User Guide

The SketchUp and ArcGIS

Interoperability Solution
Consider the following problem: how do I model spatially accurate 3D data for use in ArcGIS? This problem can be broken into two pieces:
How do I create the 3D data? and How do I georeference the data? The SketchUp and ArcGIS Interoperability Solution solves these two problems. The data creation problem is addressed by SketchUp itself. ArcGIS 9.0 (with this solution) can now load SketchUp les natively. You can see this in that you can load SketchUp les as 3D symbols. Similarly, it is now possible to load SketchUp les into the geodatabase, as multipatch data. The issue not addressed in ArcGIS 9 is the positioning problem: how do I place my 3D model in my scene? The georeferencing problem, that is, the positioning problem, is addressed via an extension to ArcGIS and an exporter from SketchUp. When you are creating a 3D model that will be placed somewhere on the world (that is, goes into a geodatabase), it is best if you can use some context in which to work. This context is provided by sending data from ArcGIS to SketchUp. Once that context is available, your 3D model can be created and positioned relative to that data. Then, to be able to use the SketchUp-created 3D data, you need to send it back to a GIS repository: a geodatabase.

The SketchUp and ArcGIS Interoperability Solution

How It Works
The basic ow is illustrated in the following diagram. The remainder of this users guide covers these steps in detail. Note - This document refers to any ArcGIS application containing the SketchUp and ArcGIS Interoperability Plugin (ArcMap, ArcSceneand ArcGlobe) collectively as ArcGIS.

LOAD DATA

EXPORT 3D MODEL

EXPORT FEATURES

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Part 1: Going from ArcGIS to SketchUp

1.1 Exporting Features
You can use the SketchUp and ArcGIS Interoperability Solution to take different kinds of GIS data from ArcGIS to SketchUp:
ArcGIS Feature Type Polygons Polylines Points Multipatch Resulting SketchUp Entities Component containing edges, vertices and faces. Component containing edges and veritces. Creates an X of size specied by the user centered at the point. SketchUp component

The SketchUp and ArcGIS Interoperability Solution

To export GIS data from ArcGIS to SketchUp:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Open an ArcGIS document containing the features that you would like to export from ArcGIS to SketchUp. Use the Select Features Tool to select the features (roads, building outlines, property lines, etc.) that you would like to export. (gure 2) Click on the Export to SketchUp button to open the Save As dialogue box. Name your exported data. Your data is exported as a SketchUp le, with the extension .skp. Click Save to open the Items to Export dialogue box. (below)

User Guide 6. Specify Feature Class Export Options for each feature class that you are exporting to SketchUp: The SketchUp and ArcGIS Interoperability Solution

Extrude
This option applies to polygonal features. There are two choices, automatically extrude the polygons in SketchUp, or dont. If the choice is to extrude the data, you indicate which eld from the feature class provides the extrusion height. Hint: If the data needs to be calculated, create a eld in your feature class and do this calculation in ArcGIS before the export.

Name
This option applies to all feature class types. Each feature exported to SketchUp will end up in a separate SketchUp component. This option allows you to specify the feature class eld to be used as the name of the resulting component. If you choose <auto>, the system will automatically name the components based on the OID of the features.

Offset
This option applies to polygonal and polyline feature types. If you wish to apply a z-elevation using an existing feature class eld, this is the way to do it. The resulting SketchUp data will be offset by the amount specied in the eld for the particular feature.

Symbol Size
This option only applies to point feature types. Since SketchUp has no notion of a standalone point, we represent a GIS point as an X. This option tells the system how large (in inches) to draw the X. To add a TIN to your exported SketchUp le, see topic 1.2: Exporting a TIN. If you like, click Launch SketchUp after Export to automatically open your new SketchUp le when you click OK. 7. Click OK to complete the export.

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1.2 Exporting a TIN

Another way to use GIS data in SketchUp is to export a TIN from ArcGIS to SketchUp.

The SketchUp and ArcGIS Interoperability Solution

To export a TIN from ArcGIS to SketchUp:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Start ArcGIS software. Click on the Export to SketchUp button to open the Save As dialogue box. Name your exported data. Your data is exported as a SketchUp le, with the extension .skp. Click Save to open the Items to Export dialogue box. Click on Add Tin to open the Select TIN data dialogue box. (below)

6. 7. 8.

Select a TIN le from the lesystem and click Add. Click on the Export to SketchUp button on the ArcGIS toolbar to reopen the Items to Export dialog box. Click on OK to export the data, including the TIN, as a SketchUp le.

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Part 2: Going from SketchUp to ArcGIS

Once you have exported your GIS data from ArcGIS into SketchUp and opened your new le, youre free to model in SketchUp exactly as you would if you had begun there. The only things you shouldnt do:
DONT scale the model; your exported data came with a specic scale; you dont want to lose that, and DONT change the models location (in the Window > Model Info > Location dialogue box); your data came in spatially referenced. You dont want to move your data. Note - Generally it is recommended you do not alter the data exported from ArcGIS in SketchUp; simply create 3D models in SketchUp within the exported context and save the newly created SketchUp models by exporting them as components (see steps below).

The SketchUp and ArcGIS Interoperability Solution

2.1 Exporting from SketchUp to an ArcGIS Feature Class

To export your data from SketchUp to ArcGIS:
1. In SketchUp, use the Select Tool to select the geometry that you want to export. If you have multiple models (such as multiple buildings) in a single Sketchup le, you can export them individually as separate features or collectively as a single feature. Furthermore, you can export data into separate feature classes in separate geodatabases, if your data works better that way. The interoperability solution makes no assumptions about how you will organize your GIS data. 2. In SketchUp, the basic single unit is a Component. The interoperability solution can export either the entire SketchUp model or a single component. If you wish to export just a single component and your data is not already in a component, rightclick on your geometry and select Create Component. Then select (using the Select Tool) that component in the model. Select File Menu > Export > 3D Model. Choose to export an ESRI Geodatabase This option will display all geodatabases on the system (les with the extension of .mdb). (below)

3.

User Guide 4. Select the geodatabase where you will save the feature. The Select Feature Class dialog box is displayed. This dialog box contains a list of SketchUp-compatible feature classes in the geodatabase (AAA being the only feature class in the gure below). The SketchUp and ArcGIS Interoperability Solution

5.

Select the feature class you created in ArcGIS to store your feature. You can also create a new feature class by clicking the Create button. See topic 2.2 Creating a NEW SketchUp-Compatible Feature Class (above) for more information on this option. Click Store SketchUp data as part of Feature if you want to save the model as both multipatch data and SketchUp data (as a SketchUp le in the database). This option adds extra overhead to your feature class but also allows you to edit the SketchUp data in the future (as context that can be exported from ArcGIS to SketchUp). Click the Use Selected Component Instance Only check box if you want to save just the selected component (not the entire SketchUp model).

6.

Click OK to save your SketchUp feature to the selected feature class. You will be prompted to enter values for any numeric or textual custom elds in your feature class. You can enter these values now or later within ArcGIS. Return to ArcGIS and load the 3D data from the geodatabase into your document.

7.

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2.2 Creating a NEW SketchUp-Compatible Feature Class

A so-called SketchUp-compatible feature class is a feature class with several options preselected and elds pre-created so that your SketchUp models can be stored in a geodatabase as multipatch data with location information.

The SketchUp and ArcGIS Interoperability Solution

To create a SketchUp-compatible feature class:

1. Click on the Create button within the Select Feature Class dialog box. The Create Feature Class dialog box is displayed. This dialog box contains a eld for Name, Spatial Reference, and Custom Fields. (below)

2.

Assign a feature class name. The feature class name can consist of alphanumeric (0-9, A-Z, a-z) and underbars characters (_). If you like, click on Add Field to add custom elds to your feature class. The Add Custom Fields dialog box appears. (below)

The Add Custom Field dialog box provides as a quick method for creating simple custom elds (containing a name and type). ArcGIS contains many more options to include when creating custom elds, such as the ability to designate certain elds as required and to provide default values for a eld. You can use ArcGIS to further modify any of these custom elds, or simply use ArcGIS to create and manage attributes. 4. 5. 6. 7. Select the type for the custom eld. Type in the name of the custom eld. The custom eld name can consist of alphanumeric and underbars characters (_), as in the feature class name. Click OK. The Create Feature Class dialog box is displayed again. Click OK to create your feature class. 7