Hello everyone,
I am working on a project where I need to prepare combined 3D geometries of an urban area (terrain + buildings) in ArcGIS Pro for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) wind field simulations.
My goals are:
Generate a 3D terrain surface (from DEM or similar data).
Integrate 3D buildings (from building footprints + height attributes) on top of the terrain.
Export the final geometry as a single integrated 3D dataset (multipatch or CAD format like STL/STEP/OBJ) for direct use in CFD software.
Where I need guidance:
What is the best workflow in ArcGIS Pro to merge DEM-based terrain and building geometries into one combined 3D model?
For buildings without height data, what are the recommended approaches or data sources (for U.S. cities such as Birmingham, AL)?
Which export format works best when transferring the unified 3D model from ArcGIS Pro into CFD tools?
If anyone has experience with integrating terrain and buildings into a single geometry in ArcGIS Pro (or possibly CityEngine), I would appreciate detailed workflow steps, recommended tools, or tips on avoiding issues with flat surfaces / misalignment.
Thanks in advance for your help!
