You can perform different types of analysis with the raster analysis service.
Raster analysis can be performed using two different methods:
Raster operations
Raster operations are the process of executing an asynchronous server-side request to a task of the Raster analysis service.
Use raster operations to:
- Perform spatial operations on raster datasets, such as overlay analysis, proximity analysis, and suitability analysis.
- Understand spatial patterns, relationships, and make informed decisions based on the results.
- Integrate different data sources, including satellite imagery, aerial photographs, and digital elevation models. By combining these datasets, you can create more comprehensive and accurate analyses. For example, you can overlay land cover data with elevation data to identify areas prone to flooding.
- Perform quantitative calculations on raster data. You can extract statistical information, calculate terrain attributes (e.g., slope, aspect), perform mathematical operations (e.g., addition, subtraction), and derive new datasets based on the analysis. This allows you to gain insights and generate valuable information from your raster datasets.
- Support the decision-making processes. It provides valuable information for land-use planning, environmental assessment, resource management, and disaster response. By analyzing raster data, you can assess different scenarios, evaluate the potential impacts of various factors, and make informed decisions based on the results.
Raster functions
Raster functions are operations that can be chained together for complex workflows. By applying mathematical calculations, filtering, classification, enhancement, and other operations, raster functions allow you to extract specific information, create visualizations, transform data, and derive new datasets. They are especially useful when working with large datasets or when you need to apply consistent analysis operations across multiple rasters.
Use raster functions to:
- Perform image enhancement & classification.
- Process imagery and raster data without creating intermediate datasets.
- Chain multiple functions together to create custom processing workflows.
- Save and share raster function templates to members of your organization.
Choose a type of raster analysis
Use the following to help determine the analyis method you can use for different scenarios:
| Raster Tasks | Raster Functions |
|---|---|
| Geoprocessing tools that create new raster datasets on disk | Processing directly to the pixels of the original raster data, without creating new datasets |
| Executed as separate geoprocessing tools | Raster functions are applied on the fly as the raster is displayed, so only the visible pixels are processed, making the analysis faster |
| Chained together using tools or scripts | Chained together using raster function templates that can be saved and shared |
| Accessible through the ArcGIS geoprocessing framework | Accesible through the ArcGIS REST API, ArcGIS API for Python, and ArcGIS API for JavaScript, in addition to the ArcGIS user interfaces |
| Available in ArcGIS Pro and can be published as geoprocessing services | Raster functions are available in ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Pro, and can be published as part of image services |