CityEngine 2013 Release Notes

Create and Share Rule Packages

Create a so-called rule package from a CityEngine rule and associated assets such as textures and generic 3D models. Share the rule package with other users as an item on ArcGIS Online. These users can be CityEngine users or ArcGIS users. New in ArcGIS 10.2 is the ability to create 3D content using CityEngine rule packages using the "Features from CityEngine Rules" GP tool in the CityEngine toolbox.

Create and Share Rule Packages

Rule files in the rule packages can be shared as text (.cga) or binary (.cgb) giving you the ability to protect the IP when sharing rules. Example rules and rule packages can be found on the ArcGIS resource center in the CityEngine gallery .

CityEngine SDK

CityEngine 2013 comes with a SDK allowing you to embed procedural geometry creation in other applications such as 3D modeling tools (e.g. SketchUp, Maya), games (e.g. Unreal Engine, Unity3D), simulation engines (e.g. CitiLabs, Vega Prime) or custom ArcGIS Desktop tools and Server extension. Documentation and examples (e.g. Maya plugin) are available on GitHub.

CityEngine SDK

Each SDK deployment requires a CityEngine license. This license can be CE advanced or CE basic. The license can be single node locked or coming from a license server. Middleware licensing will be on a case-by-case basis.

3D Plant library

CityEngine 2013 comes with "Esri Vegetation Library with LumenRT Plants". Users can choose from 75 of the most common and practical genera plants/trees (realistic, compact and analytical) and add to their 3D cities and 3D landscapes.

3D Plant library

The "Esri Vegetation Library with LumenRT Plants" will also be available on ArcGIS Online and can be used in ArcGIS 10.x Desktop.

Improved streets

Street creation has been greatly improved in CityEngine 2013. New junction types, bridges and flyovers are supported. Also robustness has been improved when creating complex intersections. Also the OpenStreetMap & FileGDB import has been improved to support automatic graph simplification, junction settings & bridge generation.

Improved streets

New Wizard City

In the City Wizard you will find a new International city with over 400 categorized façade images & plants. Use this example for quick city modeling and/or texturing. It can serve as template for custom geotypical façade sets.

New Wizard City

Real-time Reports while Modeling

Reports are now interactively generated during the modeling processes giving instant analysis feedback while designing in 3D.

Improvements and fixes

  • Evaluated values of rule attributes are now shown in Inspector window
  • Webscenes are more compact: support object instancing
  • Support for Retina MacBooks: MacBook Pro with Retina display is now detected and supported
  • Terrain supports now no-data values i.e. creates holes instead of wrong surface
  • Improved Geo-Tiff support for terrain now using GDAL
  • Map interpolation can now be switched off e.g. for accurate sampling
  • FileGDB import can read related tables
  • Improved material management in 3D exporters e.g. consistent when multiple files
  • Envelope operation now supports also non-planar, aslant parcels
  • In CGA, groups do not have to be listed for every attribute anymore
  • Simpler workflow to import/link CityEngine projects into Workspace
  • Intelligent visibility switches e.g. no disappearing objects when in isolate mode anymore
  • Inspector keeps previous state i.e. no jumping inspector panes anymore
  • Faster Example and Tutorial Download