City Engine to ArcGIS Pro workflow

[deleted-user-OlpHy1NoMNug]

Need a little help on exporting models from City Engine 2016 to ArcGIS Pro.  I'm exporting from CE as Esri FileGDB, which created the multipatch, and then importing into ArcGIS Pro but it's not retaining it's geographic attributes.  This workflow has worked in the past so I'm assuming it's just a spatial reference issue.

In ArcGIS Pro should I'm assuming I should be opening a local scene?  Other issues it could be?  Model was originally imported as collada from another source. 

[ThomasFuchs]

For exporting models from CityEngine to ArcGIS Pro, Esri FileGDB is the preferred exchange format. The spacial reference used in CityEngine is added to the FGDB and ArcGIS Pro does the re-projection on import.The following things must be considered:

• When updating an existing FGDB from CityEngine, it is important that the scene coordinate system matches the one of the FGDB.
• CityEngine provides the user the possibility to work without spacial reference. In this case the FGDB has no spacial reference.

[deleted-user-OlpHy1NoMNug]

Thanks, Thomas.  I'm actually wondering now if the issue I was having is related to exporting from CE 2016.  I posted about this the other day.  Any bugs exporting from CE 2016 or 2016.1?

[ThomasFuchs]

For CE 2016 and 2016.1 there has been given a lot of attention to the map projection. So far I'm not aware of any issues. Can you provide more specifics?

[deleted-user-OlpHy1NoMNug]

Sure.

I'm attaching a video.  First part shows everything working fine in 2015, second part shows the process in 2016 and when I try to bring the exported model back in, the location is somewhere way off screen.  I then bring the 2015 model in and it works fine.

This is the same building being exported each time but the 2016 doesn't have textures, that's the only difference.  2015 export is test, 2016 export is test2.

[ThomasFuchs]

Scott,

Thank you for the video! I tried hard to get the erroneous behavior in CityEngine 2016.1 as you show. Unfortunately I wasn't able to reproduce it.

Please try to import my GDB version of the building and see if it matches your scene.

You were using EPSG:3361 NAD83(HARN) / South Carolina (ft) as scene coordinate system in each case, right?

[deleted-user-OlpHy1NoMNug]

Your GDB did load correctly in 2016.1 and yes both scenes were using 3361 scene coordinates.

[deleted-user-OlpHy1NoMNug]

This hadn't been too big of a problem, as I was able to continue working in 2015.2 and switching over to 2016 only if needed However,  CE is crashing now when I try to open the 2015.2 scene.  I'd like to switch over to 2016, any suggestions about what to do?

[ThomasFuchs]

Hello Scott,

Please keep in mind, that CityEngine 2015.2 and earlier can not read scene files from later versions. When opening a scene in an old format it gets updated on load and saved in the latest scene file version. In general it is recommended not to share scene files between multiple versions of CityEngine.

I suggest to setup a new scene in 2016.1 as in my test. Then try if the issue with the misplaced models remains. Also check the positioning by using KML as an alternative geo-referenced export format.