3D Analyst and ArcGlobe

ArcGlobe is a 3D visualization application that allows you to view large amounts of GIS data on a globe surface.

ArcGlobe provides a new and unique way to view and analyze your GIS data. Spatially referenced data is placed on a 3D globe surface, displayed in its true geodetic location. You can manipulate the globe, then investigate and analyze its data while viewing the globe as a whole or regions within it. You can view data covering a global extent and seamlessly zoom in to highly detailed, localized data. ArcGlobe gives you the power to tame voluminous data while fully employing all information the data can give you. ArcGlobe allows efficient display and query of raster data, and it is integrated to function with the ArcGIS geodatabase while providing support for analysis in the geoprocessing environment.

ArcGlobe ships with a comprehensive set of imagery on DVD, including elevation data for the entire earth. To help you get started and to provide a backdrop for the layers you'll add, ArcGlobe will open with a set of default layers. Then, depending on how you want to use ArcGlobe, the default layers can be changed, replaced with others, or completely removed.

ArcGlobe display environment

Much of the functionality of ArcGlobe is shared with the ArcScene 3D display environment, though there are several key differences between the two 3D environments.

Common tasks performed in ArcGlobe include

Common task

Where to go for more information

Creating an ArcGlobe document

About creating 3D views

Creating a 3D document

Setting the role of a 3D document

Saving an ArcGlobe document

Saving a 3D document

Printing an ArcGlobe document

Printing a 3D document

Exporting an ArcGlobe document

Exporting a 3D document

How to export a 2D image of a 3D view

Generating 3D data

Creating 3D feature data

Converting 2D features to 3D features

About geoprocessing with 3D Analyst

Using 2D data in ArcGlobe

Displaying features in ArcGlobe

Navigating in 3D

About 3D navigation

About 3D navigation tools

Using the 3D Navigate tool in ArcGlobe

Creating a 3D animation

Creating 3D animations

An overview of animation

Optimizing ArcGlobe

Optimizing ArcGlobe

Optimizing ArcGlobe layers

Optimizing raster and surface layers

Optimizing 3D multipatch layers

Using cache consolidation in ArcGlobe

Managing the ArcGlobe cache

Caching in ArcGlobe

Cache management in ArcGlobe

Serving an ArcGlobe document

Guidelines for creating 3D views for ArcGlobeServer

Functional differences between ArcGlobe and ArcScene

Visualizing 3D data

The 3D Analyst extension allows you to drape images or vector data over surfaces and extrude vector features from a surface to create lines, walls, and solids. You can use 3D symbols to add realism to the display of your GIS data and create high-quality animations to distribute the results.

You can view a scene from multiple viewpoints using different viewers or change the properties of 3D layers to use shading or transparency.

You can change the properties of a 3D globe to set the following:

The globe surface with sun lighting City view in ArcGlobe

Analyzing 3D data

All the ArcGIS 3D Analyst geoprocessing tools are available to you in ArcGlobe. The tools can be run from the Catalog or Search windows. Here are a few examples:

You can develop advanced geoprocessing models in the ModelBuilder window, then run them directly from ArcGlobe.

Related Topics


6/11/2012