Available for an ArcGIS organization licensed with the Indoors extension.
You can import panoramic and 360-degree images from an .e57 file to an oriented imagery dataset using the Import Indoor Images tool. You can include floor-aware oriented imagery layers in your floor-aware maps to support visualization and navigation of indoor spaces in Indoor Viewer and Indoors Mobile apps.
The .e57 file format is a common interchange format for data captured by 3D imaging systems such as laser scanners. These systems often include cameras capable of capturing panoramic or 360-degree photos. Vendors of these systems typically provide software to register, georeference, and export 3D data and photos to an .e57 file. An .e57 file can also contain spatial information about each photo, such as location and orientation.
The oriented imagery dataset can be used for spatially oriented optical imagery. Oriented imagery uses camera location and orientation information to display directionally accurate panoramic and 360-degree photos. This ensures that a north-facing view in the map is associated with a north-facing view in the image. Map Viewer and other viewers with the oriented imagery capability can display 360-degree images stored in an oriented imagery dataset.
Prepare E57 data before import
Before importing images to an oriented imagery dataset, you must complete the following prerequisites to prepare your E57 data for import:
- Georeference the E57 data in the vendor software. E57 data must be georeferenced to align correctly with features in the Indoors workspace.
Note whether the reference for vertical coordinates in the E57 data is relative to sea level or ground level, in case an elevation adjustment needs to be applied later.
- Ensure that the export options in the vendor software are set to include 360-degree and panoramic images as JPEGs, in spherical or equirectangular projection.
PNGs, and images in projections other than spherical (such as pinhole, cubemap, or pyramid), are not currently supported by the Import Indoor Images tool.
Import images to an oriented imagery dataset
To import images to an oriented imagery dataset for use in ArcGIS Indoors, complete the following steps:
- Start ArcGIS Pro.
- Sign in to your ArcGIS organization if necessary.
- Create a project and add a connection to the Indoors geodatabase or open an existing project that contains the Indoors geodatabase.
- If necessary, create a z-enabled oriented imagery dataset using the Create Oriented Imagery Dataset tool.
Note:
The oriented imagery dataset must be created in a file or an enterprise geodatabase and must be in the same coordinate system as the Indoors dataset for photos to align accurately.
- On the Analysis tab, click the Tools button
.The Geoprocessing pane appears.
- In the Geoprocessing pane, click the Toolboxes tab.
- Expand Indoors Tools and click Import Indoor Images.
The Import Indoor Images tool opens in the Geoprocessing pane.
- For the Input Data parameter, choose the input .e57 file that contains the 360-degree or panoramic imagery to be imported.
- Optionally, for the Input Coordinate System parameter, provide the horizontal and vertical coordinate systems of the E57 data.
This parameter can be left empty if the E57 data is in the same coordinate system as the Indoors dataset or if the coordinate system of the E57 data is unknown.
- For the Input Level Features parameter, choose the Levels layer from the Indoors workspace.
The tool populates the LEVEL_ID value for extracted images based on the location of the image points compared to the input level features.
Tip:
To only import images for specific levels, select those Levels features before running the tool.
If you run the tool with an active Levels selection, the following will be imported:
- Images that overlap the selected levels both horizontally and vertically.
- Images that don't horizontally overlap any facility footprints.
- Images that horizontally overlap the selected levels that are vertically positioned more than 15 meters above the highest level of the facility.
- Images that horizontally overlap the selected levels that are vertically positioned more than 15 meters below the lowest level of the facility.
- For the Target Image Folder parameter, choose the destination folder to which photos will be extracted from the .e57 file.
Folders on local and network drives are supported.
- For the Target Oriented Imagery parameter, choose the target oriented imagery dataset that will be populated with photo features.
The target oriented imagery dataset must be z-enabled. If the target oriented imagery layer is shared as a web layer, it must also have attachments enabled.
- Optionally, for the Elevation Adjustment parameter, provide a value to adjust the vertical alignment of photos with respect to Levels features.
An elevation adjustment may be necessary if the z-value of the photos in the .e57 file is defined differently than the z-value of the Levels features in the Indoors workspace. For example, the E57 data may define elevation based on distance from sea level, while the Indoors workspace may define elevation based on distance from the ground. Ensuring vertical overlap between images in the E57 data and Levels in the Indoors workspace is important to ensure LEVEL_ID field values are accurately populated.
- Optionally, for the Horizontal Field Of View and Vertical Field Of View parameters, provide values indicating the visible scope of the photos, in degrees.
Field of view values establish the extent of the image footprint to determine if an image will be displayed when its location is clicked on the map.
- Click Run.
The tool creates point features in the oriented imagery dataset that contain file path information for where the images are stored in the target image folder.
Note:
If you choose an oriented imagery layer shared as a hosted feature service, the Import Indoor Images tool will import photos as feature attachments and store them in the target image folder.
- Set the floor field in the layer properties for the oriented imagery dataset to configure it as floor-aware.
The images in the oriented imagery dataset are ready for inspection and can be shared as a service if necessary and used in floor-aware maps.
Inspect the output
Inspect the features that were created by the Import Indoor Images tool. The following steps describe how to inspect the features in ArcGIS Pro.
- Use the floor filter to inspect the data on each floor and verify that the oriented imagery dataset contains the expected data.
If you encounter any of the following issues, refer to the solutions provided in the table below to troubleshoot the data.
Issue Solution Oriented imagery features are not positioned correctly.
Horizontal misalignment can occur when the input E57 data and the Indoors workspace coordinate systems don't match. If the input E57 data has a different coordinate system than the indoor dataset, provide a value for the Input Coordinate System parameter to reproject the data. Contact the vendor to troubleshoot georeferencing issues with E57 data.
Vertical misalignment can occur when an elevation adjustment is needed. To ensure accurate alignment, set the Import Indoor Images tool's Elevation Adjustment parameter, under Advanced Options.
Some oriented imagery features contain a null LEVEL_ID value.
Images that are located outdoors are assigned a null LEVEL_ID value in the oriented imagery dataset. An image is considered outdoors when it is not horizontally contained within the facility footprint or when it is horizontally contained within the facility footprint but is vertically positioned more than 15 meters above the top level of the facility or below the bottom level of the facility.
If indoor images are not assigned a LEVEL_ID field value, there may be a horizontal or vertical misalignment between the features in the .e57 file and the Levels features in the Indoors workspace. If this occurs, you can inspect the difference in z-values between the imported image features and Levels features and rerun the tool with a corresponding elevation adjustment.
CameraHeading values are not accurate.
Different vendors may use different approaches to encode camera heading information in E57 data. Contact the vendor to troubleshoot camera heading issues with E57 data.
Optionally, you can populate the NearDistance and FarDistance field values for indoor features. These attribute values help define an oriented image's footprint, which is used to determine whether to show an image when a location is clicked on the map.
Share floor-aware oriented imagery as a service
You can use the Generate Service From Oriented Imagery Dataset tool to publish a hosted feature service from an oriented imagery dataset and add the extracted photos as feature attachments. You can then add the oriented imagery feature layer to a floor-aware map and visualize your 360-degree and panoramic images in Map Viewer.
To create a hosted oriented imagery layer and share it in a floor-aware web map, complete the following steps:
- Start ArcGIS Pro.
- Sign in to your ArcGIS organization if necessary.
- Add the oriented imagery dataset to a new or existing map.
- On the Analysis tab, click the Tools button .
The Geoprocessing pane appears.
- In the Geoprocessing pane, click the Toolboxes tab.
- Expand Oriented Imagery Tools > Manage and click Generate Service From Oriented Imagery Dataset.
The Generate Service From Oriented Imagery Dataset tool opens in the Geoprocessing pane.
- Check the Add images as attachments check box to attach the extracted E57 photos to their corresponding point features in the hosted feature layer.
- Configure the remaining tool parameters as necessary.
Note:
A footprint layer is not required.
- Click Run.
The oriented imagery data is published as a hosted feature layer with photo attachments as a feature service to the active portal.
- Add the published oriented imagery layer to an existing floor-aware web map from the Portal tab of the Catalog pane, or to a new floor-aware map.
- Configure the oriented imagery layer as floor-aware.
- Save the map if using an existing web map, or share the new map to your organization.
You can open the web map in Map Viewer and view 360-degree images using the oriented imagery viewer. You can also use the web map to create apps that support oriented imagery.