Dimension profile chart

Available with Image Analyst license.

Dimension profile charts allow you to visualize change along a vertical dimension, such as depth or height, using a multidimensional raster dataset with a z-dimension.

To create a dimension profile, right-click a multidimensional raster, multidimensional mosaic dataset, or mosaic dataset in the Contents pane, select Create Chart, and click Dimension Profile to open the Chart Properties pane.

Note:

Dimension Profile is only available for multidimensional datasets that contain a z-dimension.

Data settings

Define the data settings for a chart on the Data tab in the Chart Properties pane.

Dimension

Select the field that represents the dimension field in the dataset using the Dimension parameter.

Time

Select a date or time slice in the dataset using the Time parameter. The available time slices in the drop-down menu are specified using the Multidimensional Extent on the Multidimensional tab.

Area of interest

You can use the Draw tool at the top of the Chart Properties pane to draw point features on the mosaic dataset, multidimensional raster layer, or netCDF raster layer in the map view. These point features are added to the feature table in the Chart Properties pane. In the feature table, you can select or deselect the point features, remove unwanted point features, and edit the symbol and label for each point. Based on the selection from the feature table, the dimension profile for each location is created and displayed on the same dialog box.

Variables table

When generating a chart for single or multiple variables, you can select the variable to graph using the Variables table. The Dimension profile chart allows a maximum of two variables to be displayed.

The Variables table also allows you to specify the width of the line in the chart and the label that appears in the chart legend and ToolTips. If you are plotting two variables in a single chart, you can also specify the color of the line for each variable. If you are plotting a single variable or band, the color of the line will match the color of the location marker in the Define an area of interest table.

Trend

To add a linear trend line to the dimension profile chart, check the Show Trend Line check box. You can modify the color and width of the trend line. One trend line will be drawn for each location when charting multiple locations, or each variable when charting multiple variables.

Aggregation options

The Spatial Aggregation parameter automatically changes to Mean when the area of interest is drawn using a polygon or line sketch tool. Other options are Minimum, Maximum, Median, and Sum.

Data labels

Specify whether you want to label the data points in a chart.

Statistics

View the statistics for each location in a chart. The statistics are calculated by analyzing the pixel values for the areas of interest over time.

Axes

Define the axes settings for a chart on the Axes tab in the Chart Properties pane.

X-axis

The dimension profile x-axis values display the values of the variable. Default minimum and maximum x-axis bounds are set based on the range of data values represented on the axis. These values can be customized by providing a new x-axis bound value. Click the reset button to return the x-axis bound to the default value.

If two variables are selected and displayed in the Variables table, an additional set of controls are available to control the minimum and maximum bounds for the secondary x-axis.

Y-axis

Default minimum and maximum y-axis bounds are based on the range of data values represented on the axis. These values can be customized by providing a new y-axis bound value. Click the reset button to return the y-axis bound to the default value.

By default, line chart axes are displayed on a linear scale. To display numeric (nondate) axes on a logarithmic scale, check the Log axis check box.

You can format the way an axis will display numeric values by specifying a number format category or by defining a custom format string. For example, $#,### can be used as a custom format string to display currency values.

Guides

Guide lines or ranges can be added to charts as a reference or way to highlight significant y-axis values. To add a new guide, browse to the Guides tab in the Chart Properties pane, choose whether to draw a vertical or horizontal guide, and click Add guide. To draw a line, provide a value where you want the line to draw. To create a range, provide a to value. You can optionally add text to a guide by specifying a Label value.

Example

Create a dimension profile chart to visualize changes in ocean salinity and water temperature over depth.

  1. Create a dimension profile chart for a multidimensional raster layer with a z-dimension (depth or height).
  2. Select a date from the Time drop-down menu.
  3. Create a point feature on the map.
  4. Set Variables to Salinity and Water Temperature.

Dimension profile chart showing changes in salinity and water temperature over depth