Get started with ArcGIS Excalibur

In this tutorial, you will act first as a team lead and then as an imagery analyst working for the City of Toronto in Ontario, Canada. Your team has been tasked with helping the city inspect structural changes since 2007 around Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. As the team lead, your job is to search for imagery of the airport and create an Excalibur project with an observation layer. As the imagery analyst, your job is to collect observations on any identified structural changes.

You will learn how to search for and connect to imagery in ArcGIS Excalibur, create a project, and create an observation layer. You will then conduct analysis to compare current and older imagery. You'll create observations and annotations on the map, and export the map to share your results with your organization.

This tutorial was last tested on January 17, 2024, using ArcGIS Excalibur 3.0 and ArcGIS Enterprise 11.2. If you're using a different version of ArcGIS Excalibur or ArcGIS Enterprise, you may encounter different functionality and results.

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Requirements

• ArcGIS Excalibur
• Publisher or Administrator role in an ArcGIS Enterprise (learn more)

Search for imagery and create a project

In this module, you’ll act as the team lead. You’ll create a project in ArcGIS Excalibur that contains current imagery as well as imagery from 2007. You’ll also create an observation layer within the project that is configured to collect features around the airport. You’ll save this custom project with instructions and hand it to the imagery analyst on your team so they can conduct their analysis of the area.

Search for and connect to imagery

First, you’ll search for and connect to some older imagery of Toronto. You’ll confirm that the imagery includes Billy Bishop Airport.

1. Sign in to your ArcGIS Enterprise portal using a named user account.
2. On the portal home page, on the ribbon, click the apps button and choose Excalibur.

   

   The Excalibur home page appears.

3. Click the Search and Discover card.

   

   Tip:

   Alternatively, click the Search button on the side toolbar.

4. On the Search and Discover page, click Browse.

   

   Tip:

   Alternatively, click the Collections button on the project toolbar.

   The Browse Collections pane appears. Here you can search for all imagery and video layers available to your organization. If this is your first time using ArcGIS Excalibur, the Layers and Saved tabs may be empty, but later, you will find layers here added by or shared with your organization.

5. Click the Add from Web tab.

   You’ll search for an image service using a URL.

6. In the Add by URL box, copy and paste https://sampleserver6.arcgisonline.com/arcgis/rest/services/Toronto/ImageServer
7. Click outside of the box to validate the service.

   A green message appears, informing you that the imagery layer was successfully validated.

   

8. Click Connect Layer.
9. A search is run against the image service to find any individual images within it. The Results Table populates with two images.
10. At the bottom of the Results Table, drag the scroll bar to read the Tag column.

    

    The first image is listed as Pansharpened, and the second as MS (Multispectral). Pansharpening is a process that merges multispectral (color) imagery with panchromatic (black and white) imagery of a higher resolution. The result is a high-resolution color image. You’ll choose the pansharpened image for your project so you can see more detail.

11. In the table, check the check box on the first row.
12. Above the table, click the Show Imagery button.

    

    The imagery appears on the map, covering part of the city of Toronto. This imagery was provided by GeoEye Inc. and is hosted by Esri so it can be used in this tutorial. The imagery was collected by the IKONOS satellite in 2007.

    

    Next, you’ll zoom to Billy Bishop Airport, which is located on the islands just south of the city.

13. On the map, in the search bar, type Billy Bishop Airport and press Enter.

    The map zooms to the airport.

    

Create an Excalibur project

Next, you’ll create an Excalibur project that includes the imagery you found of the airport.

1. In the Results Table, ensure that the first row is selected. Above the table, click the Show search queue details (cart) button.

   

   The My Search Queue pane appears.

2. Confirm that the po_578117_metadata.txt:0000000;po_578117_metadata item is listed. Click Create New Project.
3. In the Create an Excalibur Project pane, for Title, type Billy Bishop Airport Analysis. Press Tab.

   The Folder Name field automatically populates based on the title.

   

   Next, you’ll include some instructions, so when you give this project to the imagery analyst, they’ll know what you would like them to do with it.

4. For Project Instructions, type Complete the following instructions to analyze the imagery around Billy Bishop Airport:.
5. Press Enter and click the Unordered list button.

   

6. Type or copy and paste the following:
   • Zoom to the Billy Bishop Airport bookmark.
   • Use the Swipe tool to compare the current and historical imagery.
   • Mark observations for any structural changes.
   • Use the Mark Up tools to describe the results of your analysis.
   • Export a screenshot of your results.
7. For Summary, type The purpose of this project is to inspect structural changes at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport since 2007.

   

8. For Tags, type Excalibur, Imagery, Observation Collection and press Enter.
9. For Sharing Level, choose Organization.

   

10. Click Create Project.

    The project opens in the canvas.

Create a bookmark

Next, you will create a bookmark for the area requiring analysis. This will ensure that the imagery analyst assigned to the project will know exactly where to begin.

This time, you’ll find the airport using coordinates instead of a search bar.

1. In the lower right of the canvas, ensure the Select Coordinate Format option is set to XY. In the Enter Coordinates box, copy and paste -79.394895°‎, 43.632622°‎.
2. Click Go.

   

   A marker appears on the map.

3. Zoom to the marker until the airport terminal area fills most of the map.

   

4. On the map’s toolbar, click the Bookmarks button.

   

5. In the Project Bookmarks window, ensure the Project tab is active and click Create Bookmark.
6. For Name, type Billy Bishop Airport.
7. For Description, type Use this bookmark to zoom to the extent of Billy Bishop Airport.

   

8. Click Create.

   Your project now includes a bookmark, which you and others can use to return to the extent of the airport.

9. Close the Project Bookmarks window.

Change the project’s web map

Next, you’ll change the project’s web map to one that shows current imagery. The project’s web map acts as its basemap. Later, during analysis, it will allow the imagery analyst to compare the historical imagery to the state of the airport today.

1. On the project toolbar, click the More button. Click Project Details.

   

   The project’s details are displayed on a new page.

2. Click the Web Map tab.

   

   Your portal’s default basemap is currently being used as the project basemap.

3. Above the map, click Change Web Map.

   

   You are not limited to existing basemaps for your Excalibur project. You can create custom web maps in your organization and use them as your project’s web map. These custom web maps can include additional context layers that provide more information about the area you are analyzing. However, for this project, the only context you need is current imagery of Toronto, so you’ll use the Imagery Hybrid basemap provided by Esri.

4. Click the Everyone tab.
5. In the search bar, type imagery hybrid owner:esri_en and press Enter.

   Including the owner’s name ensures you will find the version of this basemap with English labels.

6. In the list of results, click Imagery Hybrid.

   

7. Click Save.

   The existing basemap is replaced with Imagery Hybrid. The imagery analyst will use it to understand which structures exist at Billy Bishop Airport today.

   

Create an observation layer

Next, you’ll create an observation layer in the project, which will be used later by the imagery analyst to collect observations on the map.

1. Click the Observation Layers tab.

   

2. Next to Add Layers, click the arrow and choose Define your own layer.

   

   The New Observation Layer pane appears.

3. For Layer Name, type Billy Bishop Airport Structures.
4. For Layer Geometry Type, choose Point Layer.

   

5. For Layer Options, check both the Excalibur Calculated Fields and Analyst Comments Field options.

   

6. Click Publish.

   The publishing process may take a few minutes. When it is complete, the Configure Observation Layer page appears.

7. For Summary, type Structures observed at Billy Bishop Airport.
8. For Tags, type Excalibur, Imagery, Observation collection and press Enter.
9. For Share with, choose Organization.

   

10. Click Save.

    You’ve now created an observation layer named Billy Bishop Airport Structures.

Add a layer field

Next, you’ll add a field to the observation layer. This field will allow the imagery analyst to indicate the type of structure for each observation.

1. Scroll to the top of the page and click the Fields tab.

   

   The layer already contains 12 system managed fields and one layer field, Analyst Comments. You’ll add a new layer field to store structure types.

2. Above the Layer Fields table, click Create New.

   

3. In the New Field pane, for Field Name, type StructureType.
4. For Display Name, type Structure Type.
5. Ensure that Data Type is set to String.
6. For Field Requires a Value, choose Yes.

   

7. For Domain Type, choose Coded Values.

   Coded values allow you to create a list of allowable values for the Structure Type field. This will help to ensure data accuracy by preventing typos or unexpected values. It will also allow you to define symbols for each structure type before any have been collected.

   You’ll add three coded values for the structure types you expect at an airport.

8. Under Coded Values, For Name, type Terminal. For Code, type Terminal.
9. Click Add.
10. Add another coded value. For Name and for Code, type Hangar.
11. Add a third coded value. For Name and for Code, type Jetway.

    

12. Click Apply.

    The observation layer now includes a field named Structure Type with three possible values: Terminal, Hangar, and Jetway.

Set the Layer Styling properties

Next, you’ll define symbols for each structure type.

1. Click the Styling tab.
2. For Layer Styling, choose Unique Value.

   

   The Unique Value style allows you to define a different symbol for each value in a field.

3. Under Unique Value Styles, ensure that Select Field is set to Structure Type and that Terminal is selected.

   

   You’ll make the Terminal symbol larger than the other ones because terminals tend to be larger buildings.

4. For Size, type 20.

   You’ll choose a different shape and color for each symbol. Varying the symbols by both shape and color helps to make the map more accessible, for example, for people with color vision deficiency.

5. For Style, choose Square.
6. For Fill, click the gray box and choose the red color (#FF4040).

   

7. Under Unique Value Styles, click Hangar.
8. For Style, choose Diamond. For Fill, choose the light green color (#73B566).

   

9. Under Unique Value Styles, click Jetway. For Fill, choose the dark blue color (#4B64C9).

   

10. Click Save.

    The observation layer has now been updated with symbols for each structure type.

In this module, you connected to imagery with an image service URL and used it to create an Excalibur project. You added a bookmark to the project, changed its web map, created an observation layer, added a field with coded domains, and defined styling for the layer.

Your work as the team lead is complete for now. In the next module, the imagery analyst on your team will use the project you created to perform analysis.

Collect information and share results

You are an imagery analyst. Your team lead has given you an ArcGIS Excalibur project and asked you to analyze the imagery it contains. In particular, you have been tasked with identifying structural changes at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. You’ll use the Swipe tool to compare current and historical imagery. You’ll collect observations, add annotations with the Mark Up tool, and export the results to share with your team.

Compare imagery with the Swipe tool

To begin, you’ll open the project and zoom to the provided bookmark. Then you’ll use the Swipe tool to compare current imagery from the basemap to the imagery layer from 2007 included in the project.

1. If necessary, open ArcGIS Excalibur.
2. On the side toolbar, click the Excalibur Projects button.

   

3. On the Billy Bishop Airport Analysis card, click Oepn Project.

   

   A map appears, centered on Toronto.

4. On the project toolbar, click the Tools button.
5. Under Project Tools, click Instructions.

   

   The Instructions pane appears. You’ll follow the instructions listed here to complete your task.

6. On the map’s toolbar, click the Bookmarks button. Next to Billy Bishop Airport, click the Zoom to bookmark extent button.

   

7. Close the Project Bookmarks window.
8. On the project toolbar, click the Tools button.

   

9. In the menu that appears, under Comparison Tools, click Swipe.

   

   The Swipe pane appears next to the map.

10. For Primary, choose Web Map. For Comparison, choose Toronto.

    The Primary imagery will appear on the left side or the top of the map (depending on the Swipe Direction property) and the Comparison imagery will appear on the right side or the bottom.

11. For Swipe Direction, choose Vertical.

    

12. Click Apply.
13. On the map, drag the slider to compare the airport in both sets of imagery.

    

    The current imagery, from the Imagery Hybrid basemap, is shown on the left. The imagery from 2007 is shown on the right.

    The largest change between the older and newer imagery is the large white building north of the runway. This is a new terminal. There are also two new buildings in the northeast corner of the island. These are hangars.

    

Collect observations

Next, you’ll use the Collect Observations pane to mark the locations of any new structures in the imagery.

1. Drag the slider of the Swipe tool to the far-right side of the map so the more detailed and recent imagery of the basemap fills the view.
2. On the project toolbar, click the Tools button.
3. Under Project Tools, click Collect Observations.

   

4. In the Collect Observations pane, click Terminal.

   

5. On the map, click the large white buildings to add an observation feature.

   

6. In the Collect Observations pane, for Analyst Comments, type New since 2007.

   

7. Click Submit.

   Tip:

   If you place an observation feature in the wrong place or want to change the comments, click Tools and Edit Observations. You can use the Edit Observations pane to delete, copy, and edit existing observations.

8. Click Hangar. On the map, click the two new hangars in the northeast corner of the island.

   

9. For Analyst Comments, type New since 2007. Ensure that Structure Type is set to Hangar and click Submit.

   The same comment will be applied to both features.

10. Add Jetway observations to each of the 11 arms protruding from the terminal.
11. In the Collect Observations pane, ensure Structure Type is set to Jetway and click Submit.

    

12. Use the Swipe tool to compare the observation features to the older imagery.

    

    The collected observations mark the changes that occurred over the years.

Annotate the analysis with the Mark Up tools

Next, you’ll use the Mark Up tools to annotate your analysis on the imagery.

1. Return the swipe tool back to the right side of the map.
2. On the project toolbar, click the Tools button.
3. Under Analysis Tools, click Mark Up.

   

   You’ll start by drawing a box around the changes you observed.

4. In the Mark Up pane, click the rectangle tool.

   

   You’ll change the rectangle's color so it shows up better against the imagery.

5. For Outline, choose the light blue color (#1E90FF).
6. For Fill Transparency, drag the slider all the way to the right (100 percent transparent).

   

7. On the map, click and drag to draw a box around the observation features you collected earlier.

   

   Next, you’ll add text to describe the features.

8. In the Mark Up pane, click the label tool.

   

9. For Label, type The structures marked in this area were built after 2007.
10. For Color, choose white (#FFFFFF).

    

11. On the map, click near to the right side of the blue box to place the text over the dark water.

    

12. In the Mark Up pane, click the line tool. For Color, choose light blue (#1E90FF).
13. On the map, draw a line stretching between the box and the text. Click once to start the line and twice to finish it.

    

14. On the project toolbar, click the Save button to save the project.

    

Export your results with a screenshot

To finish, you’ll export your analysis results with the Screenshot tool. The resulting image can be used in briefings or updates for stakeholders.

1. On the project toolbar, click the Tools button.
2. Under Export Tools, click Screenshot.

   

3. In the Screenshot pane, click Draw Area.
4. On the map, click and drag to draw a box around the airport area. Include the observation features and the annotations.

   In the Screenshot pane, a preview of the screenshot appears.

   

   Tip:

   Above the preview, click the Redraw button if you need to modify the area of interest.

5. For Options, choose Download.
6. For File Name, type BillyBishopAirport_ChangesSince2007.

   

7. Click Submit.

   A file named BillyBishopAirport_ChangesSince2007.png is downloaded to your computer. You’ll send this image to your team lead to report on your analysis.

In this module, you compared current and historical imagery with the Swipe tool and found structural changes. You collected observations and added annotation to the map to explain your results. Finally, you exported a screenshot to report on your findings.

In this tutorial, you performed an analysis to detect structural changes at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. You searched for and connected to imagery, created a custom project, and created a custom observation layer. You compared imagery, marked observations, annotated the map, and exported your results. These are just a few of the tasks you can complete in ArcGIS Excalibur to access and analyze imagery.

You can find more tutorials in the tutorial gallery.

Acknowledgements

• The imagery was collected by the IKONOS satellite in 2007. Copyright © 2012 GeoEye Inc. Used with permission.
• Imagery Hybrid map sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community