Available with Advanced license.
ArcGIS includes tools and a wizard for creating products from historical scanned film imagery using photogrammetric processing. This topic focuses on using the ortho mapping capability in ArcGIS Pro Advanced.
Many organizations have archives of historical film that could be a valuable addition to their GIS, assuming they can be scanned and accurately placed on a map. Historical scanned film images can also be processed to create a variety of 2D digital products, including orthomosaics, digital surface models (DSMs), digital terrain models (DTMs), or stereo models comprised of one or more stereo image pairs. These data products can then be used for visualization or analysis, and can be shared with colleagues or the public. However, photogrammetric processing can require expertise to follow the workflow, and creating end products with a high degree of accuracy can be difficult.
To make photogrammetric processing more user-friendly, the ortho mapping capability in ArcGIS Pro includes a workflow-focused wizard for creating products from scanned film images. If a camera calibration report is available, the resulting data products may achieve a relatively high accuracy (on the order of a few pixels). You can use ground control points to ensure best horizontal and vertical accuracy, and use independent check points to measure the final accuracy. The images are managed using a mosaic dataset, which can be used directly to access images that are orthorectified on the fly, or to view images as stereo pairs using the ArcGIS Image Analyst extension. An orthomosaic, DSM, or DTM can be created as output data products for use in ArcGIS, and all of these products can be published as web-accessible services through ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Image Server.
Explore the following resources to learn more about using ortho mapping in ArcGIS Pro to generate 2D products from historical imagery. (Not sure where to start? Look for the star by Esri's most helpful resources.)
Note:
To use this workflow, you'll need ArcGIS Pro Advanced. You can publish data products to ArcGIS Online or your ArcGIS Enterprise portal. Viewing image pairs in stereo requires ArcGIS Image Analyst.
Imagery Workflows resources
Review the community-supported tools and best practices for working with and automating imagery and remote sensing workflows:
- Review best practices for processing scanned aerial imagery using ortho mapping, including scanning and preparing Frames and Cameras tables.*
- Try a hands-on ortho mapping tutorial for processing scanned aerial imagery using sample data.*
ArcGIS help
Review the following links on reference materials for ArcGIS products::
- Read an overview of the ortho mapping workflow in ArcGIS Pro.
- Learn how to set up a workspace for scanned aerial imagery in ArcGIS Pro.
- Learn about adjustment options for ortho mapping scanned aerial imagery.
- Learn about refining interior orientation using fiducials.
- Once the ortho mapping workflow is complete, you can use the adjusted mosaic dataset for stereo mapping in ArcGIS Pro.
ArcGIS blogs, articles, story maps, and technical papers
Review the following supplemental guidance about concepts, software functionality, and workflows:
- Read a series of introductory blog articles about ortho mapping, including Getting Organized with a Workspace, Getting Adjusted, and Getting Results.
Developer resources
Review the following resources and support for automating and customizing workflows:
- Review a guide on automating ortho mapping workflows and learn about using the arcgis.raster.orthomapping module in ArcGIS API for Python.
- Use ArcGIS REST API calls to control ortho mapping on a suitably configured server using remote web calls (use the Compute Sensor Model operation to perform block adjustment).
Esri Community
Use the online imagery community to connect, collaborate, and share experiences:
- Visit the Esri Imagery and Remote Sensing community to connect and share experiences regarding creating scanned aerial imagery products using ortho mapping.