Multiple Layers in Image Service

Question

Hello everybody,

is it possible to have multiple Layers in an Image Service ?
I am currently setting up an Image Service from a netCDF File with many variables. I would like to add different variables to my map as for example layers and then publish them as an Image Service. I am aiming for a map where I can then switch these different layers on and off.
Any help is appreciated. Thanks
Andreas

HongXu · Answer

Right,  the advantage of netCDF is that it stores multidimensional rasters with multiple variables in it, and the mosaic dataset model can be used to manage these multidimensional data in netCDF. You can display any available of any time or vertical dimension.

please follow this help to prepare your mosaic dataset. After created, the mosaic dataset will contain the variables you add , and each variable will have a corresponding variable selector template. In ArcGIS Pro (assuming you use Pro,  it is also supported in ArcMap), you can use the raster function template button (accessible from the mosaic dataset contextual tab) to display each variable

The image service published from it will also have the same set of processing templates, and you can access in the same way as mosaic dataset from Pro. In web map,  these variables can be accessed from the image service layer -> context menu->Image Display, then choose the corresponding template. Hope this helps

AndreasBöhme · Answer

Thx for your fast reply Guenter.

I am aware that the implementation via netCDF is rather suboptimal.
Unfortunately, the data is in this format. 
The advantage here is that you can store a lot of different information in one file. 
At the moment, I am already realizing the release of the service via a Mosaic Dataset. 
However, I have the problem here that as soon as I record more than one variable in the dataset, only one variable is visualized. 
Therefore, I would like to have had a separate layer for the individual variables to display. 
I am already in contact with Ralf Schüpferling from ESRI. Which file format would you recommend to me? The netCDFs are end products that are derived from Modis data,
so I have no bands there, for example.

I also do not quite understand what you mean by:

* NetCDF is not optimized and will always repeat the "query" you defined to access slices in the dataset.
* You can set up a Mosaic with many NetCDFs or one NetCDF multiple times and then differing settings - and then make sure that via Definition query, RasterFunction, ByAttribute Mosaicing, ... you can dynamically "switch" what is displayed

Any further help is much appreciated !
Cheers

Andreas

GuenterDoerffel · Answer

Andreas,

what strikes me most in your question is the plan to serve out a NetCDF based Mosaic (plus additional Layers) to a service. Though NetCDF is supported as an input, be aware that the intention of NetCDF is not to be accessed in parallel by potentially many users. Access to NetCDF is basically meant to be on a single user base. In addition the indexing of Rasters in NetCDF is not optimized and will always repeat the "query" you defined to access slices in the dataset. Be aware of that. A service created with the intention to be most performing and server-optimized for sure would not use NetCDF as the input format.

Another conceptual issue in your statement "add to my map" ... and then "serve out as Image Service". Image Services are created from MosaicDatasets, not from MapDocuments. You can set up a Mosaic with many NetCDFs or one NetCDF multiple times and then differing settings - and then make sure that via Definition query, RasterFunction, ByAttribute Mosaicing, ... you can dynamically "switch" what is displayed ... When loading it into a map document or when using it as a layer in a WebMap. 
Best to go back to Esri Germany (Ralph) with that task!

Best regards
Guenter