Multidimensional analysis in ArcGIS Pro

Available with Image Analyst license.

Available with Spatial Analyst license.

With ArcGIS Image Analyst or Spatial Analyst, you can perform complex analysis on multidimensional raster data to explore scientific trends and anomalies.

Multidimensional data represents geospatial data captured at multiple times and multiple depths or heights. These data types are commonly used in atmospheric, oceanographic, and earth sciences. Multidimensional raster data can be captured by satellite observations in which data is collected at certain time intervals or generated from numerical models in which data is aggregated, interpolated, or simulated from other data sources.

For more information about multidimensional data, see An overview of multidimensional raster data.

Note:

Multidimensional analytical tools are available with the Spatial Analyst extension. For more information, see An overview of the Multidimensional Analysis tools in Spatial Analyst. Additional multidimensional tools are available in the Multidimension toolbox.

Multidimensional tab

The Multidimensional tab, enabled for a multidimensional raster layer or a multidimensional mosaic layer, provides tools and functionality to work with multidimensional raster data. Select your multidimensional raster layer or multidimensional mosaic dataset in the Contents pane to enable the Multidimensional tab.

Multidimensional tab

For information on the capabilities available on the tab, see the Multidimensional tab.

Note:

Not all functionality on the tab requires the Image Analyst or Spatial Analyst extension. Tools in the Multidimension toolbox do not require an additional extension license.

Multidimensional analysis geoprocessing tools and raster functions

A suite of multidimensional geoprocessing tools is available in the Multidimensional Analysis toolset, available with Spatial Analyst. You can aggregate your data cube, and find anomalies by performing analysis across dimensions and for multiple variables.

In addition to analysis, the tools included in the Multidimension toolbox allow you to manage your multidimensional data, and they do not require an ArcGIS Image Analyst or Spatial Analyst license.

Many of these tools are also available as raster functions. See the Data Management section in List of raster functions to learn more.

Automation using ArcPy

You can perform automated multidimensional data management and analysis using the extended Raster object and the Spatial Analyst module in ArcPy.

The Raster object supports multidimensional raster data, and many properties and functions provide management and analysis capabilities for multidimensional data. Because the Raster object is temporary, you can perform on-the-fly analysis, avoid intermediate data creation and storage, and save your results when the analysis is complete.

The Spatial Analyst module (arcpy.sa) is an extension of the ArcPy Python site package, and it provides access to functions, classes, and operators that support multidimensional analysis and other advanced raster analysis. In addition to on-the-fly analysis, you can run multidimensional analysis geoprocessing functions with the Spatial Analyst module to generate new datasets in a Python script.

Multidimensional Map Algebra

Map Algebra allows you to execute operators and functions on raster data. It is integrated with Python and can be used to perform mathematical operations with the Raster object.

It is important to understand the rules for combining multidimensional raster data using Map Algebra. For information on the multidimensional map algebra rules, see Working with operators.

Publishing multidimensional raster data

You can publish multidimensional mosaic datasets and multidimensional Cloud Raster Format (CRF) datasets as image services to be shared and analyzed in a web environment. For information about configuring and sharing multidimensional image services from ArcGIS Pro, see Share multidimensional raster data. For information on publishing multidimensional CRF data as a hosted imagery layer in ArcGIS Online, see Publish hosted imagery layers.

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