Reading satellite images from CD or digital-distribution format

With most sensors, OrthoEngine reads the raw satellite data, saves the imagery to a PCIDSK file (.pix), and adds a binary segment containing the ephemeris data (orbit information). If your images do not contain ephemeris data, see Opening images.

If you are reading AVNIR-2, CARTOSAT, CBERS, DMC, EROS, IKONOS, MERIS, Orbview, PRISM, Quickbird, FORMOSAT 2, SPOT, SPOT 5, or WorldView data, you can select to save the ephemeris data (orbit information) to a PCIDSK file with a link to the satellite imagery in its original location (CD or disk). By doing so, you can save a significant amount of disk space, because the imagery is not included in the linked file.

If you are importing KOMPSAT-2, KOMPSAT-3, TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X, Radarsat-2, Cosmo-SkyMed, Gosat or Thaichote data, you need not read it from the CD. With KOMPSAT-2, KOMPSAT-3, TerraSAR-X/TanDEM-X, Radarsat-2, open the XML (.xml) file. With Cosmo-SkyMed and Gosat, open the HDF5 (.h5) file. With Thaichote, open the DIMAP (.dim) file. For more information, see Opening images.

Important: If you save satellite data from the CD to a hard disk before reading it to a PCIDSK file, you must maintain the naming structure of the folders as they appear on the CD. Changing the names or structure of the folders may cause errors to occur. With data in CBERS format, the metadata (.xml) file must have the same file-name prefix as the imagery file; for example, the metadata file corresponding to CBERS_1.tif must be named CBERS_1.xml.

To read satellite images from CD or digital-distribution format

In the Read CD-ROM window, under Data Source, select the sensor and distribution format combination that corresponds to your data from the CD Format list.
If the image channels are separated into multiple files, select or type the name of the first file, and then, depending on the format, do one of the following:
- To select the file, click Select.
- In the CD image filename, box select an image.
- In the CD header filename, box select the header file.
If the CD format is NLAPS LANDSAT, specify the name of the CD header file name instead of the CD image file name.
Beside Requested channels, click one or more buttons, as necessary, according to the channels you want to import.
You must select at least one channel. For each PCIDSK file that you create, all the selected channels must have matching spatial resolution. With satellite images of multiple resolutions, import each resolution to a separate PCIDSK file.
If the CD format is RADAR, beside SAR Type, select ERS or RADARSAT, as applicable.
Under Data Output, in the PCIDSK filename box, type the name of the output file or, to select a file, click Browse.
If Create linked file is available, do the following:
- To save the ephemeris data in a file with a link to the imagery, click Yes.
- To save the imagery and the ephemeris data to a file, click No.
In the Report filename box, type the name of the file to which to save the report or, to select a file, click Browse.
In the Scene description box, type a description of the file (optional).
Click Read.