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Introduction

Learn how to manage the browse imagery you would need to create a mini version of the USGS Landsat Look application, used for rapid online viewing and access to the Landsat archives.

The Try It Out section will cover these tasks:

  • Walk you through how to download and set up the workflow files and sample data
  • Demonstrate how to use example batch files to handle large datasets by (1) creating multiple source mosaic datasets for each image collection using a filter, then (2) merging those datasets into a single derived mosaic dataset

About the workflow

This workflow relies on established best practices for managing imagery. To organize your data, each collection of imagery should be managed in a separate source mosaic dataset. Related source mosaic datasets can then be combined into a single derived mosaic dataset to streamline data management. This hierarchical structure does two things:

  • It allows all data to be referenced using a single repository, streamlining access.
  • New source data can be ingested in a phased approach, simplifying quality assurance testing before it is added into the full collection.

This workflow also assumes that metadata exists for the imagery, in the form of a table or feature class with suitable attribute fields. That metadata table will be used to populate a mosaic dataset to manage and serve the browse imagery.

About the sample data

Try out this workflow using sample data from different Landsat sensors between 1990 and 2011. The data includes (1) browse images stored as tiff files, and (2) a geodatabase with metadata stored as a feature class.

Sample browse imagery from GeoEye and Digital Globe are also included, with accompanying batch files and xml configuration files that you can explore on your own.

All included sample data is public domain and was obtained from the following sites:

Data identifierApprox. pixel size (m)Source

Portland GeoEye

6.3

https://www.digitalglobe.com/

Portland DigitalGlobe

23

https://www.digitalglobe.com/

Portland Landsat Look

312

http://landsatlook.usgs.gov/

In the next section, set up the workflow files and sample data to get started managing browse imagery.