The first step into 3D modeling using ArcGIS Pro is making a map. First, you will create a project. Then you will add necessary data to your map where you have all the tools you need. Then, you will explore the University Park Campus with navigation tools and bookmarks. This 3D model of the University Park Campus will be the final result of this lesson.
If you do not have ArcGIS pro installed on your computer, please install it before continuing.
The first step in making a map is creating a project, which contains maps, databases, and directories.
Project templates are useful in creating a new project because they have aspects of ArcGIS Pro that are important including folder connections, access to databases and servers, and predefined maps.
A Blank template starts a new empty project. It means you won’t have the aspects mentioned above and will start from scratch to build your project. Scene views are for 3D map presentations. Global Scene is a useful template when your data is best represented on a globe. A Global Scene creates a project based on ArcGlobe (part of 3D Analyst extinction of ArcGIS for Desktop). Local Scene is useful for a small area to perform analysis or edit. It is similar to ArcScene in ArcGIS for Desktop. The Map template is suitable for creating a 2D map for your project. It creates a geodatabase in the project folder.[1]
[1] For more information on project templates: (1) ArcGIS Pro [4], (2) GISP, Tripp Corbin. 2015. Learning ArcGIS Pro. Community Experience Distilled. Packt Publishing: P. Accessed September 22, 2016. http://lib.myilibrary.com?id=878863 [5].
To explore Penn State’s University Park Campus, you need data. Download the data [6]. You can save the data package on any location on your computer. Please make sure to unzip the file. It is highly recommended that you save data in the project folder you created before, UniversityParkCampus. The reason is that if you have to move to a different computer, saving everything in your project folder will avoid (most likely) issues with connecting data to your project.
Note: ESRI ArcGIS software is sensitive to the change of data location. If the location address is changed compared to where the addresses are stored in the project, you have to re-link data.
In the pane of the window, under my computer click on the folder that you have saved the data files in. If you have used the default location for saving the project (C:\Users\Yourname\Documents\ArcGIS\Projects), the geodatabase is inside the UniversityParkCampus folder.
Go inside the geodatabase and Double-click the following layers to add them to the map: UP_BUILDINGS,UP_Major_Roads, UP_Minor_Roads, UP_Sidewalks, and UP_TREES.
Attention: if you go to the project folder you can see that a geodatabase named exactly as your project has been created: “UniversityParkCampus.gdb’.This is the geodatabase that you will use for saving the results of the analysis. The geodatabase that we have given you (Lesson5.gdb) contains external data prepared for you to start.
The map will center on the University Park campus in State College, PA.
Before we focus on symbolizing the layers and improve the map, you will learn how to navigate the map and create bookmarks to quickly return to key areas.
In the next lesson, you will learn about data symbolization and editing.
Links
[1] https://chorophronesis.psu.edu/
[2] https://www.arcgis.com/features/index.html
[3] https://sites.psu.edu/psugis/arcgis-pro-sign-in/
[4] http://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/help/projects/create-a-new-project.htm
[5] http://lib.myilibrary.com/?id=878863
[6] https://courseware.e-education.psu.edu/downloads/geog497/