3D web maps are called web scenes or 3D scenes in ArcGIS. It brings an extra dimension to 2D maps, and so it provides advantages in data visualization, analysis, and communication. It allows audiences to quickly understand the size and relative position of objects. It also enables designers to build flexible scenarios quickly and effectively while avoiding costly mistakes.
Just as web map can have many layers, a web scene can also have multiple layers. These include feature layers, map image layers, image layers, raster tile layers, vector tile layers, and scene layers. Based on visual effects scenes can be grouped into two main types: photorealistic and cartographic.
Photorealistic layers aims to recreate reality using photos to texture features. These types of scenes are good for demonstrating visible objects like a city.
Cartographic layers takes 2D thematic mapping techniques and moves them into 3D. These layers are good for attribute driven symbols such as height, color, transparency, etc. or for invisible features such as population density, flight paths, solar impact, etc.
The main elements in scenes: 1.) surfaces- continuous measurements with one value for a given x,y location. They are often referred to as a digital elevation model (DEM), digital terrain model (DTM), or digital surface model (DSM). 2.) features- live on, above, or below the surfaces. They can be 2D or 3D and they are operational layers. 3.) textures- provide exterior or interior covers of your 3D features. Textures often use aerial imageries or cartographic symbols. 4.) atmospheric effects- examples include lighting and fog
3D object scene layers- used to represent and visualize 3D objects, such as textured or untextured buildings. Can be created manually or automatically.
Building scene layers- allow you to visualize complex digital methods of buildings and interact with all components of the building. You can explore a building’s composition, properties, and locations of structures in a building’s digital model. A 3D building scene layer has the following structure: 1.) overview- optional layer that allows you to view the 3D building as a singular layer. 2.) discipline- combines category layers into various work disciplines of the building such as architectural, structural, mechanical, etc. 3.) category layer- represents individual categories such as windows or walls organized in disciplines. They are 3D object scene layers. 4.) filter- allows you to view details in complex buildings. 5.) integrated mesh scene layers- constructed from large sets of overlapping imagery. It will turn raw, still imagery into valuable information products. It can identify matching points on different images and stitch the images together based on these points. 6.) point cloud scene layers- provide a fast display of large volumes of symbolized point and cloud data. 7.) point scene layers- used to display large amounts of point data not possible with a point feature layer. This ensures fast visualization for clients. These layers are automatically thinned to improve performance and visibility at smaller scales. As you zoom in, additional features are displayed. 8.) voxel scene layers- represents multidimensional spatial and temporal information in a 3D volumetric visualization. You can visualize atmospheric or oceanic data or space -time cubes as voxel layers.
ArcGis Pro- a desktop app that provides comprehensive tools for managing 2D and 3D data, and authoring and sharing 2D maps and 3D scenes
ArcGIS CityEngine- a desktop app that provides advanced 3D creation capabilities.
ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Enterprise- Web GIS platforms that can host scene layers for online and on-premises 3D web GIS apps, offer Scene Viewer for creating and viewing web scenes, manage the access to web scenes and related layers, and provide ArcGIS Experience Builder and other ready to use apps.
VR- a computer technology that uses headsets or multiprojected environments to generate 3D views, sounds, and other sensations that stimulate a user’s physical presence in a visual or imaginary environment. VR can immerse users and scenes generated from GIS data. ArcGIS 360 VR is a web app that allows you to view 360 VR experiences on desktop PCs, mobile devices, and VR headsets.
XR- refers to all real and virtual combined environments and human machine interactions, generated by computer technology and wearables. It includes AR,VR, and MR. MR is the merging of real world and virtual worlds to produce new environments and visualizations, where physical and digital objects coexist and interact in real time.
Metaverse- a network of 3D virtual worlds focused on social connection.. GIS can produce 3D scenes of the world’s terrain, digital cities, airports, office buildings, etc.
ArcGIS Indoors and ArcGIS Pro- allow you to create and manage data and share maps and services to support other apps. It guides GIS professionals through the process of creating the indoors geodatabase.
ArcGIS Indoors Viewer- allows you to find a location or resource within a building or a site that includes several buildings.
Indoor Space Planner- A browser- based app that allows you to plan occupant activity in indoor spaces. Including assigning individuals to specific locations or activity based work.
ArcGIS Indoors for iOS and Android- allow you to view indoor maps and interact with them by exploring, searching, saving, sharing, getting directions, etc.
I could create a web scene to see the student population of all the universities in Ohio. Prospective university students could use this to get a visual representation of how many students they would be surrounded by in deciding the size of school they would like to go to. To do this, I would add the state of Ohio as the first layer, and then continue layering with all of the universities in Ohio with their student body population as the main attribute to visualize. The schools with higher populations will appear higher elevated than smaller schools. The schools would also appear to be located in the relative area of the actual school on the Ohio map.