How to configure multipatch 3D symbol of trees in CE?

[larryzhang1]

Hi, all

Multipatch 3D trees??? symbol is presented and visualized very well in ArcScene.

However, after those 3D tree multipatch imported into CE from GDB, those trees??? symbol is presented in CROSS tree. 


[ATTACH=CONFIG]25423[/ATTACH]

In CE, any easy way 'directly' to configure attribute of those exported 3D trees??? symbol to ensure those trees??? symbol looking like real 3D trees (i.e., to keep all of multipatch feature class from GDB, including the 3D tree symbol)?


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It looks that the 3D point multipatch with symbol in GDB is not supported in CE, just similar to CGA rule also not properly applicable to point feature class. See the details at http://forums.arcgis.com/threads/72834-CGA-Recursive-Highrise-Building-rule-(with-good-control-over-...

[MatthiasBuehler1]

Hi,

I'm not sure if I understand you correctly.

Can you make a series of screenshots and a precise step by step list how you bring the data over ?

Let me know.

M.

[larryzhang1]

mat,

Let�??s make 20~30 trees with the field �??Height�?? (from 5 to 15 m) as an example, in a point feature class; and then,

In ArcScene:
Step 1: load /configure the point feature class in ArcScene;
Step 2: symbolize those points with 3D tree (saying, American Sweet Gum);
Step 3: Configure the �??Advanced�?? under the Tab �??Symbology�??, which use the tree height as Size and pick Rotation Angle as Random. In this way, the 3D trees in ArcScene will be well presented and also very light (excellent performance, compared to similar approach in CE.)
Step 3: export 3D trees with model into multipatch (GDB);
Step 4: load into CE. (Those 3D trees should look same as in ArcScene. Unfortunately, those 3D trees model is changed, i.e., not properly rotated in CE. (See the snapshot above.)

In CE:
Inversely, if producing 3D trees in CE from point feature class by �??vegetation.cga�?? and then exporting into 3D trees feature class (GDB), ArcScene will change the model of those 3D trees as well, so that the 3D trees presented/rotated not properly (i.e., same as the snapshot above.)


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It looks that it is an interoperation issue between ArcScene 10.1/10.0 and CE 2012.1, when dealing with 3D multipatch with models (tree, street furniture ...) , which is derived from �??point�?? feature classes.

Not sure if it is a 'known' issue to 3D/CityEngine team�?�

Regards,

[MatthiasBuehler1]

Hi Larry,

Can you also post a screenshot how that looks in ArcScene before export ?

It seems to me that ArcScene - when exporting - swaps the 'nice' models with simple 'billboard' trees.

Let me know..

Matt

[larryzhang1]

Hi Larry,

Can you also post a screenshot how that looks in ArcScene before export ?

It seems to me that ArcScene - when exporting - swaps the 'nice' models with simple 'billboard' trees.

Let me know.. Matt

Matt,

Pls see the snapshots of trees & houses below, which are derived with 'symbols' from point feature class in ArcScene.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]25640[/ATTACH] and [ATTACH=CONFIG]25641[/ATTACH]

[MatthiasBuehler1]

Hi,

The only thing which seems to be missing is that those trees miss the transparency.

Means the basic geometry in ArcScene is the same ( just 2 intersecting polygons with a tree texture, but cut out with an alpha/transparency map).

From my knowledge, that is a current limitation of MultiPatches which are stored in a geodatabase or by the tool processes them.


In general what I recommend in this case is never export ArcGIS symbologies to CityEngine because they're not recognized as such symbols anyway. Just export the point markers and create the trees or other point features with rules.

I'm not sure if this answers your question..

Let me know if this makes sense.

[larryzhang1]

....

From my knowledge, that is a current limitation of MultiPatches which are stored in a geodatabase or by the tool processes them.

In general what I recommend in this case is never export ArcGIS symbologies to CityEngine because they're not recognized as such symbols anyway. Just export the point markers and create the trees or other point features with rules....

Matt,

You may reach points on FGDB limitations�?�

However, not sure if you realized that exporting the tree models from CE to multipatch GDB also is not functional? That is, tree models directly exported from CE are not well presented/rotated in ArcScene or ArcGlobe...

Most likely, CE has bugs on the 'direct' export to GDB, if dealing with tree model�?�

So, can you report this incident to 3D/CE team for further investigation and then fix as sooner as possible?

Of course, please ignore, if no channel or responsibility to do so.

Regards,


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Note,

We can interoperate between CE and FGDB through COLLADA, when dealing with 3D models like tree or street furniture�?�

[MatthiasBuehler1]

Hi Larry,


I just asked one of the developers again about this and yes, there seems to be a bug. So I'll forward this again to be fixed asap.

Thanks for reporting !

* * *

Btw. I'd never use Collada to port georeferenced data, see here : http://forums.arcgis.com/threads/59442-FBX-export-%28models%29-to-3DSMAX

Use kml instead, ok ?

Matt

[larryzhang1]

... there seems to be a bug. ... See here : http://forums.arcgis.com/threads/59442-FBX-export-%28models%29-to-3DSMAX

Use kml instead, ok ? ...

Thx for prompt assitance, Matt,

On exporting to KML in CE, it looks working, if the size of models is small.

However, the KML approach is not practical, in particular, when dealling with thousands of models in one file (in fact, when models are very large, it is also not effective for COLLADA. It is why we need CE directly working with FGDB in operation...

Regards,