Configure a web scene layer

Before you share a web scene layer, you can configure it to specify the cache location and other settings. Depending on the cache location, your web scene layer may include an associated web feature layer. If it does, the feature layer is also configurable.

This workflow explains how to modify the default configuration of a web scene layer. To begin the sharing process, set general properties, and finish sharing, see Share a web scene layer. For information about the types of data that can be shared as a web scene layer, see What is a scene layer.

Configure scene layer properties

Use the following steps to configure the scene layer properties:

  1. If necessary, open the Share As Web Layer pane.

    On the General tab, confirm that the layer type is Scene.

  2. Click the Configuration tab. If necessary, click the Configure scene layer properties tab Configure scene layer properties below it.
  3. Under Operations, check the Export Data check box to allow others to use the scene layer as input for geoprocessing tools.

    This option does not appear when you share voxel layers or share to ArcGIS Enterprise 11.0 or earlier.

  4. Under Caching, choose where to build the cache.

    If you share a web scene layer that copies all data to ArcGIS Enterprise, you can cache on the server or locally. A web scene layer that references registered data is automatically cached on the server. If you share to ArcGIS Online, you can cache online or locally.

    Cache on the server or Cache online

    (The option name depends on your portal.)

    A web scene layer is shared with an associated web feature layer. The web feature layer supports editing, querying features outside the current view, and richer statistics. When this option is available, it is the default.

    Cache locally

    A scene layer package (.slpk) is shared to your portal and used to publish the web scene layer. An associated feature layer is not published. This is the only option available if you share a LAS dataset or voxel layer.

    Note:

    When publishing to ArcGIS Online, the .slpk file will not be added as an item in your organization if it is larger than 100 GB.

    1. If you cache locally, accept the default Temp cache location, which is determined by your share and download options settings, or browse to a different location.
    2. If you are sharing a multipatch or 3D object feature layer, check the Create compressed textures check box to enable texture optimization, which supports faster display in 3D applications.
      Note:

      Caching may take significantly longer when this option is enabled. Textures are generated in Basis Universal (KTX2), a GPU optimized compressed format that significantly reduces in-memory file size while maintaining optimal quality. This format has a similar storage size as JPEG but has a lower memory footprint on the GPU.

      This option does not appear when you share to ArcGIS Enterprise 11.0 or earlier.

    3. If you cache on the server or online, an Attributes heading appears. Use the check boxes next to field names to include or exclude fields from the web scene layer cache.

      By default, the fields to be included in the cache are the ObjectID field, any fields being used to draw or filter the data, and any field named Name. The ObjectID field and all fields being used to draw or filter the data are required. Additional information about each field, including how a required field is being used, can be viewed in the detail table under the list of fields.

    Note:

    If you share a web scene layer that references registered data to ArcGIS Enterprise, no caching options are presented. The web scene layer is cached on the server automatically and an associated feature layer is published.

  5. If you share a LAS dataset, you can optionally configure the following parameters under Point Cloud Parameters:

    Point size (m)

    For airborne lidar data, specify a value close to the average point spacing. For terrestrial lidar data, enter the desired point spacing for the area of interest. The default value of 0 automatically determines the best value for the input dataset.

    XY max error (m)

    Specify a tolerance value that represents the maximum allowable x,y-error. A higher tolerance results in better data compression and more efficient data transfer.

    Z max error (m)

    Specify a tolerance value that represents the maximum allowable z-error. A higher tolerance results in better data compression and more efficient data transfer.

Configure associated web feature layer properties

If the web scene layer has an associated web feature layer, you can configure the feature layer properties. The properties that can be configured depend on your active portal, your software version (if you are sharing to an ArcGIS Enterprise portal), and whether you are referencing data or copying data to the server. See the table in Configure a web feature layer for details.

  1. Click the Configure web layer properties tab Configure web layer properties.
  2. Under Operations, check the Approve for Public Data Collection check box to allow public editing on a web feature layer that copies all data.

    If the web layer is shared with everyone, you must approve the layer for public data collection before you can enable editing.

    This option does not appear when you share a web feature layer that references registered data or share to an ArcGIS Enterprise 10.8.1 or earlier portal.

    Caution:

    If editing is enabled on a layer that is shared with the public, anyone can edit it without signing in to your organization. For optimal performance and to prevent data loss or corruption, disable editing or share the layer only with your organization. For more information, see Allow or prevent editing on public layers.

  3. Check the Enable editing and allow editors to check box to enable web feature layer editing.

    If you are sharing a web feature layer that references registered data to ArcGIS Enterprise, editing is enabled by default. If you are sharing a web feature layer that copies all data to ArcGIS Enterprise, or if you are sharing to ArcGIS Online, editing is not enabled by default.

    If you are sharing to ArcGIS Online, referencing registered data to an ArcGIS Enterprise portal, or copying all data to an ArcGIS Enterprise 10.8.1 or later portal, choose which editing operations are permitted from the following table:

    OptionDescription
    Add

    Editors can add feature geometry and provide attribute values when they create the feature. This option is enabled by default. Once features are created, the Update option must be enabled for editors to modify features or their attributes.

    Delete

    Editors can delete features. This option is enabled by default.

    Update

    When this option is enabled, the Attributes and geometry option is enabled by default, allowing editors to update feature geometry and attributes. Choose Attributes only to allow editors to update attributes for existing features only. They cannot modify feature geometry.

    Note:

    For ArcGIS Enterprise 10.8 or earlier portals, the editing operations are different if you are sharing a web feature layer that copies all data.

    ArcGIS Enterprise versionOptions

    ArcGIS Enterprise 10.6.1 through 10.8

    • Add, update, and delete features
    • Add and update features
    • Add features
    • Update features
    • Update attributes only

    ArcGIS Enterprise 10.4 through 10.6

    • Add, update, and delete features
    • Update feature attributes only
    • Add features only

    The editing options are unavailable if you are sharing a web scene layer that references registered data from a file or mobile geodatabase.

    Caution:

    If you share a web feature layer that references registered data, editing operations cannot be modified through the website for your ArcGIS organization; use ArcGIS Server Manager instead. For more information, see Edit service properties in Server Manager in the ArcGIS Enterprise help.

  4. Check the Enable Sync box to allow users to work with a local copy of the data when they are offline and to synchronize changes when they are online.
  5. Check the Export Data check box to allow others to export the data to different formats.
  6. Check the Apply default to features with z-value check box to allow editors to add or update features through clients that don't allow a z-value to be given.
    1. Use Default z-value when inserting or updating features to set a default z-value.
  7. Check the Allow geometry updates without m-value check box to allow geometry updates to m-enabled features without specifying an m-value.
  8. Optionally, check the Preserve editor tracking info box.

    This option does not appear when you share a web scene layer that references registered data to ArcGIS Enterprise.

    Note:

    Features created before the layer is shared may store names in editor tracking fields that don't match user names in your ArcGIS organization. For example, they may store a user name from a desktop computer or database. When you subsequently manage the web layer in your portal, you may want to restrict editing privileges so that editors can edit only features they have created themselves. (On the web layer's item details page, on the Settings tab, this option is called What features can editors edit?) If you make this restriction, and if you also chose to preserve editor tracking information, no one in your organization—except administrators—can edit existing features in the web layer because no one is recognized as the creator of those features. This is the main reason to consider not preserving editor tracking information.

    Learn more about editor tracking

Configure parameters

Complete the following steps to configure parameters. For more information, see Service parameters.

  1. At the top of the pane, under the Configuration tab, click Configure Parameters Configure parameters.
  2. Under Properties, enter a value in the Maximum records returned by server box to specify the maximum number of records that can be returned by a user query. The default value is 2,000.

    This property appears if you are sharing a web scene layer with an associated feature layer to ArcGIS Enterprise.

  3. Optionally, under Date Fields, click the Time zone of the data drop-down arrow and choose the time zone in which your date values are recorded. This allows date and time values to be converted correctly when users interact with the web layer.

    If you don't specify a time zone, date values are assumed to be stored in UTC (coordinated universal time).

    If you are sharing a web scene layer with an associated feature layer, date and time values are returned in UTC.

    If you are sharing a web scene layer with 3D point, 3D object features, or building data cached locally, date values are stored in the time zone you specify.

    This setting does not appear when you share a web feature layer that copies all data to an ArcGIS Enterprise 10.5 or earlier portal.

    1. If you choose a time zone other than UTC and you want the time zone to account for daylight saving time, check Adjust For Daylight Saving.

      This setting is only available when sharing a web scene layer with an associated web feature layer.

  4. If you chose a time zone other than None (Assumed UTC), optionally click the Preferred time zone for display drop-down arrow and choose a time zone for ArcGIS AllSource to use when displaying queries from the web feature layer.

    ArcGIS AllSource will display date fields in UTC if no preferred time zone is specified.

    This property appears if you are sharing a web scene layer with an associated feature layer. This setting does not appear when you share a web feature layer that copies all data to an ArcGIS Enterprise 11.0 or earlier portal.

    1. If you choose a preferred time zone other than None (Assumed UTC) and you want the preferred time zone to account for daylight saving time, check Adjust For Daylight Saving.