Chapter 7:
The 7th Chapter is about 3D Web mapping, which is explained to be helpful for communicating data in an efficient and easy to understand manner. They also have the upper hand in providing application to a larger array of uses, such as storytelling, urban planning, film making, defense simulations, and much more. I actually find it quite shocking to see that there are creative applications that can come from ArcGIS, as I had previously thought of it as primarily for data visualization, analysis of said data, and urban planning. The 3D makeup can present in one of two ways, photorealistic, and cartographic, which is more abstract. The maps themselves are made up of 4 separate aspects: The surfaces, features, textures, and atmospheric effects. Knowing the extent of what can go into the creation of the maps, it makes it easier to understand the ways in which it can be used in the context of film creation. The chapter goes on to explain the additional options a user has when creating a 3D map, as they can create an overview, which allows them to view buildings as a single layer. They can also create disciplines which combine multiple layers into different categories of buildings. There is also a filter which allows the user to view different features included with each building. The 3D feature can be used across various different GIS platforms such as ArcGIS pro, ArcGIS city engine, ArcGIS online, and ArcGIS enterprise, so there is a wide variety of accessibility to this tool.
Future applications:
I could create a 3D map that displays an urban landscape of an urban area with high rates of house fires and visualize how many houses contain gas stoves versus electric stovetops, using the filter layer to accompany other data such as what type of furnace is being used, and what type of ventilation system is in place. Then I could do the same to another urban area with similar qualities that has lower rates of fires, to see if there is a correlation between the two.