Sync feature layers

In CityEngine 2017.1 or later, you can add, update, and manage polygon feature layers hosted by ArcGIS Online. CityEngine allows you to do the following:

• Create a polygon feature layer
• Modify an existing feature layer

Create and publish polygon feature layer

You can create a polygon feature layer in ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise directly in CityEngine.

1. Create a new shape layer with the shape creation tools.
2. Right-click the shape layer in Scene Editor and select Create Feature Layer. to open

   This opens the Create new Feature Layer dialog.

3. Fill out the necessary fields.
4. Click OK.

   The feature layer (hosted) icon now displays indicating that a new polygon feature layer has been published to ArcGIS Online.

   Note:

   • Once the polygon feature layer is published to ArcGIS Online, the layer schema can not be changed, such as adding or deleting new attribute fields.
   • Creating a new feature layer is not possible with ArcGIS Enterprise version less than 6.1. Create Feature Layer is disabled when the active portal is ArcGIS Enterprise with version less than 6.1.

Modify a hosted polygon feature layer

You can make edits to an existing hosted polygon feature layer by adding the polygon layer to CityEngine, making changes, and synchronizing the layer with the server.

Add a polygon layer

To add a hosted polygon feature layer, do the following:

1. Open Navigator.
2. Right-click the polygon feature layer you want to edit.
3. Click Import.

   This opens the Import feature layer dialog

4. Select which layers you want to import from the feature layer.
5. If you want to import only polygons which are inside a specific area choose Use spatial envelope. Select the area by resizing and moving the rectangle on the map or entering the coordinates.

   • The extent of all the imported polygon features must be less then 500 kilometers.

   • If a spatial envelope is used only polygons inside the selected area will be synchronized.

6. Click Finish.

   CityEngine will add the selected polygon feature layers to the Scene Editor and indicate that the layers are ready for synchronization with the feature layer (hosted) icon . If you don't see the polygon layers in the Scene Editor after Import, check the Log for further details.

Edit polygon layer

You can edit the features of a polygon layer inside CityEngine with any of the CityEngine tools, such as the Move, Scale, or Regular shape creation tools.

Make any of the following edits to polygon geometry in the layer:

• Move polygons and vertices along the x-, y-, and z-axes.
• Rotate.
• Reshape.
• Add and delete.

To edit the polygon attributes, do the following:

1. Select a polygon feature.
2. Open the Inspector.
3. Click Object Attributes.
4. Make edits to the attributes in the layer.

Sync polygon layer

Sync the local edits you made in CityEngine to the hosted polygon layer.

1. Open the Scene Editor.
2. Right-click the polygon layer.
3. Click Synchronize.

   The polygon layer is updated on the server. When you sync or create a polygon feature layer, CityEngine automatically validates the geometry using validation rules and operations for shapes, such as storing points counterclockwise or ensuring normals are facing up.

Note:

• CityEngine can only synchronize Short and Long Integers, Double, Float, and Text type fields. Any attribute fields added or deleted will not update when you synchronize the polygon layer.
• With generated models based on an hosted polygon feature layer, you can still edit and synchronize the polygon layer with the generated models visible. Turn off the models in CityEngine to help perform these edits.

Apply external updates

You can make external edits to a polygon layer, such as in ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Pro, and apply the updates in CityEngine.

Make external updates

You can make external edits to both the geometry and attributes, such as in ArcGIS Pro.

• Move polygons and vertices along the x-, y-, and z-axes.
• Rotate.
• Reshape.
• Add and delete.

In ArcGIS Online, you can make edits only to the attribute table of the polygon layer.

• Add fields to the attribute table.
• Edit existing fields in the attribute table.

Note:

You can only add fields outside of CityEngine, such as in ArcGIS Pro or ArcGIS Online. If you do create new attribute fields outside of CityEngine, you need to remove and re-add the polygon layer in CityEngine in order for the changes to take affect.

Sync external edits

1. Open the Scene Editor.
2. Right-click the polygon layer.
3. Choose Synchronize.

   The polygon layer is updated in CityEngine and matches the external updates.

Local and server conflicts

There may be instances where there are conflicting edits to the polygon layer in both CityEngine and on the server. In this case, CityEngine displays a Synchronization Conflict message that gives you the option to choose whether you want to keep the Local CityEngine or Server version. The version you select becomes the primary version in CityEngine and on the server.

Managing polygon layer synchronization

For the synchronization feature to work, you need to ensure that the Edit and Sync settings are properly configured in ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise.

1. Open the polygon feature layer item in ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise.
2. Click Settings.
3. Under Feature Layer (hosted) Settings, check Enable Editing and Enable Sync.
4. Click Save.

Note:

You can also configure the Edit and Sync settings when you publish the polygon feature layer from ArcGIS Pro.