ArcGIS supports NITF standards and products, which require that the NITF file be properly formed to maintain its basic structure.
The basic structure of an NITF file consists of a required primary file header containing file version and detailed information about the type of data contained in the NITF. The data segments comprising an NITF are shown in the top row of the graphic below. Not all segment types are required. Additionally, one or more Data Extension Segments (DES) may be associated with a segment to contain additional data associated with that segment—for example, Tagged Record Extensions (TREs).
Display
The table below summarizes the compression formats supported for the display of NITF image segments.
| Image Compression Method | Supported (Yes / No) |
|---|---|
JPEG DCT | Yes |
Vector Quantization | Yes |
Bi-Level | No |
JPEG 2000 (NPJE/EPJE) | Yes |
NITF segments
Supported NITF formats range from standard image products containing single or multiple image segments with single or multiple bands to derived image products that only contain shapefiles in the CSSHPA or CSSHPB Data Extension Segments. See NITF layer for more information about how NITF data types are used in ArcGIS AllSource.
Note:
NITF Graphic and Text Segments are currently not supported in ArcGIS AllSource.
Multisegment support
ArcGIS AllSource supports data access and display of NITF data that contains multiple data segments, sometimes referred to as NITF subdatasets or NITF sublayers. The NITF standard organizes data types into a variety of data segment types as described in Introduction to NITF data.
Depending on the type of data contained in an NITF image, raster, or shapefile, a variety of mechanisms are provided to access this information. The Image Support Data pane provides a view into the organization and structure of NITF metadata, including access to all the information about each segment.
NITF subdatasets are also supported as input to relevant geoprocessing tools and raster functions through direct use of tools, models, processing chains, or scripts using the geoprocessing framework.
The NITF layer provides support for visualizing the contents of multisegment image segments in an NITF file containing displayable image information. Each image segment contains a single image consisting of one or more bands of data.
Write NITF
ArcGIS AllSource supports writing NITF using the Export Raster pane. After adding an NITF dataset to a map, right-click the image sublayer that you want to export. Choose Data from the drop-down menu, and click Export Raster. Choose NITF as the output file format.
See Export or convert raster datasets for information about using the Export Raster tool and setting parameters. The data is uncompressed by default.
Note:
Image compression is currently not supported when writing an NITF file.
The following table shows the NITF format types and the corresponding functionality associated with NSIF 1.0, NITF 2.0, and NITF 2.1:
Image support data
Image support data (ISD) contains contextual information about the data contained in an NITF file or set of NITF files. The primary goal of ISD is to provide metadata to help guide and portray data products as they were originally intended, without restricting access to the raw data. Key uses for NITF ISD include general processing history of the data, governance, distribution, and specific parameters used for properly geopositioning the relevant contents of any NITF container.
ArcGIS AllSource supports access to the NITF ISD contained in the NITF file structure. This allows you to process and visualize the image data appropriately and take advantage of the ISD to help manage data, projects, workflows, and applications. Also supported are multisegment images, allowing them to be indexed, processed, and displayed to preserve the relationships built into each NITF source product.
NITF ISD can be accessed several ways, including in the Image Support Data pane and specific image support data tabs on both the layer and dataset Properties dialog boxes.
When an NITF file is added to a map, an NITF layer in the Contents pane organizes the contents of the NITF file. The name of the NITF layer is based on the value in the NITF FTITLE field, which can be up to 80 characters. If the FTITLE field is not available, the label switches to the NITF file name. Individual sublayers are created for each image segment in the NITF and listed in the Contents pane. Each data type is represented as NITF sublayers and can be activated and managed separately.
Image Support Data pane
You can use the nonmodal Image Support Data pane to explore, search, access, and export NITF ISD. To access the Image Support Data pane, right-click the NITF layer in the Contents pane and click Image Support Data. The Image Support Data pane for the layer appears.
Detailed information about Tagged Record Extensions (TRE) or Data Extension Segments (DES), which are unique to the NITF file format, can be accessed by hovering over the specific TRE or DES of interest in the main body of the ISD viewer, and clicking the text button associated with the specific TRE or DES.
Raster dataset properties
To access the ISD, in the Catalog pane, right-click the NITF file and click Properties to open the Raster Dataset Properties dialog box.
Geopositioning of NITF image sublayers
The ISD in NITF files can contain multiple sources of map transformation to properly position the imagery with respect to the earth's surface. It is important to know the order and precedence of use to understand the quality of positioning. The precedence of the coordinate data in the NITF file is listed below.
- Community Sensor Model (CSM)—The primary map information for the file. This is used if the CSM is available and the appropriate ISD is present.
- RPC00B—Rational polynomial coefficient information is used if CSM or SENSRB information is not available.
- GEOSDE (DIGEST)—Map information (if available) is imported from MAPLOB, PRJPSB, and GEOPSB TREs; and tie point and pixel sizes are created in the specified projection. If the projection is not supported, this information is considered invalid and the IGEOLO georeferencing method is attempted.
Note:
If available, tie point and pixel size are imported into a geographic coordinate system from the GEOLOB and GEOPSB TREs. - IGEOLO—The NITF image subleader containing coordinate data. If the coordinate data is valid, the tie point and pixel size are computed for the image. Otherwise, an affine map transformation is used to determine georeferencing for the image.
Note:
IGEOLO coordinates are not considered accurate and are used for approximate location in the discovery indexing. - ICHIPB—This data is used to perform mensuration and to calculate the geopositioning of features on image chips.
Note:
Location tags are currently not supported.