🆕Importing an OS integrated mesh model into ArcGIS Pro

The content of this document has been created with ArcGIS Pro version 3.3. Some aspects covered won’t be supported in earlier versions. If you’re using a more recent version of ArcGIS Pro then it is of course possible that some aspects have since been revised.

Loading the data

Ordnance survey mesh data is currently available in three streaming formats – ESRI (.SLPK), Cesium 3D Tiles and Skyline (.3DML). ArcGIS Pro supports the first two of these, although the ESRI option is more established and is likely going to be the obvious choice in this context.

ESRI .SLPK Tiles

To obtain an OS integrated mesh, download ESRI format 'integrated mesh data from https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/products/os-3d-mesh-sample-data and unzip it. Integrated mesh data is typically large so ensure there is sufficient storage space available on your device.

1. Create a new ArcGIS Pro 'Scene' project. Typically, you’ll want to use the ‘Local Scene’ template for this, although experienced users may have their own preferred alternative.

1. In the ‘Catalog’ pane within the new project, create a new Folder connection and configure it to the location of the downloaded/unzipped data.

1. Open the new connection, find the scene layer package file (.slpk) you want to work with, then drag it into the project Contents pane. The mesh should then appear under the ‘3D Layers’ section and will be visualised in the main window (this may initially take a while…).

   

   An OS integrated mesh, imported into the Scene from a scene layer package file (.slpk).

Cesium 3D Tiles

As an alternative to using ESRI .slpk files, more recent versions of ArcGIS Pro are also able to import integrated meshes from files supplied in the Cesium/OGC 3D Tiles format. This can be achieved using the Add Data tool (in the Map menu…), then browsing for the JSON tileset file that should be supplied alongside the collection of .b3dm files.

Within ArcGIS Pro, it seems unlikely that there is any advantage to using 3D Tiles over and above using ESRI .slpk files. However, should you only have 3D Tiles data available to you, it’s obviously advantageous that this option is also provided.

Index

The OS 3D Mesh getting started guide is broken down into the following topics:

• Navigation

• Scene lighting

• Adding additional vector data

• Adding 3D line feature layers

• Adding point datasets

• 'Line of sight' analysis

• Adding miscellaneous 3D models

• Animation