Publish imagery layers from a data store

Imagery layers can be used to manage, share, and analyze raster and imagery data in your organization. You can create imagery layers from supported raster types stored in a folder or cloud storage data store. You can perform analysis using tools and raster functions with imagery layers in Map Viewer or Map Viewer Classic.

Publish imagery layers from a data store for the following scenarios:

• You have image files on your local machine or cloud location and want to create an imagery layers referencing the data in those locations.
• You have image files on your local machine or cloud location and want ArcGIS Enterprise to copy those files to ArcGIS Image Server so that the imagery layers can access the images local to the service.
• You want all the input image data from a data store or multiple data stores to be mosaicked and published as one hosted imagery layer.
• You want to access and manage the input image data from a data store or multiple data stores using one imagery layer. In this option you can interact with individual images within the imagery layer or utilize the imagery layer as a mosaic of all the images.

To create imagery layers, you must have privileges to create, update, and delete content, publish hosted imagery layers, and configure raster analytics. If the option to create an imagery layer is not available, check with your administrator to determine whether the organization is configured for image hosting or raster analysis, and confirm that you have sufficient privileges to publish image layers.

Note:

If an image hosting server is specified in your raster analytics deployment, and you want to publish an image service, the same raster store name with same path or connection details need to be registered in both your image hosting server and raster analysis server.

If the input data is accessed from your data stores, those data stores should be registered in both the raster analysis and image hosting servers.

Create an imagery layer from a data store

To create web maps with raster and imagery data, and to share this data with internal and external users, publish your data as imagery layers.

Place supported raster and image files in a shared folder or cloud storage location and add that location as a data store. From these files, you can publish imagery layers that reference the registered data source or hosted imagery layers if the data is copied to the configured raster store. Imagery layers that reference the registered data source are not managed by ArcGIS Enterprise. When you delete an imagery layer that references the files in the data store, the files are not deleted from the data store.

Once you place the input data in a registered data store, you can create imagery layers. Imagery layers can be for a single image or raster file, or you can mosaic multiple image or raster files together to create a single imagery layer. You can also create an image collection layer in which a single imagery layer contains many raster or image files.

Consider the following conditions when configuring your imagery layers:

• When your input data is from a registered data store and you create a single imagery layer that contains a collection of all the input images, the portal processes the images and creates an imagery layer item.
• When your input data is from a registered data store and you create a single imagery layer that contains a mosaic of all the input images in a single file, the portal copies the data to the portal's raster store, processes the images, and creates a hosted imagery layer item.
• When you create one imagery layer for each image in a registered data store, the data stays in the registered data store location and the portal creates multiple imagery layer items in the portal (multiple ArcGIS Server image services).
• When your input data is from a local folder, the portal always copies the data to the portal's raster store and creates hosted imagery layers.

For step-by-step instructions to create imagery layers, see the Create an imagery layer section in Publish hosted imagery layers.

Steps to create an imagery layer

1. Verify that you are signed in with an account that has privileges to create content and publish hosted imagery layers, and click the My content tab of the content page.
2. Click New item and choose Imagery layer.
3. Choose a layer configuration.

   The following options are available:

   • One Image—Create one imagery layer from a single image. This option supports all supported raster and image formats, multidimensional raster data, and configuration with various source types and compression settings. The Raster Dataset data type is used as the raster type to create the imagery layer. Use this option for simple imagery layers in which advanced metadata is not needed.
   • One Mosaicked Image—Create one imagery layer by mosaicking multiple images as part of the creation process. This option supports generating a single imagery layer that is a mosaic of multiple images over space, multidimensional raster data, and many raster types that allow you to control how your satellite or aerial products are processed.
   • Image Collection—Create one imagery layer that manages a collection of many images. This format also supports image display order and filtering for custom visualizations based in the input image metadata. The Image Collection Explorer can be used to query and work with single images from within the imagery layer. This option also supports storing the imagery in the original source format.
   • Multiple Imagery Layers—Create one imagery layer for each input image. This option generates multiple imagery layers. Use this option instead of choosing the One Image option multiple times.

   If you select the One Mosaicked Image option, your input imagery will be copied and converted to Cloud Raster Format (CRF) for rendering efficiency. You may optionally copy and convert the source imagery to CRF if using the One Image or Multiple Imagery Layers option when configuring the properties in the next few steps. The Image Collection option preserves the original imagery format.

   When you have selected the layer configuration you want, click Next.

4. Select the raster type of your input imagery from the drop-down menu. The raster type metadata is used to display, correct, and process the imagery in a consistent manner.

   Each raster type contains unique metadata specific to the sensor and image parameters. This option is only available if you select One Mosaicked Image or Image Collection as the layer configuration. For all other configuration types, the only supported raster type is Raster Dataset.

5. Click the Configure properties button to specify the properties for the selected raster type.
The raster type properties help you create an informative imagery layer based on your requirements. The properties available depend on the layer configuration and raster type selections you made. The properties are divided into the General, Processing, Spatial Reference, Auxiliary Information, and Metadata tabs.
6. On the General tab, configure the options for your imagery layer. If you don't see one or more of the options below, it is because the layer configuration type or raster type you chose does not support the option.

   Product Type	Specify the type of product included in your satellite imagery. Product types are typically identified by various processing levels associated with the specific sensor. This option is available when the layer configuration is One Mosaicked Image or Image Collection and the raster type is set to a satellite product.
   Source Type	Choose a source type to match the intended use of the imagery. Your choice will determine the default stretch or rendering options. Generic—The raster or imagery does not have a specific use case. This is the default. Elevation—The raster contains elevation data such as digital elevation model (DEM), digital terrain model (DTM), or lidar data. Thematic—The raster contains classified or thematic data, such as land cover or risk levels. Processed—The imagery has been georeferenced and color balanced. Scientific—The raster or imagery is in a scientific data format such as NetCDF, HDF, or GRIB.
   Resampling Type	Select the resampling method to be used to display the imagery layer: Nearest—Nearest neighbor resampling is recommended for discrete data, such as land cover. Bilinear—Bilinear interpolation is recommended for continuous data, such as elevation. Cubic—Cubic convolution resampling is recommended for continuous data. Majority—Majority resampling is recommended for discrete data.
   Compression	Select the compression method to use when converting the source imagery to Cloud Raster Format: LERC—Lossless or lossy compression that divides the raster into a number of pixel blocks. If you choose LERC compression, you can also specify the Maximum LERC compression error. JPEG—Lossy compression that uses the public JPEG compression algorithm. If you choose JPEG compression, you can also specify the Compression quality. Tip: When you publish a Cloud Raster Format (CRF) file with mixed (JPEG/PNG) compression, the compression setting on the General tab in the publishing workflow will be ignored.

7. On the Processing tab, configure the options for your imagery layer. If you don't see one or more of the options below, it is because the layer configuration type or raster type you chose does not support the option.

   Processing templates	Select the processing template to use in the imagery layer. The processing template performs common imagery processing tasks, such as extracting specific bands, pansharpening, orthorectification, stretching, and other tasks that are specific to the input data. The processing templates available depend on the raster type you selected. This option is only applicable to satellite or aerial data products that come with prepackaged processing templates. For example, Landsat Level-2 products include a Surface Reflectance processing template and a Quality Assurance processing template.
   Apply default stretch to each raster item	Choose whether to apply default percent clip stretching to each raster item in the imagery layer.
   Build footprints using radiometry (remove low quality edge pixels)	Choose whether to build footprints for the imagery layer such that only pixels within a given range of values are included. This will eliminate null data values border pixels, which results in seamless mosaics. Removal of the null data border pixels generates more appropriate statistics for each image item, resulting in better image enhancements and analytical processing. If you choose to build footprints, you can provide additional footprint settings.
   Define a pixel value that represents NoData	Choose whether to define a NoData value for the pixels in the imagery layer. Pixels with the NoData value will display as transparent in the map.
   Orthorectification	Choose how you want to orthorectify the images.
   Pansharpen	Select the pansharpen type you prefer, as well as the sharpen image and band weights. This option is available when the input raster type includes coincident panchromatic and multispectral imagery data.
   Footprints	Specify the footprints options to use. These options are available if you chose to build footprints using radiometry.

If you select Image Collection as the layer configuration, you can also build overviews to improve display performance. Building overviews is recommended to increase display speed and reduce CPU usage when serving imagery layers as a service.
8. On the Spatial Reference tab, select the output spatial reference for your imagery layer or layers. The default coordinate system is WGS84 Web Mercator (auxiliary sphere).
9. On the Metadata tab, configure the options for your imagery layer. Options include the image's acquisition date, the measure and unit of pixel values, and the order and wavelength of bands for multiband imagery.
For satellite products, the Band mapping table contains read-only band mapping indexes for reference.
10. If you chose Thematic for the imagery Source Type, you will also see the Auxiliary Information tab, where you can provide a corresponding raster attribute table (DBF version 5) or color map file (.clr).

    A color map is a text file with the .clr extension, in which each row has four space-delimited integer values to map a pixel value to a color. The row order follows the pixel value order, and the column order is red, green, and blue. Red, green, and blue values all range from 0 to 255. The following are examples:

    0 255 10 150

    1 253 0 2

    31 0 220 253

11. When you have finished configuring your imagery properties, click Apply.
12. In the Select input imagery window, click From data store tab to locate the input imagery within the data store. You can use the Browse button to browse to the input data.
You don't need to wait for the files to finish uploading to proceed to the next step.
13. Click Next.
14. Provide the item details for your imagery layer or layers. You can provide these details even if the files have not finished uploading.
    1. Type a title. If you are creating multiple imagery layers, you can provide a prefix and suffix to add to the base title.
    2. Optionally, type tag terms separated by commas.
    3. Type a summary, if desired.
    4. Specify the folder where you want to store the imagery layer or layers.
15. Click Create.

    The progress of the layer creation is shown, including uploading files and creating the imagery layer item.

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Register data stores

To properly register a data store to publish imagery layers, you must know which ArcGIS Image Server site or sites are configured with the portal.

• If your portal has only an image hosting server, register the data store to the image hosting server.
• If your portal has a raster analytics server but not an image hosting server, register the data store to the raster analytics server.
• If your portal has both a raster analytics server and an image hosting server, you must register the data store to both.

Contact your portal administrator if you do not know which ArcGIS Image Server site is configured as your portal's raster analysis or image hosting server.

You can add folder and cloud data stores in the portal and choose the required ArcGIS Image Server site or sites to register them with.