Multiple lidar projects can be managed by incorporating the digital terrain model (DTM) and digital surface model (DSM) surfaces into larger managed collections. Refer to Elevation best practices for details on this process.
When this stage is complete, if end users will need to access the point cloud files, you can also configure the mosaic dataset to share 3D point cloud files for user download.
A simple diagram is provided below, but you are not limited to processing one data collection (one lidar project) at a time. In the case of multiple lidar projects, the first three stages (Manage lidar collections with LAS datasets, Determine parameters to generate DTM and DSM, and Create derived rasters) would be repeated for each project; then all datasets can be integrated into the managed elevation collection in this stage.
Simplified configuration for organizations that do not have ArcGIS Image Extension for Server
The section above presumes that your organization has a need to share elevation data as dynamic image services and has access to ArcGIS Image Extension for Server.
However, if you do not have ArcGIS Image Extension for Server, you have the following two alternatives:
- You can create a tile cache and host it on ArcGIS Online as an elevation service (suitable as an elevation surface for visualization, but not for accessing pixel values).
- You can publish a cached visualization of the elevation data to ArcGIS Online that users can use to find and download the elevation data as follows:
- The elevation files can be processed to create a hillshade visualization of the terrain, and stored and shared on ArcGIS Online as a raster tile cache (Esri basemap format).
- The source elevation files (32-bit floating point data, TIFF format) can then be copied to a convenient location (for example, cloud storage or an FTP site available to your organization) to enable download of the data when required by your colleagues.
- A feature class representing the elevation tile boundaries and tile names can be published on ArcGIS Online, with a field containing the URL for download of each tile.
- The raster tile cache to be visualized on ArcGIS Online can be created as follows:
- Create a mosaic dataset containing all of the bare-earth DTM elevation tiles.
- Add a raster function to the mosaic dataset to render a grayscale hillshade. Load the mosaic dataset into the map to ensure that the rendering is correct.
- Add a custom field to the mosaic dataset attribute table named URL_to_Download, and populate this field with the unique URL for each tile in the online storage (for example, cloud storage or FTP site).
- Download Raster Tile Cache Tools to do the following:
- Generate the raster tile cache.
- Publish the raster tile cache on ArcGIS Online.
- Generate the feature class with tile boundaries and download URLs.
- Publish the feature class as a feature service on ArcGIS Online.
- Repeat the above for the first return DSM elevation tiles.