Searching for bathymetry

The Explore Bathymetry tool allows you to define filters for your bathymetry data. You can filter available datasets to access only the relevant surfaces for your area of interest by defining filters based on the dataset's properties or metadata fields. The Explore Bathymetry window provides access to the properties, collection, extended, and internal metadata. Once a filter is applied, you can either save the filter with the Save Filter tool or create a surface model within the Compose Surface window.

The collection and extended metadata fields are fully configurable. You can add new fields, add new field drop-down items, or retire fields from the display. The following steps refer to the sample metadata fields included with the ArcGIS Bathymetry installation. If you have made configuration changes that impact the metadata fields display, these steps will differ from your experience.

Accessing the Explore Bathymetry window

You can access the Explore Bathymetry window in ArcMap through the Bathymetry toolbar.

1. Start ArcMap.
2. Click Customize > Toolbars > Bathymetry on the main menu to activate the Bathymetry toolbar if necessary.
3. Click the Explore Bathymetry button on the Bathymetry toolbar.

   The Explore Bathymetry window appears. The right side of the window lists all bathymetry datasets in the active BIS geodatabase.

   

Filtering by properties

The Explore Bathymetry window allows you to filter your data based on the properties of the datasets in the BIS geodatabase. Properties that you can filter by include dataset resolution or cell size, percent data coverage, dataset type, vertical units, direction, and location. Filtering based on properties such as location will allow you to quickly eliminate unnecessary datasets that may not exist in your area of interest.

Tip:

Optionally, you can click the Clear Filters button at the top of the Explore Bathymetry window to return all filter controls to their default values.

1. Optionally, in the first Cell Size (meters) text box, type a numeric value for the lower end cell size range.
2. Optionally, in the second Cell Size (meters) text box, type a numeric value for the upper end percent range.

   Tip:

   You can also use the slider bar to adjust the lower and upper data range values. Doing so will only display bathymetry data within the selected cell size or resolution.

3. Optionally, in the first Percent Data Coverage text box, type a numeric value for the lower end percent range.
4. Optionally, in the second Percent Data Coverage text box, type a numeric value for the upper end percent range.

   Tip:

   You can also use the slider bar to adjust the lower and upper data range values. Doing so will only display bathymetry data that holds a percentage of data coverage within the range you selected.

5. Optionally, click the Dataset Type drop-down arrow and choose an option to filter the datasets by dataset type.
   • All—Shows datasets belonging to any dataset type
   • Gridded BAG—Shows only .bag datasets
   • Gridded general—Shows any non-.bag raster datasets, such as .tif or .asc
   • Vector—Shows only point feature classes
6. Optionally, click the Vertical Units drop-down arrow and choose an option to filter by vertical unit.
   • Feet
   • Meters
7. Optionally, click the Direction drop-down arrow and choose an option to filter by direction.
   • Positive Up—For depths that are defined as positive values away from the center of the earth.
   • Positive Down—For depths that are defined as negative values toward the center of the earth.

   Note:

   For datasets to be added to the Compose Surface window, they must share the same properties for Dataset Type, Vertical Units, and Direction.

8. Optionally click the Filter to current extent button at the top of the Explore Bathymetry window.

   This automatically filters out any datasets whose footprints intersect your current data frame extent.

   Tip:

   You can also set an attribute filter first by checking the check box to narrow the results to the current extent.

9. Optionally, click the Refresh List button at the top of the Explore Bathymetry window.
This is helpful for updating the list of filtered and nonfiltered datasets when new datasets have been added, especially when you are connected to a multiuser BIS.

Filtering by collection metadata

Collection metadata defines the necessary attributes for a collection of bathymetry data. A collection could consist of all bathymetry data holdings in a common geographic area or represent the bathymetry data acquired during a specific survey. The detailed information about the collection can then be linked to raster data within the BIS geodatabase.

Note:

The following steps use the default metadata fields that are included with the Bathymetry Solution. If you have configured your own metadata fields, the user experience for these steps will be different.

1. Optionally, in the Collection Metadata section, click the Collection Name drop-down arrow and choose a collection in the Manage Collections dialog box, or choose All to filter across all available collections.
2. Optionally, click the Collection Status drop-down arrow and choose the collection status you want to use as a filter.
   • Planning
   • In Progress
   • Complete

   Any collection status items you have added or removed in the configuration XML file will be displayed in the drop-down menu.

3. Optionally, type a description of the survey you want to query in the Collection Description text box.
4. Optionally, type an organization name in the Contact Organization text box to filter data based on a specific organization that is responsible for the bathymetry data.
5. Optionally, type a name in the Contact Person text box to filter data based on a specific person responsible for the bathymetry data.
6. Optionally, click the first Survey Date (from, to) drop-down arrow and choose a value for the start date.

   These field values allow you to filter bathymetry data acquired between a specific date range.

7. Optionally, click the second Survey Date (from, to) drop-down arrow and choose a value for the end date.
8. Optionally, click the Classification drop-down arrow and choose the classification value you want to use to filter the data.

   The following is a list of the default classification values:

   • Public
   • Confidential
   • Secret

   Any classification values you added or removed in the configuration XML will be displayed in the drop-down menu.

Filtering by extended metadata

Extended metadata allows you to customize metadata for any of your raster file formats. In particular, it extends the embedded ONS metadata specific to the BAG file format. This offers additional metadata for IHO Survey Order, Sensor make and model, and Vessel and Sensor type, as well as any custom metadata you define. For example, you can add fields that define which Multibeam echo sounding equipment was used on a specific vessel.

Note:

The following steps use the default metadata fields that are included with the Bathymetry Solution. If you have configured your own metadata fields, the user experience for these steps will be different.

1. Optionally, in the Extended Metadata section, click the IHO Survey Order drop-down arrow, and choose the IHO Survey Order you want to use to filter the data.

   The following is a list of the default IHO Survey Order values:

   • Special Order
   • Order 1a
   • Order 1b
   • Order 2
   • Order 1 (deprecated)
   • Order 3 (deprecated)

   Any orders you have added or removed from the list in the configuration XML file will be displayed in the drop-down menu.

2. Optionally, click the Sensor drop-down arrow and choose the appropriate sensor manufacturer you want to use to filter the data.

   The following is a list of the default sensors values:

   • Sensor 1
   • Sensor 2
   • Sensor 3

   Any sensors you have added or removed from the list in the configuration XML file will be displayed in the drop-down menu.

3. Click the Vessel drop-down arrow and choose the data collection vessel you want to use to filter the data.

   The following is a list of the default vessels values:

   • Vessel 1
   • Vessel 2
   • Vessel 3

   Any vessels you have added or removed from the list in the configuration XML file will be displayed in the drop-down menu.

4. Click the Data Type drop-down arrow and choose data type you want to use to filter the data.

   The following is a list of the default data type values:

   • Multibeam
   • Single Beam
   • Interferometry
   • LiDAR

   Any data types you have added or removed from the list in the configuration XML file will be displayed in the drop-down menu.

Filtering by internal metadata

Internal metadata contains the ONS metadata fields that adhere to the ISO 19115 geographic metadata standard and are stored within datasets in the BAG file format. Since the internal metadata fields are derived from the BAG dataset’s internal metadata, you don’t have the same customization options as you do with the collection and extended metadata fields. However, you can hide fields from the display.

Note:

You can only configure internal metadata filters for BAG data registered with an enterprise BIS geodatabase.

Note:

The following steps use the default metadata fields that are included with the Bathymetry Solution. If you have configured your own metadata fields, the user experience for these steps will be different.

1. Optionally, in the Internal Metadata section, type a value in the Title text box to filter based on a specific dataset title.

   Note:

   If your active BIS is a file geodatabase, you will not be able to filter based on internal metadata, and these filters will be disabled.

2. Optionally, type a value in the Abstract text box to filter based on a specific dataset abstract.
3. Optionally, click the first Date drop-down arrow and choose the beginning date value filter.
4. Optionally, click the second Date drop-down arrow and choose the ending date value filter.

   The Date fields allow you to filter bathymetry data acquired between a specific date range.

5. Optionally, type a name in the Contact Person text box to filter data based on a specific person responsible for the datasets.
6. Optionally, type an organization name in the Responsible Organization text box to filter based on a specific organization responsible for the data.
7. Optionally, type an x,y value in the first Cellsize text box.
8. Optionally, type an x,y value in the second Cellsize text box.

   The values in the Cellsize text boxes filter all datasets that have a cell size value between the first and second boundaries you define.

   Tip:

   You can also move both ends of the slider bar to adjust the values in the Cellsize text boxes.

Saving the filters

You can save the filter settings to a file and apply the filter to other bathymetry data at a later time. You can also add filtered bathymetry data directly to the Compose Surface window to sort the data and apply display rules.

1. Click the Save Filter button at the top of the Explore Bathymetry window.

   The Save As dialog box appears.

   

2. Optionally browse to a new location where you want to save the filter.
3. Type a name for the file in the File name text box.
4. Click Save.
5. Optionally, click the Preview button at the top of the Explore Bathymetry window.

A mosaic dataset that references your filtered data, as well as a Bathymetry Data Index referencing all available data within your system, is added to ArcMap.

Note:

The mosaic dataset generated by the Preview tool has approximate values calculated for the Min, Max, Mean, and Standard Deviation raster statistics fields. If you need to generate precise statistics, use the Calculate Statistics geoprocessing tool.