The document provides an overview of the Digimap service, which offers access to various mapping and data resources for UK higher education, including building height attributes (BHA) from the Ordnance Survey. It explains how to use these resources in ArcGIS Pro, including downloading data, converting maps to 3D, and visualizing building heights along with other geospatial data. Additionally, it highlights the support available through EDINA for users needing assistance with Digimap.

1. Using OS Building Height Attribute data
from Digimap in ArcGIS Pro
Guy McGarva
Ian Holmes
EDINA Geosupport

2. Contents
- What is Digimap?
- What are BHA data from Ordnance Survey?
- How can you access it through Digimap?
- What have we done to it?
- How can I use it in ArcGIS Pro?
- 3D visualisation in ArcGIS Pro

3. Who is EDINA?
delivers online services and
tools to UK Higher and
Further Education
Based at Supported by
“enhance the productivity of research,
learning and teaching in UK higher and
further education”
We aim to

4. Geo Services at EDINA

5. The Digimap Service - Overview
• An online mapping and data delivery
service
• Originally built to provide access to
Ordnance Survey (GB) maps and data - a
'virtual map library’
• Content extended to include:
- Historic OS maps,
- British Geological Survey data
- Marine maps and data (UKHO via
Seazone)
- Environment data (from CEH)
• Subscription service available to all
Higher and Further Education Institutions
in UK with approx. 50,000 active users
http://digimap.edina.ac.uk/

6. Digimap – Accessing the data
Digimap provides access to data in 2 main ways:
1) Roam online
mapping application:
includes annotation and
printing
2) Data Download
application: use in your
desktop GIS/CAD in various
formats

7. Data Download: OS Data Products Available
OS Licensed Products
- OS MasterMap
• Topogrpahy
• ITN
• Sites Layer
• Urban Paths
• BHA
- VectorMap Local
- 25K Raster
- 50K Raster
- Terrain 5
- PointX POI
OS Open Products
– All OS Open Data
New Formats – Creating new formats for
some products such as DWG for VML and
File Geodatabase for OS MasterMap to
make them easier to use
+

8. What are BHA?
• BHA are Building Height
Attributes from Ordnance
Survey
• Released as Alpha product in
2014
• Provide multiple values for
heights of buildings (both
absolute and relative)
• Covers most major cities and
towns (but not all)
• Supplied by Ordnance Survey as
5km tiles in CSV format
• Linked to OS MasterMap
Topography Layer (i.e. building
footprints) by TOID

9. Using BHA CSV and OS MasterMap
To start with we created a version of the BHA CSV
with a modified TOID that could be joined more easily
Need to Join the data on TOID

10. Using data from OS directly
However…
- Lot of steps
- Slow when dealing with large datasets
- Needed to use a schema.ini file to load the CSV correctly
- Required ArcGlobe or ArcScene to visualise the 3D buildings

11. So what have we done?
So, to make is easier to use we have:
- Created a File Geodatabase version using FME that
contains the Building geometries from OS MasterMap
Topography Layer combined with the BHA data.
- Used ArcGIS Pro to visualise the data.

12. Using File Geodatabase BHA in ArcGIS Pro
• Download BHA File Geodatabase from Digimap
• Open BHA File Geodatabase
• Convert map to 3D
• Extrude buildings
• More advanced steps
– Add background data
– Add in more detailed Terrain 5 data
– Set up symbology and representation
– Add in other vector data (e.g. Trees, POI)
Now the steps are:

13. First step is to download all the data
For Example:
- Building Height
Attributes
- MM Topography
Layer
- OS Terrain 5 DTM
- VectorMap Local
Raster
- PointX POI
Download in File
Geodatbase, Shape
or other suitable
format

14. Load Data in ArcGIS Pro
Add data…
(same as in ArcGIS)

15. Convert to 3D
Convert
map to 3D
(on the View
tab)
Then drag vector
layers to the 3D
Layer

16. Extrude to 3D
1. Set the Ground
Extrude the building to Max Height using attribute [relhmax]

17. Add Backdrop Data
Using VML Raster data from Digimap

18. Add More Detailed Terrain
• By default ArcGIS Pro will use a global terrain
dataset
• To use more accurate terrain, download the OS
Terrain 5 dataset from Digimap
• Add Preset  Ground
• Select downloaded .ASC files

19. Add Representation
Can do simple solid colours or use more
complicated ‘Procedural Symbols’

20. Use Procedural Rules
Can either use ones that come with ArcGIS Pro
or import ones from City Engine
• Using built in
“International
Building”
Procedural
Rule
• Set
[TotalHeight]
to be
calculated
from the
[relhmax]
attribute
• Building
type set to
“Office”

21. Add Trees and POI
Add “Realistic Trees” for tree features from OS MasterMap and 3D
Symbols for features from PointX POI

22. Add Imagery background
Using Esri Imagery Basemap
Also set background colour for sky and Illumination for shading

23. Caution!
• Remember projections!
• If you overlay OS data on one of the Esri Basemaps
you must use a Transformation (preferably OSTN02)
• In ArcGIS Pro this is done by selecting the Properties
of the Map and then Transformation

24. The Final Result

25. Support
If you need any help with Digimap or using data
from Digimap get in touch with EDINA Geosupport.
on the stand outside
edina@ed.ac.uk
0131 650 3302
EDINA Digimap