Estimating distance from ground

[AlexiGeorge]

Hi,

I am using ArcGIS online.  Is there a way to determine how far away from the ground my view is at when I am looking at a specific point while zoomed in? Please let me know!
Thanks

[DanPatterson_Retired]

you can't estimate height from one point...you need two and you need to know the distance between them relative to the map/screen distance

[DarrenWiens2]

See this ESRI blog for an answer.

Map scale (km/cm) * Viewing distance (cm)

Be careful with the tape measure between your screen and eyeball.

[AlexiGeorge]

Hi,

I checked out the blog post.  But I'm still confused. I am trying to figure out how much I have zoomed into a point. For example, I am zooming in very closely to see buildings on the basemap and I am wondering if there is a way to determine the height I am over the ground at that specific view? Please let me know if this makes sense.

[ChrisSmith7]

Here's how someone did it in GM:

http://stackoverflow.com/questions/22750373/calculate-height-above-map-given-zoom-level-in-google-ma...

You should be able to apply similar logic to ArcGIS.

[DarrenWiens2]

You need two measurements: the scale bar at the bottom of the screen, and your distance away from the screen. For example, if I zoom in as far as it will let me go, the scale bar at the bottom reads from 0 to 1 m. I measure it with a ruler to determine that the scale bar is 2.55 cm long. Using math, I determine that this is equal to 0.000392156 km/cm. I measure my viewing distance as 100 cm from the screen. Using the formula from the blog post, I can calculate that the viewing distance is as if I were 0.0392156 km above the map, or 39.2 m.

[DanPatterson_Retired]

not until you can identify two points on the map and relate them to ground based distance either through a scalebar or from prior knowledge...as supported by other's suggestions.  You can't describe the length of a big fish with one hand