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Open an imagery project

An imagery project can be opened from the imagery projects list. By default, the project opens in the canvas view where the available information is based on the project type and the resources included in the project. The project type determines the available tools. The sections below describe the various project items you'll encounter based on the type of project you're opening and its corresponding resources.

Images from an image service

All imagery projects have an image or a set of images from which the imagery project was created. The image or images may be available in the supported image focus view based on the type of imagery. If an editable collection layer exists in the project, it will use the metadata from the defined image or images to automatically populate the required attribute fields to associate any collected observations with the current image.

Project instructions

Regardless of the project type, all imagery projects are required to have project instructions, which are directions to help guide you through your image-based task. The project instructions are defined when the project is created and can be viewed at any time while a project is opened. To view the project instructions, complete the following steps:

  1. In an imagery project, click the more button in the upper right corner of the imagery exploitation canvas.
  2. Under Project Tools, click Project Instructions.

    The tools panel dynamically loads with the project instructions.

  3. Click the close button, or choose a different tool, to close the project instructions.

Web map with reference layers

Any project type can be created to optionally include an existing web map that can contain geospatial reference layers to help provide context for your imagery project.

When you open a project that contains a web map, the web map appears in the map focus panel with the project-specific imagery overlaid on top. If the web map contains reference layers, the layers are overlaid on top of the image in both the map focus panel and the imagery focus panel. To turn the reference layers on and off in each view from the layer list, complete the following steps:

  1. In an imagery project, click Layer List.
  2. Click the view button to turn individual map reference layers on or off.
  3. Optionally click a feature from the web map in the map focus panel.

    A window appears with additional details about the corresponding feature.

  4. Click the upper right corner to expand or close the window.

Editable collection layers

When you open an observation imagery project, a set of observation tools is included as part of the project tools. The observation tools are associated with an editable collection layer that was defined when the project was created.

Note:

The editable collection layer must contain the fields required to create observations.

At ArcGIS Excalibur 1.0, two observation tools are available: Create Observations and Create Many Observations. Each tool allows you to choose from a palette of defined icons and interact with the images to collect and record features.

Note:

The symbology and style of the icons in the palette are defined in the hosted feature layer.

To access the observation tools, in an imagery project, click the more button in the upper right corner of the exploitation canvas. The tools appear in their own section in the Project Tools menu.

Create Observations tool

To use the Create Observations tool, complete the following steps:

  1. In the Project Tools menu, click the Create Observations tool.

    A palette of icons appears in the Tools panel.

    Note:

    A single icon may appear if the underlying editable collection layer is symbolized and styled by a single value.

  2. Choose an icon from, the palette and click the image.

    The icon appears in the visible focused views. The Tools panel changes from the palette of icons to a form where you can enter information based on the defined attributes of the editable collection layer.

    Note:

    The attributes that appear in the form reflect the attributes in the underlying collection layer. Domains are supported in this view.

  3. Click the View Auto-Populated Fields button to see the attribute fields that were automatically populated to associate the collected observation with the current image.
    Note:
    The automatically populated fields are the fields that are required in a feature layer to be supported as an editable collection layer in an observation imagery project.
  4. Click Submit when all information has been entered.

    A notification appears in the lower right corner that verifies that the observation was written to the underlying feature layer.

  5. Click Cancel to remove the current observation before writing it to the underlying feature layer.

Create Many Observations tool

The Create Many Observations tool is similar to the Create Observations tool but allows you to batch collect observations of the same type before submitting them to be written to the underlying editable collection layer, saving time during the collection workflow. To use the Create Observations tool, complete the following steps:

  1. In the Observation Tools menu, click the Create Many Observations tool.

    A palette of icons appears in the Tools panel.

    Note:

    A single icon may appear if the underlying editable collection layer is symbolized and styled by a single value.

  2. Choose an icon from the palette and click the image.

    The icon appears in the visible focused views. The Tools panel changes from a palette of icons to a form where you can enter information based on the defined attributes of the editable collection layer.

    The Number Added total displays 1 as the first observation collected.

  3. Click the image again.

    The Number Added total displays 2 as the second observation of the same type collected.

  4. Click the image until all observations of the same type have been collected.
  5. Enter information based on the defined attributes of the editable collection layer.
  6. Click Submit when all information has been entered.
    Note:
    A separate entry for each collected observation is written to the editable collection layer containing the same attribute information. The only difference is Observation Collection Time (UTC) and Observation Collection Time (Local); these attributes represent the time each observation was made on the image.

    A notification appears in the lower right corner that verifies that the observations were written to the underlying feature layer.

  7. Click Cancel to remove the current observation before writing it to the underlying feature layer.