Add 3D content

You can add a detailed 3D model to a project scenario to visualize designs for review and comparison. The 3D models of project scenarios are shown in the project editor, in the plan editor, and in the overview.

Note:

• Outside of the project editor, the detailed 3D model of the first scenario of a project is visualized with the color of the status of the project.
• To show a simplified representation of a project scenario outside of the project editor, draw building volumes for the first scenario in the project editor. See Add and edit volumes to learn more.

Add a 3D model

If you have a 3D model for your project, you can add it to a scenario. The 3D model is uploaded and stored in a 3D object layer that is linked to your project.

Note:

The 3D object layers associated with projects act as a system of record for 3D models. After uploading, the files are stored in the original format and there are no modifications applied to the source data. To display the 3D models and adjust their position in Urban, the source data is being converted to a .glb file and stored separately from the source files.

Best practices

Before uploading a 3D model to ArcGIS Urban, consider the following best practices to make sure your 3D model is performing as expected.

Supported formats

The following formats are supported for upload: COLLADA (DAE), Autodesk Filmbox (FBX), Autodesk Drawing (DWG), Industry Foundation Classes (IFC), Universal Scene Description (USDC, USDZ), Wavefront (OBJ), GL Transmission Format (glTF), and Binary GL Transmission Format (glb). There is no support yet for intrinsic georeferencing in IFC4.

The upload is faster for .glTF and .glb files as the data does not require complex conversion before it can be displayed. The rendering and editing performance are not impacted by the original format.

File size

The uploaded 3D models, including textures, should be a maximum of 100MB in size. Models up to 32MB in size will result in reasonable display and editing performance. Large textures are among the most common contributors to large model file sizes and high storage consumption. Consider optimizing your textures for a low texture pixel size count to additionally improve performance.

Layer selection

Export your 3D models with a focus on visualizing the outer shell of the building and defining architectural elements. Remove interior walls, furniture and fixtures, construction details, plumbing, electrical and HVAC components, site utilities, and other elements that do not contribute to the visualization.

Geometry simplification

If the 3D model is too complex, it is best to use a 3D modeling software to reduce the complexity of the exported geometry. For instance, in Blender, you can unsubdivide the mesh or use the limited dissolve feature to eliminate unnecessary vertices and edges separating flat regions.

If exporting an IFC model from Revit, adjust the tessellation level on the Level of Detail tab, which will simplify some Revit elements like elbows, floors, railings, pipe fittings, and so on. Choose between extra low, low, or medium level of detail to optimize performance.

Geolocation

The origin point of the 3D model is used for accurate positioning in the scene. Before exporting, geolocate the 3D model to conform to the coordinate system of the urban model (see Understanding local and global urban models to learn more), with the exception of Web Mercator, in which you must upload 3D models in WGS84 for higher accuracy.

After uploading, the coordinates of the origin point can be used to position the 3D model accurately in the scene. If you cannot geolocate your 3D model, place it at the coordinate origin of the 3D modeling software before exporting. After uploading, you can move the 3D model manually in the scene.

Units and scale

The 3D model units must conform to the units of the coordinate system of the urban model. If the 3D model is uploaded to a global urban model, the units must be meters. If the model is uploaded to a local urban model, the model units must correspond to the unit of the projected coordinate system. The scale can be changed after the upload, but it is recommended that you export models at a scale of 1:1.

Upload a 3D model

Complete the following steps to visualize and store the 3D model in the project scenario:

1. Select the project you want to edit in the view or locate it using the search panel at the upper left of the overview.

   The project editor opens.

2. Select a scenario in the scenarios drop-down menu in the header or create a new scenario in the Scenario settings.
3. Click the Development button from the buttons on the left of the view.

   The development mode toolbar appears.

4. In the left toolbar, select the Upload 3D model option .

   Your file browser opens.

5. Select the file you want to upload and click Open.

   The file is uploaded and stored. This can take a few minutes. When the upload is finished, a green message appears at the bottom of the screen informing you that the model can now be positioned in the scene.

   Note:

   • The first time you are uploading a 3D model, the 3D object layer is created for your project. This can take a few minutes.
   • If your model is larger than 32MB, you will see a confirmation dialog box that informs you that the model performance might not be as good as expected. Click Proceed if you accept the limitation or consider reducing the size of your model.
   • The upload is faster for .glTF and .glb files as the data does not require a conversion before it can be stored. For other formats, the upload can take a few minutes.
   • You can safely close the blue upload message at the bottom. This action will not stop the upload. While the 3D model is uploaded in the background, you can do other tasks in the project editor.

6. To position the model, either select the model in the scene placed in the center of the study area or click the Position button in the message at the bottom.

   Follow the steps in the Edit a 3D model section starting from Step 5 to adjust the position of the model.

Edit a 3D model

The position of the 3D model can be updated after the initial upload. Complete the following steps to adjust the position of the model:

1. Select the project you want to edit in the view or locate it using the search panel at the upper left of the overview.

   The project editor opens.

2. Select a scenario in the scenarios drop-down menu in the header or create a scenario in Scenario settings.
3. Click the Development button from the buttons on the left of the view.

   The development mode toolbar appears and the Select tool is enabled by default.

4. Select the 3D model in the scene.

   The 3D model is highlighted and has orange handles. An editing toolbar is displayed underneath the model with additional options.

   Note:

   You can move the editing toolbar if it interferes with editing by using the left side handle.

5. Use the orange handles to rotate the model and change its height or location.
6. Click the Locate button in the editing toolbar to type exact coordinates for the location of the model or to change the scale.

   The model is positioned in the exact location and the size is changed.

   Note:

   The location is expected to be in the coordinate system of the urban model, with the exception of Web Mercator, in which the coordinates are added in WGS84.

7. Click the Create copy button in the editing toolbar to duplicate the model.

   A second model is added to the scene and stored for the project scenario.

8. Click the Delete button to remove the model from the project scenario.

   The model is removed from the scene.

9. Click the More button to expand additional options and select the Duplicate to option to copy the model to another scenario.

   The model is copied to another scenario.

Note:

Any modifications to the model are stored automatically. You can use the undo and redo buttons in the header to reverse any unintended changes.

Add a scenario visualization

If you have an existing web scene with a 3D design, complete the following steps to add the layers in the web scene as a project scenario visualization:

1. Click a project in the view or find it in the search panel.

   The project editor appears.

2. Click the Configure scenarios button in the center of the header.
3. Click a scenario, scroll down to the scenario visualization section, and click Select item .

   The Select scenario visualization dialog box appears.

4. Select the web scene or scene layer to add to the scenario and click Select.

   The scene layer or the layers in the web scene are added to the scenario.

5. Click OK on the Scenarios dialog box.

Note:

• The supported coordinate systems of a scenario visualization depend on the coordinate system of the urban model. See Understanding local and global urban models to learn more.
• If the scenario visualization includes an elevation layer, this terrain is used when viewing the scenario instead of the elevation layer defined in the urban model. See Custom elevation layer to learn more.

Add 3D content using ArcGIS CityEngine

To add 3D data to ArcGIS Urban from ArcGIS CityEngine, complete the steps below. For more information about the integration between ArcGIS Urban and CityEngine, see ArcGIS Urban integration in the CityEngine help documentation.

1. Import the 3D data into CityEngine (for example, in DXF, OBJ, Collada, or FGDB format).
2. Export the model as a scene layer package (.slpk file).
3. Sign in to ArcGIS Online and click Add Item > Publish as Hosted Layer to upload the .slpk file.
4. Follow the steps in the Add a scenario visualization section above to add the layer to a project in Urban.

Add 3D content using ArcGIS Pro

You can also add 3D data to ArcGIS Urban using ArcGIS Pro. By publishing a 3D file in ArcGIS Pro, you can achieve a similar workflow to the one described in the previous section. The following steps describe the process of adding a context web scene using a preprocessed model:

1. Start ArcGIS Pro and sign in to your organization, if necessary.
2. Open the Catalog pane and right-click Database.
3. Select Add Database and choose the file (3D mode) to be added.
4. Create a new scene:
   • Choose New Global Scene if you are working with a global urban model.
   • Choose New Local Scene if you are working with a local urban model.

   See Understanding local and global urban models to learn more.

5. Right-click the feature layer, and choose Add to Current Map to add the feature layer in the database to the current map.

   The model is loaded in the view.

6. Confirm that the visualization is correct. To change it, right-click the layer in the Contents pane, click Symbology, and modify the requirements.
7. Publish the visualization to ArcGIS Online.
   1. Right-click the layer, choose Sharing, and choose Share as Web Layer.
   2. In the Sharing pane, provide a name, a summary, and tags for the layer and choose Share with Everyone.
   3. Click Publish.

      The layer is uploaded to the active portal.

Note:

The 3D model does not appear in your portal immediately because caching a scene layer takes a few minutes. When it appears, you can open the layer in Scene Viewer.

8. Follow the steps described in the Add a scenario visualization section above to add the layer to a project in Urban.

Note:

You can load BIM data (for example, Revit files) into ArcGIS Pro and follow the same workflow as above. If you do, it is recommended that you publish a building scene layer instead of a scene layer to persist information from the BIM files. If a building scene layer is added as a scenario visualization, the Building Explorer widget appears on the Details side panel when opening a project. It allows you to browse the various levels, phases, and categories of the BIM data.