Explore a scene

Before you create a 3D scene of your own, you'll explore an existing scene of Palm Beach County, Florida. A scene is similar to a map, but it combines 2D and 3D data to add dimension, create context, and display the features from all angles. The scene you explore will allow you to familiarize yourself with the geographic area and the 3D navigation controls, while also providing a blueprint of the scene you'll create.

Open and navigate a scene

You'll open a scene that is shared on ArcGIS Online. ArcGIS Online contains a gallery of spatial content shared by people across the world. A large amount of ArcGIS Online content is available to you whether you have an ArcGIS Online organizational account or not, so you'll be able to access the scene without signing in.

  1. Open the Palm Beach County Shoreline Protection web scene.

    Default scene

    The scene is zoomed to the coastline of Palm Beach County. Various layers on the scene depict specific features about the coastal areas. In the upper right corner, a list of layers tells you what the scene shows: dredging and sand-borrowing activity, unconsolidated sediment, and reefs.

    The layers list also contains a ground layer called Palm Beach County LADS Surface. LADS, an abbreviation of Laser Airborne Depth Sounder, is an ocean-surveying technique that determines bathymetric elevation (the elevation between the sea surface and seafloor). This layer allows the scene to display the depth of the Palm Beach County shoreline.

    Next, you'll navigate the scene to familiarize yourself with Scene Viewer navigation controls.

  2. In the upper corner, click Zoom In to navigate closer to the shoreline.

    Zoom In button

    Similarly, you can click the Zoom Out button to navigate farther out. You can also navigate using the mouse scroll wheel.

  3. Drag the map with the left mouse button to pan. Pan along the coastline.
  4. Drag the map with the right mouse button to rotate.
    Tip:

    You can change the mouse controls for panning and rotating. In the upper left corner of the scene, click the Rotate button. Doing so switches the controls so the left mouse button rotates and the right mouse button pans. You can switch the control scheme back to the default by clicking the Pan button.

    Pan and Rotate buttons

    As you explore the scene, you may notice an area where the elevation suddenly increases sharply, located near the eastern edge of the data. This area is where the Palm Beach County LADS Surface ends, causing the elevation of the scene to return to the sea level of 0 meters. This area is beyond the area of interest for your presentation, so the dramatic shift in elevation won't affect your data.

    Edge of the elevation surface

  5. On the side of the scene, click the Initial view button.

    Initial View button

    The scene returns to its original extent, showing the entire Palm Beach County coastline.

Explore layers and open pop-ups

Now that you know how to navigate a scene, you'll learn about some of the scene's layers. First, you'll use the legend to determine what symbols in the scene refer to what kinds of data. Then, you'll open pop-ups for some of the layers to find additional information.

  1. In the upper corner, beside the Layers tab, click Legend.
    Open Legend for the scene.

    The legend explains which symbols in the scene correspond to which layers. At the full zoom extent, however, it may be difficult to distinguish some of the layers.

  2. Zoom to Palm Beach Inlet.

    Palm Beach Inlet

    Now that you're zoomed closer, you can make out the different layers on the map. First, the yellow diamond symbols correspond to artificial reefs. The red areas are coral reefs and consolidated hardbottom (communities of algae, sponges, or miscellaneous coral). Natural and artificial reefs are important aquatic habitat and also provide a bulwark against storms and powerful tides. It's important to manage the health of these reefs to protect the shoreline.

    The yellow areas are unconsolidated sediment, locations of loose sand or minerals. These areas are generally the best places for dredging operations, because the loose sediment can be easily gathered and moved. The gray areas are dredging and sand borrow areas, where sediment has already been moved.

    Below the other layers is an imagery layer showing the ocean floor with a realistic water effect. This layer is for aesthetic purposes only and contains no additional information. To better view the imagery layer, you can temporarily turn off some of the other layers.

  3. In the upper corner, beside the legend, click Layers.
  4. Uncheck the boxes next to Palm Beach County Data and Reefs.

    Layers list

    Without the other layers, you can better see the topology of the ocean floor, especially when zoomed in.

  5. Pan, tilt, and zoom the scene to explore the changes in elevation on the seafloor. When finished, check the boxes to turn the Palm Beach County Data and Reefs layers back on.

    Many of the reefs correspond to ridges or bumps in the elevation surface, while some of the dredging areas correspond to depressions. This pattern corresponds to what you know about each type of feature: reefs are buildup of material (such as coral), while dredges are where material has been scraped away to move somewhere else.

    You can also learn more about certain features by opening their pop-ups. Pop-ups contain information about individual features.

  6. Click the dredging feature inside the Palm Beach Inlet.

    Dredging pop-up

    The pop-up appears. It informs you that the area has been dredged and is an inlet channel class zone. Some of the other areas have different zone types or classes. Each layer has a pop-up, although the information the pop-up contains varies from layer to layer.

  7. Close the pop-up.

Use slides

Lastly, you'll explore slides that have been created for this scene. Slides allow you to navigate to a specific scene extent. Each scene can have a unique camera position, basemap, and layer visibility setting. They help the scene creator emphasize specific aspects of the scene and make sure the user sees important locations. The scene you opened has five slides.

  1. At the bottom of the scene, click the Overview slide (the first slide).

    Overview slide

    The scene returns to the full extent of the data. This extent is similar to the initial view. All of the layers are turned on.

  2. Click the Boca Raton Inlet slide (the second slide).

    Boca Raton Inlet

    This slide has a much narrower extent, showing only the Boca Raton Inlet. Additionally, the Unconsolidated Sediment layer has been turned off. Turning off the Unconsolidated Sediment layer allows the slide to emphasize the major dredging area in the Boca Raton Inlet.

  3. Click the South Corridors Reef slide (the fifth slide).

    South Corridors Reef

    This slide is focused on a series of artificial reefs off the shore. The reefs follow a series of mounds or ridges along the ocean surface. Additionally, the Unconsolidated Sediment layer has turned back on, because this slide was captured with the layer visible.

  4. Return to the Overview slide.

    Using slides, you can give your scene's users a tour of the important locations your scene shows. Your goal is to present your scene to the public and policy makers, so making sure they see what's important will be key to a successful scene.

Next, you'll create a scene similar to the one you explored.


Create a scene

Previously, you explored a scene that had already been created. Next, you'll create your own scene of Palm Beach County. First, you'll begin a new scene and change the basemap. Then, you'll search for and add layers to your scene from ArcGIS Online. Last, you'll group your layers together to better organize them in the layers list and legend.

Create a new scene

In order to save your scene on ArcGIS Online, you'll first need to sign in to an ArcGIS Online organizational account. Once signed in, you start creating your scene by changing the basemap. The basemap is a background map that provides contextual geographic information for your data. You'll use a basemap that contains satellite imagery for your scene.

  1. Sign in to your ArcGIS organizational account.
    Note:

    If you don't have an organizational account, see options for software access.

  2. On the ribbon, click Scene.

    Scene

    Scene Viewer opens. A window prompts you to choose whether to begin a new scene or open an existing scene.

  3. Click New Scene.

    New scene

    The scene's extent shows the entire globe. To the left of the scene is the Editor, which allows you to add and modify the scene's content. Before you make any changes, you'll navigate to your area of interest: Palm Beach County, Florida.

  4. Below your username, in the vertical toolbar, click the Search button. In the Search box, type Palm Beach County and press Enter.

    Search box

    The scene zooms to Palm Beach County.

    Palm Beach County default extent

    The county boundary is marked by the dashed line on the basemap. Much of Palm Beach County is sparsely populated land that stretches to Lake Okeechobee. You'll change the extent of your map to better correspond to your study area.

  5. Close the Search box and Search result pop-up.
  6. Pan the scene until it is centered on the coast of Palm Beach County.

    Next, you'll change the basemap. The current basemap contains a lot of information, such as highway names, cities, and inland wildlife refuges. This information doesn't have anything to do with your data or what you want to present, and it might be distracting for viewers. You'll switch to a basemap that displays only satellite imagery of the area to give geographic context without loading the map with excess labels and features.

  7. On the vertical toolbar, click Basemap.

    Basemap button

    The Basemap window opens. It contains a list of basemaps. The default basemap is Topographic.

  8. In the Basemap window, click Imagery.

    Imagery basemap

  9. Close the Basemap window.

    Palm Beach County with Imagery basemap

    The basemap contains fewer labels or eye-grabbing features, allowing you to emphasize the data that you add to the scene.

Search for layers

Next, you'll search ArcGIS Online for data layers to display in your scene. These data layers will be similar to the ones that you explored in the previous section. They'll depict the location of natural and artificial reefs, as well as sediment deposits and dredging activities. You'll also add a layer that contains imagery of the seafloor and a ground layer with seafloor elevation data.

  1. If necessary, on the Designer (dark) toolbar, click Add Layer, and the Browse Layers.

    Layers button in the Designer toolbar.

    The Browe layers pane opens. You can add layers from ArcGIS Online that have been shared publicly or with your organization.

  2. At the top of the Browe layers pane, click My Content and choose ArcGIS Online.
  3. In the search box, type Palm Beach County Data. To narrow the search results to layers owned by the Learn ArcGIS administrator account, add owner:Learn_ArcGIS to the end. Press Enter.

    Add layers search results

    The search results contain five layers. Three of them are feature layers, which contain data in the form of either points, lines, or polygons. One is a tile layer, which contains imagery data. The final layer is an elevation layer, which contains information about ground height.

    Tip:

    Another way to add layers to a scene is to enter the layer service's URL. For instance, if you've located a layer's item details page but have difficulty finding it using the search box, you can click Enter layer URL at the bottom of the Browe layers pane, copy and paste the layer service's URL, and add it that way.

  4. For Palm Beach County Data, click Add.

    Add button

    The layer is added to the map. It actually contains four different layers that have been packaged together: the artificial reefs, the natural reefs, the consolidated sediment, and the dredging and sand borrow areas.

  5. Add the Palm Beach County Inlets layer.

    This layer contains labels for each inlet in Palm Beach County.

  6. Add the Palm Beach County Bathymetry Image layer.

    This layer contains an image with detailed shoreline topography and a realistic water effect. Unlike the Imagery basemap, which only shows the ocean surface, this layer allows you to visualize the shallow seafloor near the coast.

  7. Add the Palm Beach County LADS Surface layer.

    If your scene is looking directly down at the data, you may not see a visible change in the map.

  8. Zoom closer to one of the inlets and tilt the map to confirm the new ground elevation.

    Jupiter Inlet elevation

    If the layer was added correctly, you'll see ridges and bumps along the ocean floor.

  9. Zoom back out. In the Browser layers pane, click Done.

    The added layers appear in the Layers pane. Your scene should look similar to the following image:

    Palm Beach County data

Create layer groups

Next, you'll organize the way your layers appear in the Contents pane and the list of layers. You'll accomplish this task by creating layer groups, which allow you to give similar types of layers similar visibility properties. Currently, the four layers that were added with the Palm Beach County Data layer group (the first layer you added to the scene) are grouped together. However, this data includes both information about reefs and information about sediment. You'll create a separate group for the reefs layers.

  1. In the Layers pane, expand Palm Beach County Data.

    The Palm Beach County Data group contains four layers, but can be split into two groups. First you will ungroup the Palm Beach County Data, and then create two new groups.

    Palm Beach County Data group

  2. Click the more options menu for the Palm Beach County Data group, then choose Ungroup.

    Ungroup

  3. Click the more options menu for the Dredging and Sand Borrow Areas layer and choose Add to new group.

    Add layer to new group

  4. Name the group Palm Beach County Data.
    Note:

    To edit a group name, click more options and choose Rename.

  5. Drag the Unconsolidated Sediment layer into the new group.

    New Palm Beach County Data group

  6. Repeat the previous steps to create a new group named Reefs that contains the Coral Reef and Colonized Hardbottom and Artificial Reefs - Palm Beach County layers.
  7. Below your username, on the vertical toolbar, click Layers.

    The layer groups are reflected in the list of layers.

    Layers list

    You can choose to turn off either individual layers or all the layers in a group. However, the user probably doesn't need control over all the layers in the list. For instance, the artificial reefs and natural reefs should either both be visible or both be turned off. Additionally, the bathymetric imagery layer and the labels for the major inlets should remain permanently visible. You'll manage these layer visibility settings using layer groups.

  8. For the Reefs group, click more options. Under Change group type, choose Merge.

    Merge button

    In the list of layers, the user now only has the option to turn off all layers in the Reefs group at once. The Palm Beach County Data group, however, still uses the Checkbox option, which allows users to turn on or off any individual layers they want. The Radio option, by contrast, only allows one layer in a group to be turned on at a time. Lastly, the Hide option removes layers from the layer list altogether, making them permanently visible in the scene.

    Next, you'll create a layer group for hidden layers.

  9. For Palm Beach County Inlets layer, click the more options, and choose Add to new group. Name the new group Hidden Layers.
  10. Drag the Palm Beach County Bathymetry Image layer into the Hidden Layers group.

    Hidden Layers group

  11. For the Hidden Layers group, click more options. Under Change group type , choose Hide.

    Hide button

    Neither the group nor its layers appear in the list of the layers.

    Tip:

    You can also hide individual layers without creating a group. To do so, click more options for the layer name and choose Hide in layers. You could use this technique to hide the Palm Beach County LADS Surface layer, which has been automatically placed in a special group for ground layers. However, it may be helpful for users to have the ability to turn the ground layer on and off so they can compare the seafloor elevation with the sea surface elevation. You'll leave the layer visible in the layers list.

Save the scene

Next, you'll save the scene. If you exit the scene without saving, you may lose all the progress you've made. It's important to save frequently to avoid losing data.

  1. On the Designer toolbar, click Save.

    Save button

    The Save scene window opens. You'll give your scene a title and metadata before saving it.

  2. In the Save scene window, set the following parameters:
    • For Title, type Palm Beach County Shoreline Protection.
    • For Summary, type Sediment, reefs, and dredging on the coast of Palm Beach County.
    • For Tags, type Beaches, Coastline, Ocean, Palm Beach County, and Florida. Press Enter after typing each tag.

    Save scene window

    You also have the ability to change the scene's thumbnail, but the default thumbnail is fine for now.

  3. Click Save.

    The scene is saved. You can access it through your Content page, which you can access by clicking the Home menu in the upper corner of the scene.

You've begun your scene, added layers to it, and organized the layers into groups, but you still have a few more tasks to complete before your scene is finished. Next, you'll capture slides to emphasize important aspects of the scene.


Capture slides

Previously, you created a scene of Palm Beach County's inlets, reefs, and sediment deposits. Next, you'll capture slides of key locations in your scene. These slides will allow your audience to quickly navigate to points of interest, such as inlets used for dredging and areas that need protection.

Capture an overview slide

First, you'll capture a slide showing an overview of the area of interest. This slide will help users get a full picture of the Palm Beach County coastline. The default extent of the scene already shows all of the data, but from a top-down view that doesn't demonstrate the scene's 3D properties.

  1. If necessary, open your Palm Beach County Shoreline Protection scene.
    Note:

    You can access your scene through your Content page, which you can go to using the Home menu in the upper corner of Scene Viewer. If you're on ArcGIS Online but not using Scene Viewer, you can access your Content page via the ribbon at the top of the screen.

  2. On the Designer toolbar, click Slides.

    Slide button on the Designer toolbar.

    The Slides pane appears. You currently have no slides, so your only option is to capture one. Before you do, however, you'll make sure the scene extent is the same as you want the slide to have.

  3. In the list of layers, point to Palm Beach County Data and click the Zoom to button.

    Zoom to button

    The scene zooms to the full extent of the data. If you were already at the data's full extent, the extent may not change very much.

  4. Confirm that all layers are turned on.

    Slides only save visible layers, so it's important to make sure that all the data is visible before capturing your slide.

  5. Tilt, pan, and zoom the scene to show the entire Palm Beach County coastline from an angle.
    Tip:

    To zoom using smaller increments, click your mouse's scroll wheel and drag the mouse.

    Overview slide

  6. When you're satisfied with the extent, on the Slides pane, click Capture slide.

    Capture Slide button

    The slide is added to the Slides pane with a thumbnail and Slide 1 as the default name. The slide also appears below the scene when you point to the scene.

  7. Click on the default name Slide 1, type Overview and press Enter.

    First slide

    Note:

    If you don't like the way a slide looks, you can click the Remove slide button (the X) to delete it. Additionally, you can navigate to a new extent and click more options, Update slide.

Capture slides of inlets

Next, you'll capture slides for three of the inlets in Palm Beach County. These inlets are critical to shoreline protection efforts because they are good dredging areas close to shore. As such, you'll want to emphasize them during your presentation and make them easy to navigate to. Slides will help you accomplish this goal.

  1. Zoom closer to the Boca Raton Inlet.
  2. Tilt and pan your scene to show the inlet.

    Boca Raton Inlet

    A large portion of the inlet has been used for dredging activities. To emphasize the dredging, you'll turn off the Unconsolidated Sediment layer, which is only relevant to the area outside the inlet.

  3. In the list of layers, check the box next to Unconsolidated Sediment to turn it off.

    The scene's current extent now shows only dredging activities in the Boca Raton Inlet.

  4. On the Slides pane, click Capture slide.
  5. Rename the slide Boca Raton Inlet.

    Boca Raton Inlet slide

  6. Point to the bottom of the scene and click the Overview slide.

    You return to the full extent of the Palm Beach County coastline. Each slide capture also records the visibility configuration of the layers. Although you turned off the Unconsolidated Sediment layer when capturing the Boca Raton Inlet, it will be turned on again when you click the Overview slide. Next, you'll capture a slide of Boynton Inlet.

  7. Zoom closer to Boynton Inlet. Tilt and pan your scene to show the inlet.

    Boynton Inlet

    Boynton Inlet does not contain any dredging or sand borrowing activities. You'll leave the Unconsolidated Sediment layer turned on, as it doesn't take any emphasis away from dredging.

  8. Click Capture slide. Rename the slide to Boynton Inlet.
  9. Return to the Overview slide.

    The last inlet you'll feature in a slide is Palm Beach Inlet.

  10. Zoom closer to Palm Beach Inlet and pan and tilt the scene to show the majority of the inlet.

    Palm Beach Inlet

    As with the Boca Raton Inlet, this inlet contains dredging activities.

  11. In the Layers list, turn off the Unconsolidated Sediment layer.
  12. Capture a slide of the inlet. Rename the slide Palm Beach Inlet.

    You now have four slides total: one for the overview and three for inlets. The inlet slides should give a good idea of major dredging activities on the coast, as well as one area (Boynton Inlet) that might be looked into as a possible dredging location in the future.

  13. Return to the Overview slide.

Capture a slide of reefs

You've captured some slides that emphasize dredging, but your data also includes information about natural and artificial reefs in the area. Reefs are key ocean habitat areas. They also protect the shore against tides and storms. You'll capture a slide that emphasizes some of the important reefs in the area as part of your presentation.

  1. To the upper corner of your scene, click the Reset compass orientation button.

    Reset Compass Orientation button

    The scene's orientation changes to point directly north. From this vantage point, you can more easily find the reefs that you'll capture a slide of.

  2. Zoom closer to Palm Beach Inlet.

    There is a long cluster of artificial reefs offshore from the inlet. These reefs are also close to a line of natural reefs.

    Palm Beach Inlet reefs

    These reefs are instrumental to the protection of Palm Beach Inlet and the nearby beaches. Because Palm Beach Inlet is also a major dredging location, these reefs are especially important to the health of Palm Beach County beaches. The central reef in this cluster is called the South Corridors Reef.

  3. Zoom to the line of artificial reefs. Tilt and pan the scene to show the elevation of the reefs on the ground layer.

    Reefs with elevation

    Depending on how you tilted your scene, some of the reefs may have disappeared below the ground layer. In 3D, the elevation of the ground and the terrain can hide 2D symbols, depending on their position. 3D symbols, by contrast, have a real-world size and display where they intersect with the ground, making them less likely to be hidden. Changing the symbols to 3D would clarify the depth of the symbols while also ensuring they can be seen at this zoom extent. However, unlike 2D symbols, 3D symbols have a fixed size and don't scale as you zoom in and out. Thus, 3D symbols would not appear at the full extent of the data or in your Overview slide. In short, you want 2D symbols for your Overview slide, but 3D symbols for this slide. But unlike layer visibility and zoom extent, slides don't keep the same layer symbology that was used when the slide was taken. Any changes you make to layer symbology will be reflected in previously captured slides.

    To make the reefs appear with a 2D symbol when zoomed out and a 3D symbol when zoomed in, you'll add a second version of the reefs layers. Then, you'll change the symbology and visibility settings of the layers. Before you add the layers, however, you'll capture a slide so that you can quickly return to the current map extent. After you've added the new layers and changed the symbology, you'll update the slide.

  4. Click Capture slide. Leave the slide's default name (Slide 5) unchanged for now.
  5. In the Designer toolbar, click Layers.
  6. In the Layers pane, click Add layers. Ensure you are searching ArcGIS Online.
  7. In the Browse layers search box, type 3D Reefs. Then, type owner:Learn_ArcGIS and press Enter.

    Search for 3D Reefs layer

  8. Add the 3D Reefs layer.

    The scene zooms out to the full extent of the data (you'll be able to return to the previous extent using the slide you captured). In the list of layers, a new layer group called 3D Reefs has been added. It contains both the artificial and natural reefs layers.

  9. At the bottom of the Browser layers pane, click Done. On the list of slides below the scene, click Slide 5 to return to your previous zoom extent.
  10. In the list of layers, turn on the 3D Reefs group and both of its layers.

    The 3D Reefs layer still has 2D symbols. You'll change the symbols to be 3D.

  11. In the Layers pane, expand the 3D Reefs group. For Artificial Reefs - Palm Beach County, click more options and choose Layer style.

    Configure layer

    The Layer style pane appears. This pane allows you to change which attribute is visualized and to apply different drawing styles. Currently, the symbol is drawn using a 2D Marker.

  12. In the Artificial Reefs pane, for 3D Object, click Select. Then, click Options.

    Change symbols

    The symbols will change from 2D diamonds to 3D shapes. However, the cylinders are small and have a plain white color that doesn't stand out.

  13. Under Style 3D Object pane, for Marker, choose Cylinder. For Color, choose a bright yellow color (#FFFF73). For Size, type 15 and press Enter.

    Size parameter

    The symbols change in the scene.

    Symbolized reefs

    The reefs now appear as 3D cylinders. They are no longer hidden by the ground, and their elevation relative to the seafloor is more clearly communicated. Next, you'll change the visibility settings of the 3D Reefs group and the original Reefs group. Then, you'll update the slide to reflect the new visibility settings.

  14. Click Done twice. In the Layers pane, drag the 3D Reefs group below the Reefs group.
  15. For 3D Reefs , click more options and under Change group type, choose Merge.

    Now, both the original Reefs group and the 3D Reefs group have the same visibility properties. You'll also rename the original Reefs group to more clearly differentiate it from the 3D Reefs group.

  16. Rename the Reefs group to 2D Reefs.

    2D and 3D Reefs group

  17. In the list of layers, uncheck 2D Reefs to turn it off.

    List of layers

    Lastly, you'll update the reefs slide to reflect the new visibility settings.

  18. In the Designer toolbar, click Slides. For Slide 5, click Update slide.

    Update Slide button

    The slide is updated with the 3D Reefs group visible and the 2D Reefs group turned off. Next, you'll change the slide's name to match the name of the central reef in the slide, the South Corridors Reef.

  19. Rename Slide 5 to South Corridors Reef.
  20. Return to the Overview slide.

    In the Overview slide, the 3D Reefs group is turned off. Any layers you add will be turned off by default in slides that were created previously. Because your previous four slides either showed views of the entire study area or were not focused on reefs, you won't need to update your first four slides at all.

  21. Save the scene.
    Note:

    When you save the scene, you can choose to change the name and metadata of the scene. You can also choose to save the scene as a completely new scene. For the purposes of this tutorial, you don't need to make any changes.

You've created slides to emphasize important areas in your scene. You also added a new reefs layer and symbolized it in 3D to show the reef's elevation relative to the seafloor. Your scene is almost ready to share, so next you'll make some finishing touches and configure a web app to show others.


Create an app

Previously, you captured slides to emphasize key points in your scene. Now, you'll share your scene with the public. To improve the scene's presentation and make your message clear, you'll create a web app using ArcGIS Web AppBuilder, which allows you to add widgets for navigation and additional information. Before you create the app, you'll add a few finishing touches to the scene.

Configure the legend

To make your scene as presentable as possible before sharing it, you'll configure the legend to remove unneeded information and clarify the purpose of certain layers.

  1. If necessary, open your Palm Beach County Shoreline Protection scene.
  2. Open the legend.

    The legend shows the names and symbols for all layers visible in the scene. Because the default extent of the layer has the 3D Reefs group turned off, the layers in that group don't appear in the legend. However, the 3D Reefs layers will appear when the group is turned on. Currently, however, the Artificial Reefs layer in both the 3D Reefs and 2D Reefs groups have the same name: Artificial Reefs - Palm Beach County. You'll rename these layers so that when they appear in the legend, the distinction between them is clear.

  3. In the Layers pane, for the 2D Reefs group, click more options and choose Rename.
  4. Change the name to Artificial Reefs (2D) and press Enter.

    Artificial Reefs (2D)

    The layer name also changes in the legend.

    Artificial Reefs (2D) in the legend

  5. Navigate to the South Corridors Reef slide.

    The legend changes to reflect the visible layers.

  6. In the Layers pane, in the 3D Reefs group, rename the Artificial Reefs - Palm Beach County layer to Artificial Reefs (3D).

    The layer name changes in the legend.

    Artificial Reefs (3D) in the legend

    Now the legend will display an informative name for the Artificial Reefs layer depending on which layer is visible.

  7. Return to the Overview slide.
  8. Save the scene.

Create an app

Your scene is complete. Next, you'll create a web app with a customized configuration to display your scene in a presentable, easy-to-understand way. You'll use Web AppBuilder to create the app to your specifications.

  1. On the ribbon, click the scene's name.

    Scene name

    The scene's item details page opens. All scenes, maps, and layers in ArcGIS Online have an item details page. It contains the metadata for the scene, as well as options for sharing and viewing the scene. The item details page contains the summary and tags you gave your scene when you originally shared it.

  2. In the item details page, click Create Web App and choose Using the Web AppBuilder.

    Create Web App button

    The Create a New Web App window opens. This window allows you to specify a title, tags, and summary for the web app. The default title and tags are the same as your scene's, so you'll leave them unchanged. You'll add a new summary, however.

  3. In the Create a New Web App window, for Summary, type Key locations for Palm Beach County shoreline protection initiatives.
  4. Click OK.

    Web AppBuilder opens. It displays your Palm Beach County Shoreline Protection scene, but it also contains additional parameters for changing the tools that users can use to navigate and learn about the scene. Currently, the Theme pane is active. You can use this pane to change the web app's appearance, layout, and theme.

    Web AppBuilder default configuration

    While the default theme is okay, the button to access slides is in the upper right corner, one of the last things a user will see when exploring the app. Because slides are important to the experience of your scene, you'll choose a theme that makes it easier to access the slides.

  5. In the Theme pane, choose the Tab Theme.

    Tab Theme

    The arrangement of buttons and tools around the scene changes. The Slides button is now in the upper corner.

    Slides button

    You can also change the color style of the app.

  6. For Style, choose the red style.

    Red style

    You also have two options for the layout. One option places the navigation control buttons in the upper left corner; the other, the lower right. You'll keep the layout unchanged.

  7. Click the Scene pane.

    Scene pane in list of panes

    This pane allows you to choose which scene is featured in the web app. You've already chosen your scene, so you don't need to make any changes. You can also use this pane to set the default extent of the scene in the app. Currently, the default extent is the same as the Overview slide, which is an appropriate starting point for your users.

  8. Click the Widget pane.

    Widget pane in list of panes

    This pane allows you to choose from a list of widgets, or navigation and exploration tools, to include in your web app. Many of these widgets are similar to navigation tools in Scene Viewer. For instance, your app includes a compass, a search box, and zoom controls, among others. You'll leave the default configuration of widgets unchanged.

    Note:

    For a more advanced look at the widgets available in Web AppBuilder, try Oso Mudslide - Before and After.

  9. Click the Attribute pane.

    Attribute pane in list of panes

    This pane allows you to brand your app with titles, external links, and organization logos. You'll add branding for the Palm Beach County local government.

  10. Change the subtitle from with ArcGIS Web AppBuilder to Coastal Resources.

    Subtitle

    Next, you'll add a logo for the web app. You'll use Palm Beach County's official seal as the logo.

  11. Save the Palm Beach County seal to your computer where you can easily find it.
  12. For Branding, point to the default logo next to the title and subtitle and click Custom.
  13. Browse to the location you saved the seal, select it, and click OK.

    The logo also appears in the upper left corner of the scene, next to the title. Next, you'll add a link to the Palm Beach County website.

    Logo

  14. For Alt text, enter Environmental Resources Management. For Link, copy and paste the following link: https://discover.pbcgov.org/erm/Pages/default.aspx.
  15. Click OK.

    The link is added to the upper corner of the scene, next to the search bar.

    External link

    You've now configured a simple, user-friendly web app that contains information about the Palm Beach County government as well as your web scene.

  16. On the side pane, click Save.

Preview the app

Before you share your app with the public, you'll preview it to make sure nothing else needs to be done.

  1. In Web AppBuilder, at the bottom of the side pane, click Launch.

    A new window appears in your browser. The window contains your app the way users will see it.

    Web app

    Many of the navigation tools are similar or identical to those you used in Scene Viewer. You'll explore a few of the new buttons and tools.

  2. Click the Slides button in the upper corner. Navigate to some of your slides to confirm that the correct layers are visible for each.
  3. On the ribbon, beside the search bar, click the Environmental Resources Management link.

    The link opens a Palm Beach County government page that contains more information about environmental resource management in the county.

  4. Close the Palm Beach County government page.

    The scene functions properly and doesn't contain any errors. It allows the user to navigate to key areas through slides and also provides a link to additional information. With the app complete, your next task is to share it with the public.

  5. Close the web app and return to the Web AppBuilder page.

Share the app

Next, you'll share your app with the public. This app will be useful not only for informing citizens about Palm Beach County's shoreline protection efforts, but also for giving decision makers information necessary to make plans for the future. Before you share the app, you'll make sure the app's metadata has been inputted correctly.

  1. Above the scene, click the scene's name to open the item details page.

    The item details for the web app already include a summary and tags, because you added them when you created the app. However, the app has a generic, default thumbnail that doesn't convey much about the app. You'll replace the thumbnail with an image of the app.

  2. Save this sample thumbnail to your computer where you can easily find it. (Alternatively, capture your own thumbnail.)
    Tip:

    Thumbnails should have a size of about 600 pixels by 400 pixels.

  3. On the item details page, above the default thumbnail, click Edit Thumbnail.

    Edit Thumbnail

    The Create Thumbnail window opens.

  4. Click Browser. Browse to the thumbnail you saved, select it, and click Open.
  5. In the Create Thumbnail window, click Save.

    The new thumbnail is uploaded and the default thumbnail updates.

    New thumbnail

    You'll also add a description. Descriptions are generally good ways to explain the purpose of a map, scene, or app. They can also include information about the item's contents or external links to more information.

  6. For Description, click Edit.
  7. Type a description of your web app. Alternatively, use the following description:

    This web app depicts the shoreline of Palm Beach County, Florida. It contains data layers that show the location of natural and artificial reefs. It also depicts the location of unconsolidated sediment and dredging activity, with a particular emphasis on these activities in major inlets. This information is critical for shoreline protection and maintenance.

  8. Click Save.

    Next, you'll share your app.

  9. In the item details page, click Share.

    Share button

    The Share window opens. You can choose to share the web app with everyone, your organization, or any groups for which you have sharing privileges. You want the public to be able to view your app, so you'll share it with everyone.

  10. Check the box next to Everyone (public). Click Save.

    After the Share window closes, the Update sharing window opens. This window informs you that, although you shared the web app, you have not yet shared the web scene that you used to create the web app. Until the scene is also shared, users will not be able to see all of the content in your web app.

  11. In the Update sharing window, click Update .

    Both your scene and your app are now shared.

  12. Scroll to the bottom of the item details page. For URL, copy the link in the text box.

    This URL provides a direct link to your web app. It uses the following format: https://[your organization's URL].arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer3d/index.html?id=[ID number].

    By default, the URL contains your organization's domain name. If you want to share this URL with members outside of your organization, you should remove your organization's domain before sending the link.

  13. Share the URL via email or social media.

In this tutorial, you created a scene showing the shoreline of Palm Beach County, turned the scene into an app, and shared the app with the public. In doing so, you explored many of the capabilities of Scene Viewer and worked with data in 3D. For more projects that involve 3D data across the ArcGIS platform, try Map Venice in 2D and 3D and Get Started with ArcGIS Drone2Map.

You can find more tutorials in the tutorial gallery.