ArcCatalog no longer seeing Raster Data?

I am providing this information for the benefit of ERDAS IMAGINE customers who are using ArcGIS as well.

The problem: ArcGIS can no longer see raster data in ArcCatalog using ESRI’s File Chooser. The only way the customer can add raster data to ArcMap seems to be a drag and drop from Windows Explorer.

A friend told me said the problem started appearing with ArcGIS 9.2. I have experienced it in 9.2 as well. This is the result of a setting in ArcCatalog being changed somehow. The friend said the problem occurred on systems with both ESRI and ERDAS products loaded as well as with ESRI products alone. To complicate things, it doesn’t happen on every machine (a phantom problem).

Notwithstanding the illusive nature of the problem, it is easy for the customer to correct on their computer.

To resolve the issue, go to ArcCatalog – Tools – Options. From the General Tab under the "Which types of Data do you want the Catalog to show?" section, check the checkbox next to Raster Files and apply the change. This will restore ArcMap and ArcCatalog’s ability to display rasters in the file chooser dialog and catalog listing.

Create an IMAGINE Image File List (.fls) for use in MosaicTool and MosaicPro.

I originally created this procedure while at the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) Center for Geographic Information Systems.

The structure of .fls format is documented in ERDAS IMAGINE as follows:
n number-of-images
i reference-image
0 imagename_1
1 imagename_2
.
.
.
n-1 imagename_n

An example is as follows:
3 number-of-images
1 reference-image
0 R:\Data\wasia1_mss.img
1 R:\Data\wasia2_mss.img
2 R:\Data\wasia3_tm.img

How do I create a .fls for all TIFF images in a directory and in all sub-directories?

First, use a DOS Command Window
1. Open a DOS Command Window
2. Change to the appropriate directory
3. Use "dir" command as follows: dir *.tif /b /s > mosaic-list.txt
(The /s parameter looks in sub-directories; the /b makes the list 'bare')

Next, use MS Excel to organize the list
4. Open "mosaic-list.txt" in Excel
5. Insert a column to the left of the list
6. Insert 2 rows at the top of the list
7. Add 0 in the first column of the third row
8. Add =A3+1 to the first column of the forth row
9. Copy formula from #8 above to all rows with images
10. Copy the number for the last image to the first column of the first row
11. Select an image number for the reference image (can change in Mosaic later) and put in the first column of the second row.
12. Find / Replace all \" with "/", in the image column.
13. Save as the file to a text file to your desired txt filename.

Next, use MS Word to remove tabs introduced by Excel:
14. Replace tab "^t" with a space " " (do not enter quote marks)
15. Save as text with the extension of .fls

Finally, open in Mosaic Tool or Mosaic.

ERDAS IMAGINE / LPS 9.3 Shipping complete - SP 9.3.1 available

The final few media packs containing the ERDAS 2009 DVDs (which include ERDAS IMAGINE and LPS 9.3) are being shipped from ERDAS, Inc. we I write.

Look on the ERDAS, Inc. Support Web site to the latest Service Pack for ERDAS IMAGINE and LPS 9.3 as well. The service pack upgrades ERDAS IMAGINE and LPS 9.3 to 9.3.1.

There is a Service Pack for ERDAS ER Mapper 7.2 as well.

Have y'all started using ER Mapper 7.2 yet? It is included on the ERDAS 2009 DVD and in the IMAGINE Professional license files. Give it a try.