Importing XML metadata

When you import data, you can also import image metadata from a file in Extensible Markup Language (XML) format and examine both the global and band-specific metadata during the operation. Importing metadata is important when working with hyperspectral data. Many hyperspectral data sets include additional information about the mission and the sensor used to acquire the data.

The first step in a project is to import data. If the data files are not in PCIDSK (.pix) format, you must obtain the data format. If the data is partitioned into different files, importing it to PCIDSK format may require separate imports, transferring layers from one file into the final output file, or a single import.

Mission and sensor metadata must be attached to the image data to make processing and analyzing it more efficient. The metadata must be formatted as an XML document in a text file. Metadata is read into the PCIDSK file containing the image data as a metadata segment by running the METAIN algorithm. Conversely, the METAOUT algorithm can be run to read the information in the metadata segment and export it as an XML file.

METAIN reads image metadata from an XML file that is stored in a text file, reformats the data, and then writes it to a GDB file. The required format for the XML file can be found in the PCIImageMetadata.xsd file in the \etc folder of your CATALYST Professional installation.

The XML file must be in the same folder and have the same base name as the GDB file. The XML file must have an .xml file name extension.

You can run the preceding algorithms from the Algorithm Librarian.