ArcGIS Urban October 2023 Release

[DominikAllemann]

We are excited to announce ArcGIS Urban October 2023.

Urban now supports coordinate systems other than Web Mercator. Check out this blog post to learn everything about this exciting new feature. 

Of course, there are also other features and improvements worth checking out. To not miss a single detail we have the following resources for you:

• Read about the release highlights in our  "What's New" blog post.
• Register for the "What's New" webinar.
• Check out the release notes for a detailed list of the features and improvements shipped with the release. 

Have fun exploring this new version of Urban. If you have any feedback or questions, please reach out to us.

Sincerely,

the ArcGIS Urban team

[BillFox]

Hello ArcGIS Urban Team,

For the option: Urban now supports coordinate systems other than Web Mercator

https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/urban/announcements/new-coordinate-systems-support-in-arcg...

Can you please explain a little more about these technical limitations listed below from you blog post and when they will be resolved for the Online and Enterprise versions of ArcGIS Urban?

For our case Urban will be using these US Standard units like you mentioned in your recent what's new in Urban February 2024:

EPSG:2228 NAD83 California Zone 4 ftUS

EPSG:6360 NAVD88 Height ftUS

"In a local urban model, you cannot use certain functionality due to technical limitations. The following are not available in local urban models:

Default 3D base layers (for example, 3D OSM buildings and trees)
Default basemaps
Default elevation layer
Street-level imagery
ArcGIS Living Atlas indicators"

[DominikAllemann]

Hi @BillFox ,

Thanks for your question. 

Some functionality is unavailable in local Urban Models because Esri's 3D web platform only supports on-the-fly projection between coordinate systems for non-cached layers (e.g., hosted feature layers).

The 3D base layers, the default basemaps, the default elevation layer, and the Living Atlas indicators are provisioned as cached layers in either the Web Mercator or the WGS84 coordinate system. They can only be displayed in global scenes. 

The street-level imagery feature builds upon the Mapillary platform, which only supports WGS84 coordinate systems. 

All of the above data items display well in global scenes and urban models, regardless of whether the data is in the Web Mercator or WGS84 coordinate system. However, these items don't work in local scenes and urban models. This is an overall limitation of Esri's web 3D platform, and I'm unaware of any plans to change this behavior. 

If you have follow-up questions, please don't hesitate to reach out. 

[BillFox]

Hello Dominik,

hmmm, do you see anything in the crystal ball about Urban in Enterprise / ArcGIS Pro being able to do some kind of "mash-up" that can tackle those issues?

[DominikAllemann]

Hi @BillFox ,

There is no difference between Urban on ArcGIS Online and Urban on Enterprise regarding on-the-fly reprojections between global and (projected) coordinate systems, web scenes, and urban models. This is an overall platform limitation. 

There definitely exist workarounds, like publishing your own 3D base layers, base map, or elevation layer. For a more profound analysis of your use case, including possible workarounds, I'm happy to connect you with one of our urban planning consultants. Just send me a direct message if that would be of interest to you.  

If you'd like to give the need for on-the-fly reprojections more weight, please feel free to submit an Idea on either the ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise Place, here in the Esri Community. 

If you have additional questions, please feel free to reach out.

[BillFox]

Hi Dominik,

I talked with @SilviaCasas and @MichaelVanDenBerg on the exhibit hall floor at the 2023 UC in San Diego and sat in on Silvia's session listed below.

Silvia let me know about a potential option to use Urban in Enterprise 11.3

ArcGIS Urban: An Introduction and What's New

https://registration.esri.com/flow/esri/23uc/uc-2023-ps/page/proceedings/session/1671557778574001Ky2...

We are working with our local esri team in the very beginning/training stages with our licenses of ArcGIS Urban and City Engine. (prep-prep-prep).

We are using Enterprise 11.1 to process our Nearmap aerial imagery products (DEM/DSM/LAS/SLPK) in our local projected coordinate systems to use with urban as you mentioned for our own sources.

• 3D Base Layers
• Base maps
• Elevation Layers

Will do on the idea item.

Thank you,

-Bill

[BillFox]

Hi @DominikAllemann 

how's this idea?

https://community.esri.com/t5/arcgis-online-ideas/add-support-in-arcgis-urban-online-and-enterprise/...

[DominikAllemann]

Hi @BillFox ,

Correct, Urban will be available on Enterprise with 11.3. 

Please keep in mind that the technical limitations you mentioned in your initial comment regarding local coordinate systems will be the same on Enterprise 11.3 as on the ArcGIS Online version of Urban.