In Web Scene viewer, my 3D data is flat, featureless and with no shading effects that were configured in ArcPro.

Question

I've creating 3D bathymetric datasets for use in an offline marine navigation mobile app. I create a scene in ArcGIS Pro and shared the data to ArcGIS Online and Scene Layer Packages with same data as I shared to ArcGIS Online. The datasets consist of a local hi-res elevation layer that sits on top of lower resolution elevation elevation layers that I've created for offline use. So basically I have all custom elevation layers that are configured to show the seafloor at a very high resolution.

I created a web scene so I could load the bathymetric data up and then create an ArcGIS Instant App (3D viewer). The goal is (was) to use Instant App/3D viewer to demonstrate the 3D imagery to current and potential investors. But....none of my custom 3D data is extruded and hillshading/shaded relief customizations to the raster layers is gone. Only the hosted Gebco image service that I was forced to use instead of my custom elevation basemap is showing any sort of 3D modeling. Gebco is a very low resolution elevation layer pretty much useless to me. Below are some screenshots of how my 3D datasets display in ArcGIS Pro then how the (don't) display in a Web Scene:

ArcGIS Pro Image1Web Scene Image1
ArcGIS Pro Image2Web Scene Image1
ArcGIS Pro Image1Web Scene Image1

All valid elevation sources in the ground surface are included in the shared web scene, including elevation sources that have been turned off. They can be turned back on when consumed in ArcGIS Pro and Scene Viewer.

"When creating a new scene in ArcGIS Pro, Esri's global scale elevation surface is added automatically from ArcGIS Online. If you have high-resolution elevation data that you want to use, you can do one of the following:

Author your scene to use local elevation data as an elevation source. When you share the web scene, the local elevation data is shared as a web elevation layer for you.
Author your scene to use an existing web elevation layer.
Note:
The elevation surface properties Vertical exaggeration, Surface color, and Shade relief are not maintained through the sharing process.

All other elevation sources, such as globe elevation services, are removed from the web scene during the sharing process. Web scenes can be shared without elevation sources.

Note:
Custom elevation surfaces are not supported in the Scene Viewer. Custom surfaces are dropped during the sharing processed"

~Author your scene to use local elevation data as an elevation source. When you share the web scene, the local elevation data is shared as a web elevation layer for you.

I'm using local elevation data (hi-res sonar survey points) as a data source in my custom elevation layers that I import into the Web Scene, but it's still getting tossed out. Then it says custom surfaces are dropped during the sharing process. I'm so confused.

Obvisously not permitting custom 3D surfaces into Web Scene viewer is functioning as designed and not a huge defect that's never been fixed by ESRI. I just find it very hard to believe that ESRI would even considering building the Web Scene Viewer without the giving the user the ability to import custom 3D elevation layers. Also, how do I get my custom 3D custom data into Instant Apps 3D Viewer? I created an instance of the app with my data just to see what happens, and sure enough, all my 3D custom surfaces are featureless, with no hill or relief shading. I can't share that with investors can I?? What's going on with this workflow design, doesn't make any sense to me.

Thanks.

SonarBATStructureMAPS · Answer

Hello Andreas,

Thanks for repsonse. I am using Web Elevation Layers (WEL) that are created when I create Scene Layer Package (.slpk) containing my custom elevation layer generated from a local elevation source and upload to ArcGIS Online. Those custom elevation packages containing hi-res locally sourced data are converted to Web Elevation Layers in ArcGIS Online, but are not supported by Scene Viewer, as all extruded features and other custom themes set in ArcGIS Pro are being ignored/blocked, for whatever reason? Probably because GEBCO elevation layer that I used under the custom elevation layers has a different tiling schema than my custom elevation layers. Or tile Basemap I used from Living Atlas doesn't have the same tiling schema as my elevation layers. I don't know how to confirm the tiling schema Esri service hosted tile layers (elevation and/or Basemaps) use.

Here's another item of confusion for me. My ultimate goal is to create an ArcGIS mobile SDK app to run my 3D data offline.

1. If I want to use my high resolution elevation layers that contain my local 3D data, I have to create elevation tile packages using LERC tiling schema.

2. All tile packages in the project must have the same tiling schema, LERC in my case, including the Basemap and hosted Feature Tile layers hosted in ArcGIS Online. These feature layers are imported into ArcGIS Online as Shapefile and GeoJSON features which I publish and now there's hosted tile layers. The hosted feature tile layers do not contain elevation data, yet they are have to have LERC tiliing schema as well since my custom elevation tile package is required to use LERC? How do I create LERC tiling schema for Feature Tile layers hosted on ArcGIS Online? Also, I need to create a custom elevation Basemap with LERC compression even thought that layer does not have elevation data it? It's really difficult to track the tiling schemas and coordinates references systems when ArcGIS Online changes those attributes when they're imported when creating layer packages or uploading feature sets. What's the trick to managing scene projects that have many different types of tile package layers (some containing elevation, most do not)? Keeping track and maintianing constistance tile schemas and coordiante reference systems for all these tile packages through the entire process is impossible and incredibly time consuming seeings that I'll have rebuild pretty much all my tile packages now.

3. I want create an offline mobile SDK app. ArcGIS SDK apps only support Global Scenes for importing data. If my elevation tile layer is used in a Global scene, the only valid tiling schemes are:

* ArcGIS Online/Bing Maps/Google Maps
* WGS84 Geographic Coordinate System, Version

LERC tiling schema is not supported is Global Scenes and ArcGIS Mobile SDK apps only support Global Scenes. So basically, ArcGIS Mobile SDK app will not suppot my custom high resolution elevation layers?? Again, very confused here. Here's the link to the Article I just cited. https://support.esri.com/en-us/knowledge-base/faq-is-it-possible-to-create-a-custom-elevation-layer-t-000014615

Thanks,

Matt

AndreasHall · Answer

There is a lot of things going on here, one way to start looking into this could be to try and publish an elevation layer out of your local elevation data. Just right click that layer in the Contents pane in Pro and choose Sharing > Share as web layer. The try to add that layer to a web scene.

Share a web elevation layer—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation

A thing to consider if you are working with local scenes, is that any cached data (such as elevation layers, basemap et.c.) need to use the same Tiling Schema (and coordinate system).

Here is a tutorial you could try as well Author and share a local scene—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation