nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

How can I make an exisitng 2d polyline layer Z aware?

DavidMedeiros

Many (all?) 3d tools only work with Z aware feature layers. Is there a way to take an existing point, line, or polygon data layer that has no Z values and make it a Z aware layer without having to re import the points or digitize the the lines or polygons into a new layer?

Find more posts tagged with

Accepted answers

OwenEarley

If you enable Z values in the geoprocessing environment and then run a tool such as Feature Class to Feature Class the output will be Z aware. You will still need to apply Z values to the feature vertices after doing this.

All comments

JayantaPoddar

You could drape the vector layers over a DEM in ArcScene (also add some offset, so that the vector layers are visible above the DEM.

DavidMedeiros

To help clarify the question. I'm not looking for ways to visualize or represent the data in 3d, but to make the properties of the data change from not having Z values to having Z values. If you check the properties of any GIS data layer you will see an indication of the presence or absence of Z values for that data.

For point data for instance I know that you can make them Z aware while creating them from a table of XY coordinates. But for existent GIS data, is there a way to make them Z aware after the fact?

ChrisDonohue__GISP

Here's an ESRI Support article which may point the way. The article is for older versions of the software, but I suspect the process is still the same.

36633 - Create a Z-aware shapefile or feature class from a table

Chris Donohue, GISP

DarrenWiens2

As you've seen, there are many ways to add Z-awareness to your data by creating a new layer (in fact, you can do this with essentially any geoprocessing tool by changing the Z-flag environment to Enabled), but I don't believe it's possible to add Z-awareness to a feature class, in place.

DavidMedeiros

That's what I'm finding. Enabling Z values in the environment doesn't seem to effect the out put of a Data > Export Data flow that won't help quickly create a Z aware copy of the data. Maybe I can hunt down a tool that will use that environment setting.

Like I described above, it's easy enough to re import points from a table and add the Z awareness then, but what would a user do who receives an existing 2d line for say trails in a park and then ants to use some of the 3d tools that require a Z aware line layer. Would they have extract the nodes, export an xy table, re import with Z values, the re connect the nodes into lines? Seems absurd.

OwenEarley

Join the Conversation

Signed in members can post, follow updates, and more. New here? Register a free account.

Quick Links

Community Help
Find useful guides, FAQs, and documents to help you navigate and make the most of Esri Community.