topic Re: 3D Multipatch not showing up in Web Scene in ArcGIS Online Questions

3D Multipatch not showing up in Web Scene

DevRobinson — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 18:48:09 GMT

My issue is kind of a double problem I'm having with ArcGIS Online's Web Scene viewer.

Firstly, it never lets me add a ground surface because I refuse to use the WGS coordinate system, I need state plane! So I am never able to have a 3D ground surface to view my 3D multipatches with. THIS IS A DUMB THING TO LIMIT, ESRI!

So I figured I would cheat and make a multipatch surface of my state's ground surface using a DEM, which worked fine. Where I'm pulling my hair out is trying to get it to show up in my web scene!

I upload the .slpk file I exported from ArcGIS Pro and loaded it into my content on ArcOnline, and then added it to my established web scene. And nothing happens! It says it's there, says it's loaded, but no multipatch surface anywhere! All of my other multipatch features show up just fine and in the coordinate system I want.

I checked EVERYTHING, and I mean everything. Transparency, color, it's just not showing up. And no, it's not because it's too big. I made sure it wasn't a crazy resolution. And it's not giving a load error or anything. And besides, an even bigger set of multipatch surfaces I have is able to load in just fine, so I am at a loss as to why this one is just being gas lit by ArcOnline.

And the file is there, I can download it from ArcOnline and load it back in ArcPro just fine, but it will not show up in my scene!

Somebody please help me explain why, especially Esri themselves. I am ripping my hair out over this.

Re: 3D Multipatch not showing up in Web Scene

RussRoberts — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 14:05:32 GMT

For your first question about using your own elevation layer - We don't allow mixed cached tiling schemes. You are trying to load in an elevation layer in a different tiling scheme which is in a projected coordinate system while the global web scene is in a geographic. Web clients currently cannot reproject tiles bc it would be an extremely heavy task and that is something a desktop client like Pro can do. If you change to a local scene and have a stateplane basemap for example you can add in the elevation layer that has the same tiling scheme.

Can you share the scene layer or SLPK and I can see what might be happening with displaying it in the web scene?

Re: 3D Multipatch not showing up in Web Scene

DevRobinson — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 13:30:11 GMT

How would I change the web scene to a local scene? Even when I export a local scene from ArcPro it doesn't carry over the ground, shouldn't it make a local web scene by default in that case? You're the first helpful answer to this problem.

And here is the scene layer that won't show up.

https://kygs.maps.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=77bd682204334e2d9b2b8d1122b66793

Re: 3D Multipatch not showing up in Web Scene

RussRoberts — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 14:24:45 GMT

thanks taking a look at this now but I have one other question why not publish this DEM as an elevation layer vs. a multipatch and a 3D object and use that in KY state plane? This would be more performant vs trying to use a 3D Object scene layer across the state and you could drape layers over it for reference layers if you needed or offset layers against the ground.

https://doc.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-online/manage-data/publish-elevation-layers.htm

Re: 3D Multipatch not showing up in Web Scene

DevRobinson — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 14:43:43 GMT

I was not aware of this method, but I will try it going forward. Does it allow for a vertically exaggerated ground surface, though? I don't know of a way to change the vertical exaggeration of any layers in ArcOnline like in Pro. That's probably the main reason I used a multipatch for the ground in this case.

Thanks.

Re: 3D Multipatch not showing up in Web Scene

RussRoberts — Fri, 17 Feb 2023 18:36:42 GMT

Yup, for the exaggeration use the Raster Calc tool first then bring the layer down to the ground and then you will cook this elevation layer locally. This being state wide it is going to be very large and you may want to chunk this up.

Small example of mt. st helens before eruption with a 4x exaggeration

Re: 3D Multipatch not showing up in Web Scene

MatthewRBrennan — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 17:07:55 GMT

I am also having this problem. Either the 3D model successfully exports, but I get a "3D model cannot be added - scene service is missing root node" error, or alternatively, the 3D model simply doesn't show up, despite being "successfully" added to the web scene as a layer.

Re: 3D Multipatch not showing up in Web Scene

RussRoberts — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 17:12:21 GMT

If it is missing root node the scene layer could still be getting generated. If you are publishing from Pro check the jobs pane to check for it status or if you are publishing through Online you can track the job on the settings tab of the scene layer.

If the scene layer is not showing up can you share this case?

Re: 3D Multipatch not showing up in Web Scene

Koeller_Christine_A_-_DOT — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:03:29 GMT

Is there Esri documentation for using multipatch layers in the AGO Scene viewer? We have multipatch surfaces that we want to display, and we were told we had to use the web auxillary sphere CS to get them to display, which I agree is not ideal. But, I doubt I can get my IT to publish a custom 3D ground surface so I'm just looking for the documentation that tells me I have to use a certain CS with multipatch. 3D polygons work fine in other coordinate systems but MP doesn't? Help!

Re: 3D Multipatch not showing up in Web Scene

RussRoberts — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:20:50 GMT

You will have to publish the multipatch as a scene layer. You can do this locally with a scene layer package and upload that to ArcGIS Online (for use in globe you can use web merc or WGS84). This case works if its just a static layer you do not expect to update often. If you ever need to update it we have a replace scene layer workflow where you swap out services within the items. If its one that requires updating you can publish a multipatch feature layer with a scene layer from Pro or you can publish the feature layer first to ArcGIS Online and then from the item details page publish that scene layer.

Some links to help

https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-online/3d-gis/how-to-publish-scene-layers-in-arcgis-online

https://learn.arcgis.com/en/projects/share-digital-building-models-in-3D-web-scenes/

https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-online/3d-gis/authoring-3d-layers-and-creating-web-scenes-in-arcgis-online

https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-online/data-management/update-hosted-scene-layers-using-replace-layer

https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-online/data-management/editing-and-updating-hosted-scene-layers

Re: 3D Multipatch not showing up in Web Scene

Koeller_Christine_A_-_DOT — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:40:35 GMT

Okay, so multipatch surfaces won't work with Scene viewer they way 3D polygons can be added and displayed, they have to be converted into SLPKs? Is there documentation on this? E.g., these z-enabled polygon features can be opened in Scene Viewer, and display fine. I think the enhancement would be enabling this same functionality for multipatch feature layers: Airport Trans 57 Approach Surfaces - Overview. Spatial Reference is: 102974 (102974)

Re: 3D Multipatch not showing up in Web Scene

RussRoberts — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:36:26 GMT

Correct, you will need to use a 3D layer https://doc.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-online/reference/scene-layers.htm

For surfaces you could also publish an elevation layer and use that in your scene

https://doc.arcgis.com/en/arcgis-online/manage-data/publish-elevation-layers.htm

Re: 3D Multipatch not showing up in Web Scene

Koeller_Christine_A_-_DOT — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:45:06 GMT

This z-enabled polygon feature layer can be opened in Scene Viewer, and they display fine. I think the enhancement would be enabling this same functionality for multipatch feature layers: Airport Trans 57 Approach Surfaces - Overview. Spatial Reference is: 102974 (102974)

I'm understanding that doesn't exist. You have to take extra steps to convert multipatch to a 3D layer? Is that how it's going to stay going forward?

Re: 3D Multipatch not showing up in Web Scene

Koeller_Christine_A_-_DOT — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 16:52:44 GMT

I'm also wondering if 3D object layers can be downloaded on open data sites, or would we keep this as a separate content item: Airport FAR Part 77 Surfaces | WisDOT Open Data - and I also always wondered why the multipatch features don't preview on the map in Hub.

Re: 3D Multipatch not showing up in Web Scene

RussRoberts — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:02:08 GMT

Yup correct. displaying a multipatch feature layer in the web would no scale and be very expensive and is why we use the 3D layers for display. No steps to convert but at publish time you will see an associate scene layer being published along side the feature layer (this method will use credits to generate the scene layer in ArcGIS Online) or you can create it locally in Pro using create scene layer package tool.

Re: 3D Multipatch not showing up in Web Scene

RussRoberts — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:03:39 GMT

Depending on the use of the layer you could provide the scene layer package or the multipatch gdb or sd file. You can also use a tool in Pro to export a scene layer package from a service but you cannot go from a package back to a multipatch.

Re: 3D Multipatch not showing up in Web Scene

Koeller_Christine_A_-_DOT — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 13:17:50 GMT

Here's what my IT said about your response: "that is correct if we were publishing the feature as a scene. We are not, we are publishing the feature as a hosted feature layer."

This makes me think we need two separate content items, a hosted feature layer for the multipatch features that can be downloaded through our Hub site, and a second 3D layer if we want to visualize the features in scene. Our IT believes we have to publish these things separate. So now I'm confused again. Thank you for helping!

Re: 3D Multipatch not showing up in Web Scene

RussRoberts — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 14:16:21 GMT

These wont need to be published separately. If you have a scene in Pro with the multipatch being used when you go to share that scene as a web scene you will see in the sharing panel something similar to this.

This will publish a hosted feature layer that could be used for export. Then you will have a scene layer that will have the cache built in ArcGIS Online as well and both layers are essentially published in one click. Or you could publish just the feature layer and then use the create scene layer package tool and then upload the package to ArcGIS Online and then you would have a proper 3D layer for visualizing that original multipatch in a web scene and also be able to bring it back into Pro or used in ArcGIS Earth.