Publish hosted 3D layers

Publish a hosted 3D layer to your organization using one of the following data source and method combinations:

• Add multipatch, point, or building data to a scene in ArcGIS Pro and publish. When you publish multipatch, point, or building data from ArcGIS Pro with the option to cache on the server, a related feature layer is created in your organization. When you have a related hosted feature layer, you can edit data.
• Add LAS data to a scene in ArcGIS Pro and publish. When you publish LAS data from ArcGIS Pro, a scene layer package (SLPK) and a point cloud scene layer are created in your organization.
• Add a voxel layer to a scene in ArcGIS Pro and publish. An SLPK is uploaded and a voxel layer is created in your organization.
• Create a scene layer package, add it to your content in the portal, and publish. When you upload and publish a scene layer package, the layer type defined in the scene layer package is created as an item in your organization.
• Create an empty 3D object scene layer and associated hosted feature layer. You can populate the layer by uploading 3D models.
• Create a 3D tiles package file (.3tz), add it to the portal, and publish. Choose which type of layer to create when you publish: 3D object or mesh.

Hosted 3D layers contain a cache to support rapid visualization of the data. To create this cache, your portal's hosting server requires an object store.

When you publish from ArcGIS Pro or a package, the .slpk or .3tz file is added as an item in your content. Once you confirm that the hosted layer functions, you can delete the package from the portal to save space on the portal machines, but only if you are certain you no longer need the package.

Tip:

To avoid copying data and, therefore, decrease the time it takes to publish, you can create scene caches or create a 3D tiles dataset, upload them to a cloud data store, and create a layer that references the ready-to-use caches or dataset rather than use the publishing workflows described in this page. For more information on this alternative workflow, see Publish a scene layer from a cache dataset or Publish a layer from a 3D tiles dataset.

Publish from ArcGIS Pro

Add your data layers to a scene in ArcGIS Pro, configure the scene, and publish (share).

The layers present in ArcGIS Pro determine the type of 3D layer that is published. Some examples include (but are not limited to) the following:

• A multipatch feature layer in a scene in ArcGIS Pro is published as a 3D object layer.
• A LAS dataset in a scene ArcGIS Pro is published as a point cloud layer.
• A 3D tiles dataset or package published from ArcGIS Pro can create a 3D object or a mesh layer.

When you publish multipatch, point, or building data in a scene in ArcGIS Pro and you don't cache locally, a hosted scene layer and a related feature layer are created in your organization. You choose whether the feature layer references data in your registered data source—which creates an ArcGIS Server feature service—or the feature layer data is copied to your portal—which creates a hosted feature layer.

Be aware that web browsers cannot display some complex cartographic symbols you may have originally used when you authored the scene. Most symbol types are available, but in some cases, the symbols may be downgraded when you publish them. See Author maps to publish feature services in the ArcGIS Server help for details about which symbols are supported, and make any required changes to your symbology prior to publishing multipatch or point data.

Before you publish, ensure you are signed in to your portal from ArcGIS Pro and the portal connection is active. Your portal account must also belong to a role that has the following privileges:

• Create, update, and delete content
• Publish hosted scene layers if you will publish a scene layer
• Publish hosted tile layers if you will publish a 3D tiles layer
• If you publish a feature layer and copy data, you need the privilege to publish hosted feature layers
• If you publish a feature layer that references registered data, you need the privilege to publish server-based layers

For instructions to publish a scene layer from ArcGIS Pro, see Share a web scene layer in the ArcGIS Pro help. For instructions to publish a 3D tiles layer from ArcGIS Pro, see Share a 3D tiles layer in the ArcGIS Pro help.

Publish from a package

A scene layer package contains a scene layer and its data. You can create a scene layer package (SLPK) or 3D tiles package (.3tz) in ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Drone2Map, or ArcGIS CityEngine.

To upload a scene layer package or 3D tiles package to an ArcGIS Enterprise portal, the package must be smaller than 500 GB. If it is larger than 500 GB, use ArcGIS API for Python to publish. See the blog article Publishing large cache contents for instructions.

If you have a scene layer package that is smaller than 500 GB, or if you have a 3D tiles package, you can add it to your organization from your local drive and publish a hosted 3D layer as described in the next two sections.

Publish from a scene layer package

Follow these steps to upload a scene layer package file and publish a 3D layer:

1. Sign in to your organization and click Content > My content.

   You must sign in with an account that has privileges to create, update, and delete content and publish hosted scene layers.

2. Click New item > Your device.
3. Choose the package on your computer or a network drive.
4. Choose Add <package name> and create a hosted 3D layer.
5. Click Next.
6. Type a title.
7. Choose a folder in My content where you want to save the item.

   Alternatively, you can choose Create new folder from the menu and type a folder name to save the item in a new folder.

8. If your organization administrator configured content categories, click Assign categories and select up to 20 categories to help people find your item.

   You can also start typing a category name to narrow the list of categories.

9. Optionally, type tag terms separated by commas.

   Tags are words or short phrases that describe the item and help users find the item when searching. Federal land is considered one tag, while Federal,land is considered two tags.

10. Optionally, type a summary that describes the data.
11. If your administrator has configured a classification schema, classify the the layer and package in one of two ways under Classification:
    1. If you do not have a list of favorite classifications, classify the item from scratch. Optionally, to save the classification as a favorite, click Save new Classification Favorite, provide a name for it, and click Done.
    2. If you have a list of classification favorites, choose a classification to apply to the item from the Apply Classification Favorite drop-down menu. Optionally, do any of the following:
       • To update the classification, choose new classification options and click Update Favorite. Alternatively, click Save new Favorite, provide a name, and click Done to save the updated classification as a new favorite.
       • To delete the classification, click Manage, click Delete next to the classification name, and click Done.

    If your administrator has defined a schema help document, you can access it by clicking Information at the top of the classification form. Refer to this document for details about the classification options.

    Note:

    Classifying an item does not restrict access to it. The classification you assign to the item, which appears on the item page, provides a visual indication of the extent of security and safeguarding it warrants and can help organization members identify the correct way to interact with it. You need to set the appropriate sharing level to restrict access to the item.

12. Click Save.

The scene layer package and 3D layer are created as separate items on your My content page. To make either item available to others, share it.

Publish from a 3D tiles package

Follow these steps to upload a 3D tiles package file and publish a 3D layer:

1. Verify that you are signed in to the organization and that you have privileges to create, update, and delete content and publish hosted tile layers.
2. On the My content tab of the Content page, click New item.
3. Choose the type of layer to create: 3D object layer or Mesh.

   The type that you pick affects what you can do with the hosted 3D layer. See 3D layers for details.

   This information will be stored with the 3D tiles package item and 3D layer item to indicate how they can be used.

   Even if you do not publish now, the 3D tiles package item will store this information and use it when you do publish a layer.
4. Click Next.
5. If you chose 3D object layer, you must choose Upload data and click Next.
6. Choose the 3D tiles package by doing one of the following:
   • Drag the file from an explorer window on your local machine onto the Select 3D data window.
   • Click Your device, browse to the file, and select it.
7. Choose the option to add the file and create a hosted 3D layer.

   If you choose the option to add the 3D tiles package file only, you can subsequently publish a layer from the item page of the 3D tiles package.

8. Click Next.
9. Type a title.
10. Choose a folder in My content where you want to save the item.

    Alternatively, you can choose Create new folder from the menu and type a folder name to save the item in a new folder.

11. If your organization administrator configured content categories, click Assign categories and select up to 20 categories to help users find the item.

    You can also start typing a category name to narrow the list of categories.

12. Optionally, type tag terms separated by commas.

    Tags are words or short phrases that describe the item and help users find the item when searching. Federal land is considered one tag, while Federal,land is considered two tags.

13. Optionally, type a summary that describes the data.
14. If your administrator has configured a classification schema, classify the layer and package in one of two ways under Classification:
    1. If you do not have a list of favorite classifications, classify the item from scratch. Optionally, to save the classification as a favorite, click Save new Classification Favorite, provide a name for it, and click Done.
    2. If you have a list of classification favorites, choose a classification to apply to the item from the Apply Classification Favorite drop-down menu. Optionally, do any of the following:
       • To update the classification, choose new classification options and click Update Favorite. Alternatively, click Save new Favorite, provide a name, and click Done to save the updated classification as a new favorite.
       • To delete the classification, click Manage, click Delete next to the classification name, and click Done.

    If your administrator has defined a schema help document, you can access it by clicking Information at the top of the classification form. Refer to this document for details about the classification options.

    Note:

    Classifying an item does not restrict access to it. The classification you assign to the item, which appears on the item page, provides a visual indication of the extent of security and safeguarding it warrants and can help organization members identify the correct way to interact with it. You need to set the appropriate sharing level to restrict access to the item.

15. Click Save.

The 3D tiles package and 3D layer are created as separate items on your My content page. To make either item available to others, share it.

Create an empty 3D object layer

You can create a 3D object layer that has an associated hosted feature layer but contains no data. After you create the layer, you can populate it by creating features in Scene Viewer. After the layer is populated, you can edit features or attributes in Scene Viewer or ArcGIS Pro.

Empty 3D object layers created as described below always store data in the World Geodetic System 1984 (WGS 84) coordinate system.

1. Sign in to your organization.

   You must sign in with an account that has privileges to publish hosted feature layers, publish hosted scene layers, and create, update, and delete content.

2. Open Content > My content.
3. Click New item > 3D layer.
4. Choose 3D object and click Next.
5. Choose Define your own layer and click Next.

   Layer details are displayed to indicate three fields that will exist in the empty hosted layers. These fields are not editable. This is in addition to system fields that are required for a 3D object layer.

6. Click Next.
7. Type a title for the hosted layers.

   The same title is used for both hosted layers.

8. Choose the folder in My content where you want to save the hosted layers.

   Alternatively, you can choose Create new folder from the menu and type a folder name to save the layers in a new folder.

9. If your organization has set up content categories, click Assign categories and select up to 20 categories to help people find your item.

   You can also type in the Categories box to narrow the list of categories.

10. Optionally, type tag terms separated by commas.

    Tags are words or short phrases that describe the item and help users find the item when searching. Federal land is considered one tag, while Federal,land is considered two tags.

11. Optionally, type a summary that describes the data that you will add to the layers.
12. Click Save.

Two hosted layer items are created in your content: a hosted 3D object layer and a hosted feature layer.

To populate the layers, you can upload 3D models to create features in the feature layer.