2 Geographic Data Management

After creating the catalog, you load raster datasets into it.

After creating the empty raster

catalog, right-click it, point to Load,
and click Load Data. Browse to
the rasters to add, and add them
to the list.

When you create a raster catalog, a table is created that lists each raster. You can display the table by selecting the
catalog in the Catalog tree, selecting the Preview tab, and clicking the Table option at the bottom of the window. You
can add fields to the table (such as source, creation date, and so on) to track the rasters. Right-click the catalog, click
Properties, and select the Fields tab. Then enter the additional fields as you would for any other table (see Creating
feature classes and tables earlier in this chapter).

When you preview the

table for the raster catalog
you can see that each
raster dataset is stored as
a record in the table. You
can add fields to the table,
such as the creation date,
the source, and so on, to
manage the raster datasets
more efficiently.

The input rasters are stored as

individual datasets within the raster
catalogyou can access the
properties for a dataset by rightclicking it.

You can also perform searches to query the raster catalog. You might do this to find only rasters of a specific date or
having a low percentage of cloud cover on an image. You can search by geography to view only those rasters that
coincide with your area of interest. (See Searching for data and maps earlier in this chapter.)

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Using ArcGIS Desktop

Adding specialized datasets to a geodatabase

In addition to the basic geodatabase data types of feature classes, tables, and rasters, you can extend your geodatabase
with datasets that are used for specific applications, such as surface modeling and analysis; modeling the flow of people,
goods, or resources over networks; or locating features or incidents along a street or highway network. Usually, these
datasets are built from feature classes and tables that already exist in your geodatabase. While this section describes
how to define these datasets in your geodatabase, Chapter 3, Data Compilation and Editing, contains information on
how to create and edit the features that the datasets contain.

Creating a terrain dataset for surface modeling

A terrain dataset is used to model surfaces using TIN structures within a geodatabase (see also Creating a TIN surface
in Chapter 5). Terrains are also used to manage massive 3D point collectionsfor example, billion point LiDAR
collections. You define and build the terrain dataset from existing feature classes stored in a feature dataset. You can
also specify scales at which to display the terrain at a lower resolution, so it will draw faster.

To create a Terrain, right-click the

feature dataset containing the
feature classes that will be used to
build the surface, point to New, and
click Terrain.

Select the feature

classes that will be
used to build the
Terrain. These include
spot elevations,
contour lines, and
breaklines (such as
streams or graded
roadbeds).

Specify the number

of pyramid levels.
Pyramids are used
to draw the Terrain
more quickly (but with
lower resolution) when
zoomed out.

Specify how the

feature classes will be
used for building the
Terrain (or accept the
defaults).

The final panel

summarizes the
settingsclick Finish
to build the Terrain
(or Back to make
changes).

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