Convert Raster Layer to Raster Catalog

[PeterWilson]

Is there any way of converting a Raster Layer into a Raster Catalog (unmanaged)? We regularly create Raster Layers for a specific study area and there after have to generate a single image that is resampled down to be used within AutoCAD and HEC-RAS. I'm looking for a simple and automated approach to convert the Raster Layer into a Raster Catalog (unmanaged). I then could convert the Raster Catalog into a single image. I cant seem to understand why this is not available as a tool within ArcGIS by right clicking on a Raster Layer and selecting export to i.e. Raster Dataset; Mosaic Dataset or Raster Catalog.

ESRI, may need to add this into the next release of ArcGIS, it seems logical.

Regards

[RobertBerger]

Greetings Peter,

I am not aware of a straight way to load a layer into the raster catalog. Is there a reason you want to use a layer and not the dataset? What kind of settings do you enforce on the layer that you would like to keep as part of the raster catalog record?
One thing you can do if you have ArcGIS 10, is you can create a function raster and load that into the mosaic dataset. So for example, you have a layer and an area of interest there. Use the Image Analysis window to clip your AOI, then right-click on the new clip layer > Data > Add to Mosaic Dataset.
Is this what you're looking for?

Robert

[PeterWilson]

Hi Robert

Currently our workflow based on ArcGIS 9.3 is we select the images based on an index we have for South Africa and load all the images from a folder that represents an area as well as a particular timeslice. For example there are 25 images per single index at a scale of 1:10 000 per image. Once we have identified the images that cover the study area, we normally save it as a layer file under the project folder, so that it may be used for the various maps we need to create.

We are currently experiencing a trend that is becoming a normal workflow, where our cad technicians are wanting to add the same imagery to their drawings within AutoCAD. Due to the size and format of the images we would select the images that they require and mosaic and resample the images in order to reduce the file size and ensure that the images are 8 bit unsigned since it seems AutoCAD does not like 16 bit images.

So what I'm trying to accomplish is use the existing images that are currently saved as raster layers and use them as input to may mosaic and resampling process. I don't want to have to go through the images individually within the image directory and choose the individual images mannually and load them when trying to mosaic them into a new single image. Our image directory has 100 000 images and a study area could be made up of multiple indexes where within a single index only one image is required. Any suggestions are welcomed.

Regards

[PeterWilson]

Hi Robert

Just to let you know, we do have access to ArcGIS 10 (ArcEditor).

Regards

[RobertBerger]

Hi Peter,

Sorry, but I cannot think of a way to do this easily and automatically. I don't think group layers will work for input to the Geoprocessing Tools. If this is really worth investigating to you, then you could write a little custom code to go through all the layers in the group layer and do the mosaicking / resampling after that.
In the future, you could use a mosaic dataset for your management solution for the different data (rather than the group layer). Maybe autocad will also support mosaic datasets - I don't know. But in the mosaic dataset you get the selection and you can mosaic it's contents easily.
Sorry, that's all I can think of.

Robert