Intelligent Cloud Patching

Feature Description

Optical remote sensing imagery is susceptible to interference from atmospheric clouds and their shadows during imaging, leading to missing ground information. Ground features in cloud-covered areas cannot be effectively captured, and cloud shadow areas can affect surface reflectance, causing distortion of spectral features and image color distortion. These issues may lead to misinterpretation of ground features in subsequent imagery analysis, resulting in reduced accuracy.

To efficiently address the above issues, SuperMap iDesktopX provides an interactive cloud patching function. This function supports automatic identification and manual editing of cloud areas to be repaired, while allowing flexible specification of alternate 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 alternate image have the same pixel format, number of bands, and coordinate system.
  • The image to be repaired must have completed orthorectification.

SuperMap iDesktopX version 2025 Update1 or later supports this.

Function Entry

Imagery Tab->Satellite Image Processing Group->Intelligent Cloud Patching.

Operation Instructions

  1. Start Function

    Click Imagery Tab->Satellite Image Processing Group->Intelligent Cloud Patching button.

  2. Set the Image to Be Repaired

    Supports four ways to add images, formats include: .tiff, .tif, .img, .pix.

    • Add File: Select single or multiple image files from the local folder.
    • Add Folder: Select a local folder, and all image files in that 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 file information in the list.
    • Add Mosaic Data: Select an already open mosaic dataset in the current workspace.

    If added via the first three methods, set the output data source and dataset to manage the image to be repaired in the form of a mosaic dataset; when using only a mosaic dataset, no settings are required.

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

  3. Set the Cloud Zone Extents

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

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

  4. Set the Alternate Image

    • Add an Alternate Image: The addition method is the same as setting the image to be repaired.
    • Set Sorting Method: Provides multiple sort by options, defaulting to sorting by Priority Cloud Area Range. You can also choose Priority Time, Priority Resolution, Priority Sensor, or Priority Similarity to sort the images. When set to Priority Cloud Area Range, supports adding cloud zone information via Existing Data or Cloud Detection.

    After completing the alternate image settings, click the Next button.

  5. Confirm and Adjust the Alternate Image

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

    • Respecify Alternate Image: After clicking the drop-down button in the alternate image column cell, you can respecify the alternate image in the following two ways.
      • Select from List: Find and check (checkbox selected means enabled) the desired alternate 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 Alternate Image Order: Click the drop-down button in the alternate image cell-> the Up arrow on the right side of the option to adjust the order of alternate images; the system will perform patching according to this new order.
    • Preview Area Description:
      • Show Alternate Images: Used to control the display and hiding of alternate images, facilitating the viewing of the effect of alternate images. By default, not selected, meaning alternate images are not shown.
      • Displays the Cloud Zone: Used to control whether to display the cloud zone range data, facilitating the viewing of whether the alternate image can effectively cover this area. By default, selected, meaning the cloud zone range data is displayed.
      • Full View: The preview window supports zooming and browsing by scrolling the data; this checkbox supports zooming out to view the global effect.

    After confirming and adjusting the alternate image, click the Next button.

  6. Perform Cloud Patching

    • Color Uniformity Method:
      • Adaptive Color Uniformity (default): This is an adaptive color consistency processing method that combines global and local adjustments, which can adaptively process the image without specifying a color balancing template.
      • No Color Uniformity: Means no image uniform color processing is performed.
    • Expand Range: The system will first perform buffering on the cloud zone data based on the extended distance, and then execute patching based on the buffered range to ensure the cloud zone is completely covered. The default value is 100, in pixels.
    • Number of Feathered Pixels: Set the number of feathered pixels at the image splicing junction. The default value is 0.
    • Output Path: Set the storage path for the alternate result image. The output result data includes the following content:
      • Cloud-Free Image folder: Stores all cloud-free image data from the image to be repaired.
      • Cloudy Image folder: Stores all cloudy image data from the image to be repaired.
      • Patched Image folder: Stores image data that has completed cloud patching.
      • Cloud.udbx data source: Stores the cloud zone range data of the image to be repaired.
    • Substitute Preview: After setting the preview resolution, you can view the image substitution effect via the preview button on the right.

    After completing all parameters, click the OK button to perform the image cloud patching operation.

Related Topics

Image Uniform Color

True Color Output

Image Mosaic