This document provides instructions for using ArcScene to view and navigate 3D data, draping shapefiles over terrain, extruding shapefiles to create 3D buildings, creating animations in ArcScene, and exporting ArcScene projects and shapefiles to Google Earth. It describes how to open ArcScene, add data, navigate the 3D environment, drape and extrude shapefiles, create and export animations, and export shapefiles as KML for viewing in Google Earth.

1. 1
Tutorial 20:
Working in ArcScene and Opening ArcMap Data in 3D Google Earth
Module Content:
3D data can be displayed and navigated using the ArcScene Application. 3D ArcMap data can also be displayed
in Google Earth.
20.1. Opening ArcScene
Right click on the grey area at the top of ArcMap and select
3D Analyst. The 3D Analyst Toolbar will open.
From the 3D Analyst tool bar Click on ArcScene
ArcScene will open.
Try adding your TIN shapefile to the project window, using the ‘Add Data’ icon.

2. 2
20.2. Moving Around the 3D Environment
You can use the navigate tools (in the main toolbar along the top of the display area) to move around
the 3D environment.
Fly Zoom to Target
Navigate Centre on Set Observer Standard ArcMap tools
Target
Tips:
20.3. Draping shapefiles over terrain
Add a shapefile, in this case we will add an aerial photograph (e.g. aerial 5 in the tutorial data folder)
but you could use this technique with any shapefile.
Right click on the layer name in the table of contents and click on Properties.
Select the ‘Base Heights’ tab
In the ‘Elevation from Surfaces’ box,
click on Floating on a Custom
Surface.
The TIN that you added to the project
should already be selected.
There is an option to offset, but in this
case we want the default option ‘0’
Click Apply, and then click OK
- Hold down the left mouse button to rotate the landscape
- Hold down the right mouse button to zoom
- Use the mouse roller ball to pan
- Click the left mouse button to speed up
- Click the right mouse button to slow down
- Push down on the mouse roller ball to speed up

3. 3
The aerial photograph will be draped over the TIN. You may need to zoom in so that you can see it.
You might need to improve the image quality of the aerial photographs. Right click on the layer name
in the table of contents and select Properties.
Select the ‘Rendering’ tab.
Increase the ‘Quality enhancement
for raster images’ scale bar towards
‘High’.
Click Apply, you may have to wait a
few minutes while it renders. Then
click OK.
Repeat the ‘Base Heights’ operation
for all your shapefiles.

4. 4
20.4. Extruding Shapefiles
You might want to extrude shapefiles, for example to make 3D buildings.
Add a shapefile, such as a shapefile created by exporting building data from an AutoCAD file (see
tutorial 19).
Right click on the layer name in the table of
contents to open the layer properties, and
set the ‘base height’ as above.
Then select the ‘Extrusion’ tab.
You can make all the features the same
height by putting a number in the extrusion
box.
If you want your buildings to be different
heights, then you need to use, or create a
column in the attribute table with height
information. For example, ‘Storeys’ then ‘1’,
‘2’, ‘3’ and so on.
Then use the ‘Expression Builder’ to calculate the different
heights.
Double click the column name in the top left hand box, so that it
is added to the Expression box (bottom left) and then type ‘*3’
or whatever you think represents a storey.
Here is an example where all the buildings have been extruded
to 4m.

5. 5
20.5. Creating an Animation
Once you have added your shapefiles, you can then start creating a video in ArcScene.
Right click in the area of grey at the top of the screen and select Animation to display the animation
toolbar.
The ‘Animation’ drop down menu allows you to access the animation manager, save your animation,
export a video and clear the animation.
The camera icon is the ‘key frame’. Use this icon to navigate between
points. Click on the key frame icon then click on the map to create the
first key frame. Navigate to where you want the second point to be,
select the key frame tool again and click. The route will be saved.
The icon that looks like a play/pause button opens the animation controls. You can play through the
key frames you just saved. You can also use these to record, pause and stop your animation. By
clicking on ‘options’ you can change the length of the animation.
If you want to create an animation which appears like you are flying, it is best to use the bird and then
the record button.
20.6. Exporting your Animation
To export your animation, click Animation, then select Export
Animation...
You can choose to export as an .avi file or as sequential images.
*Note: When ArcScene is exporting the file, do not use the computer for
anything; otherwise the export will be interrupted.

6. 6
20.7. Opening ArcMap data in Google Earth
a) Exporting Shapefiles as KML from ArcMap
There is a free script available from ESRI for exporting shapefiles to KML. The extension allows users
to export GIS data for use in Google Earth. Any point, polyline or polygon dataset can be exported to
KML and opened in Google Earth. A .pdf can be downloaded which explains how to use the script.
The script is available from:
http://arcscripts.esri.com/details.asp?dbid=14273
b) Using the ‘Data Import’ Feature in Google Earth
You can use the import data into Google Earth using the ‘Data Import’ feature. You can then view
your data as one of the layers in the ‘layers panel’.
For details see:
http://earth.google.com/userguide/v4/ug_importdata.html