tables, or Web services
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:
- Metadata fields are added and populated in the mosaic dataset's attribute table. You can then query the attribute table for specific raster data. Fields added include Name, Product Name, FileDateTime, and Security Classification.
- The logic used is well-suited for the CADRG/ECRG data type. For example, when duplicate data is encountered (when a dataset you are adding is already in the mosaic dataset), the logic used to determine which data is overwritten is tailored to the nature of CADRG/ECRG data.
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:
- Metadata fields are added and populated in the mosaic dataset's attribute table. You can then query this attribute table for imagery. Fields added include Product Name, FileDateTime, and Security Classification.
- The logic used is well-suited for the CIB data type. For example, when duplicate data is encountered (when a dataset you are adding is already in the mosaic dataset), the logic used to determine which data is overwritten is tailored to the nature of CIB data.
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:
- Metadata fields are added and populated in the mosaic dataset's attribute table. You can then query this attribute table for imagery. The fields added are Product Name, Data Edition, Compilation Date, Maintenance Date, Match/Merge Version, Match/Merge Date, Latitude/Longitude Location, and Security Classification.
- The logic used is well-suited for the DTED data type. For example, when duplicate data is encountered (when a dataset you are adding is already in the mosaic dataset), the logic used to determine which data is overwritten is tailored to the nature of DTED data.
For more information about the DTED raster format, see Supported raster dataset file formats.
Image service definition
The image service definition raster type allows you to add image service definitions (*.ISDef) files created with the Image Service Definition Editor toolbar (installed by ArcGIS Image Server). 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.
Learn more about migrating from an image service definition to a mosaic dataset
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). 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.
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.
Raster dataset
The raster dataset raster type is used to add any raster dataset (file format) supported by ArcGIS. To see 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) 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:
- Footprint—The footprint of the data pixels.
- Spatial reference—Spatial reference system of the raster dataset.
- Number of bands—Number of bands in the raster dataset.
- Pixel type—Numeric type of pixel value, for example, 8-bit integer or 32-bit float.
- Bit depth—Out of the number of bits available, how many contain actual values. For example, the data may be stored using 16-bit, but the data is actually 11-bit.
- Seamline—The seamline polygon to be used when a seamline mosaic is created.
- High and low pixel size range—These define the range of pixel values that exist in the raster dataset. For example, in a simple orthorectified image, both the high and low values may be the same, corresponding to the resolution of the imagery. Datasets that include pyramids or multiple overlapping rasters can have a range of pixel sizes.
- Histogram statistics—The histogram and histogram statistics for the raster dataset. There can be multiple histograms representing both the unprocessed rasters and raster output from raster processes.
- Metadata—Data providing information about the raster. This data is extracted from the source, depending on the raster type. For generic raster types, such as GeoTIFF, the amount of metadata available can be limited. For more specific raster types, such as QuickBird, the metadata can include a number of different attributes such as date and time of acquisition.
- Raster group process—Definition of the raster datasets process chain to be applied to all rasters within the raster dataset.
- Multiple raster items—A raster process definition contains the definition of one or more rasters. Each has a definition—raster processes as well as information—about the format, the location of the pixels, and metadata such as histogram statistics.
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:
- Raster catalog
- Mosaic dataset
- Table with paths
- .dbf file (for example, from a footprint shapefile)
When you add a raster catalog or a mosaic dataset to a mosaic dataset, using the Table raster type, you are converting every item in the source to be an item in the mosaic dataset. Therefore, every item in the table of the source raster catalog or mosaic dataset will exist as an item in the mosaic dataset. 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:
- Raster—The source raster field which contains the path and name of a supported raster dataset file format. This will be used to identify the raster dataset to add to the mosaic dataset. This field is required.
- Name—Name used to identify the source raster. This will be used as the Name attribute for the raster dataset in the mosaic dataset. This field is optional.
- Group—A name given to one or more rows in the table that belong together. This will be used as the Group attribute for the raster dataset in the mosaic dataset. This field is optional.
- Tag—Used to identify the raster dataset that will participate in functions defined in a function template. This will be used as the Tag attribute for the raster dataset in the mosaic dataset. This field is optional.
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:
- Default—This adds the raster data to the mosaic dataset without applying any functions. This is the default.
- Stretch—This applies the Stretch function to each raster dataset as it’s added to the mosaic dataset.
Web services
You can add several types of Web services as source data to a mosaic dataset. These include cached map services and image services from ArcGIS Server; WCS services; and other cached Web services, such as services from ArcGIS Online.
When you add a Web service from ArcGIS Server or a WCS service, you can make the connection directly to the server with the Add Rasters tool or using the Catalog window and add the service to the mosaic dataset. However, to add a Web service from ArcGIS Online to the mosaic dataset, you must first save it as a layer file.
Sensor products
There are many sensor products to choose from, and each has properties that can be refined to modify the functions and band combination applied to the imagery when it's added. There are several defaults, but you can further modify these and save them for your own use at another time.
Each raster type below can be refined by defining the product type. Generally, if you are not very familiar with your data, you should use All. This will add all your particular data, no matter how it was provided by the vendor. However, if you only want to add specific products to your mosaic dataset, you should choose the appropriate product type. For example, for QuickBird imagery, you can choose All, Basic, Standard, Standard Orthoready, and Orthorectified. Each of these options maps directly to a product provided by the vendor.
You can further refine how your data will be added and processed by defining a processing template. These templates are specific to the type of data in each band. For example, in Landsat 7 data, there are nine bands. Band 1 is panchromatic and has the highest spatial resolution; bands 1–5 and 7 are multispectral bands (blue, green, red, and infrared) and have a lower spatial resolution than the panchromatic band; and bands 6a and 6b are thermal bands. For this raster type, there are five processing templates:
- All Bands—The data will be added and grouped in any or all the processing templates that apply. For example, for Landsat 7, three entries will be created in the mosaic dataset for each scene: Panchromatic (band 8), Multispectral (bands 1–5, 7), and Thermal (bands 6a, 6b). A field is added to the attribute table named Tag, which will identify the group each band belongs to, for example, Pan for panchromatic, MS for multispectral, and Thermal for the thermal bands.
- Panchromatic—Only the panchromatic band will be added to the mosaic dataset. For example, for Landsat 7, only band 8 will be added.
- Multispectral—The multispectral bands will be added as a single raster dataset in the mosaic dataset. For example, for Landsat 7, there will be a single row in the mosaic dataset representing bands 1–5 and 7.
- Pan-sharpen—The standard combination of multispectral and panchromatic bands will be added to the mosaic dataset. For example, for Landsat, a multispectral group will be added but it will have a minimum pixel size set to the maximum pixel size of the panchromatic image. That way, the mosaicked image will not be pan-sharpened when you have zoomed out beyond the resolution of the panchromatic image.
- Thermal—The thermal bands will be added as a single raster dataset in the mosaic dataset. For example, for Landsat 7, there will be a single row in the mosaic dataset representing bands 6a and 6b.
By default, the raster type will label the bands according to their wavelength. The smallest wavelength will be band 1, and the band number will increase as the wavelength increases. Each specific wavelength is specified according to its raster types below.
GeoEye-1
The GeoEye-1 raster type allows you to add raster data collected from the GeoEye-1 satellite sensor. To learn more about this sensor, see www.geoeye.com.
|
ArcGIS product type |
Vendor product names |
Processing templates |
|---|---|---|
|
All |
All products will be looked for when adding the image data. |
|
|
Geo Product Suite |
This applies to the Geo product. |
|
|
Geo Ortho Kit |
This applies to the Geo product when you want to use RPC to orthorectify the imagery. This can also be used with the GeoStereo product. |
|
|
Orthorectified Products |
This applies to the GeoProfessional product. |
Tag | Band order | Wavelength (nm) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
Pan | 1 | 450–800 | Panchromatic |
MS | 1 | 450–510 | Blue |
MS | 2 | 510–580 | Green |
MS | 3 | 655–690 | Red |
MS | 4 | 780–920 | Near infrared |
IKONOS
The IKONOS raster type allows you to add raster data collected from the IKONOS satellite sensor. To learn more about this sensor, see www.geoeye.com.
|
Product type |
Processing templates |
|---|---|
|
|
The product types described above can be mapped to the following product types that are or have been made available for the IKONOS data:
|
ArcGIS product label |
Vendor product names |
|---|---|
|
All |
All products will be looked for when adding the image data. |
|
Geo Product Suite |
This applies to the Geo product line, except the Geo Ortho Kit subset product. It also applies to the Geo™ product. |
|
Geo Ortho Kit |
This was a subset of the Geo product line and also applies to the Geo product when you want to use RPCs. This can also be used with the IKONOS Stereo or GeoStereo product. |
|
Orthorectified Products |
This can be used for the IKONOS Orthorectified products (including Reference, Pro, Precision, and PrecisionPlus) and for the GeoProfessional product. |
Tag | Band order | Wavelength (nm) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
Pan | 1 | 526–929 | Panchromatic |
MS | 1 | 445–516 | Blue |
MS | 2 | 506–595 | Green |
MS | 3 | 632–698 | Red |
MS | 4 | 757–863 | Near infrared |
Landsat 5 TM
The Landsat 5 TM raster type allows you to add raster data collected from the Landsat 5 TM satellite sensor. To learn more about this sensor, see http://landsat.usgs.gov.
|
Product type |
Processing template |
|---|---|
|
Multispectral |
Tag | Band order | Wavelength (nm) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
MS | 1 | 450–520 | Blue |
MS | 2 | 520–600 | Green |
MS | 3 | 630–690 | Red |
MS | 4 | 760–900 | Near infrared |
MS | 5 | 1550–1750 | Near infrared |
MS | 6 | 2080–2350 | Mid infrared |
Thermal | 1 | 10400–12500 | Thermal |
Landsat 7 ETM+
The Landsat raster type allows you to add raster data collected from the Landsat 7 ETM+ satellite sensor. To learn more about this sensor, see http://landsat.usgs.gov.
|
Product type |
Processing template |
|---|---|
|
|
Tag | Band order | Wavelength (nm) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
MS | 1 | 450–520 | Blue |
MS | 2 | 520–600 | Green |
MS | 3 | 630–690 | Red |
MS | 4 | 770–900 | Near infrared |
MS | 5 | 1550–1750 | Near infrared |
MS | 6 | 2080–2350 | Mid infrared |
Thermal | 1 | 10400–12500 | Thermal |
Thermal | 2 | 10400–12500 | Thermal |
Pan | 1 | 520–900 | Panchromatic |
QuickBird
The QuickBird raster type allows you to add raster data collected from the QuickBird satellite sensor. The product types in the ArcGIS application map to the similar product name provided by the vendor. Standard Orthoready is also known as Ortho Ready Standard Imagery.
To learn more about this sensor, see www.digitalglobe.com.
|
Product type |
Processing template |
|---|---|
|
|
Tag | Band order | Wavelength (nm) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
Pan | 1 | 450–900 | Panchromatic |
MS | 1 | 450–520 | Blue |
MS | 2 | 520–600 | Green |
MS | 3 | 630–690 | Red |
MS | 4 | 760–900 | Near infrared |
RapidEye
The RapidEye raster type allows you to add raster data collected from the RapidEye satellite sensors. To learn more about this sensor, see www.rapideye.de.
|
Product type |
Processing template |
|---|---|
|
|
Tag | Band order | Wavelength (nm) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
MS | 1 | 440–510 | Blue |
MS | 2 | 520–590 | Green |
MS | 3 | 630–685 | Red |
MS | 4 | 690–730 | Red edge |
MS | 5 | 760–850 | Near infrared |
SPOT
The SPOT raster type allows you to add raster data collected from the SPOT 5. To learn more about this sensor, see www.spotimage.com.
|
Product type |
Processing templates |
|---|---|
|
|
Tag | Band order | Wavelength (nm) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
MS | 1 | 500–590 | Green |
MS | 2 | 610–680 | Red |
MS | 3 | 790–890 | Near infrared |
MS | 4 | 1580–1750 | Short wave infrared |
Pan | 1 | 510–730 | Panchromatic |
WorldView-1 and WorldView-2
The WorldView-1 and WorldView-2 raster types allow you to add raster data collected from the WorldView-1 or WorldView-2 satellite sensors. To learn more about these sensors, see www.digitalglobe.com.
|
Product type |
Processing templates |
|---|---|
|
All bands |
Tag | Band order | Wavelength (nm) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
Pan | 1 | 400–900 | Panchromatic |
Tag | Band order | Wavelength (nm) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
Pan | 1 | 450–800 | Panchromatic |
MS | 1 | 400–450 | Coastal blue |
MS | 2 | 450–510 | Blue |
MS | 3 | 510–580 | Green |
MS | 4 | 585–625 | Yellow |
MS | 5 | 630–690 | Red |
MS | 6 | 705–745 | Red edge |
MS | 7 | 770–895 | Near infrared |
MS | 8 | 860–1040 | Near infrared |
To create a natural color band combination use
- Red: band 5
- Green: band 3
- Blue: band 2
To create a color infrared band combination use
- Red: band 7
- Green: band 5
- Blue: band 3
Aerial imagery
These include standard frame cameras and the project files for some aerial triangle applications.
Caution:For all these raster types, make sure the spatial reference information in the input files and the DEM are the same. If you need to apply a geoid correction to your elevation data you should create a mosaic dataset containing the elevation data and use the Arithmetic function to apply the required equation. For specific steps, see Converting from orthometric to ellipsoidal heights.
Applanix
The Applanix DSS is a medium format, digital airborne remote sensing system, using integrated inertial technology to produce georeferenced color and color infrared (CIR) imagery. The main input file used by this raster type is the Applanix DSS eo_std.txt file.
When using this raster type, you must edit the raster type properties by clicking the Raster Type Properties button.
For more information about the Applanix raster type, see Adding Applanix DSS data to a mosaic dataset.
ISAT
ImageStation Automatic Triangulation (ISAT) is an automatic image point extraction and triangulation package from Intergraph. Both analog and digital cameras are supported. The input file used by this raster type is the ISAT project file.
When using this raster type, you must edit the raster type properties by clicking the Raster Type Properties button.
For more information about the ISAT raster type, see Adding data from ISAT to a mosaic dataset.
MATCH-AT
MATCH-AT is an automatic digital aerial triangulation package from INPHO. Both analog and digital cameras are supported. The input file used by this raster type is the MATCH-AT project file.
When using this raster type, you must edit the raster type properties by clicking the Raster Type Properties button.
For more information about the MATCH-AT raster type, see Adding data from MATCH-AT to a mosaic dataset.
Note:If a MATCH-AT version 5 project has the camera information embedded, an external camera file is not required. MATCH-AT projects of other versions must have an external camera file.