Latest Contributions by larryzhang

Thanks for your quick reply & assistance, Eric, In ArcGlobe, it looks working, somehow, after 'Use hillshade effect Z:10-100' (see the snapshot 1 & 2). Obviously, 3D effect still is not as real as what we know, in particular, in ArcGlobe 10. (i.e, terrains in ArcGlobe are still too flat, but in ArcGlobe 9.3.1 gives a little better effect). Also, we attach a snapshot called ERDAS_SB, which was draped onto DEM by other non-ESRI system (see the snapshot 4), which shows much better outcome in 3D. Finally, as a prove, the photo is attached for a comparison (see the snapshot 3 called Photo_SB). Finally, in another location (using same image dataset & DEM), we compared in Google Earth Enterprise and ArcGlobe 10. As result, in GE Pro, it gives us very much realistic 3D outcomes, when the 'Elevation Exaggeration: 1.5-2 ' are used (see the zip attached). I am wondering if we can have any efficient way to increase 3D effect in ArcGlobe 10 before publishing! Any more advices? ... View more

Thanks, Tim With 3D processes & visualization, ESRI gives us too many products (3D Analyst, ArcGlobe, ArcScene �?�). Hopefully, they can unify those functions and tools in the future. In fact, even in mosaic dataset, ESRI already gives us some good 3D/spatial analysis functions like Hillshade, Slope, Aspect. I really hope, ESRI have  a good plan gradually to add more and more 3D /spatial analysis & visualization functions into mosaic dataset. Anyhow, do you have any advices on how to use �??draped�?? 3D function or visual effect in 3D for imagery within web applications & ArcGIS Explorer? In other word, if we plan to use image services from mosaic datasets (including DEM image service, 'Hillshaded' and �??shaded relief�?? image service) in web & ArcGIS Explorer, what should we do, in order to get  �??draped image�?? 3D process or visual effect in 3D? ... View more

I would like to share our practices with you on this matter. We are using massive lossless MrSID images efficiently to create large Mosaic Dataset and serve as image services. [We prefer this MrSID format because of consuming much less storages. For example,  with IKONOS 2009 & QuickBird 2009, our MrSID images are about 200 GB. If using TIFF images with LZW would be 500 GB. Inversely, equal to about 1 TB of images in IMG format]. It works fine for us. The performance is good! ... View more

Generally, you can have two ways to solve this issue. Firstly, you can modify the lookup table of raster images and make sure that the min value of the table >0 (saying 1). Besides, you can drape those raster images onto �??Shaded Relief�?? images derived from DEM. For Option 1, if using mosaic dataset to do so in ArcGIS 10, �??stretch function�?? in Function Chain should be set up properly. Personally, it is very efficient way. However, in this approach, if some of raster datasets' footprints are irregular, ideally, u should avoid manual editing the boundaries, because of Nodata newly created beyond the image footprints (when not handling correctly). In fact, you can do so via adjusting operation sequence (order). For example, if applying 'stretch function' after 'building footprint' script, you may not need manual editing of the footprints. ... ... View more

Just be updated that the KML links (map services), which are created within ArcGIS Manager, can be properly displayed in GE or GE Pro with good refreshing or caching. But, the network link of KMZ couldn't be created in the cluster hostname (saying PA01). That is, this link of URL only can be created at the active node (either PP10 or PP11). In other word, even though this function at ArcGIS Manager works somehow, it does not support cluster infrastructure & interface. Inversely, the KMZ links saved from ArcGIS Services Directory, which are created from image services, still do not work at all. However, the KMZ from ESRI services online like http://imagery.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/LandsatGLS/FalseColor/ImageServer?f=jsapi work very well. I am wondering if our server (10 with SP1) is not latest release. ... View more

Thanks for your reply, Jeff Intentionally, we did want to have the format �??image service, and/ or mosaic dataset�?? to directly be supported, in addition to isdef, iscdef, isref and rpdef, so that we can add the existing mosaic datasets into new mosaic dataset. In practice, this kind of implementation would be also helpful. For example, a larger mosaic datasets may be assigned to 2-3 people to create, and then the leader (one of them) can merge (add, import) all others have done into one mosaic dataset. Other benefits are: more easily to update mosaic datasets; and conveniently conduct QA/QC... Currently, those existing image services were combined into MXD and served as map service. For sure, it is much easy /efficient and took us only 2 minutes. However, one of the disadvantages is that the map service is not operational within Image Analysis. +++++++++++++++++++ By the way, can you urgently help verify if the �??View In Google Earth�?? is fully functional in ArcGIS Server 10 SP1 (image ext)? The reason is that the KMZ files saved from ESRI image service online (like http://imagery.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/LandsatGLS/Agriculture/ImageServer) work very well, including image service display and performance (caching/refreshing) in GE /GE Pro. But, from many trials with our Dev, QA & cluster Prod server 10 SP1, it gives different conclusions. I am wondering if our servers don�??t have the latest release or service packs installed. Fore details, please link to http://forums.arcgis.com/threads/29424-Image-service-on-Google-Earth-Pro?p=98635&viewfull=1#post98635 ... View more

First of all, it was recommanded by ESRI (as heard) that we should NOT conduct caching on such kind of MXD anymore, which contains image services. So, what we are currently doing is: (1.) to combine several image services with scale dependency (manually defined) in MXD, and then (2.) to publish this MXD as map services to all desktop-based end users & minority of web applications. Anyhow, it works very well in our cases!  The performance is also not too bad! ... View more

On my practices, it ONLY works with Footprints, not with real image services (Google Earth, Google Earth Pro). In other word, the image service can be added onto 'google images' (GE) or 'corporate images' (GE Pro), but only viewed as transparent layer (see the attached snapshots). What we were doing is: 1. to get image service KMZ file from ArcGIS Services Directory (i.e., 'View In Google Earth'; not 'View Footprint In Google Earth'); 2. to add its KMZ file into GE (google images) or GE Pro (corporate images) from GE Enterprise; It was supposed to work with real image services. Unfortunately, this approach is not functional at all, at least in our trials (Dev, QA, Prod server 10 SP1). In fact, even with footprint of image services (& features of map services), still not feasible to use in practice, because of some critical issues remaining, including poor caching/ slow refreshing of the image services (map services) in GE/GE Pro. For more, open the PDF attached. ... View more

From my practices, this thread has two different issues, which are very likely caused by two reasons: 1. Not shrinking, when running toolset of the 'building footprints'. Or not define NOData before running the 'building footprints'. In fact, if not shrinking, saying Post # 5 in this thread,  BLACK artifacts along borders of original imagery were not removed and may be visible in mosaic dataset; 2. very limited overlaps among tiles of ' processed sources", when doing the following operations: �?� not shrinking properly, when running toolset of the 'building footprints';  (if shrinking too much, WHITE gaps may appear in mosaic datasets); �?� in many areas with over 30 degree North, you may also face this issue like the following cases:             A. there are big changes between two projection systems (that is, in mosaic dataset vs. data sources), for example, geodetic (lat & lon) vs.  Lambert Conformal, etc;             B. sometimes, even though there are no  artifacts  in mosaic dataset, you still can see it when you load image service into ArcMap, which is using a different projection system (on-the-fly projection). For solutions to very limited overlaps among tiles of 'processed sources', please refer to the attached Doc. ... View more

Generally, one field with type 'text' in the feature class table should be added, saying 'hotlink'.  Then, under 'Edit' session you can add the hyperlink (with http or IP-dependent text) into the field 'hotlink' in the footprints. Finally, end users can remotely view it via many ways like 'Identity'. For example, right-click on it within desktop ArcGIS. The hyperlink will be displayed in IE. For flexibility, in practice, it is better to create a separate feature class in a File GDB, and then join with your Mosaic Dataset, when really needed (as long as both share 'unique' field, for example, footprint feature name or ID). For more, read the PDF attached. ... View more

Just be informed that we have implemented a cluster server infrastructure (a little different from conventional cluster server, which is mainly focusing on 'Ethernet SAN Drives share/transfer' between two nodes after failover) for ArcGIS Image Server 10 to support Mosaic Dataset model and manage massive SAN storages as well. So, our ArcGIS Image Server 10 at cluster can manage ArcGIS Server 10 with Image extension to support load balancing & failover, even though ArcGIS Server does not automatically support the cluster installation. In other word, as long as massive SAN storages at cluster resources can be automatically transfered via Cluster Manager from one active node to another after failover, ArcGIS Server with Image extension can be installed easily just like standalone installation in Windows Server 2008. During the configuration, however, we should pay attention to the following: Within Failover Cluster Manager in either node, both ArcGIS Server Object Manager & ArcGIS SOC Monitor must be managed into Other Resources as well. In this way, the system will ensure all image services working fine after failover, when clients access via a virtual cluster host (IP). Otherwise, all those image services in one node (which are visible) will be invisible in another node after failover, except that ArcGIS SOC Monitor is manually re-started. ++++++++++++ SAN storages look just like local hard disks (Drive N, Drive M, ...), which are managed as cluster resources in cluster server. Link to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storage_area_network for the details. NAS storages shared over network onto nodes without managing them as cluster resources in cluster server. So far, on our tests, with NAS storage, too slow & poor performance are showed in the following two cases: 1. creation of mosaic dataset (with local datum) from raw bundle of images (with UTM/WGS84) like GeoEye-1, IKONOS, QuickBird, etc; 2. access of image services (published from mosaic datasets with overviews), in particular, one mosaic dataset with thousands of vertices in footprint. ... View more