Add and edit data

Add data to ArcGIS Earth

ArcGIS Earth allows you to use a variety of items from ArcGIS Online, ArcGIS Enterprise, local data, and web services.

ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise

The quickest way to get started is to add existing layers to the globe from ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise. You can access data from ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise from the Add data panel. The Portal tab appears on the panel if you've set an ArcGIS Enterprise portal as the active portal.

ArcGIS Earth allows access to public content from ArcGIS Online without signing in. Once signed in, you are given options to search, sort, and filter data from My Content, My Favorites, My Groups, My Organization, and ArcGIS Online.

ArcGIS ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World contains a collection of authoritative, ready-to-use maps and scenes. You will see the Living Atlas tab if your portal administrator configures access to Living Atlas content for the organization. Most Living Atlas layers are free to use in your scene and can be viewed by anyone, but some layers contain subscriber content or premium content, which consumes credits (these are identified in the item description with subscriber and premium icons and can't be viewed by the public).

When searching for data to add, you can change the way the results are displayed. Use Sort and Filter to help you find the data you need. You can also view details of each layer before adding it to the scene:

• Type a keyword to search for relevant content.
• Click Sort to change the order of the results.
• Click Filter and use different categories to help you narrow the results.
• Click Details to open the portal item page from ArcGIS Online.
• Click Add or Merge to add a portal item to the table of contents.

Note:

• You only see some of these options if you are not signed in or if you are signed in with a public ArcGIS Online account.
• Data accessibility is associated with the active portal connection status. For example, data with sharing limitations is only accessible when you've signed in to the active portal, and data set to Everyone is always accessible under a stable network environment.
• Only ArcGIS Living Atlas of the World data presented with standard category sets is listed in the Living Atlas group.

Local files

To view local file data from your computer or shared drive in ArcGIS Earth, choose the Add Files option on the Add Data panel. Supported local data includes the following:

• Shapefile
• KML and KMZ files
• TXT and CSV files containing location coordinates or addresses
• Mobile scene package
• GPX
• GeoJSON
• Tile package
• Scene layer package with file extensions of .spk and .slpk. The following are supported scene layers:
  • Point
  • Point cloud
  • 3D object
  • Integrated mesh
• Mobile map package
• GeoPackage
• Vector tile package
• Raster file
• 3D model
• 3D Tiles

Tip:

• You can double-click a KML or KMZ file or mobile scene package on your local file system to start ArcGIS Earth.
• To create a tile package or a scene layer package, you can use ArcMap or ArcGIS Pro.

Services

You can provide the URL of a service, a portal item, or a file to access the data. Supported services include the following:

• ArcGIS Server web services
  • Map service
  • Image service
  • Feature service
  • Scene service
  • Vector tile service
• Web scene
• Web map
• OGC Web Map Service (WMS)
• OGC Web Map Tile Service (WMTS)
• OGC Web Feature Service (WFS)
• URL to a KML or KMZ service or file
• Path to the local file location

Tip:

• You can drag a service URL or a data path into the viewport or the table of contents, and the services will display as if you had typed the URL in the Add Data panel.
• You can turn on automatic refresh and set the refresh rate for feature service, tiled layer, map image layer, and WMS by right-clicking the layer Properties in the table of contents and clicking Refresh. The default and minimum refresh interval for feature layers is 30 seconds, and 6 seconds for other supported layers. The refresh setting is saved to the ArcGIS Earth workspace.

Note:

• A layer can't be added to ArcGIS Earth if its tiling scheme can't be adjusted to align with the spatial reference of the current application.
• When adding layers, web scene and web map layers are merged to the ArcGIS Earth workspace as structured folders.
• Group layers and slides configured in a web scene are currently not supported.
• Pre-2.0 Web Map is not supported.

Feature service editing

ArcGIS Earth supports the ability to edit feature services. With this capability, users have the flexibility to modify and update various properties of feature services. If the feature service is editable and you are a member of a role that has the privilege to edit features, you can open a map containing editable feature services or add an editable feature service to ArcGIS Earth to edit the features.

In ArcGIS Earth, you can start editing an editable feature service using the following methods. An edit toolbar appears at the top of the view once you start editing.

• Right-click a feature service in the table of contents and select Edit from the right-click menu.
• Open the attribute table of a feature service, and click Edit in the table.
• Click Edit from the feature's pop-up window.

You can update the existing features, add a new feature, or delete features.

Tip:

• You can edit an existing feature's nonspatial attributes and geometry by using the Select tool to select the feature. Use the Continue Sketch , Finish Sketch , Delete Vertex , Undo , or Redo options of the selected feature and update attributes.
• You can add a new feature by using the Add tool to create predefined shapes, for example, Right Angle Line, Circle, Rectangle, and Ellipse.

KML and KMZ

You can add KML and KMZ files to ArcGIS Earth from a portal, from a local folder, or by entering a URL. After a KML layer is added to the table of contents, you can edit it, add new features to it, save the edits, or save the edited layer as a new KMZ file.

KML editing

ArcGIS Earth supports the ability to edit KML features including point (placemark), line, polygon, ground overlay, screen overlay, network link, and KML folders. Multiple editing options are provided in ArcGIS Earth for KML and KMZ files:

• Edit KML in the table of contents:
  • Add—Add a folder, point, line, polygon, ground overlay, screen overlay, or network link to the KML folder or KML document.
  • Cut—Cut the selected KML item.
  • Copy—Copy the selected KML item.
  • Paste—Paste the selected KML item to an existing KML folder or document.
  • Save as—Save the selected KML layer as a new KML or KMZ file. The edited KML layer can also be saved to the table of contents to replace the existing one.
• Edit KML layer properties by right-clicking the layer Properties window in the table of contents:
  • General—Display KML layer information including name, appearance, and geometry type.
  • View—View and set the fly-to view.
  • Info—View and edit pop-up contents. If a Snippet is not supplied, the first two lines of the description are used.
  • Refresh—Configure refresh mode and refresh rate for KML network links.
  • Location—Specify the bounding box or exact coordinates of ground overlay.
  • Format—Specify the size and position of screen overlay.
• Add and edit KML features for an existing KML layer:
  • Cut or copy drawing elements and paste them to an existing KML layer.
  • Add points, lines, and polygons to an existing KML layer.
  • Create and add a ground overlay to an existing KML layer.
  • Create and add a screen overlay to an existing KML layer.
  • Create and add a network link to an existing KML layer.
  • Edit the geometry of KML features on the fly.

A KML layer with unsaved edits is indicated with status in the table of contents. When you're finished editing, you can choose Save as to save the edited layer as a new KML or KMZ file, or directly save the layer to the table of contents and replace the existing one. A dialog box appears, reminding you to save or discard your edits if there are unsaved edits in the workspace when you exit.

Note:

• The adjusted display order for drawing elements in the table of contents will be preserved after saving as a KMZ file.
• Changing the order of KML layers in the table of contents does not affect the drawing order on the globe until saving as a new KMZ file.
• Edits on KML network links will be overwritten after the layer is refreshed. To review your edits, you can configure the refresh rate of the network link or save your edits locally as a new KMZ file.

Tip:

Starting in ArcGIS Earth 1.14, the KML layer transparency can be adjusted in the KML layer Properties panel. Move the Layer Transparency slider or specify a value as a percentage to change the transparency for the overall KML layer. The transparency setting will take effect for the entire KML layer, including all the children nodes of the KML layer.

KML batch editing

ArcGIS Earth supports batch selection and editing of multiple KML nodes within a KML file, including geometry types of point (placemark), line, and polygon. Multiple KML files can be selected by pressing the Ctrl or Shift key. Based on the geometry type and location architecture of the selected KML nodes, the following operations are supported:

• Turn on—Turn on the visibility of all selected KML nodes in the scene.
• Turn off—Turn off the visibility of all selected KML nodes in the scene.
• Group—Group all the selected KML nodes into a folder and add them to the parent folder.
• Delete—Batch delete all selected KML nodes.
• Zoom to layer—Zoom in to a scale range at which all the selected KML nodes are displayed on the scene.
• Symbology—Batch edit all selected KML nodes.

Note:

• Group is only available when all selected KML nodes are in the same folder.
• Batch editing of symbology is only available when all selected KML nodes are of the same geometry type.

View time-based animation

If a time slider is at the bottom of a map, it means that the map includes one or more temporal KML or KMZ layers, feature services, or image services. You can interactively view your data changing over time. Using the slider controls, you can control the animation of your data over time to play or pause, go to the previous time interval, and go to the next time interval. If your map contains multiple time-aware datasets and they are active, you can view each dataset's time period in the time span panel.

To view time-based animation, complete the following steps:

1. Add temporal data to ArcGIS Earth.

   Look for the time slider at the bottom of the view, and expand the time span panel appended above. If the time slider is not visible, it means that the map does not contain any time-aware layers or that the time-aware layers are not currently visible.

2. Click the Time Span button to view the time interval covered by each temporal data item.
3. Drag the slider in the Time Span panel or select the time from the drop-down menu to configure the start point and end point of the time slider.
4. Click the Play button to begin animating the layer.
5. Optionally, use the sliders to manually adjust the time interval that appears on the map.
6. Click the Pause button to pause the animation.
7. Click the Previous button to go back to the last data interval.
8. Click the Next button to advance to the next data interval.
9. Click UTC (default) to open the timezone drop-down menu and select either a local time zone or UTC.
10. Click the Settings button to the right of the slider to configure the animation control settings. The options are as follows:
    • Play Option—Control what happens after the animation plays once, including Repeat, Reverse, and Stop.
      • Repeat—Loop animation from the beginning.
      • Reverse—Replay animation from the end to the beginning.
      • Stop—Stop the animation.
    • Play Mode—Control how the animation plays.
      • Move by step—The overall time interval plays one step at a time based on the steps identified in the KML or KMZ data.
      • Move by interval—Play animation by showing data within the range of steps or time between the left and right anchors and by moving the full interval at each animation step.
      • Move to end—Step through the range defined by the left and right anchors.
    • Animation Speed—Use this slider to set animation speed.

Note:

• When play mode is set as Move by interval, if you manually drag the time interval slider, the units in the time slider settings are automatically switched to custom.

Map tour

With ArcGIS Earth, you can explore the world by adding a map tour KMZ file. To play a tour, double-click the layer with the play icon in the table of contents. The tour player appears on the right. The map tour player supports pause and repeat and displays total duration of the current tour. You can also pause the tour by clicking the viewport or pressing the Spacebar.

• Pause/Play—Pause or play the tour.
• Repeat—Loop the tour from the beginning.
• Close—Exit the tour and close the tour player.

Mobile scene package

The mobile scene package (.mspk) is designed to take 2D and 3D content offline for use across the ArcGIS platform. It packages one or more scenes, as well as locators, into a single local file. You can add multiple mobile scene packages to ArcGIS Earth on your desktop, and search for places or addresses with the locators from the mobile scene packages.

When adding a mobile scene package, operational layers are listed in the table of contents, basemap layers and elevation layers are displayed in the Basemap and Terrain panel, and locators are listed in Search. Data packed in the mobile scene package is read-only; the user cannot remove or reorder individual layers or add additional data to the package. Deleting the package from the table of contents removes the whole package from ArcGIS Earth.

ArcGIS Earth supports the following data types for a mobile scene package:

• 3D object scene layer
• Point cloud scene layer
• Point scene layer
• Integrated mesh scene layer
• Group layer
• Raster layer
• KML and KMZ
• Tile package as elevation
• Tile package as basemap

As an administrator, you can set mobile scene packages as startup layers in the administrator's configuration file. See Administrator configuration for details.

Note:

• If the scene's tiling scheme in the mobile scene package is different than the current tiling schema in ArcGIS Earth, all contents in the scene are dropped when adding.
• Multiple basemap layers are displayed as one basemap group.
• ArcGIS Earth composes multiple locators contained in a mobile scene package into one effective composite locator.
• Bookmarks configured in a mobile scene package are not supported.
• Only scene layers that are in the WGS84 geographic coordinate system will display.
• Feature layers with elevation offset properties are not supported.

Tip:

To create a mobile scene package, you can use ArcGIS Pro 2.3.2 or later.

3D model

You can add 3D models to the globe and export them as KMZ files. Once you finish adding a 3D model, it appears in the table of contents as a new layer. ArcGIS Earth also supports saving .dae models as KMZ files. See Save as a KMZ file for more information.

You are provided with options to change the location and heading in the scene by dragging the Move and Rotate buttons. Right-click to select Undo and Redo or use keyboard shortcuts to control the editing process.

You can also configure 3D model properties using the General, View, and Info tabs as follows:

• General—Change the name, position, altitude mode, scale, heading, tilt, and roll properties. Click Reset to reset the scale, heading, tilt, and roll properties to their default value. ArcGIS Earth supports three types of altitude modes: draped, absolute, and relative.
• View—Set the fly-to view of the current 3D model.
• Info—Type descriptions for the 3D model on the Rich Text tab. Descriptions are displayed in a pop-up window when the 3D model is clicked. You can also edit the HTML code and preview it on the Rich Text tab.

The following table lists the supported 3D model types:

Format	Extension
3ds Max 3DS	.3ds
COLLADA	.dae
Autodesk	.fbx
Wavefront Object	.obj

Raster

Raster data provides a unique way of conceptualizing, analyzing, and visualizing geographic phenomena that is distinct from vector data. You can add raster data to ArcGIS Earth as an operational layer, a basemap layer, or an elevation layer. Once a raster layer has been added as an operational layer, you can right-click the layer to edit its properties and control how the data is visualized on the scene.

ArcGIS Earth supports a subset of raster file formats as follows:

• ASRP/USRP
• CRF
• DTED0,1, 2
• GeoTIFF
• HFA
• HRE
• IMG
• JPEG
• JPEG2000
• MrSID, generations 2, 3, and 4
• NITF
• PNG
• RPF(CIB)
• RPF(CADRG)
• SRTM1, 2
• Mobile mosaic datatsets

CSV and TXT files

You can add features from a delimited text file (.txt) or comma-separated values text file (.csv) that include latitude and longitude or address information. Once you've added your feature file, you can edit the properties of the layer that is created, similar to shapefiles. The file must include at least one pair of coordinate fields or one or more address fields. The first row will be used as field names. ArcGIS Online users with World Geocoder for ArcGIS and ArcGIS Enterprise users with a configured geocoder can use batch address geocoding.

Once a qualified CSV or TXT file is added, you have options to refine the geocoding process.

The Configuration panel describes your data and how it will appear after it's imported. The options are as follows:

• Text Encoding—Select different text encoding standards for feature attributes of the new layer created from the CSV or TXT file.
• Coordinate System—Select from a local projection file, or use WGS84 as the spatial reference.
• Locate Mode—If the data has X and Y fields, such as latitude and longitude, choose XY to locate features on the globe. If the data has address information and you're signed in to a portal with a configured geocoder or to ArcGIS Online with a subscription, choose Address to set up the address fields used for geocoding.
• Locator—Available after you choose Address. Select the address locator or geocoder from your portal, or from ArcGIS Online, and use it for batch geocoding. On-premises geocoding does not consume credits. Esri World Geocoder does consume credits. See Credits for geocoding for details.
• Address Fields—Available after you choose Address. Choose Multiple Fields if the input address is spilt into multiple fields. Choose Single Field if the input address is stored in one field.

The Pop-up panel provides the following options to configure pop-up settings:

• Title—Specify a title field from the input file.
• Contents—Specify the field type and check which field will be visible in pop-up windows when clicking features in the view.

Note:

• The address field can contain multiple parts of an address (sometimes called single-line geocoding).
• ArcGIS Earth does not support a country field in the incoming dataset. By default, it geocodes addresses based on your geocoder setting. You can choose from a country list if the parameter exists in the geocoder.
• Batch geocoded results will be stored in your current workspace folder as a separate CSV or TXT file and named with a unique ID.

GPX file

You can capture data with a GPS device and use a third-party tool or GPS manufacturer utility to convert the data to a GPX format file. Once you have a GPX file, you can add it to ArcGIS Earth to visualize the data.

ArcGIS Earth supports both version 1.0 and 1.1 GPX files. You can add GPX files to ArcGIS Earth from a local folder or by entering a URL.

ArcGIS Earth asks you if you want to use the absolute altitude value when importing a GPX file. If you choose Yes, the features are extruded to the absolute value. It's recommended that you choose No to adjust the altitude to drape on the ground. If you choose to cancel the panel, the data is adjusted to drape by default. Once a GPX file is added to the table of contents, it is imported as a KMZ file, and multiple editing options are provided in ArcGIS Earth for KMZ files.

The following data types are supported in ArcGIS Earth:

• Waypoints—These are points that the GPS user recorded manually, often specifying a name, to mark locations on the map. Waypoints will be organized in a folder in the table of contents.
• Tracks—These are points the GPS device recorded automatically at a periodic interval. Tracks are rendered as linear features. Track points and track linestring will be organized in a folder in the table of contents.
• Routes—These are points the GPS device used to navigate to a specified location. Routes are rendered as linear features. Track points, track linestring, and track segments will be organized in a folder in the table of contents.

Note:

• After adding a GPX file, ArcGIS Earth will apply the Esri symbol for waypoints based on symbol field.
• The pop-up displays full contents of the attribute table.

GeoJSON

GeoJSON is a text-based, lightweight interchange data format that is used to share GIS data between ArcGIS and other systems. ArcGIS Earth supports both .json and .geojson files. You can add GeoJSON files to ArcGIS Earth from a local folder or by entering a URL.

As an administrator, you can set GeoJSON files as startup layers in the administrator's configuration file. See Administrator configuration for more details.

OGC services

The following OGC services are supported in ArcGIS Earth:

WMS

OGC WMS is a dynamic map service that follows the OGC Web Map Service specification.

To add an OGC WMS layer, complete the following steps:

1. Choose an OGC WMS service and enter its web address in the URL field.

   Tip:

   If you need to access your service over HTTPS, be sure to enter the URL starting with https.

   A list of available layers appears.

2. Select the layer you want to add.

   Tip:

   WMS service allows you to add one or more layers. You can either select a layer group including all its sublayers visible or select individual sublayer to add to ArcGIS Earth.

3. Click OK to add the layer.

WMTS

OGC WMTS is a set of cached image tiles that follows the OGC Web Map Tile Service specification.

To add an OGC WMTS layer, complete the following steps:

1. Choose an OGC WMTS layer and enter the layer's web address in the URL field. A list of available layers appears.
2. Select the layer you want to add.
3. Click OK to add the layer.
4. Repeat the previous steps to add additional WMTS layers.

WFS

OGC WFS is a dynamic feature service that follows the specifications of OGC.

To add an OGC WFS layer, complete the following steps:

1. Choose an OGC WFS layer and enter the layer's web address in the URL field. A list of available layers appears.
2. Select the layer you want to add.
3. Specify the number of maximum features returned and axis order accordingly.
4. Click OK to add the layer.
5. Repeat the previous steps to add additional WFS layers.

3D Tiles

3D Tiles is an Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standard that is designed for streaming and rendering large volumes of 3D geospatial content, similar to Indexed 3D Scene Layers (I3s). ArcGIS Earth supports Batched 3D Model (.b3dm) and 3D Tiles Archive Format (.3tz) 3D Tiles formats for visualizing continuous meshes or discrete 3D objects.

To add a 3D Tiles layer, the following options are supported:

• Add a tileset from a local directory in a supported file format (.json or .3tz).
• Add 3D tile services hosted in ArcGIS Online or a third-party web server through the URL field. Services hosted outside of ArcGIS must not require authentication or use token-based authentication.

Survey123 form

ArcGIS Earth now seamlessly integrates with Survey123, allowing users to manage and interact with survey records directly within the ArcGIS Earth platform. This integration supports the collection, editing, and visualization of data gathered via Survey123 forms.

As a creator, you can collect and review feedback from submitters within ArcGIS Earth. You can also act as submitters, submitting new records or editing existing ones collected through Survey123 forms. Stakeholders can use ArcGIS Earth to browse and visualize all survey records collected via Survey123 forms .

Add a new record

Survey123 submitters can add Survey123 data to ArcGIS Earth. By right-clicking a form item in the table of contents, you can select options to submit new records. ArcGIS Earth provides two enhanced approaches for survey data entry:

• Edit geometry in ArcGIS Earth
  • ArcGIS Earth supports modifying survey-related geometry within the ArcGIS Earth interface. When a Survey123 form contains questions related to location, you can draw and update geometry within ArcGIS Earth by clicking Set Location from the Survey123 window. Upon completion, the geometry is automatically synchronized and updated within the Survey123 window.
• Connect a layer to Survey123
  • ArcGIS Earth allows you to link surveys with other layers within the ArcGIS Earth table of contents. This allows survey questions to be completed automatically using the geometry or attributes of a selected feature, eliminating the need for manual input. For example, if a user selects a road feature in ArcGIS Earth, the road's name can be automatically populated into the relevant question in the connected survey.

To link a layer to Survey123, complete the following steps:

1. Right-click the layer in the table of contents and select Connect to a layer from the context menu.
2. Select the layer you want to link to the survey form. Currently, KML and feature layers are supported.
3. In the connection card, map a field from the linked layer to a question in the survey.
4. To pass multiple attributes to the survey, click Add field/question connections to create additional mappings.
5. Click Connect to apply the connection. A confirmation message will appear once the link is successful.

Note:

A survey can be linked to only one feature layer or KML folder.

View and edit an existing record

You can update existing records in two ways:

• Click any survey record directly in ArcGIS Earth to open the survey window in viewing mode.
• In the survey's results table, select an existing record to view its details.

If you have editing privileges, survey owners and submitters can switch to edit mode by clicking the Edit button while viewing the record.

Optimize the data visualization

After adding a survey to ArcGIS Earth, you can customize the survey's visual appearance to meet your preferences and requirements. Survey symbology and label settings are easily accessible and adjustable via the right-click context menu in the ArcGIS Earth left sidebar.

HTML window

The HTML window allows you to embed website content using a URL or HTML file to refer to additional information.

Enable the HTML window

As an administrator, you must enable the HTML window parameter in the configuration file before you can add the HTML window in ArcGIS Earth. See Administrator configuration for more details.

Add the HTML window

To add the HTML window in ArcGIS Earth, complete the following steps:

1. Click the Window tab in the table of contents to view the HTML windows.
2. Right-click the HTML window group and select Add HTML window to configure the window settings. Specify the following parameters:
   • Name—Click the text area to place your pointer and type a name for the HTML window.
   • URL—Input a URL to a website with a single URL or click the Set Path button to select an HTML file. If the HTML URL is not formatted correctly, the input box is highlighted as red to indicate the format does not match the specification.
3. Click OK to finish the configuration and open the HTML window.

Note:

• You can only add two HTML windows in ArcGIS Earth.
• The HTML window remains loaded in the background after it's closed or hidden from the table of contents.

HTML window usage

You can adjust the HTML windows with the following options:

• Click the Pin button on the window banner to fix the window in the upper right corner.
• You can resize the window from the window's four corners, adjusting it to the optimal size and location.
• Right-click the HTML window in the table of contents to perform the following actions:
  • Rename—Update the name of the HTML window.
  • Remove—Remove the selected HTML window.
  • Properties—Update the name and URL of the HTML window in the settings panel.

Use attribute tables

Attribute tables display attribute information stored in the data source in a tabular format and give you the ability to sort, select, and export using that data. The following are supported data formats:

• Shapefiles
• .txt and .csv files
• GeoJSON
• Feature services

Open an attribute table

To open the table view of a stand-alone layer, use any of the following methods:

• Right-click a layer in the table of contents and click Attribute Table .
• To open a table view directly in the pop-up of a selected feature, click a feature on the map to open its pop-up panel, and click Open attribute table .

Interact with an attribute table

The following is a complete list of the available tools to interact with an attribute table:

Tool	Description
Sort fields	You can sort a field by clicking the drop-down menu next to the field name. Then click Sort ascending or Sort descending to immediately sort the table.
Filter fields	Filter the display of fields in the attribute table.
Export selected	Select features by clicking a single row, or pressing Ctrl and clicking in the attribute table to do the multiple selection. Click this button to export selected rows as .kmz or .csv files.
Zoom to	Center the map on the features in the selected rows.
Maximize/Restore	Maximize the attribute table window.
Dock/Undock	Dock the attribute table along the bottom of the app. Click again to return the attribute table to free-floating.
Clear selection	Deselect all selected rows.
Extent filter	Filter attribute table records using the current map extent.
Filter entrance	You can click the Filter within the attribute table to set the filter expressions. If data has been configured with filters, the Filter icon in the attribute table displays as highlighted.