ArcMap

Batch Build Pyramids

Summary

Builds pyramids for multiple raster datasets.

Usage

  • Building pyramids improves the display performance of raster datasets.

  • Batch building of pyramids is useful when you have a large directory of raster datasets that do not have pyramids or to build pyramids on the items of a mosaic dataset (drag them into the dialog box).

  • Wavelet compressed raster datasets, such as ECW and MrSID, do not need to have pyramids built. These formats have internal pyramids that are created upon encoding.

  • Pyramids will not be built for raster datasets that have less than 1,024 pixels in the row or column. Pyramids are not needed since the raster dataset is small enough, and building pyramids will not help increase the performance.

  • Pyramids cannot be built for raster catalogs, but they can be built for each raster catalog item.

  • You can choose the compression type for your overview pyramid file in the Raster Storage Environments. Compression will create a smaller .ovr file. The IMAGINE format and older versions of ArcGIS will create reduced-resolution dataset (.rrd) files, where compression is not available.

  • The default pyramid compression will use the optimal compression type, given the type of data. You can manually choose to have LZ77, JPEG, or no compression.

Syntax

BatchBuildPyramids(Input_Raster_Datasets, {Pyramid_levels}, {Skip_first_level}, {Pyramid_resampling_technique}, {Pyramid_compression_type}, {Compression_quality}, {Skip_Existing})
ParameterExplanationData Type
Input_Raster_Datasets
[input_raster_dataset,...]

The raster datasets for which you want to build raster pyramids.

Each input should have more than 1024 rows and 1024 columns.

Raster Dataset
Pyramid_levels
(Optional)

Choose the number of reduced-resolution dataset layers that will be built. The default value is -1, which will build full pyramids. A value of 0 will result in no pyramid levels.

Long
Skip_first_level
(Optional)

Choose whether to skip the first pyramid level. Skipping the first level will take up slightly less disk space, but it will slow down performance at these scales.

  • NONE —The first pyramid level will be built. This is the default.
  • SKIP_FIRST —The first pyramid level will not be built.
Boolean
Pyramid_resampling_technique
(Optional)

The resampling technique used to build your pyramids.

  • NEAREST —The nearest neighbor resampling method uses the value of the closest cell to assign a value to the output cell when resampling. This is the default.
  • BILINEAR —The bilinear interpolation resampling method determines the new value of a cell based on a weighted distance average of the four nearest input cell centers.
  • CUBIC —The Cubic convolution resampling method determines the new value of a cell based on fitting a smooth curve through the 16 nearest input cell centers.
String
Pyramid_compression_type
(Optional)

The compression type to use when building the raster pyramids.

  • DEFAULT —If the source data is compressed using a wavelet compression, it will build pyramids with the JPEG compression type; otherwise, LZ77 will be used. This is the default compression method.
  • LZ77 —The LZ77 compression algorithm will be used to build the pyramids. LZ77 can be used for any data type.
  • JPEG —The JPEG compression algorithm to build pyramids. Only data that adheres to the JPEG compression specification can use this compression type. If JPEG is chosen, you can then set the compression quality.
  • NONE —No compression will be used when building pyramids.
String
Compression_quality
(Optional)

The compression quality to use when pyramids are built with the JPEG compression method. The value must be between 0 and 100. The values closer to 100 will produce a higher-quality image, but the compression ratio will be lower.

Long
Skip_Existing
(Optional)

Specify whether to build pyramids only where they are missing or regenerate them even if they exist.

  • OVERWRITE —Pyramids will be built even if they already exist. Therefore, existing pyramids will be overwritten. This is the default.
  • SKIP_EXISTING —Pyramids will only be built if they do not exist.
Boolean

Derived Output

NameExplanationData Type
Batch_Build_Pyramids_Succeeded

Returns whether the tool was successful.

Boolean

Code sample

BatchBuildPyramids example 1 (Python window)

This is a Python sample for the BatchBuildPyramids tool. 

import arcpy
arcpy.BatchBuildPyramids_management(
     "C:/data/img1.tif;C:/data/img2.img", "6", "SKIP_FIRST",
      "BILINEAR", "JPEG", "50", "SKIP_EXISTING")
BatchBuildPyramids example 2 (stand-alone script)

This is a Python script sample for the BatchBuildPyramids tool.

#Build Pyramids for multiple raster datasets in the workspace
#Skip the dataset that already has pyramid
#Build pyramids with compression and level setting

import arcpy
arcpy.env.workspace = "C:/Workspace"

    
inras = "image1.tif;image2.img;fgdb.gdb/image3"
pylevels = "6"
skipfirst = "SKIP_FIRST"
resample = "BILINEAR"
compress = "JPEG"
quality = "80"
skipexist = "SKIP_EXISTING"

arcpy.BatchBuildPyramids_management(
     inras, pylevels, skipfirst, resample, compress,
     quality, skipexist)

Environments

Licensing information

  • Basic: Yes
  • Standard: Yes
  • Advanced: Yes

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