Importing raster datasets
Release 9.2 Last modified September 22, 2008	Print all topics in : "Building and managing a raster database"

About importing raster datasets

Whether you create a new geodatabase or are working with an existing one, you will most likely need to import (load) some data. Importing data allows you to take existing data and make it available for use within a geodatabase.
You can import rasters into a raster dataset or to a raster catalog. Importing rasters to a raster dataset will add the raster dataset to an empty raster dataset or mosaic it with a raster dataset that is already present. Importing a raster dataset into a raster catalog will add the raster dataset to the raster catalog as a new raster catalog item, or you can choose to mosaic it into an existing raster catalog item.
Raster data can be imported into a geodatabase in several ways: Import raster datasets (geodatabase context menu), Copy Raster tool (geoprocessing tools), or Load Data (ArcCatalog dataset context menu).

How to import raster datasets

Loading a raster dataset into an empty geodatabase raster dataset

1. In ArcCatalog, right-click the empty geodatabase raster dataset, point to Load, then click Load Data.
   
2. Click the Input Rasters Browse button and navigate to the location of the Input raster dataset you want to load and select it. You can add more than one.
   
3. Make sure that the Target Raster (output location) is correct. If not, click the Browse button and navigate to the proper location.
   
4. Click the Mosaic Method drop-down arrow and choose the rule for overlapping areas if you are loading more than one raster dataset (mosaicking).
   
5. Click the Mosaic Colormap Mode drop-down arrow and choose the rule for dealing with color maps if you are loading raster datasets that have colormaps.
   
6. Optionally, type a number for Ignore Background Value to set a background value to ignore.
   
7. Optionally, type a number for NoData Value to set a NoData value.
   
8. Optionally, check the Convert 1 bit data to 8 bit check box.
   
9. Optionally, set the Mosaicking Tolerance.
   
10. Click OK.
    

Tips

To create an empty raster dataset in a geodatabase, see Creating raster datasets in a geodatabase. Make sure that the raster data loading options have been set to the proper setting before you load any data. You can find these settings in the Raster Storage Settings section in the Environment Settings. The mosaicking tolerance controls whether or not resampling of the pixels takes place. If the difference in pixel alignment of the incoming dataset and the target dataset is less than the tolerance, no resampling is performed (instead, a shift is performed). The unit of tolerance is pixels, which have valid values between 0 and 1. To learn more about the mosaicking tolerance, see the Mosaic tool. After loading your data into an ArcSDE geodatabase, be sure to analyze your raster dataset or raster catalog. This will allow the geodatabase to perform at its optimal level, increasing display speeds dramatically. Raster loading that is performed in an ArcSDE geodatabase requires an ArcEditor or ArcInfo license.

Importing a raster dataset into a geodatabase

1. In ArcCatalog, right-click the geodatabase, point to Import, then click Raster Datasets.
   
2. Click the Input Rasters Browse button to navigate to the raster datasets you want to import.
   
3. Highlight the raster dataset you want to import and click Add.
   
You can use the Shift or Ctrl keys to select more than one raster dataset.

4. Click the Output Geodatabase Browse button to set the output geodatabase if it has not already been specified.
   
5. Optionally, type a configuration keyword.
   
6. Click OK.
   

Tips

This method will create individual raster datasets in the geodatabase using the default parameters. To set different parameters, click the Environments button and edit the Raster Storage Settings. To import multiple raster datasets into a geodatabase as a mosaic, right-click the geodatabase, point to Import, then click Raster Datasets (mosaic). Importing raster data into an ArcSDE geodatabase requires an ArcEditor or ArcInfo license.

Loading raster data into a raster catalog

1. In ArcCatalog, right-click the raster catalog, point to Load, then click Load Data.
   
2. Right-click the Input Rasters Browse button and navigate to the location from which you want to load the raster datasets.
   
3. Use the Shift or Ctrl keys to select more than one raster dataset and click Add.
   
4. Make sure that the output raster catalog is correct. If not, click the Browse button and navigate to the proper raster catalog.
   
5. Optionally (for file geodatabase or ArcSDE geodatabase), choose a configuration keyword.
   
6. Click OK.
   

Tips

You cannot build pyramids on a raster catalog; however, you can build pyramids for each raster dataset within a raster catalog. Loading raster data into an ArcSDE geodatabase requires an ArcEditor or ArcInfo license. Building pyramids for Oracle GeoRaster raster datasets must be performed as a separate step following the loading of the raster.

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