Many organizations have large, growing libraries of imagery and raster data. These libraries include source imagery and metadata from multiple sensor platforms and vendors, as well as diverse collections of imagery-derived products. Despite the many potential applications, this imagery may be poorly managed, making it difficult to locate, access, query, and share.
A mosaic dataset in ArcGIS Pro (or ArcMap) is one way to manage imagery in ArcGIS. A mosaic dataset is a type of catalog that references the source data, maintains relevant metadata, and defines the processing to be applied to the rasters. Mosaic datasets ensure that imagery or raster collections can be displayed, queried, analyzed, and shared.
A mosaic dataset provides dynamic mosaicking and on-the-fly processing to generate products. You can use it to manage mosaicking rules, seamlines, raster type, and processing parameters. For supported file formats, the raster type is designed to display an image properly and set up processing parameters with minimal user input. Processing parameters, whether defined manually or by raster type, are specified using raster function templates (RFTs), which apply an in-memory processing workflow for fast, dynamic visualization and analysis.
A mosaic dataset is optimized for sharing an imagery collection. When used as an image service, it makes the imagery, metadata, and RFTs accessible to desktop, web, and mobile applications. Alternatively, a mosaic dataset can be cached as tile cache and shared as a static basemap.
Explore the following resources to get started using mosaic datasets to manage your imagery and rasters. (Not sure where to start? Look for the star by Esri's most helpful resources.)
Note:
To view mosaic datasets or create tile cache, you need ArcGIS Desktop Basic. To create and edit mosaic datasets, you need ArcGIS Desktop Standard or Desktop Advanced. To use mosaic datasets as dynamic image services, you need ArcGIS Enterprise with ArcGIS Image Server. To host raster tile cache, you can use ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Server.Imagery Workflows resources
Review the community-supported tools and best practices for working with and automating imagery and remote sensing workflows:
- Explore a gallery of downloadable scripts and tools for managing imagery.
- Read about the best practices for creating mosaic datasets.
- Read about the best practices for structuring and formatting imagery and rasters.
ArcGIS help
Review the following links on reference materials for ArcGIS products:
- Read general information about mosaic datasets.
- Learn how to create a mosaic dataset.
- Learn about using the Mosaic Dataset toolset in ArcGIS Pro to create and manage mosaic datasets.
- Learn about how raster types support a wide range of sensors.
- Learn how to use raster function templates to define mosaic dataset processing parameters.
- Read general information about image services.
- Read an overview of the tile cache toolset.
- Learn how to share imagery as an ArcGIS Online tiled map service.
ArcGIS blogs, articles, story maps, and technical papers
Review the following supplemental guidance about concepts, software functionality, and workflows:
- Learn how to georeference items in a mosaic dataset.
Videos
Review the following Esri-produced videos that clarify and demonstrate concepts, software functionality, and workflows:
- Watch a technical workshop on managing imagery using mosaic datasets and image services. (1 hour)*
- Learn how to create a source mosaic dataset from a collection of tiled MrSID files. (12 minutes)
- Learn how to create a derived mosaic dataset to manage multiple imagery collections together. (12 minutes)
Training and tutorials
Review the following guided lessons and tutorials based on real-world problems and key ArcGIS skills:
- Watch Managing Raster Data Using ArcGIS (2-hour web course) to learn how to use mosaic datasets to enable data storage and fast visual performance.
Developer resources
Review the following resources and support for automating and customizing workflows:
Visit the MDCS GitHub repository to download a Python script to help automate the creation and configuration of mosaic datasets.
Esri Community
Online places for the Esri community to connect, collaborate, and share experiences:
- Visit the Esri Imagery and Remote Sensing community to connect, collaborate, and share experiences regarding mosaic datasets.