Unable to use a classified renderer on a DEM mosaic dataset

[MarkZweifler]

I am attempting to recreate a data management model decribed in the "What is a mosaic dataset?" help topic.
[INDENT]For example, you could create a mosaic dataset to manage all your DEM data, then create a referenced mosaic dataset to produce a hillshade or a slope product from the source mosaic dataset. [/INDENT]

My problem is that I am only able to render the referenced mosaic datasets using 'Stretched' and 'Discrete Color' and I would like to, but am not able to use 'Classifed' renderers even after calculating  statistics on the DEM mosaic datasets  and/or derived reference mosaic sets. 
THis limitation occurs whether or not I am attempting to render the original DEM mosic without raster functions OR the refernced mosaic datasets with 'Slope' raster function or 'Aspect' raster function applied.

What is odd is that if I use the Image Analysis window to apply a Slope or Aspect  raster function to a DEM raster dataset or DEM mosaic dataset, the temporary 'on-the fly'  layer that is automatically added by the Image Analysis window to the map table of contents will allow me to apply a 'Classified renderer'

Ideally I would like to be able to apply a 'Classified' renderer that references the mosaic or referenced mosaic dataset with raster functions for slope and aspect. 
Is this limitation a bug or is there a valid reason for this restriction on mosaic datasets?
Or is there there just some step that I am missing and it should be possible to render a single-band mosaic dataset using a 'Classified' renderer?

Finally, Is there any effective difference between saving a layer file of the Image Analysis window's on-the-fly depiction of a raster function ( e.g. 'slope' applied to a DEM) and a raster function added via ArcCatalog to a mosaic dataset stored in the geodatabase?
If there is no significant disadvantage to the layer file from the on-the-fly Image analysis window raster function approach , I am not sure why one would bother to create referenced mosaic datasets with raster functions applied since both methods share the advantage of not having to duplicate the source data and there seems to be more control over how the data is rendered using the layer file approach

Thanks to anyone who has answers and insights to these questions

Mark

[TConley]

Mark,

Don't we all want to know this!

Looks to me like the implicit answer is: No. Classified Renderer is unavailable for Mosaic Datasets. 

See this video at ~25 min to 30 min:
http://video.esri.com/watch/76/using-imagery-and-raster-data-in-arcgis

The next video in the series more or less implies the same thing but also doesn't say explicitly:
http://video.esri.com/watch/69/whats-new-in-imagery-and-raster-at-arcgis-10

The Image Analysis Window provides this functionality as you note but this doesn't help for those who want to provide web-based content. And it's more than slow when the Mosaic Dataset covers large portions of the state.

I was hoping that perhaps one could use the Image Analysis functionality to get a good look for the data and then export that as a "Color Map" (Layer File...something like those), which could then be applied to the Mosaic Dataset. But that work around doesn't exist either. 

Could someone from ESRI give an answer to this?

Certainly this is a software 'enhancement'/limitation/(bug?) but why no work-around?

This question/problem has been floating around for at least a year and a half now with the answer still not readily available but someone must know.

ESRI? Anyone?...

[LaurenceClinton]

Currently, the classified renderer is not available for mosaic datasets.  This looks to be resolved at 10.1. There is a nimbus report for this issue at 10: 'NIM056047: Ability to use a classified renderer with mosaic dataset'.

One workaround to the classified renderer is to create color maps for the rasters and then create the mosaic dataset.  There is a caveat, only single-band integer raster datasets with pixel depths of 16 bits unsigned or fewer can be used to create a color map (.clr) file.  So if the rasters are DEMs and are floating point, it would need to converted to integer and be 16 bit unsigned.

The workflow is described as below.

1. Create color map (clr) for each raster in ArcMap by switching renderer to unique values setting the correct color scheme and exporting via Colormap button  > Export colormap.

http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisdesktop/10.0/help/index.html#/Creating_a_color_map_clr_file/009t0000...

2.  Save the .clr file in the same location as the input rasters

3.  Create mosaic datasts from a file geodatabase and select New > mosaic Dataset.

4.  Right click the mosaic dataset and select Add Rasters, however, leave Update Overviews unchecked

5   Right click on the mosaic dataset and Define Overviews using nearest neighbor resampling with no compression (important).

6.  Now, right click on the mosaic dataset and Build Overviews.

7.  You may also want to set the stretch to None in the resulting mosaic dataset

[TConley]

Good to know. Our Mosaic Dataset is using 32bit floating point alas. 

Thanks for the quick reply - your answer will surely help some who come across this thread.