Batch Build Pyramids (Data Management)

Summary

Builds pyramids for multiple raster datasets.

Usage

• Building pyramids improves the display performance of raster datasets.

• Batch building of pyramids is useful when you have a large directory of raster datasets that do not have pyramids.

• Wavelet compressed raster datasets, such as ECW and MrSID, do not need to have pyramids built. These formats have internal pyramids that are created upon encoding.

• Pyramids will not be built for raster datasets that have less than 1,024 pixels in the row or column. Pyramids are not needed since the raster dataset is small enough, and building pyramids will not help increase the performance.

• You can choose the compression type for your overview pyramid file in the Raster Storage Environments. Compression will create a smaller .ovr file. The IMAGINE format and older versions of ArcGIS will create reduced-resolution dataset (.rrd) files, where compression is not available.

• The default pyramid compression will use the optimal compression type, given the type of data. You can manually choose to have LZ77, JPEG, or no compression.

Parameters

Dialog

Label	Explanation	Data Type
Input Raster Datasets	The raster datasets for which raster pyramids will be built. Each input should have more than 1,024 rows and 1,024 columns.	Raster Dataset
Pyramid levels (Optional)	The number of reduced-resolution dataset layers that will be built. The default value is -1, which will build full pyramids. A value of 0 will result in no pyramid levels.	Long
Skip first level (Optional)	Specifies whether the first pyramid level will be skipped. Skipping the first level will take up slightly less disk space but will slow down performance at these scales. Unchecked—The first pyramid level will not be skipped; it will be built. This is the default. Checked—The first pyramid level will be skipped; it will not be built.	Boolean
Pyramid resampling technique (Optional)	Specifies the resampling technique that will be used to build the pyramids. Nearest neighbor—The new value of a cell will be based on the closest cell when resampling. This is the default. Bilinear—The new value of a cell will be based on a weighted distance average of the four nearest input cell centers. Cubic—The new value of a cell will be determined by fitting a smooth curve through the 16 nearest input cell centers.	String
Pyramid compression type (Optional)	Specifies the compression type that will be used when building the pyramids. Default—If the source data is compressed using a wavelet compression, pyramids will be built with the JPEG compression type; otherwise, LZ77 will be used. This is the default. LZ77 Compression—The LZ77 compression algorithm will be used to build the pyramids. LZ77 can be used for any data type. JPEG—The JPEG compression algorithm will be used to build the pyramids. Only data that adheres to the JPEG compression specification can use this compression type. If JPEG is chosen, you can then set the compression quality. None—No compression will be used when building pyramids.	String
Compression quality (Optional)	The compression quality that will be used when pyramids are built with the JPEG compression type. The value must be between 0 and 100. The values closer to 100 will produce a higher-quality image, but the compression ratio will be lower.	Long
Skip Existing (Optional)	Specifies whether pyramids will be built only if they do not exist or built even if they exist. Unchecked—Pyramids will be built even if they already exist; existing pyramids will be overwritten. This is the default. Checked—Pyramids will only be built if they do not exist; existing pyramids will be skipped.	Boolean

Derived Output

Label	Explanation	Data Type
Batch Build Pyramids Succeeded	Returns whether the tool was successful.	Boolean

Python

arcpy.management.BatchBuildPyramids(Input_Raster_Datasets, {Pyramid_levels}, {Skip_first_level}, {Pyramid_resampling_technique}, {Pyramid_compression_type}, {Compression_quality}, {Skip_Existing})

Name	Explanation	Data Type
Input_Raster_Datasets [Input_Raster_Datasets,...]	The raster datasets for which raster pyramids will be built. Each input should have more than 1,024 rows and 1,024 columns.	Raster Dataset
Pyramid_levels (Optional)	The number of reduced-resolution dataset layers that will be built. The default value is -1, which will build full pyramids. A value of 0 will result in no pyramid levels.	Long
Skip_first_level (Optional)	Specifies whether the first pyramid level will be skipped. Skipping the first level will take up slightly less disk space but will slow down performance at these scales. NONE—The first pyramid level will not be skipped; it will be built. This is the default. SKIP_FIRST—The first pyramid level will be skipped; it will not be built.	Boolean
Pyramid_resampling_technique (Optional)	Specifies the resampling technique that will be used to build the pyramids. NEAREST—The new value of a cell will be based on the closest cell when resampling. This is the default. BILINEAR—The new value of a cell will be based on a weighted distance average of the four nearest input cell centers. CUBIC—The new value of a cell will be determined by fitting a smooth curve through the 16 nearest input cell centers.	String
Pyramid_compression_type (Optional)	Specifies the compression type that will be used when building the pyramids. DEFAULT—If the source data is compressed using a wavelet compression, pyramids will be built with the JPEG compression type; otherwise, LZ77 will be used. This is the default. LZ77—The LZ77 compression algorithm will be used to build the pyramids. LZ77 can be used for any data type. JPEG—The JPEG compression algorithm will be used to build the pyramids. Only data that adheres to the JPEG compression specification can use this compression type. If JPEG is chosen, you can then set the compression quality. NONE—No compression will be used when building pyramids.	String
Compression_quality (Optional)	The compression quality that will be used when pyramids are built with the JPEG compression type. The value must be between 0 and 100. The values closer to 100 will produce a higher-quality image, but the compression ratio will be lower.	Long
Skip_Existing (Optional)	Specifies whether pyramids will be built only if they do not exist or built even if they exist. OVERWRITE—Pyramids will be built even if they already exist; existing pyramids will be overwritten. This is the default. SKIP_EXISTING—Pyramids will only be built if they do not exist; existing pyramids will be skipped.	Boolean

Derived Output

Name	Explanation	Data Type
Batch_Build_Pyramids_Succeeded	Returns whether the tool was successful.	Boolean

Code sample

BatchBuildPyramids example 1 (Python window)

This is a Python sample for the BatchBuildPyramids function.

import arcpy
arcpy.BatchBuildPyramids_management(
     "C:/data/img1.tif;C:/data/img2.img", "6", "SKIP_FIRST",
      "BILINEAR", "JPEG", "50", "SKIP_EXISTING")

BatchBuildPyramids example 2 (stand-alone script)

This is a Python script sample for the BatchBuildPyramids function.

#Build Pyramids for multiple raster datasets in the workspace
#Skip the dataset that already has pyramid
#Build pyramids with compression and level setting

import arcpy
arcpy.env.workspace = "C:/Workspace"

    
inras = "image1.tif;image2.img;fgdb.gdb/image3"
pylevels = "6"
skipfirst = "SKIP_FIRST"
resample = "BILINEAR"
compress = "JPEG"
quality = "80"
skipexist = "SKIP_EXISTING"

arcpy.BatchBuildPyramids_management(
     inras, pylevels, skipfirst, resample, compress,
     quality, skipexist)

Environments

Current Workspace, Pyramid, Scratch Workspace

Special cases

Pyramid

The pyramid level, pyramid compression, and resampling method does not apply to the IMG format.

Licensing information

• Basic: Yes
• Standard: Yes
• Advanced: Yes