An overview of the Raster toolset

The Raster toolset in the Data Management toolbox provides tools to perform raster data management and raster processing. These tools allow you to work with raster dataset properties and create and process raster data.

The following table lists the available toolsets in the Raster toolset and provides a brief description of each.

List of Raster Data Management toolsets

Toolset	Description
Mosaic Dataset	Allows you to create and edit mosaic datasets.
Ortho Mapping	Allows you to to create orthorectified image mosaic from remote sensing images.
Raster Dataset	Allows you to create and mosaic raster datasets.
Raster Processing	Allows you to perform tasks to get your raster data ready for use.
Raster Properties	Provides tools to create, view, or edit the raster dataset properties.

An overview of the Mosaic Dataset toolset

The following table summarizes the tools in the Mosaic Dataset toolset. The mosaic dataset is the recommended data model for managing, analyzing, and displaying a collection or rasters.

List of tools in the Mosaic Dataset toolset

Tool	Description
Add Rasters To Mosaic Dataset	Adds raster datasets to a mosaic dataset from many sources, including a file, folder, table, or web service.
Alter Mosaic Dataset Schema	Defines which editing operations nonowners have when editing a mosaic dataset in an enterprise geodatabase.
Analyze Mosaic Dataset	Performs checks on a mosaic dataset for errors and possible improvements.
Build Boundary	Updates the extent of the boundary when adding new raster datasets to a mosaic dataset that extend beyond its previous coverage.
Build Footprints	Computes the extent of every raster in a mosaic dataset. This tool is used when you have added or removed raster datasets from a mosaic dataset and want to recompute the footprints.
Build Mosaic Dataset Item Cache	Inserts the Cached Raster function as the final step in all function chains within a mosaic dataset.
Build Overviews	Defines and generates overviews on a mosaic dataset.
Build Seamlines	Generate or update seamlines for your mosaic dataset. Seamlines are used to sort overlapping imagery and produce a smoother-looking mosaic.
Calculate Cell Size Ranges	Computes the visibility levels of raster datasets in a mosaic dataset based on the spatial resolution.
Color Balance Mosaic Dataset	Makes transitions from one image to an adjoining image appear seamless.
Compute Dirty Area	Identifies areas within a mosaic dataset that have changed since a specified point in time. This is used commonly when a mosaic dataset is updated or synchronized, or when derived products, such as cache, need to be updated. This tool will enable you to limit such processes to only the areas that have changed.
Compute Mosaic Candidates	Finds the image candidates within in the mosaic dataset that best represents the mosaic area.
Create Mosaic Dataset	Creates an empty mosaic dataset in a geodatabase.
Create Referenced Mosaic Dataset	Creates a new mosaic dataset from an existing raster catalog, a selection set from a raster catalog, or a mosaic dataset.
Define Mosaic Dataset NoData	Specifies one or more values to be represented as NoData.
Define Overviews	Lets you set how mosaic dataset overviews are generated. The settings you make with this tool are used by the Build Overviews tool.
Delete Mosaic Dataset	Deletes a mosaic dataset, its overviews, and its item cache from disk.
Edit Raster Function	Adds, replaces, or removes a function chain in a mosaic dataset or a raster layer that contains a raster function.
Export Mosaic Dataset Geometry	Creates a feature class showing the footprints, boundary, seamlines or spatial resolutions of a mosaic dataset.
Export Mosaic Dataset Items	Saves a copy of processed images within a mosaic dataset to a specified folder and raster file format.
Export Mosaic Dataset Paths	Creates a table of the file path for each item in a mosaic dataset. You can specify whether the table contains all the file paths or just the ones that are broken.
Generate Block Adjustment Report	Generates a report after performing ortho mapping block adjustment to the mosaic dataset. The report is critical in evaluating the quality and accuracy of the ortho mapping products.
Generate Exclude Area	Masks pixels based on their color or by clipping a range of values. The output of this tool is used as an input to the Color Balance Mosaic Dataset tool to eliminate areas such as clouds and water that can skew the statistics used to color balance multiple images.
Generate Raster Collection	Performs batch analysis or processing on image collections contained in a mosaic dataset. The images in the input mosaic dataset can be processed individually or as groups.
Import Mosaic Dataset Geometry	Modifies the geometry for the footprints, boundary, or seamlines in a mosaic dataset to match those in a feature class.
Match Control Points	Creates matching tie points for a given ground control point and initial tie point in one of the overlapping image.
Merge Mosaic Dataset Items	Groups multiple items in a mosaic dataset together as one item.
Remove Rasters From Mosaic Dataset	Removes selected raster datasets from a mosaic dataset.
Repair Mosaic Dataset Paths	Resets paths to source imagery if you have moved or copied a mosaic dataset.
Set Mosaic Dataset Properties	Defines the defaults for displaying a mosaic dataset and serving it as an image service.
Split Mosaic Dataset Items	Splits mosaic dataset items that were merged together using Merge Mosaic Dataset Items.
Synchronize Mosaic Dataset	Keeps your mosaic dataset up to date. In addition to syncing data, you can update overviews if the underlying imagery has been changed, generate new overviews and cache, and restore the original configuration of mosaic dataset items. You can also remove paths to source data with this tool. To repair paths, you need to use the Repair Mosaic Dataset Paths tool.

An overview of the Ortho Mapping toolset

The Ortho Mapping toolset includes tools that allow you to create an orthorectified image mosaic from remote sensing images ranging from satellite images described by the RPC (Rational Polynomial Coefficients) model and aerial images, including UAV or UAS images.

The following table lists the tools available in the Ortho Mapping toolset and provides a brief description of each.

For more information, see Ortho Mapping overview.

List of tools in the Ortho Mapping toolset

Tool	Description
Analyze Control Points	Analyzes the control point coverage and identifies the areas that need additional control points to improve the block adjust result.
Append Control Points	Combines control points to an existing control point table.
Apply Block Adjustment	Applies the geographic adjustments to the mosaic dataset items. This tool uses the solution file from the Compute Block Adjustments tool.
Build Stereo Model	Builds a stereo model of a mosaic dataset based on a user-provided stereo pair.
Compute Block Adjustment	This tool is used to compute the adjustments to the mosaic dataset. This tool will create a solution table that can be used to apply the actual adjustments.
Compute Camera Model	Estimates the exterior camera model and interior camera model from the EXIF header of the raw image and refines the camera models. The model is then applied to the mosaic dataset with an option to use a tool-generated, high-resolution digital surface model (DSM) to achieve better orthorectification.
Compute Control Points	Computes the control points between the mosaic dataset and the reference image. The control points can then be used in conjunction with tie points to compute the adjustments for the mosaic dataset.
Compute Fiducials	Computes the fiducial coordinates in image and film space for each image in a mosaic dataset.
Compute Tie Points	Computes the tie points between overlapped mosaic dataset items. The tie points can then be used to compute the adjustments for the mosaic dataset.
Generate Point Cloud	Computes 3D points from stereo pairs and outputs a point cloud as a set of LAS files.
Interpolate From Point Cloud	Interpolates a digital terrain model (DSM) or a digital surface model (DSM) from a point cloud, using one of the provided interpolation methods.
Update Interior Orientation	Refines the interior orientation for each image in the mosaic dataset by constructing an affine transformation from a fiducial table.

An overview of the Raster Catalog toolset

A raster catalog is a collection of raster datasets. It is organized into rows; each row contains a raster dataset, which is called a raster catalog item. The Raster Catalog toolset allows you to copy, create, edit, and delete raster catalogs and their items.

The following table lists the tools available in the Raster Catalog toolset and provides a brief description of each. The output for all these tools is a raster catalog.

List of tools in the Raster Catalog toolset

Tool	Description
Copy Raster Catalog Items	Makes a copy of a raster catalog, including all of its contents, or a subset of its contents if there is a selection.
Create Raster Catalog	Creates an empty raster catalog in a geodatabase.
Delete Raster Catalog Items	Deletes raster catalog items, including all its contents, or a subset of its contents if there is a selection.
Export Raster Catalog Paths	Creates a table listing the paths to the raster datasets contained in an unmanaged raster catalog or a mosaic dataset. The table can display all the file paths, or just the ones that are broken.
Repair Raster Catalog Paths	Repairs broken file paths or deletes broken links within an unmanaged raster catalog or a mosaic dataset.
Workspace To Raster Catalog	Loads all the raster datasets stored in the same workspace into an existing raster catalog.

An overview of the Raster Dataset toolset

A raster dataset is the basic data model for rasters. A raster dataset is an organized array of pixels, which can have a single band or many bands. This toolset provides the tools to copy, create, or append raster datasets.

The following table lists the tools available in the Raster Dataset toolset and provides a brief description of each. The output for all these tools is a raster dataset.

List of tools in the Raster Dataset toolset

Tool	Description
Copy Raster	Saves a copy of a raster dataset or converts a mosaic dataset into a single raster dataset.
Create Random Raster	Create a raster dataset of random values with a distribution you can define.
Create Raster Dataset	Creates an empty raster dataset.
Download Rasters	Downloads the source files from an image service or mosaic dataset.
Generate Raster from Raster Function	Generates a raster dataset from an input raster function or function chain.
Mosaic	Merges multiple existing raster datasets into an existing raster dataset.
Mosaic To New Raster	Merges multiple raster datasets into a new raster dataset.
Raster Catalog To Raster Dataset	Mosaics the contents of a raster catalog into a new raster dataset.
Workspace To Raster Dataset	Merges all of the raster datasets in a folder into one raster dataset.

An overview of the Raster Processing toolset

The Raster Processing toolset is used to perform several tasks with your data to prepare it for analysis and display.

The following table lists the tools available in the Raster Processing toolset and provides a brief description of each. The input and output for all these tools is a raster dataset.

List of tools in the Raster Processing toolset

Tool	Description
Clip	Cuts out a portion of a raster dataset, mosaic dataset, or image service layer.
Composite Bands	Creates a single raster dataset from multiple bands.
Compute Pansharpen Weights	Calculates an optimal set of pan sharpened weights for new or custom sensor data.
Create Ortho Corrected Raster Dataset	Incorporates elevation data and image metadata to accurately line up imagery.
Create Pansharpened Raster Dataset	Combines a high-resolution panchromatic raster dataset with a lower-resolution multiband raster dataset to create a high-resolution multiband raster dataset for visual analysis.
Extract Subdataset	Creates a new raster dataset from a selection of an HDF or NITF dataset.
Generate Table From Raster Function	Converts a raster function dataset to a table or feature class. The input raster function should be a raster function designed to output a table or feature class.
Raster To DTED	Splits a raster dataset into separate files based on the DTED tiling structure.
Resample	Change the spatial resolution of your raster dataset and set rules for aggregating or interpolating values across the new pixel sizes.
Split Raster	Divides a raster dataset into smaller pieces, by tiles or features from a polygon.

An overview of the Raster Properties toolset

A raster dataset has various properties that are associated with it: color maps, pyramids, statistics, attribute tables, world files, and cell values. The tools in this toolset help you create, delete, or edit the various properties of a raster dataset.

The following table lists the tools available in the Raster Properties toolset and provides a brief description of each.

List of tools in the Raster Properties toolset

Tool	Description
Add Colormap	Adds a new colormap or replaces an existing colormap on a raster dataset.
Batch Build Pyramids	Builds pyramids for multiple raster datasets.
Batch Calculate Statistics	Calculates statistics for multiple raster datasets.
Build Pyramids	Builds raster pyramids for your raster dataset.
Build Pyramids and Statistics	Traverses a folder structure, building pyramids and calculating statistics for all the raster datasets it contains. It can also build pyramids and calculate statistics for all the items in a mosaic dataset.
Build Raster Attribute Table	Create or update a table with information about the classes in your raster datasets. This is used primarily with discrete data.
Calculate Statistics	Calculates statistics for a raster dataset or mosaic dataset.
Convert Raster Function Template	Converts a raster function template between formats (rft.xml, json, and binary).
Delete Colormap	Removes the color map associated with a raster dataset.
Delete Raster Attribute Table	Removes the raster attribute table associated with a raster dataset.
Export Raster World File	Creates a world file based on the pixel size and the location of the upper left pixel.
Get Cell Value	Retrieves the value of a given pixel using its x, y coordinates.
Get Raster Properties	Retrieves information from the metadata and descriptive statistics about a raster dataset.
Set Raster Properties	Sets the data type, statistics, and NoData values on a raster or mosaic dataset.