the Georeferencing Menu in ArcGIS Pro
Included in this tutorial:
Accessing the Georeference Pane/Menu
Reviewing the Georeferencing tools:
Prepare menu
Adjust menu, including transformation options
Review menu
Save menu (to georectify results)
Software version in examples: 3.0.0
Credits: Varisa Tanti (2022)
This tutorial walks through the Georeference menu options in ArcGIS Pro, including the tools available through the process of georeferencing a raster map image.
The Georeference Pane
Once a map image is added to the project, select Imagery in the main menu ribbon.
Then, select Georeference (2nd to the left) to start georeferencing the selected raster layer. This will move the Georeference Pane in the main menu ribbon.
To open the Georeference Pane, click Imagery in the main ribbon. Then, select Georeference.
In this pane, tools are divided into four categories: Prepare, Adjust, Review, and Save.
the options in the georeference menu
The remaining sections of this tutorial review the options in each of the Georeference menu’s categories of tools.
Prepare: Tools for Setting Up
the Prepare tools
There are eight tools in the Prepare category. These are helpful when you are setting up your project environment to begin georeferencing a map image layer.
Locate: Search locations by typing in an address place name or coordinate values.
Set SRS: Set the coordinate system of the map. (“SRS” = spatial reference system.)
Fit to Display: Fit the layer to the current display extent.
Move: Move the layer to shift the data into its correct location.
Scale: Resize the layer to bring the data to its correct dimension.
Rotate: Rotate the layer to orient the data in its correct direction.
Flip: Transform the layer horizontally or vertically.
Fixed Rotate: Transform the layer by rotating it clockwise or counterclockwise.
Adjust: Tools for Georeferencing
the Adjust tools
There are seven tools and/or menu items in the Adjust category. Use these tools to manually (or automatically) georeference your map image through adding control points, rubbersheeting, and applying a transformation.
the Transform drop-down menu
Auto Georeference: Automatically compute control points between the source layer and reference raster layers in the map.
Import Control Points: Import control points from a file.
Add Control Points: Add control points to align the layer to the reference layers.
Transformation: Choose and apply a geometric transformation from the list. Transformation options get enabled as appropriate numbers of control points are added.
Auto Apply: Automatically apply the transformation to the source layer and update the display as control points are added, removed, or modified.
Apply: Apply pending control point edits to transform the source layer and update the display. Enable this option by disabling Auto Apply.
Reset: Reset transformations and the set the layer back to its original location.
Review: Tools to Check and Edit your Work
the Review tools
There are five items in the Review category. With these tools, you can make changes to your georeferencing.
Control Point Table: Open the control point table. The control point table lists all the control points, and its residual error.
Select: Select a control point on the map display.
Zoom To: Zoom to the selected control point.
Delete: Delete the selected control point.
Delete All: Delete all the selected control points.
Save: Tools to Finish and Georectify
the Save tools
The four tools of the Save category allow you to save, both, the georeferencing process and its results.
Save: Update the georeferencing transformation of the source raster dataset.
Save as New: Create a new raster dataset with the georeferencing transformation applied.
Export Control Points: Export the control points to a file.
Generate Report: Generate georeferencing report file.