PLW App Note - ArcView

PLW Modelworks
How to convert PLW Modelworks models for ArcScene or ArcGlobe

An Application Note for PLW Modelworks Users
Ellery Chan
January 2008
Contents
Before you start .................................................................................................................................... 3 The ESRI ArcView Tools ................................................................................................................................. 3 Symbolizing Points ........................................................................................................................................ 4 Creating a 3D Multipatch Feature Class........................................................................................................ 4 Make sure the 3D Analyst extension is enabled ....................................................................................... 4 Create a Personal Geodatabase ................................................................................................................ 6 Import the PLW Modelworks models ....................................................................................................... 8 View the results in ArcGlobe................................................................................................................... 15 Some likely questions ................................................................................................................................. 19 Where are my textures? ......................................................................................................................... 19 That was ArcGlobe, now what about ArcScene? .................................................................................... 19 Will ArcGlobe be able to handle larger texture-mapped scenes? .......................................................... 20
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Copyright 2008 PLW Modelworks, LLC plwmodelworks.com
How to convert PLW Modelworks models for display in ArcScene or ArcGlobe

This application note is written to help users import PLW Modelworks models for viewing in the ESRI ArcScene or ArcGlobe1 3D viewers. Textured or untextured OpenFlight or VRML models can be imported using this procedure. For other supported formats, consult the ESRI 3D Analyst documentation. Before you start Texture-mapped models can be very complex, and may consume a lot of system resources when displayed. You should read through this procedure to the end, where we briefly discuss large models, then you should give some thought to breaking up your large scene into more manageable sections. At the very least, try this procedure first on a small number of buildings, say 20, before you try it on 2000.
The ESRI ArcView Tools

The ESRI tool suite is a very powerful and widely used collection of software for viewing and analyzing geospatial data. It is one way to visualize PLW Modelworks models, or to combine PLW Modelworks urban data with other information such as road networks, parcel boundaries, etc. Untextured PLW Modelworks models can be delivered directly in a 2D or 3D ESRI Shapefile format that can be loaded directly into ArcMap, ArcScene, or ArcGlobe. Texture mapped PLW Modelworks models (models painted or draped with imagery) can be displayed in ArcScene or ArcGlobe, but the Shapefile format does not support texture maps. The following table summarizes the capabilities of the three main ESRI viewers with respect to the needs of PLW Modelworks models: ArcMap ArcScene ArcGlobe
2D 3D Map Projected Geodetic Untextured Textured
ESRI viewer capabilities
There are two ways to display textured models in ArcScene or ArcGlobe. The first is by symbolizing points, and the second is by creating a Feature Class. We recommend the second approach, so we will briefly describe the first, then describe the second in detail below.
1
ESRI, ArcScene, ArcGlobe, ArcView, ArcMap, ArcCatalog, ArcToolbox, and 3D Analyst are trademarks, registered trademarks, or service marks of ESRI in the United States, the European Community, or certain other jurisdictions.
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Symbolizing Points
This approach starts with a set of point features, probably stored as a Shapefile, that define the location of each building. The user then assigns a graphical symbol to represent each point. By assigning a unique 3D building model to each point, one can display multiple buildings in their correct locations. There are probably clever ESRI users who can figure out how to automate the binding of the points to the 3D symbols. But only the manual technique is described in the ESRI docs, and the manual approach is not viable for more than a few buildings. So instead, you should create a 3D Multipatch Feature Class.
Creating a 3D Multipatch Feature Class

Symbolizing points may have been the only way, or at least the preferred way, to display 3D data in ESRI tools. But that was in the past. The technique we are about to describe involves converting PLW Modelworks models into a 3D Multipatch Feature Class and storing the Feature Class in a Personal Geodatabase. Here is the overview: Make sure the 3D Analyst extension is enabled Create a Personal Geodatabase Import the PLW Modelworks models View the results in ArcGlobe
Make sure the 3D Analyst extension is enabled

ArcScene and ArcGlobe are part of the 3D Analyst extension to ArcView. If you do not have a license for 3D Analyst you can stop reading now. If you do have a license, make sure the extension is enabled. It took us a while to discover that installing and authorizing 3D Analyst was not enough.
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1. Launch ArcCatalog. 2. From the Tools menu, select Extensions .
3. Check 3D Analyst. Then click Close.
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Create a Personal Geodatabase

A Personal Geodatabase is simply a file in which you can store Feature Classes. 4. (optional) Connect a folder to the catalog. Connect the folder where you will store the Personal Geodatabase file. Connecting it to ArcCatalog just makes it easier to navigate to later on. Under the File menu, select Connect Folder .
5. Select the folder where you will create your Personal Geodatabase file, then click OK.
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6. Make a new Personal Geodatabase file. Under the File menu, select New, then Personal Geodatabase.
7. Give it a name, such as Jacksonville Downtown, and click Save.
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Import the PLW Modelworks models

You are now ready to import your model files into the Personal Geodatabase. When you import them, they will be stored as a 3D Multipatch Feature Class. One Personal Geodatabase may contain multiple Feature Classes, and each Feature Class may contain multiple buildings. 8. In ArcToolbox, under 3D Analyst Tools, Conversion, From File, double-click on Import 3D Files.
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9. The Import 3D Files dialog appears.
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10. Specify the model files to be converted by adding them to the Input Files section. You may have several versions of the PLW Modelworks model, so which one should you use? Consult the table near the beginning of this document. For this example, we are creating a Feature Class for ArcGlobe, so we will import OpenFlight model files with geodetic (WGS-84) coordinates. If you use the Browse button to add the files, the number of files you can add at one time is limited. For a large number of files, it is better to select them in a Windows Explorer window, then drag-and-drop them into the Input Files area. The illustration shows adding a large number of OpenFlight (.flt) files using drag-and-drop.
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11. The input files have been added. Next we will specify the Output Multipatch Feature Class name. Click the Browse button to the right of the output name field.
12. Browse to the Personal Geodatabase file that was created earlier. Enter a name (no spaces or dashes). We will call our Feature Class jax_bldgs_geo. Then click Save.
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13. Next, specify the spatial reference (the horizontal and vertical coordinate systems that the input data uses). First, select the button to the right of the Spatial Reference field.
14. Next, select the XY (horizontal) Coordinate System. Click on Select . Then select Geographic Coordinate Systems -> World -> WGS 1984.prj. Then click Add.
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15. Next, select the Z (vertical) Coordinate System. Click on the Z Coordinate System tab. Then select Vertical Coordinate Systems -> World -> WGS 1984.prj. Then click Add. Then click OK. Your Import 3D Files dialog should now look similar to this.
16. PLW Modelworks models are exported Z Up, so do not check the Y is Up box. Click OK to start the import. If you have added many files, the import may take a few minutes to complete.
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17. The dialog goes away when done. There should now be a jax_bldgs_geo Feature Class in the Personal Geodatabase. You are now ready to view the buildings in ArcGlobe.
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View the results in ArcGlobe

18. Launch ArcGlobe.
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19. Then load the Feature Class: Click on the Add Data button.
20. Navigate to the Personal Geodatabase and select the Feature Class to display, then click Add.
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21. Select the viewing scale you want (the range of viewing distances in which the models will be visible), or take the recommended range, and click Finish.
22. The Feature Class should now be a layer.
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23. Right Mouse on the layer and select Zoom to Layer. This should bring your models into view, which means that now ArcGlobe must actually load and display them. This is the moment of truth. It may actually be several moments if you have a large scene.
24. In fact, (at least for versions 9.2 and earlier) it is quite easy to overwhelm ArcGlobe with a large scene. We tried to load 2000 textured buildings, and ArcGlobe eventually ran out of RAM and crashed.
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25. When ArcGlobe cannot handle a very large Feature Class, you must go back and create smaller Feature Classes. A smaller Feature Class displays successfully, below.
Some likely questions

Where are my textures?
When you import the OpenFlight files into the Personal Geodatabase, what happens to the texture maps? If you look at the size of the Personal Geodatabase after importing a large set of textured buildings, it will be pretty obvious that the Personal Geodatabase file is too small to contain the textures. So the Feature Class must just store references to the actual textures. If you find that your textures do not display on your buildings, it is possible that they have been moved since the Feature Class was created, and ArcGlobe or ArcScene can no longer find them. For more information on texture maps and getting your textures to display correctly in other tools, see the PLW Modelworks App Note Where are my textures?.
That was ArcGlobe, now what about ArcScene?

ArcScene loads Feature Classes from a Personal Geodatabase in a manner identical to ArcGlobe. The only difference is the coordinate system of the input models. ArcScene must have its data in map projection units. If you accidentally load a geodetic model Feature Class into ArcScene it will appear very, very tall and distorted.
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Will ArcGlobe be able to handle larger texture-mapped scenes?

We hope that ESRI will continue to improve the capacity of ArcGlobe to handle more detailed texturemapped 3D models. Until then, we will continue to look for ways to shoehorn our models in, by building smaller Feature Classes and playing with the different level-of-detail parameters that we can find. We are sure some clever ESRI users will come up with better methods than we have.
If you find a better way, please share it with us. You can contact us via email at mailto:support@plwmodelworks.com, or visit our website http://plwmodelworks.com.
Ellery Chan PLW Modelworks, LLC 1990 W. New Haven Ave., Suite 306 Melbourne, FL 32904
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PLW Modelworks

How to convert PLW Modelworks models for ArcScene or ArcGlobe

How to convert PLW Modelworks models for ArcScene or ArcGlobe

How to convert PLW Modelworks models for ArcScene or ArcGlobe

How to convert PLW Modelworks models for display in ArcScene or ArcGlobe

The ESRI ArcView Tools

2D 3D Map Projected Geodetic Untextured Textured

ESRI viewer capabilities

How to convert PLW Modelworks models for ArcScene or ArcGlobe

Creating a 3D Multipatch Feature Class

Make sure the 3D Analyst extension is enabled

How to convert PLW Modelworks models for ArcScene or ArcGlobe

1. Launch ArcCatalog. 2. From the Tools menu, select Extensions .

3. Check 3D Analyst. Then click Close.

How to convert PLW Modelworks models for ArcScene or ArcGlobe

Create a Personal Geodatabase

How to convert PLW Modelworks models for ArcScene or ArcGlobe

7. Give it a name, such as Jacksonville Downtown, and click Save.

How to convert PLW Modelworks models for ArcScene or ArcGlobe

Import the PLW Modelworks models

How to convert PLW Modelworks models for ArcScene or ArcGlobe

9. The Import 3D Files dialog appears.

How to convert PLW Modelworks models for ArcScene or ArcGlobe

How to convert PLW Modelworks models for ArcScene or ArcGlobe

How to convert PLW Modelworks models for ArcScene or ArcGlobe

How to convert PLW Modelworks models for ArcScene or ArcGlobe

How to convert PLW Modelworks models for ArcScene or ArcGlobe

How to convert PLW Modelworks models for ArcScene or ArcGlobe

View the results in ArcGlobe

How to convert PLW Modelworks models for ArcScene or ArcGlobe

How to convert PLW Modelworks models for ArcScene or ArcGlobe

22. The Feature Class should now be a layer.

How to convert PLW Modelworks models for ArcScene or ArcGlobe

How to convert PLW Modelworks models for ArcScene or ArcGlobe

Some likely questions

That was ArcGlobe, now what about ArcScene?

How to convert PLW Modelworks models for ArcScene or ArcGlobe

Will ArcGlobe be able to handle larger texture-mapped scenes?

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