Support adding cloud optimized GeoTIFFs by URL in Pro

[PeterWiringa]

Allow users to add rasters by URL in ArcGIS Pro. We have S3 buckets of imagery (cloud optimized GeoTIFFs) that are exposed over https. We aren't able to give someone the URL to the raster and have them add the layer directly. Instead, they have to create a cloud storage connection and the browse to it. It would be convenient to be able to add http/s accessible COGs directly, e.g. add this example COG as a map layer using only its URL.

https://ss6imagery.arcgisonline.com/imagery_sample/landsat8/Bolivia_LC08_L1TP_001069_20190719_MS.tif...

Adding URL to rasterUnable to add since it's not a service

[SimonSchütte_ct]

Take a look at the Optimize Rasters Tool -> Raster Proxies:
https://github.com/Esri/OptimizeRasters
"OptimizeRasters can generate raster proxies to simplify access to raster data stored on cloud or network
storage. Raster proxies are small pointer files, stored on local file systems, that contain minimal metadata and
reference much larger raster data files stored remotely. A user can work efficiently with collections of small raster proxy files, using them in ArcGIS as if they were conventional raster files."
From: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Esri/OptimizeRasters/master/Documentation/OptimizeRasters_UserDoc....

[Luke_Pinner]

Another workaround is this quick and dirty python toolbox:

Add remote COG to ArcGIS Pro by URL (GitHub Gist)

[PeterWiringa]

Thanks, @SimonSchütte_ct and @Luke_Pinner . We're coming at this from a more exploratory need, with various users throughout our institution (students, faculty, researchers) able to check one or a few rasters with minimal effort and no expectation of installed software or toolboxes; there's a lot of inconsistency across our users and an out-of-the-box method (like QGIS offers) is preferred, but the workaround are appreciated.

For a quick-and-dirty PYT, that's pretty slick.

[Luke_Pinner]

Quick and dirty as in there's no doco, testing or error handling...  Should work on the majority of remote COGs (but not wacky ones like these NASA GIMMS's COG products)