Intelligent Cloud Repair

Instructions for Use

Optical remote sensing imagery is susceptible to interference from atmospheric clouds and their shadows during imaging, resulting in the loss of some ground information. Ground features in cloud-covered areas cannot be effectively captured, while cloud shadow areas also reduce the overall clarity and contrast of the imagery, affecting imaging quality. These issues may lead to misjudgment of ground features in subsequent imagery analysis, thereby reducing the accuracy of results.

To efficiently address the above issues, SuperMap iDesktopX provides an interactive cloud repair function. This function supports automatic identification and manual editing of the cloud area to be repaired, while allowing flexible specification of substitute image data, enabling rapid image repair and replacement through human-computer interaction.

When using this function, please note the following:

  • Ensure that the image to be repaired and the substitute image have the same pixel format, number of bands, and coordinate system.
  • The image to be repaired must have undergone orthorectification.

Supported starting from SuperMap iDesktopX 2025 Update1 version.

Function Entrance

Imagery Tab -> Data Management Group -> Intelligent Cloud Repair.

Operation Instructions

  1. Start the Function

    Click the Imagery Tab -> Data Management Group -> Intelligent Cloud Repair button.

  2. Set the Image to Be Repaired

    Supports the following four methods to add images, formats include: .tiff, .tif, .img, .pix.

    • Add File: Select one or multiple image files from the local folder.
    • Add Folder: Select a local folder, and all image files in the folder and subfolders that meet the format will be automatically obtained.
    • Add List: Select a local manifest file (*.csv), and batch obtain all image files that meet the format based on the list file information.
    • Add Mosaic Data: Select a mosaic dataset that is already open in the current workspace.

    If added through the first three methods, the output data source and dataset need to be set to manage the images to be repaired in the form of a mosaic dataset; no setting is required when only using a mosaic dataset.

    After completing the addition of images to be repaired, click the Next button.

  3. Set the Cloud Area Range

    • Source of Data:
      • Existing Data (default option): Select the data source and dataset where the existing cloud area vector data is located.
      • Cloud Detection: Automatically identify the cloud area based on the mask pixel threshold, which takes a longer processing time.
    • Output Result: Specify the data source and dataset for storing the cloud area range data.
    • Edit Cloud Area: Click the Edit button to the right of the result dataset to manually modify the cloud area range in the map. For specific operations, please refer to Feature Editing.

    After completing the cloud area range settings, click the Next button.

  4. Set Substitute Images

    • Add Substitute Images: The method of addition is the same as for the images to be repaired.
    • Set Cloud Area Range: Also supports two methods: existing data or cloud detection. The system filters and sorts substitute images based on this data (cloud-free images are prioritized).

    After completing the cloud area range settings, click the Next button.

  5. Confirm and Adjust Substitute Images

    The system automatically recommends substitute images and displays them in a list. After selecting a record, you can view the substitute image, cloud area range, etc., in the preview area on the right.

    • Respecify Substitute Image: After clicking the drop-down button in the substitute image column cell, you can respecify the substitute image in the following two ways.
      • Select from List: Find and check (checkbox selected means enabled) the required substitute image from the drop-down options.
      • Add from Local: Click the More button to browse and select image files from the local directory for addition.
    • Adjust Substitute Image Order: Click the Up arrow to the right of the drop-down button option in the substitute image cell to adjust the order of substitute images. The system will perform the repair according to this new order.
    • Preview Area Description:
      • Display Substitute Image: Used to control the visibility of the substitute image, making it easier to view the effect of the substitute image. By default, it is not selected, meaning the substitute image is not displayed.
      • Display Cloud Area: Used to control whether to display the cloud area range data, making it easier to check if the substitute image can effectively cover this area. By default, it is selected, meaning the cloud area range data is displayed.
      • Full View: The preview window supports zooming and browsing by scrolling the data. This checkbox supports zooming out the preview to view the global effect.

    After completing the cloud area range settings, click the Next button.

  6. Execute Cloud Repair

    • Color Uniformity Method:
      • Adaptive Color Uniformity (default option): is an adaptive global and local combined color consistency processing method that does not require specifying a color balancing template and can adaptively process the image.
      • No Color Uniformity: Meaning no image color balancing processing is performed.
    • Expand Range: The system will first buffer the cloud area data based on the extended distance, and then perform the repair based on the buffered range to ensure the cloud area is completely covered. The default value is 0, unit is px.
    • Number of Feathered Pixels: Set the number of feathered pixels at the image拼接处, default value is 0.
    • Export Directory: Set the storage path for the substitute result image.
    • The output result data includes the following:
      • Cloud-Free Image Folder: Stores all cloud-free image data from the images to be repaired.
      • Cloudy Image Folder: Stores all cloudy image data from the images to be repaired.
      • Repaired Image Folder: Stores image data that has completed cloud repair.
      • Cloud.udbx Data Source: Stores the cloud area range data of the images to be repaired.
    • Substitute Preview: After setting the preview resolution, you can view the image substitute effect by clicking the preview button on the right.

    After completing all parameters, click the OK button to execute the image cloud repair operation.

Related Topics

Image Color Balancing

True Color Output

Image Mosaic