Multidimensional imagery layers are capable of handling multiple variables across many dimensions efficiently. You may be familiar with multidimensional imagery layers when they are used with NetCDF<\/a> data or other scientific datasets. However, these imagery layers can also be used to display just one variable and still take advantage of its ability to visualize imagery over different time periods. These layers not only facilitate sharing imagery across your organization but also extend access to selected external groups or the public.<\/p>\n Imagery layers can be created<\/a><\/span> through various methods, but for this specific solution, we will focus on utilizing a mosaic dataset to create our multidimensional imagery layer. This blog will explore how and why multidimensional imagery layers can significantly enhance your organization’s management, utilization, and accessibility of multi-date remotely sensed content, showcasing a unique use case that streamlines workflows and improves analytical capabilities.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" As you learned in\u00a0<\/span>a previous<\/span>\u00a0blog,\u202f<\/span><\/span>mosaic datasets are a great way to catalog<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u202f your imagery assets and prepare them for sharing and analysis. A primary<\/span>\u00a0capability of the m<\/span>osaic dataset<\/span>\u00a0model is that it<\/span>\u00a0can\u00a0<\/span>provide the framework and backbone critical to the\u00a0<\/span>administration<\/span> of imagery data over time<\/span>. <\/span><\/span>Mosaic datasets can manage an existing or growing stack of data or even other mosaic datasets\u00a0as input<\/a>, which allows users to create a \u00a0single dataset for a particular area covering a span of time. Datasets that contain a collection of content like this can be time enabled<\/span><\/a> and then navigated with the time slider in ArcGIS Pro. Once the mosaic dataset is created and time enabled, it can also be shared as an imagery layer in ArcGIS Online<\/a>, and visualized with the time slider in Map Viewer.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Another option to manage time in your mosaic dataset is to make it a multidimensional<\/a> mosaic dataset. This lets you easily explore and analyze imagery over time and space with the multidimensional tools.\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>Although traditionally used for datasets containing scientific or other similar types of datasets, multidimensional mosaic datasets can store multiple images covering a particular area for multiple time periods.\u00a0 \u202f<\/span>This is best applied to <\/span>remotely sensed content<\/span> like reality mapping products such as <\/span>orthomosaics<\/span> and surface models, <\/span>individua<\/span>l<\/span> multispectral satellite<\/span> scenes, and <\/span>aggregated<\/span> images such as <\/span><\/span>cloud free satellite<\/span> composites<\/span><\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/span>When the mosaic dataset is made dimensionally aware and shared online, Map Viewer can be used to engage with the imagery layer and visualize change over time through configuring the multidimensional properties<\/a>.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2806592,"id":2806592,"title":"LakeMeadShrink_Inf","filename":"LakeMeadShrink_Inf.gif","filesize":6333541,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LakeMeadShrink_Inf.gif","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-online\/imagery\/multidimensional-imagery-layers-arcgis-online\/lakemeadshrink_inf","alt":"Multidimensional imagery layer in Map Viewer","author":"108651","description":"","caption":"Multidimensional imagery layers can be animated in Map Viewer.","name":"lakemeadshrink_inf","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2622862,"date":"2025-05-23 15:52:38","modified":"2025-05-23 15:53:37","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/gif","type":"image","subtype":"gif","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":800,"height":558,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LakeMeadShrink_Inf-213x200.gif","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LakeMeadShrink_Inf.gif","medium-width":374,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LakeMeadShrink_Inf.gif","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":536,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LakeMeadShrink_Inf.gif","large-width":800,"large-height":558,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LakeMeadShrink_Inf.gif","1536x1536-width":800,"1536x1536-height":558,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LakeMeadShrink_Inf.gif","2048x2048-width":800,"2048x2048-height":558,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LakeMeadShrink_Inf-667x465.gif","card_image-width":667,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/LakeMeadShrink_Inf.gif","wide_image-width":800,"wide_image-height":558}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" The multidimensional imagery layers that are described in this blog are imagery layers that contain data with more than one time period represented for a particular area. These imagery layers are described as being multitemporal and can also be referred to as archival imagery layers, living imagery layers or time series imagery layers as well. In ArcGIS Online, when a multidimensional imagery layer is added to the Map Viewer, the other time periods can be visualized by manipulating the time slider<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0multidimensional slider<\/a>. These tools use the time data within the imagery layer to show points of interest or ranges in time<\/span>. You can even animate the map to see it change over time, or use Multidimensional Filter raster functions<\/a>\u00a0or the\u00a0Image Collection Explorer<\/a>\u00a0for\u00a0image collection<\/a>\u00a0imagery layers.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2811792,"id":2811792,"title":"MultidimSettingsNew","filename":"MultidimSettingsNew.png","filesize":33122,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/MultidimSettingsNew.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-online\/imagery\/multidimensional-imagery-layers-arcgis-online\/multidimsettingsnew","alt":"Multdimensional settings","author":"108651","description":"","caption":"Multidimensional settings in Map Viewer can be used to animate your imagery layer.","name":"multidimsettingsnew","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2622862,"date":"2025-05-28 17:54:26","modified":"2025-05-28 17:56:34","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":583,"height":385,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/MultidimSettingsNew-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/MultidimSettingsNew.png","medium-width":395,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/MultidimSettingsNew.png","medium_large-width":583,"medium_large-height":385,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/MultidimSettingsNew.png","large-width":583,"large-height":385,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/MultidimSettingsNew.png","1536x1536-width":583,"1536x1536-height":385,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/MultidimSettingsNew.png","2048x2048-width":583,"2048x2048-height":385,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/MultidimSettingsNew.png","card_image-width":583,"card_image-height":385,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/05\/MultidimSettingsNew.png","wide_image-width":583,"wide_image-height":385}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" Multidimensional imagery layers can provide a lot of opportunities for analysis and visualization for your organization. Visualizing change in a particular area, analyzing what has changed, and measuring the change with remote sensing sometimes requires multiple datasets. With multidimensional imagery layers, you can manage, analyze and visualize change with one imagery layer. In addition to the analysis, you can also provide an easier way for users in your organization to access large collections of related data. Here are two common uses for multidimensional imagery layers:<\/p>\n Multidimensional imagery layers can provide a lot of functionality in regard to maintaining your imagery assets in your organization. Investments in imagery can often be witnessed by providing an accurate view of what is currently present and a retrospective view of what used to be. How multidimensional imagery is used depends on the organization or the research being conducted. We look forward to hearing about how you use multidimensional imagery in your organization.<\/p>\n"}],"related_articles":[{"ID":2445322,"post_author":"108651","post_date":"2024-08-25 09:00:26","post_date_gmt":"2024-08-25 16:00:26","post_content":"","post_title":"Mosaic datasets: More than the sum of its parts","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"mosaic-datasets-more-than-the-sum-of-its-parts","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-08-25 14:14:03","post_modified_gmt":"2025-08-25 21:14:03","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=2445322","menu_order":0,"post_type":"blog","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":1735002,"post_author":"108651","post_date":"2022-11-02 09:00:41","post_date_gmt":"2022-11-02 16:00:41","post_content":"","post_title":"How can tiled imagery layers from ArcGIS Online make your imagery more useful?","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"tiled-imagery-layers-in-your-organization","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-08-19 06:58:43","post_modified_gmt":"2024-08-19 13:58:43","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=1735002","menu_order":0,"post_type":"blog","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2014002,"post_author":"108651","post_date":"2023-07-03 16:05:41","post_date_gmt":"2023-07-03 23:05:41","post_content":"","post_title":"Assess wildfire damage in ArcGIS Online - Part 1 (Create multidimensional imagery)","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"assessing-canadian-wildfire-damage-with-landsat-data-and-arcgis-online-creation-of-multidimensional-imagery","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2024-08-28 11:03:14","post_modified_gmt":"2024-08-28 18:03:14","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=2014002","menu_order":0,"post_type":"blog","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"},{"ID":2682672,"post_author":"108651","post_date":"2025-02-18 15:40:17","post_date_gmt":"2025-02-18 23:40:17","post_content":"","post_title":"What's new in imagery in ArcGIS Online (February 2025)","post_excerpt":"","post_status":"publish","comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","post_password":"","post_name":"whats-new-in-imagery-in-arcgis-online-february-2025","to_ping":"","pinged":"","post_modified":"2025-06-23 12:44:17","post_modified_gmt":"2025-06-23 19:44:17","post_content_filtered":"","post_parent":0,"guid":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=2682672","menu_order":0,"post_type":"blog","post_mime_type":"","comment_count":"0","filter":"raw"}],"show_article_image":false,"card_image":false,"wide_image":false,"authors":[{"ID":108651,"user_firstname":"Jeffrey","user_lastname":"Swain","nickname":"Jeff Swain","user_nicename":"jswain","display_name":"Jeff Swain","user_email":"JSwain@esri.com","user_url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?s=#&author=jswain","user_registered":"2020-10-05 20:10:08","user_description":"A Product Engineer on the Raster Team, who has been with Esri in various capacities since 2009, including as an Esri Support Analyst, and an Author for Esri Training Services. \r\n\r\nI find joy in solving problems through imagery and shared understanding, always driven by a passion to make things work better. I'm grateful for the creative minds I've met along the way\u2014collaboration has shown me that the best solutions are often born from many voices working together.","user_avatar":"Mosaic datasets and time\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Multidimensional imagery layers<\/strong><\/h2>\n
Uses for multidimensional imagery layers<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\n
\n
Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n
"},{"ID":340582,"user_firstname":"Jonah","user_lastname":"Hall","nickname":"Jonah Hall","user_nicename":"jhall","display_name":"Jonah Hall","user_email":"jhall@esri.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2023-06-13 13:01:55","user_description":"Jonah Hall is a solution engineer who focuses on how the various modalities of remote sensing can support a GIS, primarily around UAS platforms. Utilizing his Master\u2019s Degree in Environmental Science, he focuses on showing imagery and lidar workflows that enable a sustainable operation and drive defensible, meaningful insights.","user_avatar":"
"}]},"yoast_head":"\n