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Satellite Images Context Menu

Commands available when right-clicking Satellite Image objects in the Data Tree. Satellite images are georeferenced multispectral or panchromatic imagery acquired from Earth observation satellites, used for regional mapping, vegetation analysis, change detection, and geological interpretation.

Satellite Image Group Operations​

Commands available when right-clicking a Satellite Image Group (folder containing satellite image collections).

New Satellite Image​

Menu name: New Satellite Image Tooltip Create new satellite image in this group.

What it does Creates a new, empty satellite image object within the group. The new image is a placeholder that can be populated by importing raster data, downloading satellite imagery, or loading from file. Provides a container for organising satellite imagery with associated metadata and band configuration.

When to use it

  • Preparing to import satellite imagery
  • Organising planned satellite data acquisitions
  • Creating placeholders for batch downloads
  • Structuring multi-temporal satellite datasets

Notes The created image is initially empty and requires data import or download to be useful. Image parameters (bands, resolution, coordinate system) are typically set during import or download operations.

Group / Ungroup​

Menu name: Group / Ungroup Tooltip Organize satellite images into subgroups or dissolve groupings.

What it does See Group and Ungroup in Shared Commands for complete documentation. Organises selected satellite images into hierarchical subgroups for better project organisation, or dissolves existing groups to flatten the structure.

When to use it

  • Organising images by acquisition date or satellite
  • Grouping multi-temporal sequences
  • Separating images by region or tile
  • Creating hierarchies (e.g., Satellite → Year → Season → Scene)

Notes Grouping is purely organisational and does not affect image data or analysis. Useful for managing large satellite image collections with multiple acquisition dates or coverage areas.

Import​

From File...​

Menu name: From File... Tooltip Import satellite image from file.

What it does Opens file dialogue to import satellite imagery from disk. Supports common satellite image formats including GeoTIFF, JPEG2000, HDF, and format-specific containers (e.g., Sentinel SAFE, Landsat GeoTIFF). Reads georeferencing information (coordinate system, ground control points, affine transform) and band metadata from file headers.

When to use it

  • Loading downloaded satellite scenes
  • Importing preprocessed satellite imagery
  • Adding archive satellite data to projects
  • Loading multispectral or hyperspectral datasets

Notes

Multispectral Data

Satellite images typically contain multiple spectral bands (e.g., Landsat 8: 11 bands, Sentinel-2: 13 bands). Import preserves all bands for subsequent analysis. Band display and colour composites are configured after import.

Automatically detects georeferencing from GeoTIFF tags, world files, or embedded metadata. For images without georeferencing, manual georeferencing may be required. Large satellite scenes may take time to load depending on resolution and band count.

Sentinel SAFE Format​

Menu name: Sentinel SAFE Format Tooltip Import Sentinel satellite data in SAFE archive format.

What it does Opens specialised import dialogue for Sentinel satellite imagery in SAFE (Standard Archive Format for Europe) format. SAFE is the native distribution format for Copernicus Sentinel missions (Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, Sentinel-3). Automatically extracts imagery, metadata, and quality indicators from the SAFE directory structure, organising bands and ancillary data appropriately.

When to use it

  • Importing Sentinel-1 (SAR) or Sentinel-2 (optical) data
  • Loading data directly from Copernicus Open Access Hub
  • Working with unprocessed Sentinel SAFE archives
  • Accessing full metadata and quality flags

Notes

SAFE Structure

SAFE format is a directory structure containing imagery (IMG_DATA), metadata (MTD_MSIL1C.xml), and quality information (QI_DATA). Import automatically navigates this structure to extract relevant bands and georeferencing.

Supports both Sentinel-2 Level-1C (Top of Atmosphere reflectance) and Level-2A (Bottom of Atmosphere reflectance). For Sentinel-2, imports all spectral bands at their native resolutions (10m, 20m, 60m). Sentinel-1 SAR data includes polarisation channels and metadata. Import may take several minutes for full-resolution scenes.

Download​

NASA Imagery​

Menu name: NASA Imagery Tooltip Download satellite imagery from NASA services.

What it does Opens dialogue to query and download satellite imagery from NASA Earth observation archives including MODIS, Landsat (via USGS partnership), ASTER, and other NASA missions. Allows specification of area of interest, date range, cloud cover thresholds, and data products. Downloads imagery directly into the project with automatic georeferencing.

When to use it

  • Acquiring Landsat multispectral imagery
  • Downloading MODIS moderate-resolution global coverage
  • Accessing NASA Earth observation products
  • Obtaining baseline satellite imagery for study areas
  • Time series analysis with archive data

Notes

Data Access

Requires active internet connection. Some NASA data products may require registration or authentication (free). Download speed depends on scene size, resolution, and service availability. MODIS data is typically faster to download than Landsat due to lower resolution.

Landsat archive extends back to 1972 (Landsat 1), providing valuable historical imagery. MODIS provides daily to bi-daily global coverage since 2000. Downloaded imagery includes metadata (acquisition date, satellite/sensor, processing level). Cloud cover filtering helps select optimal scenes. Downloaded files are cached locally to avoid re-downloading.

Band Configuration​

Set RGB Filter Bands​

Menu name: Set RGB Filter Bands Tooltip Configure which spectral bands display as red, green, and blue channels.

What it does Opens dialogue to assign spectral bands to RGB display channels, creating colour composite visualisations from multispectral imagery. Allows selection of which bands map to red, green, and blue display channels, enabling false-colour composites for enhanced interpretation. Band assignments can be saved as presets for different analysis purposes.

When to use it

  • Creating false-colour composites (e.g., NIR-Red-Green for vegetation)
  • Optimising band combinations for specific features
  • Applying standard composites (Natural Colour, Agriculture, Geology)
  • Switching between visualisation modes for interpretation

Notes

Common Band Combinations

Natural Colour (True Colour):

  • Landsat 8: RGB = Bands 4-3-2 (Red-Green-Blue)
  • Sentinel-2: RGB = Bands 4-3-2 (Red-Green-Blue)

False Colour Infrared (Vegetation):

  • Landsat 8: RGB = Bands 5-4-3 (NIR-Red-Green)
  • Sentinel-2: RGB = Bands 8-4-3 (NIR-Red-Green)
  • Healthy vegetation appears bright red due to high NIR reflectance

Agriculture (Shortwave IR):

  • Landsat 8: RGB = Bands 6-5-2 (SWIR1-NIR-Blue)
  • Emphasises vegetation health and moisture content

Geology:

  • Landsat 8: RGB = Bands 7-5-3 (SWIR2-NIR-Green)
  • Enhances rock and soil types, reduces vegetation

Band assignment affects only display - original spectral data is preserved. Different combinations highlight different features: vegetation, water, urban areas, geology. Experiment with combinations to optimise interpretation. Some bands may require brightness/contrast adjustment for optimal display. Band stretching (histogram equalisation) improves contrast in low-variation scenes.