GEO Tutorial
Publishing a Raster to ArcGIS Online
Required Resources and analyzing geospatial data. This is especially easy if
• ArcGIS Online (June 2021 update, organizational you need to display and analyze vector datasets. However,
account with publisher privileges) publishing raster datasets to ArcGIS online requires an
• ArcGIS Pro (v. 2.7) extra step. More specifically, you need to transform your
rasters to tile layers or compressed KML files outside of the
Featured Data Sources ArcGIS Online environment.
Nautical Chart: Mississippi Sound and approaches Dauphin An option to add rasters, including the KAP files,
Island to Cat Island (# 11373), accessible using the nautical directly to ArcGIS Online exists, if you have access to the
chart locator: https://charts.noaa.gov/InteractiveCatalog/ ArcGIS Image extension. If not, the functionality is limited
nrnc.shtml to sharing raster files with an authorized group of users
and giving them an option to download the file. Any further
Overview operations or basemap display modifications require use of
Raster files are frequently used in geospatial desktop GIS software. This is true not just for the KAP files
operations. They are typically used as basemaps but can but all raster formats used in GIS. Therefore, the process
also be used as other, independent data layers. Rasters presented in this tutorial can be successfully used to
compatible with ArcGIS are available in multiple formats, incorporate other types of raster layers into ArcGIS Online
including GeoTIFF, ASCII Grid, Binary Terrain, Bathymetric web maps.
Attributed Grid, MrSID, Lidar, and many more. To perform the steps listed below, you can use any
In this tutorial, a georeferenced nautical chart in a KAP georeferenced raster file you have available. Keep in mind
format is used as an example illustrating how to publish that this tutorial is designed to work with the provided
a raster file to ArcGIS Online. KAP files are also known data, and, if you decide to use your own datasets, the
as BSB Chart Image Files or Raster Navigational Charts steps, figures, and results could vary. In this case, it is
(RNC) and are developed by the National Oceanic and recommended that you download the KAP nautical chart at
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). https://charts.noaa.gov/InteractiveCatalog/nrnc.shtml.
ArcGIS Online offers numerous advantages over This tutorial focuses on publishing rasters to ArcGIS
traditional desktop GIS environments, and, for many users, online as tile layers, as this is the most standard way of
it has become the preferred option for sharing, creating, incorporating rasters into your online maps or applications.
Step 1. Download the nautical chart
A. If you are using your personal georeferenced raster file, you can skip step 1 and proceed to step 2A. However, if you
would like to use the KAP file example and closely follow the figures and steps presented below, you need to visit the
NOAA chart locator page and download nautical chart number 11373.
B. When opening the chart locator page, the Electronic Charts (ENC) tab is selected by default. However, you need to
choose the Paper Charts (RNC & PDF) tab to be able to access georeferenced raster charts.
C. Next, using the drop-down menu, select the Chart option and enter the chart number (in this case, 11373). After you
press Submit, the map will automatically zoom in to the selected chart and display various chart information.
D. From the list of the available products, click on the RNC button. The User Agreement form will automatically display for
you to review.
E. The data download link will be listed at the very bottom of the page. Scroll down and click the OK link to download the
zipped file.
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F. Once downloaded, extract the content of the zipped folder to a directory on your local drive that you will easily
remember. Review available datasets.
G. The KAP file will be available under the subfolder named after the selected chart (in this instance, 11373). Now, you
are ready to add it to the ArcGIS Pro project.
Step 2. Add the KAP file to ArcGIS Pro and verify the location
A. Open ArcGIS Pro and add the downloaded KAP file (or your georeferenced raster) to a new project (Map tab >
Add Data > Data). When prompted, click Yes to build pyramids for the 11373_1.KAP file. This step is recommended
because it will improve the display performance of the KAP raster at different zoom levels.
B. Zoom in to the added raster layer (right-click on the layer name > Zoom To Layer) and verify that the KAP file displays
in a correct location. An easy way of examining spatial location is by using the swipe button or by changing the
transparency of the layer so that the image can be compared to the basemap. Select the Appearance tab and click on
the Swipe button or use the Transparency slider to reduce opacity of the KAP layer. In this instance, the swipe option
might be particularly useful, as it can help you to temporarily hide the nautical chart border.
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Step 3. Publish a web tile layer
A. Every layer available in your project window can be published to ArcGIS Online. In this case, you are going to publish
a single raster layer. In the Contents pane, make sure that 11373_1.KAP is selected. Click on the Share tab, expand
the Web Layer options, and select the Publish Web Layer button. In case this button is grayed out, verify that you are
signed in to your ArcGIS Online account, by using the Sign In menu, located in the upper-right corner of the ArcGIS
Pro project window.
B. The Share As Web Layer pane will open on the right-hand side of your project window. Note three tabs on top of the
pane window: General, Configuration, and Content. In this instance, the third tab, named Content, can be skipped, but
the information for the first two tabs needs to be provided.
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C. Start by filling out the General tab information. Provide a name for your web layer, a short summary, tags, a folder
location where your web layer will be saved, and the sharing options. You can use information as shown in the figure
below or modify these settings according to your preferences. The most important option on this panel is the Layer
Type. By default, the first option, Feature, is selected, but this particular setting is inappropriate for a raster layer and
needs to be changed. From the three available options, make sure to select the second option, Tile. Also, note that
in your case, the Share with options will most likely be different from the choices shown in the figure below and will
reflect your organizational account settings. The choice to share the web tile layer with Everyone is standard and
available to all users. Be cautious when using it, because it allows you to share your web tile layer with the public.
This means your published layer will no longer be private and can be accessed by anyone.
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D. Next, click on the Configuration tab. Review available Tiling Schemes and select ArcGIS Online / Bing Maps / Google
Maps option. Test a few different Level of Detail settings. When changing the range of minimum and maximum levels,
the number of created tiles and file storage size is automatically estimated. This is an important step; otherwise,
your shared web layer may appear blurry. For the nautical chart, setting the Maximum Level to Streets should be
adequate. Selecting a larger number of levels for a raster layer significantly increases both the size and processing
time. Select Cache locally to save processing credits and also a lot of time. Click Analyze and, if needed, correct
errors. It is a good practice to review the warning messages, as well. In this instance, you can ignore the displayed
warning message, because it refers to the unsupported topographic basemap. The basemap layer will simply be
excluded from the generated web layer. After that, you are ready to Publish this raster chart as a tile web layer.
E. It may take a few minutes for the tile layer to be generated. After the process completes, ArcGIS Pro will notify you that
the layer was successfully published. Also, you have an option to review the Job Status pane for detailed information.
Close the ArcGIS Pro without saving the project (File > Exit).
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Step 4. Display generated tile layer in ArcGIS Online Map Viewer
A. Sign in to your ArcGIS Online account, and open the My Content panel and the folder where you saved the web layer.
Your published nautical chart raster will be listed as a Tile Layer (hosted).
B. By clicking on the layer name, you get access to a panel where you can change sharing options, edit layer
description, add to favorites, and insert into an online map or an application. These settings are optional but should
not be overlooked, especially if you intend to share your work with others. After adding the tile layer to an online map,
make sure to check if the quality of the display meets your requirements. If not, recreate the tile layer, but this time
increase the Level of Detail, accessible under the Configuration panel. The images shown below were generated by
assigning two different scales. As you can see, the chart accurately displays detailed information at various zoom
levels and does not need to be recreated.
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Conclusion Geosystems Research Institute
You have published a raster image to ArcGIS Online. The Geospatial Education and Outreach Project (GEO
Note that in comparison to vector tile layers, the display Project) is a collaborative effort among the Geosystems
options for raster tile layers in ArcGIS Online are limited Research Institute (GRI), the Northern Gulf Institute (a
to changing transparency and setting visibility range to a NOAA Cooperative Institute), and the Mississippi State
specific scale. In case a particular color scheme is required University Extension Service. The purpose of the project is
for your project, you need to change the layer symbology to serve as the primary source for geospatial education and
options in ArcGIS Pro before sharing your raster as a web technical information for Mississippi.
tile layer. If your research group or organization is using a The GEO Project provides training and technical
custom basemap gallery, your raster-based tile layer can be assistance in the use, application, and implementation of
added and shared as one of the unique basemaps tailored geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing, and
specifically to your project location and needs. global positioning systems for the geospatial community
of Mississippi. The purpose of the GEO Tutorial series
is to support educational project activities and enhance
geospatial workshops offered by the GEO Project. Each
tutorial provides practical solutions and instructions to solve
a particular GIS challenge.
This work was supported through funding by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration Regional Geospatial Modeling Grant, Award # NA19NOS4730207.
The information given here is for educational purposes only. References to commercial products, trade names, or suppliers are made with the understanding
that no endorsement is implied and that no discrimination against other products or suppliers is intended.
Publication 3820 (POD-09-22)
By Kate Grala, Northern Gulf Institute; Claire Babineaux, Northern Gulf Institute; and John Cartwright, PhD, Assistant Extension Professor, Geosystems
Research Institute.
Copyright 2022 by Mississippi State University. All rights reserved. This publication may be copied and distributed without alteration for nonprofit educational purposes
provided that credit is given to the Mississippi State University Extension Service.
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Extension Service of Mississippi State University, cooperating with U.S. Department of Agriculture. Published in furtherance of Acts of Congress, May 8 and
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