Export FileGDB (Esri File Geodatabase)

Esri FileGDB is a file-based database with support for many GIS data types such as points, lines, polygons, 3d geometry (multipatch), raster and more. It is the recommended way to exchange GIS data between Esri applications such as CityEngine and ArcGIS Pro.

Note:

CityEngine supports the export of datasets of the types "FeatureClass", "Table" and "Relationship Class".

Export settings

In addition to the general export options, FileGDB has the following options:

Geodatabase Name

The name of the geodatabase directory. The ".gdb" suffix is mandatory.

Export Features

Controls what is exported per selected scene shape. Available values are:

  • Models: Only the output of an attached CGA rule is exported.
  • Shapes: Only the geometry of the shapes is exported, any CGA rules will be ignored.
  • Models and Shapes: Both the shapes and the generated models will be exported. This usually results in more than one feature class.

Export object attributes

Exports all object attributes as feature class fields. Information about data types and domains will be re-used, if available from an earlier FileGDB import. Array values will be ignored if the next option "Export dataset relationships" is not selected and the attribute is not part of an actual relationship.

Export dataset relationships

  • All (array) attributes which result from an earlier FileGDB import with relationship import will be exported to the corresponding related tables.
  • Due to a limitation in the underlying FileGDB API, relationship classes cannot be generated by CityEngine directly. Instead, an ArcGIS workspace xml file is generated. See importing a geodatabase schema

    for more information.

Emit Reports

Any reports generated by the attached CGA rule will be written into feature class fields.

In addition to the global export options, the FileGDB exporter contains an additional export page with the following per-layer settings:

Export Layer

Include or exclude any selected layers from export.

Layer Name

Adjust the name of the selected layers. This will determine the name of the written FileGDB dataset(s).

Write Strategy

Choose how existing feature classes are handled:

  • Replace Feature Class: deletes the current Feature Class and creates a new one.
  • Update Feature Class: if objects (based on OBJECTID) exist in the feature class, geometry and attributes are updated on export. If the object does not exist, it is appended to the feature class.
  • Update Feature Class Geometry: only the geometry of the existing feature is updated.

Geometry Type (for Shapes)

Choose the geometry type for the shapes:

  • Polygon
  • Multipatch

About the naming of exported feature classes

The FileGDB exporter may output multiple feature classes based on a single CityEngine scene layer. For example if you export a shape "wall" of layer "building", you get the following:

  • In case of Export Features set to Shapes or Models and Shapes, the shape wall will be directly written to the building feature class.
  • If wall has a CGA rule attached which produces polygons, its output will result in a building_ProcedurallyGeneratedMultipatches multipatch feature class.
  • If wall has a CGA rule attached which produces points (e.g. by comp(v)), its output will result in the building_ProcedurallyGeneratedPoints or building_ProcedurallyGeneratedMultipoints point/multipoint feature class.
  • If wall has a CGA rule attached which produces edges (e.g. by comp(e)), its output will result in the building_ProcedurallyGeneratedLines polyline feature class.

In this topic
  1. Export settings