Visibility Analysis - Module 3

For Module 3, we learned about 3D Visualization and performing Line of Sight and Viewshed Analysis.  Additionally, we learned techniques about sharing 3D content sharing using Scene Layer Packages in ArcGIS.  We utilized ESRI’s training portal to take four (4) virtual classes to familiarize ourselves with the concepts.  I enjoyed taking these classes but I think last week’s lesson (Forestry and LIDAR) would have been that much more informative if we had taken these 3D Visualization classes first! We were working with 2D and 3D scenes and I had some challenges figuring out how to navigate 2D/3D training without the ESRI training.

With that said, I learned several more tips or shortcuts that were incredibly helpful for me in learning 3D Visualization via ArcGIS.  Here’s a few of the takeaways that I found most valuable for me from the four ESRI classes:

Intro to 3D Visualization:  My favorite technique from this section was learning how to link and unlink views for 2D and 3D scenes.  Additionally, I enjoyed learning about elevation sources and their importance to 3D scenes and visualization.

Viewshed Analysis: In the main exercise, the biggest challenge for me in this section was learning the difference between the observer features: SPOT, OffsetA, OffsetB, Azimuth1, Azimuth2, Radius1, Radius2, Vert1, and Vert2.

Performing Line of Sight Analysis: In ArcGIS, we utilized the “Construct Sight Lines” tool to determine what parade attendees could and could not see along a given parade route. An additional criteria (fog – limiting max visibility to 600 feet) was added to the exercise. 

Sharing 3D Content: The most helpful tips I learned during this training is the “Best Practices in Authoring a Scene”, which included: ensuring all your elements have the same coordinate system,  effective structuring of content for readability, defining the area of interest, and ensuring that 3D symbology is utilized for 3D Maps.