Video Metadata To Feature Class (Image Analyst)

Available with Image Analyst license.

Summary

Extracts the platform, frame center, frame outline, and attributes metadata from an FMV-compliant video. The output geometry and attributes are saved as feature classes.

Usage

  • This tool exports FMV-compliant video metadata as feature classes, with all the metadata as fields in an attribute table. These features can be used for sensor location, video frame outline, and video frame center to verify proper data coverage, perform spatial queries, and perform attribute queries to quickly find video frames of interest.

  • The tool only accepts archived video files as input, not live video streams.

  • The tool requires that an FMV-compliant video file be used as input. The tool will fail if the video does not contain metadata in the video stream or if that stream contains no metadata packets.

  • The tool can have four types of outputs, and you must specify at least one output. The tool will fail if all four outputs are left empty.

Parameters

LabelExplanationData Type
Input Video

The FMV-compliant input video file containing essential metadata for each frame of the video data. The supported video file types are PS, TS, MPG, MPEG, MP2, MPG2, MPEG2, MP4, MPG4, MPEG4, H264, H265, VOB, and M2TS.

File
Output Metadata File
(Optional)

A comma-separated values (CSV) file containing metadata about the video frames for specific times.

This metadata file is in the same format used by the Video Multiplexer tool.

File
Output Flight Path Feature Class
(Optional)

The feature class containing the sensor's flight path information.

Feature Class
Flight Path Feature Class Type
(Optional)

Specifies the feature class type that will be used for the flight path.

  • PointA point feature class will be used.
  • PolylineA polyline feature class will be used. This is the default.
String
Output Image Path Feature Class
(Optional)

The output feature class containing the image path information.

Feature Class
Image Path Feature Class Type
(Optional)

Specifies the feature class type that will be used for the image path. If you're using a point output, the center of each video frame image will appear on the map.

  • PointA point feature class will be used.
  • PolylineA polyline feature class will be used. This is the default.
String
Output Image Footprint Feature Class
(Optional)

The output feature class containing the video image footprint information.

Feature Class
Metadata Capture Start Time
(Optional)

The metadata recording start time from the beginning of the video. The input format is d.hh:mm:ss, and the default start time is 0.00:00:00. Metadata time stamps are not used in this field; the time of the video file is used.

Time Unit; Date
Metadata Capture Stop Time
(Optional)

The metadata recording end time. The input format is d.hh:mm:ss. If not set, the value will default to the end of the video. Metadata time stamps are not used in this field.

Time Unit; Date
Minimum Distance Between Features
(Optional)

The distance between the features in sequential video frames. If left blank, every metadata feature will be extracted and added to the feature class.

Linear Unit
Minimum Time Between Features
(Optional)

The time interval between the features in sequential video frames. If left blank, every metadata feature will be extracted and added to the feature class.

Time Unit
Output VMTI Feature Dataset
(Optional)

The output feature class containing the video VMTI information.

Feature Class

VideoMetadataToFeatureClass(in_video, {csv_file}, {flightpath}, {flightpath_type}, {imagepath}, {imagepath_type}, {footprint}, {start_time}, {stop_time}, {min_distance}, {min_time}, {vmti})
NameExplanationData Type
in_video

The FMV-compliant input video file containing essential metadata for each frame of the video data. The supported video file types are PS, TS, MPG, MPEG, MP2, MPG2, MPEG2, MP4, MPG4, MPEG4, H264, H265, VOB, and M2TS.

File
csv_file
(Optional)

A comma-separated values (CSV) file containing metadata about the video frames for specific times.

This metadata file is in the same format used by the Video Multiplexer tool.

File
flightpath
(Optional)

The feature class containing the sensor's flight path information.

Feature Class
flightpath_type
(Optional)

Specifies the feature class type that will be used for the flight path.

  • POINTA point feature class will be used.
  • POLYLINEA polyline feature class will be used. This is the default.
String
imagepath
(Optional)

The output feature class containing the image path information.

Feature Class
imagepath_type
(Optional)

Specifies the feature class type that will be used for the image path. If you're using a point output, the center of each video frame image will appear on the map.

  • POINTA point feature class will be used.
  • POLYLINEA polyline feature class will be used. This is the default.
String
footprint
(Optional)

The output feature class containing the video image footprint information.

Feature Class
start_time
(Optional)

The metadata recording start time from the beginning of the video. The input format is d.hh:mm:ss, and the default start time is 0.00:00:00. Metadata time stamps are not used in this field; the time of the video file is used.

Time Unit; Date
stop_time
(Optional)

The metadata recording end time. The input format is d.hh:mm:ss. If not set, the value will default to the end of the video. Metadata time stamps are not used in this field.

Time Unit; Date
min_distance
(Optional)

The distance between the features in sequential video frames. If left blank, every metadata feature will be extracted and added to the feature class.

Linear Unit
min_time
(Optional)

The time interval between the features in sequential video frames. If left blank, every metadata feature will be extracted and added to the feature class.

Time Unit
vmti
(Optional)

The output feature class containing the video VMTI information.

Feature Class

Code sample

VideoMetadataToFeatureClass example 1 (Python window)

This example extracts and saves the platform, frame center, frame outline, and attributes metadata from an FMV-compliant video.

import arcpy
arcpy.ia.VideoMetadataToFeatureClass(
    r"C:\test\input_video.ts", r"C:\output\outmeta.csv",
    r"C:\test\meta.gdb\flight_path", "POLYLINE", r"C:\test\meta.gdb\image_path",
    "POINT", r"C:\test\meta.gdb\image_footprint")
VideoMetadataToFeatureClass example 2 (stand-alone script)

This example extracts and saves the platform, frame center, frame outline, and attributes metadata from an FMV-compliant video.

import arcpy

arcpy.CheckOutExtension("ImageAnalyst")

in_video = "c:\\test\\drone_vid.ts"
out_metadata = "c:\\output\\outmeta.csv"
flight_path = "C:\\test\\meta.gdb\\flight_path"
flight_path_type = "POLYLINE"
image_path = "C:\\test\\meta.gdb\\image_path"
image_path_type = "POINT"
image_footprint = "C:\\test\\meta.gdb\\image_footprint"
start_time = "1 Seconds"
stop_time = "60 Seconds"
distance_between = "2 Meters"
min_time_between = "20 Seconds"

arcpy.ia.VideoMetadataToFeatureClass(
    in_video, out_metadata, flight_path, flight_path_type, image_path,
    image_path_type, image_footprint, start_time, stop_time, distance_between,
    min_time_between)

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