Create a mosaic dataset from aerial imagery for stereo mapping

Available with Standard or Advanced license.

If you want to use your aerial imagery for stereo mapping, you need to create a mosaic dataset to manage your aerial data. Your aerial data may have been previously adjusted by another software package, or it may not be block adjusted yet. If your aerial image data has not been block adjusted, you can use the Ortho Mapping workflow, which will create and prepare a block adjusted mosaic dataset.

This workflow is for aerial imagery that has already been block adjusted. The imagery data vendor should have provided exterior orientation (EO) data and camera information in either .csv or .txt files, which you will use to create your Frames and Cameras tables. You can use the Build Frames and Cameras Tables tool to generate the formatted tables from your EO data and camera information.

Prepare and create your mosaic dataset

The first step is to create your Frames and Cameras tables. If you choose to use the Build Frames and Cameras Tables tool, skip Steps 1 and 2.

1. Prepare the Frames table. For more information, see Frames table schema.
   1. Create a .csv file with the information from the EO metadata file provided. The required fields for the Frames table are OBJECTID, CAMERAID, RASTER, PERSPECTIVEX, PERSPECTIVEY, PERSPECTIVEZ, and either the Matrix field or the OMEGA, PHI, and KAPPA fields.
   2. Populate each row of the table with the appropriate information. Each record, or row, in the table represents each image you are adding to the mosaic dataset.
2. Prepare the Cameras table. For more information, see Cameras table schema.
   1. Create a .csv file with the data from your camera file. There are 11 required fields for the Cameras table: OBJECTID, CAMERAID, FOCALLENGTH, PRINCIPALX, PRINCIPALY, A0, A1, A2, B0, B1, and B2.
   2. Populate each row of the table with the appropriate information. Each record in the table represents each camera used for your imagery.
3. Use the Create Mosaic Dataset tool to create a new mosaic dataset.
   1. Specify the geodatabase location for your mosaic dataset.
   2. Name your mosaic dataset.
   3. Define the x,y coordinate system for your data.
   4. Set the z coordinate system to match the spatial reference of the data's PerspectiveX, PerspectiveY, and PerspectiveZ fields.
   5. Click OK to run the tool.
4. Use the Add Rasters To Mosaic Dataset tool to add data to your mosaic.
   1. Select the mosaic dataset you created in Step 3.
   2. Choose the Frame Camera raster type and select a Processing Template.
   3. Click the Browse button and navigate to the location of your Frames table for the Input Data.
   4. Click the Properties button next to Raster Type to open the Raster Type Properties window. Select the Frame Camera option from the left menu.
   5. Click the Browse button and navigate to the location of your Cameras table for the Input cameras table.
   6. Select the Processing menu and expand the Orthorectification category.
   7. Choose Average Elevation from DEM for the Elevation Source.
   8. Browse to the DEM for your area of interest and select it. Click OK to close the Raster Type Properties window.
5. Optionally build pyramids using the bilinear resampling option.
   1. Expand the Raster Processing category.
   2. Check the Build Raster Pyramids check box.
   3. Click the Environments tab, and choose either BILINEAR or CUBIC for the Resampling technique parameter.
   4. Click the Parameters tab to return to the tool.
6. Click Run to execute the tool.
7. Use the Build Stereo Model tool so that your mosaic dataset supports the stereo functionality.

Summary

Now you have a mosaic dataset containing your aerial imagery that is ready to use in your stereo mapping project.