Latest Contributions by larryzhang

Thanks all, your inputs make sense to us and the links are helpful. We are still on learning curve with CityEngine itself. Honestly, we have some operational expectations on 3D (with ESRI products), including CityEngine. It would be nice that seamless interoperation/ integration between CityEngine and ArcGIS can be provided. Obviously, it should also include: �??Drag & Drop�?? capability from desktop ArcGIS to CityEngine, including the �??clipped�?? image service & DEM by ArcGIS �??Image Analysis�??; �??Drag�?? & �??Drop�?? the 3D project from CityEngine to ArcGIS (ArcScene, ArcGlobe), without �??Import�?? or �??Export�?? via COLLADA or KML; Believe that CityEngine will add good values to the ESRI product line on 3D aspects sooner. It is why we are investing more time to learn this product. Please keep updating to us. ... View more

Thanks, Matthias, Generally, I got some feelings and little hands-on from testing plus your reply. I am going to keep trying in this direction (especially, prepare all kinds of data for the CityEngine project to import). Worth to mention, our initial purpose for 3D content generation was to model 3D scenes as realistic as possible with acceptable accuracy from high-resolution images with shadow, DEM, and existing engineering drawings. For more thoughts on data inputs, please open the PDF attached. hi ! the TRIAL version is not limited in those functionalities. since the CityEngine project is set up in project folder structure, you need to first place your files you want to work with in the CityEngine project. things you want to use must be placed in those folders to work with them, thus we named those folders as a default. directly linking files from ArcGIS is not yet possible, thus you need to work with e.g. picture files or 3d assets. please note also that it's best to work with picture files smaller around 4096x4096 pixels due to the fact that CityEngine handles textures in memory and not as a 'service' as e.g. ArcMap which enables unlimited data (e.g. tiled 10 GB GeoTifs). Thus, if you want to visualize large datasets, you'll need to use the CityEngine as content creation tool and bring the final buildings to e.g. ArcScene, which were created based on a 'down-resed' terrain model. DEMs, TINs and GRID-based terrains are not yet supported, thus you need to work with raster-based terrains such as 32 bit tif files. Here's some resources : http://resources.arcgis.com/content/cityengine/about --> check Gallery ! ... View more

Thanks, Mark, It works with your advice. The easiest thing to do is: Save the image service layer out of ArcMap as a Layer file, or create a layer package, and add the layer to ArcGIS Explorer.  ArcGIS Exlorer will honor the layer properties defined in ArcMap (or ArcGlobe if using 3D). Mark ... View more

Mike, We are not able to add image services from one of our own ArcGIS Server 10 onto ArcGIS Explorer online (even though I signed in already)? For example, our url like http://myserver:8399/arcgis/services . In fact, I couldn't find the form like 'Add Layer from Web' within the ArcGIS Explorer online. In other word,  there is no the form or window like the link at http://help.arcgis.com/en/arcgisexplorer/help/#/Add_a_service_to_your_content/015600000056000000/ (or see the graphics called 'ArcGIS Explorer online_interface.JPG'). Of course, those image services from that server can be added into desktop ArcGIS Explorer (1700). Hi, The answer is that your layers do not show up in MyContent because they are not services. ArcGIS Explorer Online can only load data which comes from ArcGIS Server - namely map, image and feature services. This type of data is always accessed by a Url. At present to create one of these services you need to have access to an ArcGIS Server. To answer your specific questions: A .lyr file is a file that represents everything to do with a layer - it's name, scale thresholds, labelling, the symbology it is displayed with etc. The data source itself could be any number of things - shapefile, geodatabase feature class, ArcGIS Server map service etc.  ArcGIS Explorer online cannot load .lyr files. Unless http://datawarehouse.hrsa.gov serves the data as ArcGIS Server services you will not be able the data to ArcGIS Explorer Online Esri is actively working on providing a solution which will allow you to create a service from your data (e.g. shapefile, csv file etc) without having to actually own ArcGIS Server. This process has been demonstrated at a number of conferences recently but it is currently still under development and there is no release date for this as yet. Mike Rudden Esri ... View more

Just let you know that this issue of KMZ link is solved with SP2. Again, our server is a standard cluster infrastructure with several nodes (also managing massive SAN as cluster resource). Just be updated that the KML links (map services), which are created within ArcGIS Manager, can be properly displayed in GE or GE Pro with good refreshing or caching. But, the network link of KMZ couldn't be created in the cluster hostname (saying PA01). That is, this link of URL only can be created at the active node (either PP10 or PP11). In other word, even though this function at ArcGIS Manager works somehow, it does not support cluster infrastructure & interface. Inversely, the KMZ links saved from ArcGIS Services Directory, which are created from image services, still do not work at all. However, the KMZ from ESRI services online like http://imagery.arcgisonline.com/ArcGIS/rest/services/LandsatGLS/FalseColor/ImageServer?f=jsapi work very well. I am wondering if our server (10 with SP1) is not latest release. ... View more

Thanks for assistance, melanie The Option I works somehow, in particular, when the MD covering small spatial extent (100 -300 km by 300 km), if using high-resolution images like GeoEye. However, the following strange occurrence is indentified with the local Ain_el_Abd_1970 datum & Lambert projection (Ain_el_Abd_1970_Aramco_Lambert_2 in ArcGIS 10): �?� when the mosaic dataset is growing, which covers the whole nation (from 300 - 900 by 1500 Km), the overviews from the 'updating' mosaic dataset can be imported, but the system is not able to re-create the coarsest overviews into the existing mosaic dataset. So, this still causes some levels of the coarser overviews not visible (missing), when viewing the 'updated' mosaic dataset at the full extent; �?� Sometimes, the re-defined (but not built) coarser overviews weirdly show different spatial reference name, which should be 'Ain_el_Abd_1970_Aramco_Lambert_2'. For example, one name presened, if source datasets in TIFF (like UTM /WGS); another name produced, if source in IMG (like UTM /local datum or WGS). You can do 3 things (listed in order of recommendation) ... 1) Use the Table raster type to add your mosaic datasets into the new mosaic dataset. Run the Synchronize Mosaic Dataset tool when you've updated the original mosaic datasets, to make sure the new mosaic dataset is updated. (This can affect the fields you've added) 2) Use the Raster Dataset raster type to add your mosaic datasets into the new mosaic dataset. This works ok when you're not adding too many. Max mosaic datasets in a mosaic dataset using this raster type is 8. 3) If you're adding the image service created from the mosaic dataset, then you'll use the Web Services raster type. Yes, the Option 2 ONLY works with limited numbers of raster dataset, but can be used in any spatial extents (from small to large). ... View more

Hi, all, I would like to share one thought on 'how to help efficiently and reliably update larger mosaic dataset with new raster datasets'. Intentionally, we want minimize operation time and any negative impacts directly on the existing mosaic dataset in production server, when 'update' it. We have just tried an approach on updating the existing mosaic dataset via a second mosaic dataset ('temporary or intermediate'). Here, both share same spatial extent and have independent  overviews with same levels. After 'ADD' the temporary WELL-DONE mosaic dataset into the existing mosaic dataset, however, only raster datasets are imported. That is, 'overviews' are ignored in the existing mosaic dataset from the second mosaic dataset. Is it possible to keep 'AS IS' in the existing mosaic dataset,  including raster datasets and overviews from the second one? As indicated in another post, with 10 SP2, without 'delete' and 're-define' all overviews,  it does not work properly any more, while to update.  In other word, it seems an issue for users to only work on 'newly-added' raster datasets, if no way to import both raster datasets and overviews from temporary mosaic dataset into existing mosaic dataset. http://forums.arcgis.com/threads/30424-Updating-amp-Generating-Overviews-on-Mosaic-Dataset-with-10-SP2?p=102699&viewfull=1#post102699 ... View more

Thanks for your valuable instructions, Eric, On the combination of your advices, it is working fine for us right now, including our very-high-resolution DEM & image services from MD. In next step, we will follow the documentation to improve the globe services and see if we can make them faster. Larry,  The hillshade effect shouldn't do anything if your surface appears too flat. You may need to set an exaggeration (like you mentioned for GE) in ArcGlobe. Go to View > Globe Properties and set it for the surface. You may also want to go to Customize > ArcGlobe Options and turn up the   Level of Detail for Elevation layers. We don't show the full LOD to increase performance. My screenshots below are from the coordinates you gave me. I have no exaggeration applied, but high detail for elevation. When I exaggerate to 1.5 I don't like the appearence, but that could be just me. By the way, most of our users like the factor 2, which makes the globe services in this continent look more realistic. ... View more

Hi, Eric, One more location may be worth to try, i.e., Banff (roughly Lat 51.176982, Lon - 115.573939), Alberta. If possible, please compare 3D effect between ArcGlobe 10 and ArcGlobe 9.3.1. See the attached PDF. ... View more