Tools

You can move around scenes with the following Scene Viewer tools:

• Click Initial view to return to the initial camera position.
• Click + to zoom in.
• Click - to zoom out.
• You can also use your mouse and scroll wheel to zoom in and zoom out, or click and hold the wheel button and move down or up to zoom in or out.
• Click Pan to pan. Click and hold the mouse button and drag the scene in the direction you want to move it. You can also pan using the arrow keys on the keyboard.
• Click Rotate to rotate. Click and hold the mouse button and drag the scene in the direction you want to rotate and tilt it.

  Note:

  When you click either tool, the mouse button becomes the primary navigation and the right mouse button the secondary navigation. For example, click Rotate to use the mouse button to rotate and the right mouse button to pan. The black triangle at the upper right of the tool indicates the tool is selected.

• Compass shows the orientation of the scene. Click Compass to set your scene to North orientation.

Devices

The following navigation methods can be used with devices:

• Scene Viewer provides viewing experiences for smartphones and tablets. With smartphones, you can navigate your scene with a simplified viewing experience without authoring or tools. Tablets offer the same UI as desktop computers.
• If you have touch capabilities on your device, you can pinch zoom with two fingers and pan with one finger. You can also double-tap the scene to zoom in a step toward the tapped location. To rotate the scene, move two fingers in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. To tilt the scene, drag two fingers up or down the screen.

  Note:

  The Pan/Rotate switch navigation controls and 3D Navigation settings do not affect touch.

• Scene Viewer supports standard gamepads and 3Dconnexion SpaceMouse devices for intuitive navigation. See Scene Viewer navigation devices for more information.

Actions

The following are helpful navigation actions you can use:

Display building scene layer

To explore building scene layers, do the following:

1. Click the Building explorer tool .
2. Select the building scene layer you want to explore from the drop-down menu.

   The building scene layer expands and allows you to see all the layers under the Disciplines & Categories heading.

3. Click a building scene layer element, such as a door or wall, to display a pop-up about the feature.
4. Click the layer and sublayer check boxes to show and hide features in the scene.
5. To explore another building scene layer, select a new layer from the drop-down menu or click a different building scene layer in your scene.
   • The state of the layer visibility settings for each building scene layer is preserved in the Building explorer tool.
   • When you select a different building scene layer, the scene zooms to the building scene layer and expands the layers in the tool.
6. Click None to collapse the layers in the tool and display only the overview layer in the scene.
   • The state of the layer visibility settings is preserved in the Building explorer tool.
   • When a building scene layer doesn't have an overview layer, the layers collapse in the tool and the building scene layer remains the same in the scene.

   You can explore only one building scene layer at a time using the Building explorer tool.

Alternatively click different building scene layers in your scene to explore with the Building explorer tool.

• When the building scene layer has an overview layer, the Building explorer tool opens.
• When an overview layer isn't present, a pop-up appears containing information about the highlighted element without opening the Building explorer tool.

Isolate a level

You can isolate a level of a building scene layer using the Level picker in the Building explorer tool. When you choose the level, the levels below become semi-transparent for added visual context.

Choose construction phase

When construction phases are available in the building scene layer, under the Construction phases option, you can choose a numbered phase to display. The building scene layer includes information indicating the phase the components were created, and optionally, when they were removed.

Click a construction phase to display all the components created during or before the phase. Removed components aren't displayed.

Apply filter

When predefined filters are present, the Building explorer tool displays the Filter button , indicating that predefined filters were previously configured in the scene, such as from ArcGIS Pro 2.4 or later.

To filter a building scene layer, do the following:

1. Click the Filter button .
2. Select a predefined filter.
   • The scene displays the components configured in the predefined filter.
   • The layer settings under the Disciplines & Categories heading no longer appear.
3. Click the Filter button again and select No predefined filter to remove the filter and display the Disciplines & Categories layer settings.

Create a slice

To create a slice, do the following:

1. Click Analyze to access the Slice tool .
2. Click the Slice tool .
3. Click New Slice.
   • The tool indicates where the scene will be sliced.
   • Press Ctrl/Cmd or Shift while clicking to slice with either a horizontal or vertical plane, respectively.
4. Click a surface or object to make a slice.

   The slice hides any content in front of the surface.

5. Drag the handles of the slice plane to move, resize, or rotate the slice.
6. Click New Slice again to start a new slice.
7. Close Analyze to hide the slice.
8. Click the Slice tool again for the slice to reappear in the scene.

Exclude layers

After a slice is created, you can exclude layers from the slice. For example, you can set the HVAC and windows layers in a building to remain visible while you slice.

1. Click Exclude Layer from Slice.
2. Click a layer in the scene to exclude from the slice.

   The layer is added to the Excluded layers list.

3. Click Cancel to return to the initial view.
4. Click Exclude Layer from Slice again to make another layer visible.
5. Click the Remove button next to the layer name to remove it from the Excluded layers list.

Interact with a slice

Once you've created a slice, you can explore and examine your scene further with Scene Viewer tools, such as Pop-ups and Measure. For example, you can measure the length of an HVAC air duct inside a building that was previously hidden.

Distance

Use Measure distance  to calculate the distance between two points in a scene.  The Measure distance tool labels the direct, horizontal, and vertical distance lines in the scene and displays the values in the panel.

• Direct—Distance between two points
• Horizontal—Horizontal distance between two points
• Vertical—Vertical distance between two points

While you are measuring, a second laser line indicates where the vertical plane along the checkered line intersects the terrain in all directions, such as with buildings, bridges, and the ground.

To measure distance, do the following:

1. Click Analyze to open the Measure tools.
2. Click Measure distance .
3. Click in the scene to start measuring.
4. Click to set the endpoint.
5. Click New Measuement to start a new measurement.

When the distance between the points is greater than 100 kilometers, a circular laser line appears indicating that Scene Viewer has switched to geodesic mode. In geodesic mode, Scene Viewer only calculates the horizontal and vertical distances, taking into consideration the curvature of the earth (that is, ellipsoid-based geodesic distance). The Direct distance option is unavailable.

Area

Use Measure area  to calculate the area of a polygon you draw. While measuring, the Measure area tool labels the current segment length and the total length of the path in your scene. Once you close the path, a polygon is created with labeled values for the area and perimeter. These values also appear in the panel.

• Area—The area of the polygon
• Perimeter—The perimeter length of the polygon

To measure area, do the following:

1. Click Measure area  .
2. Click in the scene to start adding points to the polygon.
3. Double-click to close the path and calculate the polygon area. Alternatively, click the starting point again to close the path.
4. Click New Measuement to start a new measurement.

When the polygon perimeter is greater than 100 kilometers, Scene Viewer switches to geodesic mode. In geodesic mode, Scene Viewer calculates the values, taking into consideration the curvature of the earth (that is, ellipsoid-based geodesic values).

After measuring

To adjust either the Measure distance or Measure area  measurement, hover over any point and drag. As you drag points, Scene Viewer displays the adjusted values in the scene and panel. You can change the unit of measure under Unit.

Sunlight slider

Drag the Sunlight slider left and right to adjust the sunlight and shadows in your scene at different times of the day. You can also adjust the time of day by manually entering it or by clicking specific times on the slider. To change time zones, click the current time zone to the right of the time box and choose from the drop-down list.

Click Play to animate the sunlight as it cycles through the day in your scene.

Calendar

Click the Calendar drop-down menu to change the sun's position at different times of the year.

Click Play to animate the sunlight as it cycles through the months in a year in your scene.

Shadows

Check Show shadows to illustrate shadows in your scene. You can change shadow effects by adjusting the Sunlight slider , time zone, and Calendar options.

Performance and quality

Choose from the following settings to optimize 3D graphics rendering:

• Quality—Use higher-quality visualization options, such as realistic atmosphere.
• Balanced—Set equal optimization of performance and quality.
• Performance—Increase stability and speed by reducing data load.

3D navigation

For 3D Navigation, choose either the default Scene Viewer navigation or the ArcGIS Pro mouse navigation.