Sorting and Stacking Imagery

Sorting Imagery Using the Sort Menu

You can sort imagery using stacking profiles or general sort options. Stacking profiles apply a set of pre-defined conditions (a "profile") to sort imagery, while general sort options are based on single image metadata values. These options are available from the Sort menu in card or list view.

1. On the Imagery panel toolbar, select Sort . The Sort menu opens.

   The Sort menu contains two headings: 

   • Stacking Profiles Sets of pre-defined conditions to sort imagery

   • Sort By Metadata fields, such as Acquisition Date and Cloud Cover

2. Do one of the following, depending on how you want to sort imagery.

   Apply a Stacking Profile

   1.  From the Imagery Catalog drop-down, select the online imagery catalog.

      Stacking profiles are not available in the archive catalog.

   2. Under the Stacking Profiles heading, select any stacking profile to apply it to the Imagery panel.

      The active stacking profile appears in yellow.

      

      Sorting online imagery using stacking profiles.

      Available Stacking Profiles

      The following stacking profiles may be available:

      • User's Assigned Profile Stacks non-mosaic imagery, prioritizing recent imagery.

      • Least Cloud Cover Stacks recent images from lowest percentage of cloud cover to highest percentage of cloud cover.

      • Most Aesthetic All Stacks recent images with the newest, highest resolution, and greatest RGB contrast image on top; includes RGB and panchromatic imagery.

      • Most Aesthetic Color Stacks recent images with the newest, highest resolution, and greatest RGB contrast image on top. In many cases this is a large-area, color-balanced mosaic. Includes RGB imagery only (i.e., no panchromatic imagery).

      • Most Recent Stacks recent, non-mosaic images in chronological order, from newest to oldest.

      • Only Mosaics Only stacks mosaic products.

        Mosaic products are labeled in the thumbnails by ingest date, and are stacked by ingest date in chronological stacking profiles. See the metadata for earliest and latest acquisition dates.

   3. Select a Metadata Field Under the Sort By heading, select any metadata attribute to sort the Imagery panel.

      The active metadata field appears in yellow with an arrow to indicate sort direction.

      	Not sorted/default sort
      	Sorted in ascending order.
      	Sorted in descending order.

      

      Sorting online imagery using metadata fields.

   Select A Metadata Field

   1.  From the Imagery Catalog drop-down, select the imagery catalog (e.g., online, archive) you want to view and sort.

   2. Under the Sort By heading, select any metadata attribute to sort the Imagery panel.

      The active metadata field appears in yellow with an arrow to indicate sort direction.

      	Not sorted/default sort
      	Sorted in ascending order.
      	Sorted in descending order.

      

      Sorting online imagery using metadata fields.

Sorting Imagery Using List View

List view allows you to see large amounts of image metadata in one place. You can sort the list by any metadata column to help you find imagery that fits your specific criteria.

1. On the Imagery panel toolbar, select List View .

2. Next to any sortable metadata field, select the arrow. Metadata fields without an arrow are not sortable.

   • To sort a column in ascending or descending order, select the arrow at the top of any column.

   • The active metadata field appears in yellow with an arrow to indicate sort direction.

     	Not sorted/default sort
     	Sorted in ascending order.
     	Sorted in descending order.

   Add or remove metadata fields from list view using the Settings dialog. See Working with Metadata: Changing Visible Metadata Attributes.

   You can still apply stacking profiles while in list view, but you must apply them from the Sort menu.

More About Sorting Imagery

• Sorting (or "stacking") order determines the order that imagery displays in the viewport and the Imagery panel. By default, images are stacked with the most recent image on top, and older images beneath it in descending date order.

  Applying a different sort order or stacking profile to the Imagery panel will re-render imagery in the viewport. This will likely change the existing stacking order in the viewport (even if the Imagery panel was locked).

• Sortable and filterable metadata fields are different when you are viewing archive imagery than when you are viewing online imagery. For more information, see Sortable and Filterable Metadata Fields.

• If you select a metadata field from the Sort menu that is hidden in list view, the column is automatically added to list view (even if you are currently in card view) so you can see all the relevant information about the image. See Working with Metadata: Changing Visible Metadata Attributes.