Tutorial: Display a scene

Learn how to use CesiumJS to display a scene.

Display a scene using API key authentication

You can display a scene with Cesium by using an ArcGIS map tile service. The arcgis/imagery map tile layer contains satellite imagery with global coverage that can be used in conjunction with world terrain.

In this tutorial, you display a scene of the Santa Monica Mountains using the arcgis/imagery base layer and Cesium world terrain.

This code is used as the starting point for the other CesiumJS tutorials.

Prerequisites

Steps

Create a new app

Select a type of authentication below and follow the steps to create a new application.

Create a new CodePen app with a map div that is the full width and height of the browser window.

  1. Go to CodePen and create a new pen for your application.

  2. In CodePen > HTML, add HTML and CSS to create a page with a div element called cesiumContainer.

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    <!DOCTYPE html>
    <html lang="en">
    
    <head>
    
      <meta charset="utf-8" />
      <title>CesiumJS: Display a Scene</title>
    
      <style>
        html,
        body,
        #cesiumContainer {
          margin: 0;
          padding: 0;
          width: 100%;
          height: 100%;
        }
      </style>
    </head>
    
    
    <body>
    
      <div id="cesiumContainer"></div>
    
    </body>
    
    </html>

Set up authentication

Create developer credentials in your portal for the type of authentication you selected.

Create a new API key credential with the correct privileges to access the resources used in this tutorial.

  1. Go to the Create an API key tutorial and create an API key with the following privilege(s):
    • Privileges
      • Location services > Basemaps
  2. Copy the API key access token to your clipboard when prompted.

Set developer credentials

Use the API key or OAuth developer credentials created in the previous step in your application.

  1. Add <script> elements in the HTML <body> and create an accessToken variable to store your access token. Set YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN with the access token you previously copied from your API key credentials.

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      <script>
    
        /* Use for API key authentication */
        const accessToken = "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN";
    
      </script>
    
    Expand
  2. Set the defaultAccessToken included with Cesium to authenticate requests to the ArcGIS services used in this tutorial.

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      <script>
    
        /* Use for API key authentication */
        const accessToken = "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN";
    
        Cesium.ArcGisMapService.defaultAccessToken = accessToken;
    
      </script>
    
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Add script references

  1. In the index.html file, add the following <link> and <script> references if they are missing.

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      <meta charset="utf-8" />
      <title>CesiumJS: Display a Scene</title>
    
      <script src="https://cesium.com/downloads/cesiumjs/releases/1.121/Build/Cesium/Cesium.js"></script>
      <link href="https://cesium.com/downloads/cesiumjs/releases/1.121/Build/Cesium/Widgets/widgets.css" rel="stylesheet">
    

Get a Cesium ion access token

All Cesium applications must use an access token provided through Cesium ion. This token allows you to access assets such as Cesium World Terrain in your application.

  1. Go to your Cesium ion dashboard to generate an access token. Copy the key to your clipboard.

  2. Create a cesiumAccessToken variable and replace YOUR_CESIUM_ACCESS_TOKEN with the access token you copied from the Cesium ion dashboard.

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      <script>
    
        /* Use for API key authentication */
        const accessToken = "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN";
    
        // or
    
        /* Use for user authentication */
        // const session = await arcgisRest.ArcGISIdentityManager.beginOAuth2({
        //   clientId: "YOUR_CLIENT_ID", // Your client ID from OAuth credentials
        //   redirectUri: "YOUR_REDIRECT_URL", // The redirect URL registered in your OAuth credentials
        //   portal: "YOUR_PORTAL_URL" // Your portal URL
        // })
    
        // const accessToken = session.token;
    
        Cesium.ArcGisMapService.defaultAccessToken = accessToken;
    
        const cesiumAccessToken = "YOUR_CESIUM_ACCESS_TOKEN";
    
      </script>
    
  3. Configure Cesium.Ion.defaultAccessToken with the Cesium access token to validate the application.

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      <script>
    
        /* Use for API key authentication */
        const accessToken = "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN";
    
        // or
    
        /* Use for user authentication */
        // const session = await arcgisRest.ArcGISIdentityManager.beginOAuth2({
        //   clientId: "YOUR_CLIENT_ID", // Your client ID from OAuth credentials
        //   redirectUri: "YOUR_REDIRECT_URL", // The redirect URL registered in your OAuth credentials
        //   portal: "YOUR_PORTAL_URL" // Your portal URL
        // })
    
        // const accessToken = session.token;
    
        Cesium.ArcGisMapService.defaultAccessToken = accessToken;
    
        const cesiumAccessToken = "YOUR_CESIUM_ACCESS_TOKEN";
    
        Cesium.Ion.defaultAccessToken = cesiumAccessToken;
    
      </script>
    

Create a scene

Create a Viewer that accesses the World Imagery base layer. Use the ArcGisMapServerImageryProvider class to make an authenticated request to the basemap styles service.

  1. Create a new ArcGisMapServerImageryProvider using the SATELLITE basemap type. This enumeration accesses the arcgis/imagery map tile service.

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      <script>
    
        /* Use for API key authentication */
        const accessToken = "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN";
    
        // or
    
        /* Use for user authentication */
        // const session = await arcgisRest.ArcGISIdentityManager.beginOAuth2({
        //   clientId: "YOUR_CLIENT_ID", // Your client ID from OAuth credentials
        //   redirectUri: "YOUR_REDIRECT_URL", // The redirect URL registered in your OAuth credentials
        //   portal: "YOUR_PORTAL_URL" // Your portal URL
        // })
    
        // const accessToken = session.token;
    
        Cesium.ArcGisMapService.defaultAccessToken = accessToken;
    
        const cesiumAccessToken = "YOUR_CESIUM_ACCESS_TOKEN";
    
        Cesium.Ion.defaultAccessToken = cesiumAccessToken;
    
        const arcGisImagery = Cesium.ArcGisMapServerImageryProvider.fromBasemapType(Cesium.ArcGisBaseMapType.SATELLITE);
    
      </script>
    
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  2. Create a Viewer attached to the cesiumContainer element. Create a new ImageryLayer from your imagery provider and set it as the baseLayer property.

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        const arcGisImagery = Cesium.ArcGisMapServerImageryProvider.fromBasemapType(Cesium.ArcGisBaseMapType.SATELLITE);
    
        const viewer = new Cesium.Viewer("cesiumContainer", {
    
          baseLayer: Cesium.ImageryLayer.fromProviderAsync(arcGisImagery),
    
        });
    
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  3. Set optional additional parameters to configure the viewer appearance. Disable the timeline, animation, and geocoder controls. Add Cesium World Terrain.

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        const viewer = new Cesium.Viewer("cesiumContainer", {
    
          baseLayer: Cesium.ImageryLayer.fromProviderAsync(arcGisImagery),
    
          terrain: Cesium.Terrain.fromWorldTerrain(),
    
          timeline: false,
          animation: false,
          geocoder: false
    
        });
    
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  4. Use viewer.camera.setView to set the zoom and extent of the scene to the Santa Monica Mountains.

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          terrain: Cesium.Terrain.fromWorldTerrain(),
    
          timeline: false,
          animation: false,
          geocoder: false
    
        });
    
        viewer.camera.setView({
          destination: Cesium.Cartesian3.fromDegrees(-118.705, 33.957, 35000),
          orientation: {
            heading: Cesium.Math.toRadians(0.0),
            pitch: Cesium.Math.toRadians(-70.0),
          }
        });
    
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Add attribution

You need to display Esri and data attribution in all applications that use Esri technology. CesiumJS displays data attribution automatically for the basemap styles service, however, you need to take additional steps to display Esri attribution ("Powered by Esri").

  1. Create a new Credit for the Powered by Esri string with showOnScreen set to true and then add it to the viewer.

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        // Add Esri attribution
        // Learn more in https://esriurl.com/attribution
        const poweredByEsri = new Cesium.Credit("Powered by <a href='https://www.esri.com/en-us/home' target='_blank'>Esri</a>", true)
        viewer.creditDisplay.addStaticCredit(poweredByEsri);
    
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Run the app

Run the app.

The map should display the World Imagery basemap layer for an area of the Santa Monica Mountains in California.

What's next?

Learn how to use additional ArcGIS location services in these tutorials:

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