Publishing and reviewing a web scene

Video chapters: 0:00 Adding borehole location points & labels | 1:17 Converting annotation units to meters | 2:26 Setting the WGS 1984 coordinate system | 2:42 Publishing the web scene | 3:31 Viewing the published scene online

The ground model in ArcGIS Pro (Bringing the ground model into ArcGIS Pro) can be published as an ArcGIS Online web scene, so stakeholders review soil-type volumes, boreholes, and attached reports directly in a browser - no CAD or GIS software installed. For the 2D point-feature equivalent of this workflow, see Publish to ArcGIS Online in the GeoDin documentation.

Requirements

• The ground model and annotation layers in ArcGIS Pro (Bringing the ground model into ArcGIS Pro).
• The Borehole point feature class (extracted from the MultiPatch), added with a single symbol and the borehole-name label so each location reads clearly on the ground surface.
• An ArcGIS Online account with publishing privileges.

DEM source: the terrain beneath the model in the videos and in the published demo scene is U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) 1 Meter DEM, obtained from The National Map Downloader. It carries through from the elevation surface set in the first tutorial, and it is publicly available, so you can download the same dataset to follow along.

Step 1: Convert elevations to meters

Web scenes expect metric elevations. If the drawing's elevations are in feet:

• Run the Adjust 3D Z geoprocessing tool with Reverse Sign of Z Values = Maintain Z Orientation, converting From Feet > To Meters.

Adjust 3D Z converting feet to meters

• Then open Layer Properties > Elevation for the layer and set the vertical units to Meters. Zoom in afterwards to confirm the annotation sits correctly.

Layer elevation set to geometry z-values in meters

Step 2: Set the scene coordinate system

• Open the scene's Map Properties > Coordinate Systems and select WGS 1984 Web Mercator (auxiliary sphere) - the coordinate system web scenes require.

Scene coordinate system set to WGS 1984 Web Mercator

Step 3: Share the web scene

• On the Share tab, choose Web Scene.
• Enter a name, pick the destination folder, and set the sharing level (owner, organization, or public).

The Share As Web Scene pane

Step 4: Analyze, publish, verify

• Click Analyze and resolve every error before publishing.

Analyze running before publication

• Click Share to publish, allow processing to finish, then open the item's portal page and confirm all layers are present.

Reviewing the scene in the browser

Video chapters: 0:00 Opening the scene & making the basemap transparent | 0:36 Exploring borehole info & documents | 1:08 Viewing the model by soil type | 1:33 Adding borehole location points on the ground | 1:58 Styling markers & choosing a basemap | 3:07 Slicing the 3D model | 4:06 Capturing & saving a slice

Open the published item with Open in Scene Viewer.

• See through the ground: open Basemap and raise Ground transparency so the subsurface model is visible in context.

Ground transparency revealing the model below the surface

• Toggle layers: in Layers, switch soil-type volumes (clay, sand, chalk, limestone...) and boreholes on and off to focus the review. Clicking a document annotation opens its pop-up - including the attached geotechnical report.

Soil-type volume layers with boreholes in Scene Viewer

• Keep location markers on the surface: set the borehole point layer's elevation placement to On the ground, so markers sit on the terrain instead of inside the model.

Elevation placement options for the borehole points layer

• Style the markers: open Layer Style for the borehole points and use the 3D Object drawing style with a distinct marker color and size, so boreholes are easy to identify against any basemap.

3D Object drawing style for the borehole points

• Pick an informative basemap: open Basemap and choose a map with stronger geographic context (imagery, streets, topographic...) for the final review - then turn the model back on to see the subsurface against its surroundings.

Choosing a basemap with more geographic context

• Slice the model: with the Slice tool (under Scene tools; hold Shift for a vertical slice), cut into the model to inspect subsurface structure and borehole relationships. Adjust the slice angle until the internal features are clearly visible.
• Capture the view: open Slide Manager and use Capture slide to save the current slice view - captured slides are stored with the scene, ready for reporting or the next stakeholder session.

A vertical slice through the model, captured as a slide in Slide Manager

Off the shelf. Everything in this section is standard Esri Scene Viewer functionality - no GeoDin®-specific setup or add-in is needed once the scene is published. Esri's Scene Viewer documentation covers every control here in full depth.

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🌐 Try it live: a public demo scene produced with this workflow is available at arcg.is/0rD1OL3 - open it in Scene Viewer and explore the volumes, annotations, and Slice tool without setting anything up.