In this section, you’ll visualize 3D data. You will learn how to convert a 2D map to 3D scene, visualize the DEM layer and other feature classes such as trees and buildings.
Most commonly we display data as a 2D map (although this may change in the future). Traditionally, in ArcGIS software, a 2D map was displayed in ArcMap and a 3D scene displayed by ArcScene.
In ArcGIS Pro, you will have 2D maps and 3D scenes in the same platform. A scene is a map that displays data in 3D. By default, ArcGIS Pro will convert a map to a global scene, which depicts the entire world as a spherical globe. Since your area of interest is University Park Campus, not the entire globe, you will need to change the settings so the map converts to a local scene instead.
Your map converts to 3D, creating a new pane called Map_3D. You can go back to your 2D map at any time by clicking the Map tab.
The flatness of the campus contrast with hills in the distance. By default, scene uses a map of elevation data, called an elevation surface, to determine the ground's elevation. It is a low resolution but spans the entire world.
Another layer that is flat but should not be is the building footprint. The UP_BUILDINGS layer has height data in its attributes. It has been extracted from LiDAR data (as discussed in Lesson 4). To display the layer in 3D, you will use a command called extrusion, which displays features in 3D by using a constant or an attribute as the z-value. In this layer, the attribute will be Z_Mean.
Now you can turn on Roads and sidewalks. Make sure they are under 2D layers. Later in this Lesson, you will extrude trees and symbolize them.