Web scenes

A scene is symbolized geospatial content that allows you to visualize and analyze geographic information in an intuitive and interactive 3D environment. A scene is made of the following components:

  • Layers—geospatial data, such as scientific, urban planning, or environmental data with styles and configurations.
  • Basemap—A basemap provides a background of geographical context for the content in your scene.
  • Ground—The terrain with elevation data that can be turned on and off.

You can choose between a global or local scene to best display your data, such as global weather patterns, shipping lanes, or underground utilities.

Use scenes as a tool for planning and urban development. In this example, you can see the highlights of the proposed development and interact with the different scenarios in 3D surroundings. You can quickly grasp the project features, such as buildings with detailed architecture, landscaping, bridges, and roads. Because scenes are such great visualization tools, you can easily explore the scene by turning existing and proposed conditions on and off. You can also concisely tell your story by capturing slides that emphasize important aspects of your project. With scenes you can design and visualize scenarios and immediately communicate your ideas with stakeholders and the public.

You can make a scene with either Scene Viewer or with ArcGIS Pro. To create scenes, you need to be signed in with an organizational account or a public account.