Create a web scene (3D)

Learn how to use Scene Viewer to create a web scene for your application.

A web scene is a scene that you can create with the Scene Viewer, stored in ArcGIS, and then use in applications. The Scene Viewer allows you to interactively style and configure scenes by setting the basemap layer, elevation layers, data layers, as well as layer visibility ranges. All of the settings are stored as JSON in an item. A number of ArcGIS applications and APIs can access web scene items, read the JSON, and then re-create the original map.

In this tutorial, you use the Scene Viewer to create and save a web scene using hosted feature layers. You will also inspect the JSON that contains the web scene settings.

Prerequisites

You need an ArcGIS Developer or ArcGIS Online account to create and save web scenes in Scene Viewer.

Steps

Set the basemap layer

To create a web scene with the Scene Viewer, start by setting the basemap layer. Use the Streets vector tile basemap.

Open the Scene Viewer and sign in to your ArcGIS account.
Click New Scene.
In the right panel, click the Basemap icon > Streets.
Close the Basemap panel.

Add data layers

To display data in a web scene, add hosted feature layers for trailheads, trails, and parks in the Santa Monica Mountain area.

In the left panel, click Add layers > Enter layer URL.
For each URL:
- Copy and paste the URL in Layer URL and give the layer a name in Layer name > Add.
  - Parks and Open Space: https://services3.arcgis.com/GVgbJbqm8hXASVYi/ArcGIS/rest/services/Parks_and_Open_Space/FeatureServer/0
  - Trails: https://services3.arcgis.com/GVgbJbqm8hXASVYi/arcgis/rest/services/Trails/FeatureServer/0
  - Trailheads: https://services3.arcgis.com/GVgbJbqm8hXASVYi/arcgis/rest/services/Trailheads/FeatureServer/0
Click Save Scene. At minimum, you need to provide a title and tags to save the scene > Save.
In the toolbar, use the tools to pan and rotate the scene to drag the map until you can see the horizon.

Your web scene should look something like this.

View web scene JSON

A web scene item contains JSON that defines the scene properties. The structure of the web scene is defined by the Web Scene Specification. Applications can access a web scene item or read the JSON directly to format layers and create a scene, so it's useful to know how to get the JSON for a web scene.

In your web browser, find the item ID at the end of the URL for the web scene you just saved.
- For example: a82026c675804e95be448b300c70bc03.
In a new browser tab, copy and paste the following URL and insert your item ID. This will return the JSON for your web scene.
- https://www.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/{ your-item-id }/data
- For example: https://www.arcgis.com/sharing/rest/content/items/a82026c675804e95be448b300c70bc03/data

In the JSON, identify the operational (data) layers and the elevation layer. For example:

Use dark colors for code blocksCopy
{
  "operationalLayers":[
     {
        "id":"164a5a3ade4-layer-2",
        "title":"Parks and Open Space",
        "url":"https://services3.arcgis.com/GVgbJbqm8hXASVYi/ArcGIS/rest/services/Parks_and_Open_Space/FeatureServer/0",
        "layerType":"ArcGISFeatureLayer",
        "popupInfo":{
           "showAttachments":true,
           "popupElements":[
              {
                 "type":"fields"
              },
              {
                 "type":"attachments"
              }
           ],
           "fieldInfos":[
              {
                 "fieldName":"UNIT_ID",
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