ArcMap

Creating a multidimensional mosaic dataset from a set of time series images

This workflow demonstrates how to take an imagery from a time series set and turn it into a multidimensional mosaic dataset.

Multidimensional mosaic dataset requirements

A multidimensional mosaic dataset must contain three fields:

  • A string field with name of Variable.
  • A string field with name of Dimensions, which stores the comma-separated dimension names.
  • One or more fields that define the dimensions.

If your mosaic dataset has those three prerequisites, you can make a multidimensional mosaic dataset from a set of time series images.

Add the three fields, populate the values, then synchronize the mosaic dataset with the aggregating information option. For example, a set of TIFF images with the following file names WinterTemperature_2001_12.tif; WinterTemperature_2002_12.tif; WinterTemperature_2013_12.tif. You can deduce the variable and dimension information from the file names, as these will be the values in the mosaic dataset's Name field.

  1. Create a mosaic dataset.
  2. Add data using the Raster Dataset raster type.
  3. In the Catalog window, right-click the mosaic dataset, and click Properties.
  4. In the Mosaic Dataset Properties page, click the Field tab.
  5. Add a field named Variable with a type of text and a size of 20.
  6. Add a field named Dimensions with a type of text and a size of 10.
  7. Add a field named StdTime with a type of date.
  8. Click OK to save the properties.
  9. Add the mosaic dataset to ArcMap.
  10. In the TOC, right-click the Footprint sublayer, and click Open Attribute Table.
  11. Calculate the Variable field with the following Python syntax: Variable = !Name![0:17].
  12. Calculate the Dimension field with the string value Dimensions = “StdTime”.
  13. Calculate the StdTime field with the Python syntax StdTime = getDate( !Name!), where the function getDate is defined in the code block as:

    def getDate(name):

    year = name[18:22]

    month = name[23:25]

    return time.strftime("/".join(["1", month, year]))

  14. Run the Synchronize Mosaic Dataset tool, enabling the Refresh Aggregate Information option.

In the Mosaic Dataset Property Page, the multidimensional information will be in the Multidimensional tab.

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