Exercise 6: ArcGlobe basics

Complexity: Beginner Data Requirement: Installed with software Data Path: See Copying the tutorial data Goal: Learn ArcGlobe navigation skills and explore basic properties of the viewing experience

Navigating in ArcGlobe lets you explore your data and teaches you how to accomplish fundamental tasks that you'll use later.

In this exercise, you'll learn how to use the ArcGlobe navigation tools and set properties that enhance your viewing experience. This exercise assumes that you are using default online layers for the globe surface. The online layers require that you have an Internet connection.

Examining the default layers in ArcGlobe

First, you'll start ArcGlobe and learn what kind of data is included by default.

Steps:

1. Start ArcGlobe by clicking Start > All Programs > ArcGIS > ArcGlobe 10.

2. In the ArcGlobe-Getting Started dialog box, click Browse and set the default geodatabase path to D:\3DAnalyst\3D_Default.gdb.
If Browse is disabled, be sure to click New Globes to start a fresh template and then click Browse.
This location will be used for output spatial data generated in the tutorial exercise.

3. Click OK to close the Getting Started dialog box.
ArcGlobe starts, and its default online layers are loaded.
Notice which layers are loaded in the globe by looking at the list in the table of contents.

4. Click Customize and click ArcGlobe Options.

5. Click the Default Layers tab to view all start-up layer options for ArcGlobe.

This data is installed from ArcGIS Online as a World Imagery (3D) layer file and also includes a layer for boundaries and places, a layer for transportation, an elevation layer for the contiguous United States at a resolution of about 30 meters, and an elevation layer at approximately 90 meters or 1 km per pixel resolution for the world. Therefore, we will use default online layers for ArcGlobe.
The default online layers are live Internet layers so they require that you have an Internet connection.
6. Click OK.
7. Click the List By Type button in the table of contents.

ArcGlobe categorizes layers according to their type. Layers are classified as either elevation, draped, or floating. Elevation layers provide relief to the globe's surface. Draped layers use the globe surface as the source of their base heights. Floating layers display independently of the globe surface and can be draped on discrete surfaces or derive their elevation from attributes or a constant value.
Now, look how the default layers are categorized—they are listed as draped and elevation layers and therefore display directly on the globe surface.

Adding more layers

Default layers serve as a background to any data that you want to add to ArcGlobe. Next, you'll add some local data for the Las Vegas area.

Steps:

1. On the right side of the ArcGlobe window, move your pointer over the Catalog tab or click the Catalog tab.
The Catalog window slides into the view, ready for use.
You can also click the Catalog window button from the Standard toolbar.

2. Navigate to the Exercise6 folder in the Folder Connections path where you locally saved the tutorial data.
3. Click las_vegas_area.img, then press SHIFT and click las_vegas_strip.img from the bottom contents view.
The multiple layers are selected.
4. Drag both selected layers into the 3D view of ArcGlobe, then release the mouse button.
The image layers are automatically added into the table of contents as draped layers. You'll explore them later in this exercise.

Changing a layer's drawing priority in the table of contents

Draped layers that have overlapping extents need to have a drawing priority set so one layer gets drawn on top of the other. ArcGlobe makes some assumptions to accomplish this using criteria such as the cell size of a raster layer. Occasionally, you'll need to override the ArcGlobe default drawing priorities. One way to do this is to change the order of draped layers as they appear in the List By Type view of the table of contents.

The drawing priority of draped layers in the ArcGlobe table of contents is designed so that the top-most layer in the list is the top-most layer on the globe. For instance, if you were to drag a layer from the bottom of the list to the top, it would now be rendered on top of all your other layers. This technique can help enhance a view if, for example, you want to display points of interest on top of imagery.

Steps:

1. Right-click las_vegas_area.img and click Zoom to Layer.
You cannot see the image due to a drawing priority set, so the default Imagery layer gets drawn on top of the _vegas_area.img layer.

2. Click and hold las_vegas_area.img and drag it so it is above the lmagery layer.
A black line indicates where the layer will be placed.

3. Release the mouse pointer to drop the layer in its new position.
Now, you can see las_vegas_area.img in the center of the view.

Navigating in Globe mode

ArcGlobe has two viewing modes: Global and Surface. Global mode allows you to navigate your data in the realm of the whole globe and sets the camera target to the center of the globe. Surface mode lets you work with your data at a lower elevation, allows additional perspective viewing characteristics, and sets the camera target on the surface of the globe. You’ll learn how to navigate in Global mode first, then in Surface mode.

The Navigate tool is active when you start ArcGlobe. You can see the names of other tools on the Tools toolbar by hovering the pointer over the tool.

Steps:

1. Click the Full Extent button.

The globe displays at full extent.
2. Click the globe, slowly drag up and to the right, then release the mouse pointer.

The globe rotates, and the view angle lowers so you gain a different vantage point.
3. Right-click and drag down.

The pointer changes to the Zoom In/Out pointer, and the view zooms in on the globe. To zoom out, right-click the globe and drag up.
4. Click Full Extent .

Turning on the Spin toolbar

You can use the Spin toolbar to automatically spin the globe clockwise or counterclockwise at any speed you wish.

Steps:

1. Right-click the menu area and click Spin.

The Spin toolbar appears as an undocked toolbar.

Using the Spin tools

Steps:

1. Click the Spin Clockwise button.
The globe continuously spins clockwise around the z-axis. You can change the speed at which it spins.
2. Click the top arrow on the Speed text box to increase the rate at which the globe spins.

Continued clicks will incrementally increase the spin rate. You can also type in a value. Click the bottom arrow to decrease the rate.
3. Click the Stop button to stop the globe from spinning.
You can also press ESC to stop the globe from spinning.

Finding places on the globe

If you have an Internet connection, you can find world locations by using the ESRI Online Place Finder in the Find dialog box.

Steps:

1. Click the Find button.

2. Click the Locations tab.
3. Click the Choose a locator drop-down list and click World Places (ArcGIS Online).
4. Type Las Vegas in the Place Name text box.
5. Click Find.
6. Right-click Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, and click Create Bookmark.

7. Right-click Las Vegas, Nevada, United States, and click Zoom To.

8. Click Cancel to close the Find dialog box.

The Find tool is an easy way of locating almost any place in the world. Use it to locate points of interest, then use bookmarks to save perspectives of these places.

Now that you're zoomed close to the globe surface, you'll learn how to navigate in Surface mode.

Navigating in Surface mode

When you zoom in close to your data, you can switch to Surface mode to make your navigation apply more correctly to your new environment. Switching to Surface mode places the camera target on the globe surface and gives you a sense of 3D perspective while you navigate your data.

Steps:

1. Right-click las_vegas_strip.img in the table of contents and click Zoom To Layer.
The display zooms to the well known "Strip" area of Las Vegas.

2. Press CTRL and click the center of the roof of the Monte Carlo building.

The point you clicked is moved to the center of the display.

Centering on a target sets a target on the globe surface and switches to Surface mode.
3. Press CTRL and right-click the center of the roof of the Monte Carlo building again.

The target is centered, and the display is zoomed to it.
4. Click the Navigate button.
5. Click the bottom of the display and slowly drag up.
An on-screen icon is displayed to help locate the new axis point.

The globe rotates, and the viewing angle lowers. The horizon becomes visible with a light blue background, and you view the globe in a new perspective.
6. Click the Full Extent button to return the globe to its full extent position.

Setting preferences

You can modify the way ArcGlobe functions at both the application and globe levels. First, you'll explore some application-level options.

Steps:

1. Click the Customize menu and click ArcGlobe Options.

The ArcGlobe Options dialog box is where you set application level preferences. The settings will be preserved in all instances of ArcGlobe.
2. Click the General tab.
3. Check Animate viewer when using tools and commands.

This option shows smooth transitions from one view to the next when you use tools that change your perspective. This will be the standard behavior every time you start ArcGlobe until you turn off the option.
4. Click OK to close the dialog box and apply the setting.
5. Click Bookmarks and click Las Vegas.

The display moves to the Las Vegas bookmark in a smooth, animated transition. Next, you'll examine a document-level option.

Setting a document-level option

Steps:

1. Double-click Globe Layers in the table of contents.

2. Click the Background tab.
3. Click the Sky color drop-down arrow and click a color of the morning or evening sky.

Sky color is the color of the background when you zoom in close to your globe as defined by the lower limit of the transition zone.
4. Click OK.

If you switch to Surface mode and lower the viewing angle, you'll notice the background color changing to the color you indicated.

In this exercise, you learned how to differentiate between ArcGlobe layer types, navigate in Global and Surface modes, find places, and set some application and globe properties. Now that you've learned some fundamentals, you can begin to explore other areas of ArcGlobe. In the next exercise, you'll learn how to use data as different layer categories.