Contents pane

The Contents pane contains predefined groups and layers based on the template and options selected and the products generated.

Project layers

The Contents pane groupings and layers are described in the sections below.

Catalog Datasets

Catalog datasets are a user-maintained collection of project layers that are stored within a file geodatabase or online through ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise. When added to a map, the catalog will appear at the top of the Contents pane draw order.

Catalog datasets include the following default layers and groups:

  • Footprints—Green or red transparent polygons that indicate whether an item type in the catalog is viewable or nonviewable. Footprints will only extend to the boundaries of the layer and can overlap. Nonviewable layers are marked if the layer cannot display in the map due to either a broken path or incompatible dataset type, such as a 3D Mesh on a 2D Map.
  • Layers in View—A layer group that, once enabled, will display all currently viewable layers in the map view. It can be expanded to allow for the enabling or disabling of individual layers.

Project Data

The Project Data group consists of feature layers that are included by default on all projects or can be added based on specific settings and workflows. Layers include a legend to help identify the features on the map.

Project data includes the following default layers for all projects:

  • Images—Blue, gray, or red circle point features with GPS locations of your image points. Images selected for processing in image properties are blue, while images that are unavailable are gray. Images that could not be properly calibrated during the image block adjustment step are red.
  • Flight Lines—An orange line feature of your drone flight path.
  • Control—A feature class that stores control points added to a project. Points are defined as either a Ground Control Point or a Check Point.

The following additional layers may display based on user-defined workflows or certain project templates:

  • Pre-Processing—Contains project layers that modify and help refine products.
    • Waterbody—A polygon feature class that defines water areas in need of interpolation.
    • Project Area—A defined polygon boundary for the extent of processing within the project area.
    • Correction Feature—A polygon feature class that marks areas for correction based on the polygon z-values.
  • Map Notes—Point, line, and polygon feature classes for adding context and highlighting features in your projects.
  • Clip Area—A polygon feature layer of your project area.

Vector Products

The Vector Products group includes contours generated from digital surface model (DSM) and digital terrain model (DTM) layers and created by checking the product from the 2D Products group in Options.

Tip:

The Options dialog box can be accessed from the Home tab of the ribbon, in the Processing group.

3D Products

The 3D Products group includes layers generated from the 3D Products group specified in Options. Based on the selected products, the following layers are included in the 3D Products group in the Contents pane:

In the 2D map, the following 3D layer is added to the 3D Products group:

  • Point Cloud—LAS files in a LAS dataset

In the 3D map, the following 3D layers are added to the 3D Products group:

  • DSM Mesh—A 3D mesh in SLPK format
  • 3D Mesh—A 3D mesh in SLPK format
  • Point Cloud—A 3D point cloud in SLPK format

Imagery Products

The Imagery Products group includes layers generated from the 2D Products group specified in Options. Based on the selected products, the following layers are included in the Imagery Products group in the Contents pane:

  • True Ortho— A high-resolution full nadir ortho image (displays by default)
  • Orthomosaic—A high-resolution orthomosaic of your image collection (displays by default)
  • Multispectral Indices—User-defined indices generated from the indices gallery on the Analysis tab

DEM Products

The DEM Products group includes layers generated from the 2D Products group specified in Options. Based on the selected products, the following layers are included in the DEM Products group in the Contents pane:

  • DSM—Digital surface model
  • DTM—Digital terrain model
  • DSM Shaded Relief—Combined hillshade and DSM layer
  • DTM Shaded Relief—Combined hillshade and DTM layer

Elevation surfaces

The World Elevation 3D/Terrain3D service is used as the default elevation surface for projects. If a DTM is created, this layer is also added as an elevation surface to ensure that layers such as point clouds and meshes are at the correct elevation.

Keyboard shortcuts

You can use keyboard shortcuts to perform certain actions in the map or layout Contents pane. The following table lists the available shortcuts and what they do in the Contents pane:

ShortcutFunction

Esc

Put keyboard focus back on the map from the Contents pane.

Left Arrow and Right Arrow keys

Plus Sign (+) and Minus Sign (-) keys

Expand or collapse selected items.

Ctrl and click an expansion control

Expand or collapse all the items at that level.

Ctrl+Shift and click an expansion control

Expand or collapse all the items at all levels.

Spacebar

Turn selected layers on or off.

Ctrl+Spacebar

Turn all layers on or off when a single layer is selected in the Contents pane.

If the selected layer is part of a group layer or a composite layer, all the members of that layer will be turned on or off. If multiple layers are selected, Ctrl+Spacebar works like Spacebar by itself and turns only the selected layers on or off.

Ctrl and click a check box

Turn all layers at that hierarchical level on or off.

Ctrl+Shift and click a check box

Turn all layers at all hierarchical levels on or off.

F2

Rename the selected item.

F12

Open the Properties dialog box for a selected item.

Ctrl and click or Shift and click

Select multiple layers in the Contents pane.

Alt and click a check box

Turn on the layer you clicked and turn off all other layers.

Alt and click a layer's name

Zoom to the extent of that layer.

Ctrl+T

Open the table of the layer or table selected in the Contents pane.