The content in this article is only applicable to HUB users only. If you are interested in learning more about HUB or wish to upgrade your account, please reach out to support@skywatch.com.

This article explains how to search for archive imagery and create an order on HUB.

Data that has already been captured and stored by one of our data partners is called archive data. Archive data allows you to find information about the past state of your area of interest and monitor change over time.

Depending on whether data was captured on a specific day, archive data may or may not be available over your area of interest. If data is unavailable, try expanding your search parameters to other resolutions, a more tolerant cloud coverage, or allow for a wider date range.

Watch this demonstration on how to order archival imagery.

Interested in multi-product ordering to stitch images together into a combined purchase? Watch this demo.

1. Log onto your HUB account and click on Explore Existing.

2. Search your area of interest using the search bar by entering a Town/City/Country or coordinates (Decimals, e.g., 43.6708, -79.3885).

You also have the option to draw a polygon directly onto the map using the Draw Polygon Button. If you have a KML/GeoJSON/JSON formatted polygon file, you can upload it by clicking the Upload a Polygon Button on the right. You can create a custom KML or GeoJSON using a GIS Platform (e.g., ESRI ArcPro or QGIS), Google Earth, or https://geojson.io.

If you plan to re-use an AOI file or drawing for future order and projects, a new feature available on HUB allows you to save your AOI onto your account.

Once you have uploaded or drawn your AOI, you will see the option to Save Area, located under the Order Area: x km2.

If you are not signed in, you will be prompted to. Users can only save and access saved AOIs when they are signed in.

Once you are signed in, you can add a name to your saved AOI. Click "Save" once you have entered the name of your AOI.

To load your saved AOI, find the bookmark symbol located in the top right corner of your screen.

A list of your saved AOIs will appear.

Click on the AOI of your choice to load onto the application.

3. Once you have inserted your area of interest/coordinates, or uploaded your polygon file, archive data will return from your search in the space below the search bar. While the data is returning, you can select the filter button and adjust the following options for your archive search:

You can also sort your archive search results by Date, Price, and Cloud Coverage (click on the Sort by drop-down menu).

4. Once you have selected your filter options, click "Apply Filters". Once you click "Apply Filters", your archive results will change. If no imagery returns, this will be due to a lack of archive data within selected dates for the area of interest, or with the filter options you set. If there are no results please expand your date range and/or adjust your filter options.

5. Once you have the results returned, a preview of the image can be made visible by clicking on it.

The preview of the image only shows a downsampled, low-resolution version of the product. It will not provide you with the true resolution of the product. If you do need to view the full resolution of a particular product, we recommend reviewing the "What Type of Data Do I Need" support document to view samples.

6. If you need more information about the image, click on the "i" icon in the corner of the product.

Check BaseMap: If you want to confirm on the area you will receive from the available data product, we recommend using the satellite basemap tool. You can turn this on by clicking on the change basemap button.

Grey-Scale Street Basemap

Satellite Basemap

7. Once you are ready to purchase the image, click on the Add to cart button.

If you add multiple products to your cart, and some or all of them overlap with each other, a message will appear informing that you have selected multiple images.

You will be presented with two options:

8. Then select the Go to Cart button located at the bottom of the list of archive images, or in the top-right corner of your screen.

9. If the order is correct, click on Proceed to Checkout.

You will be asked to select a Project to link the order to so it is charged to the correct payment method.

If you are unsure of which project to use, you will have to consult with your SuperAdmin.

Note: The output type for ALL archive orders are All Optical Bands.