Export FileGDB (Esri File Geodatabase)

The Esri File Geodatabase (FileGDB) format is a file-based database that supports many GIS data types such as points, lines, polygons, 3D geometry (multipatch), raster, and so on. 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 options

In addition to the general export options, the following options are available for FileGDB export:

Option	Description
Geodatabase Name	The name of the geodatabase directory. The .gdb suffix is required.
Export Features	Controls what is exported per selected scene shape. The following are available values: Models—Only the output of an attached CGA rule is exported. Shapes—Only the geometry of the shapes is exported, and any CGA rules are ignored. Models and Shapes—Both the shapes and the generated models are exported. This typically results in more than one feature class.
Export object attributes	Exports all object attributes as feature class fields. Information about data types and domains is reused, if available, from an earlier FileGDB import. Array values are ignored if the next option, Export dataset relationships, is not selected and the attribute is not part of a relationship.
Export dataset relationships	All (array) attributes that result from an earlier FileGDB import with relationship import are exported to the corresponding related tables. Due to a limitation in the underlying FileGDB API, relationship classes cannot be generated in 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 are written into feature class fields.

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

Option	Description
Export Layer	Include or exclude selected layers from export.
Layer Name	Update the name of the selected layers. The name of the written FileGDB datasets are based on this value.
Write Strategy	Specify how existing feature classes are handled: Replace Feature Class—This 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 class is updated.
Geometry Type (for Shapes)	Specify the geometry type for the shapes: Polygon Multipatch

Exported feature class names

For FileGDB export, multiple feature classes may be output based on a single CityEngine scene layer. For example, if you export a wall shape of a building layer, the following are the potential results:

• If Export Features is set to Shapes or Models and Shapes, the wall shape is written directly to the building feature class.
• If wall has a CGA rule attached that produces polygons, its output results in a building_ProcedurallyGeneratedMultipatches multipatch feature class.
• If wall has a CGA rule attached that produces points (for example, by comp(v)), its output results in the building_ProcedurallyGeneratedPoints or building_ProcedurallyGeneratedMultipoints point or multipoint, respectively, feature class.
• If wall has a CGA rule attached that produces edges (for example, by comp(e)), its output results in the building_ProcedurallyGeneratedLines polyline feature class.