Construct realistic buildings with multipatch editing

As a facilities planner, you've been tasked with creating realistic 3D buildings for an upcoming remodel. To compare the suggested redesign to the current building, you'll use multipatch editing tools and manually create two 3D buildings on the Pennsylvania State University campus. After converting building footprints to multipatch features, you'll extrude them, using a lidar point cloud to evaluate their height and shape. You'll then edit vertices to create roof shape details. You'll also apply texture images to the buildings to make them as realistic as possible.

This tutorial was last tested on March 18, 2024, using ArcGIS Pro 3.2. If you're using a different version of ArcGIS Pro, you may encounter different functionality and results.

Requirements

• ArcGIS Pro (see options for software access)

Set up the local scene and the data

To compare plans for an upcoming remodel, you'll create realistic 3D models of two buildings on the Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) campus: the Oswald and the Old Botany buildings. Such 3D objects can be built as multipatch features, a data type that enables you to define complex textured 3D shapes.

Note:

While this tutorial focuses on 3D shape building methods, it connects to remote sensing by showing how a lidar point cloud can be used as a guide when building such 3D shapes, and how pictures, taken aerially or on the ground, can be used to create realistic facades and roof surfaces.

First, you'll download and explore the project, add a lidar point cloud layer, and convert the 2D building footprints to 3D multipatch features.

Open the project and explore the map and scene

First, you'll download and open the project in ArcGIS Pro.

1. Download the Penn State Buildings .zip file.

   Note:

   Depending on your web browser, you may have been prompted to choose the file's location before you began the download. Most browsers download to your computer's Downloads folder by default.

2. Locate the downloaded file on your computer. Right-click the .zip file and extract it to a location where you can easily find it, such as your Documents folder.
3. Open the extracted Penn State Buildings folder. Double-click the Penn State Buildings project file to open it in ArcGIS Pro.

   

4. If necessary, sign in using your licensed ArcGIS account.

   Note:

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

   The project opens.

   

   The project is open on the Map view, displaying an area of the Penn State campus using the World Topographic Map World Hillshade basemaps. The Penn_State_2D_Footprints layer shows the 2D footprint polygons for two buildings symbolized in blue.

   Note:

   A building footprint depicts the 2D ground shape of a building.

5. In the Contents pane, click the Penn_State_2D_Footprints layer to select it.
6. On the map, click the northernmost building.

   An informational pop-up appears, informing you this is the Oswald Tower.

   

7. Click the other building.

   The pop-up updates with information for the Old Botany building.

8. Close the pop-up.

   The Map view is a 2D map showing 2D data. Next, you'll explore the Scene view, which is 3D enabled, and you'll use it to build the 3D rendition of the two buildings.

9. Click the Scene tab.

   

   The Scene view contains a local scene. Local scenes are useful to display 3D datasets that have a limited spatial extent, and are displayed with a projected coordinate system, such as a city or, in this case, a university campus.

   The same 2D building footprint layer, Penn_State_2D_Footprints, is displayed in the Scene view, but the two building footprints aren't fully displayed and seem to sink into the ground. That's because they are shown in a 3D environment and the 2D polygons are partially covered by small differences in the terrain elevation. You'll set the elevation properties for this layer so that you can better see the buildings.

   

   There is also another layer, Penn_State_3D_Buildings, which is a multipatch layer and can store complex textured 3D shapes. It is currently empty. Later on, it will contain the 3D buildings you construct. Now, you'll modify the display of the 2D buildings layer so you can see them more clearly.

10. In the Contents pane, right-click Penn_State_2D_Footprints and choose Properties. Click the Elevation tab.

    

    In the Elevation tab, you can determine how the 3D features are displayed in the scene. Currently, the buildings are being displayed at an absolute height, which is better suited for when you know the exact height of the features. Since buildings are on the ground, you'll set the elevation of the buildings to be on the ground.

11. For Features are, click the drop-down menu and choose On the ground.

    

12. Click OK.

    Now the buildings display better in the scene. They may not display perfectly, but you can see them better.

    

    Note:

    The buildings display differently based on your extent and how you have tilted the scene, so the images may not match exactly.

Add a lidar point cloud

Next, you'll add a lidar point cloud layer, hosted online, that will guide you as you build the 3D buildings. Learn more about lidar data.

1. On the ribbon, click the View tab. In the Windows group, click Catalog Pane.

   

   The Catalog pane appears.

2. In the Catalog pane, click the Portal tab and click the ArcGIS Online button.

   

   Your portal is the licensed account you used to sign in when you first started ArcGIS Pro. Because you signed in with an ArcGIS Online account, you have access to all the ArcGIS Online data your account can access.

3. In the search box, type 2017 PSU LiDAR owner:Learn_ArcGIS and press Enter.

   

4. In the list of results, right-click the 2017 PSU LiDAR scene layer package and choose Add To Current Map.

   

   The lidar point cloud data draws on the scene. Each point represents the elevation of the ground, a building, a tree, or another element of the landscape.

   

5. In the Contents pane, expand 2017 PSU LiDAR to see its legend.

   

   The points of the layer with the lowest elevation are symbolized in dark blue and those with the highest elevation are in red.

   Currently, you're looking at the point cloud from the top, so you don't get much of a 3D effect. To better explore the lidar layer, you'll tilt and rotate the scene with the Navigator to look at it sideways.

6. On the ribbon, on the View tab, in the Navigation group, make sure that the Navigator tool is activated.

   

7. On the scene, above the Navigator, click the Show full control button.

   

   The Navigator changes to a 3D sphere and an additional wheel appears for 3D navigation.

8. In the expanded Navigator, use the middle wheel to tilt and rotate the scene. Use the mouse scrolling wheel to zoom in and out.

   

   Note:

   Alternatively, you can also navigate the scene with the keyboard, pressing the following keys: V to tilt, B to rotate, C to pan, and Z to zoom, used in combination with the Up, Down, Left, and Right arrow keys.

9. Explore the 2017 PSU LiDAR layer and confirm that it is made of points at various levels of elevation.

   The points delineate every building, tree, and ground detail.

   

10. When you are done exploring, in the Contents pane, right-click Penn_State_2D_Footprints and choose Zoom To Layer.

    The scene extent centers to the two buildings on the campus.

11. On the Quick Access Toolbar, click the Save Project button.

    

12. If prompted about saving the project to the current version of ArcGIS Pro, click Yes.

Convert the building footprints to multipatch features

Next, you'll copy the 2D building footprints into the Penn_State_3D_Buildings multipatch layer. Those footprint copies will be your starting point to create the 3D buildings.

1. In the Contents pane, uncheck the 2017 PSU LiDAR layer to turn the layer off.
2. On the ribbon, click the Map tab. In the Selection group, click the Select button.

   

3. On the scene, locate the two building footprint features. Draw a rectangle that contains both buildings to select them.

   Both polygons are selected and highlighted. You may only see a small portion of the selected building due to the terrain differences.

   

4. Right-click the selection and choose Copy.

   

5. On the ribbon, on the Map tab, in the Clipboard group, click the Paste drop-down arrow and choose Paste Special.

   

   The Paste Special window appears.

6. In the Paste Special window, for Paste into, choose the Penn_State_3D_Buildings multipatch feature class. Verify that Keep source attribute values is checked.

   

   Note:

   The target layer, Penn_State_3D_Buildings, must be already added to the Contents pane and turned on when using Paste Special.

7. Click OK.
8. The two polygon features are copied to the destination multipatch layer and the Modify Features pane appears. Also, on the scene, arrows appear for 3D editing.

   

9. On the ribbon, on the Map tab, in the Selection group, click Clear to remove any active selections.

   

   To save the edits you made to the multipatch feature class, you'll use the Edit tab.

10. On the ribbon, click the Edit tab. In the Manage Edits group, click Save.

    

11. In the Save Edits window that appears, click Yes to save all edits.

    Next, you will set the elevation properties for the 3D buildings so they display better.

12. In the Contents pane, right-click Penn_State_3D_Buildings and choose Properties.
13. On the Elevation tab, for Features are, click the drop-down menu and choose On the ground. Click OK.
14. In the Contents pane, turn off the Penn_State_2D_Footprints layer, as you won't need it any longer.

    The two Penn_State_3D_Buildings features are now visible, symbolized in white.

    

15. Save the project.

With the building footprint polygons converted to multipatch features, you can now start constructing the first one, the Oswald Tower, as a 3D feature.

Create an office building

You'll start building Oswald Tower, an office-type building. With multipatch editing, you can create and texture complex 3D building forms. Starting from the existing 2D footprint, you'll use the lidar point cloud layer to extrude it to the correct height. Then, you'll apply texture images to give the facade a realistic appearance, and create and edit vertices to add more architectural features. Using these basic components, you can quickly generate models of other commercial or office buildings common in the downtown area of any major city.

Extrude the building footprint

The first step in creating any building form is to extrude the footprint into a 3D block model; this is called a Level of Detail 1 (LoD1) 3D building. Higher levels of detail include roof forms (LoD2), architectural details such as columns or doors (LoD3), and interior features (LoD4). To accurately extrude Oswald Tower, you'll use the lidar data you added earlier as a guide.

1. In the Contents pane, make sure the Penn_State_3D_Buildings layer is selected.
2. On the ribbon, click the Map tab and in the Selection group, click the Select tool.
3. On the map, click the multipatch feature for Oswald Tower to select it.

   

4. In the Contents pane, turn on the 2017 PSU LiDAR layer.
5. Zoom in on Oswald Tower until you can see the lidar points for the building, as well as the footprint.

   

6. On the ribbon, click the Edit tab. In the Tools group, click Edit Vertices.

   

   The Modify Features pane appears for the Edit Vertices tool.

7. On the scene, point to the Oswald Tower multipatch building footprint until you see the green editing handle (sphere) in the middle of the footprint.

   

   Note:

   While you are in Select or Edit mode, if you need to reposition the scene to better see the building, don't forget that you can still use the Navigator wheel at any time. You can also press the C or Z key to switch temporarily into pan or zoom mode.

8. Click the green editing handle and drag it up to the height of the lidar points around the outer rim of the rooftop.

   

9. When you are satisfied with the height, on the editing toolbar, click Finish to commit your edit.

   

10. On the ribbon, on the Edit tab, in the Selection group, click Clear to deselect the building. In the Manage Edits group, click Save and Yes to save all edits.
11. In the Contents pane, turn off the 2017 PSU LiDAR layer.

    

    You've created an LoD1 3D building. Next, you'll add real-world textures to the sides and roof of Oswald Tower to make it an LoD3 building.

Add facade textures

Oswald Tower is relatively short for an office-style building and is not blocked by other buildings or vegetation, so it was easy to obtain a clear photo of the building facade. In this section, you'll apply a single image texture to each face of the building that has already been cropped and rectified.

1. On the ribbon, on the Edit tab, in the Features group, click Modify.

   

2. In the Modify Features pane, expand the Reshape group and click Multipatch Texture.

   

   The Modify Features pane appears for the Texture tool.

3. If necessary, on the scene, click the Oswald Tower multipatch feature to select it and in the Modify Features pane, click the Load Texture button.

   

   The Load Texture browser opens.

4. Browse to the Penn State Buildings project folder and open the FacadeTextures folder. Open the OswaldTower folder, select Oswald_Front.png, and click Open.
5. Once the texture loads in the Modify Features pane, click one of the four side facades to apply the texture.

   

   The image has been cropped to the aspect ratio of the building using the georeferencing and image transformation tools in ArcGIS Pro so it will fit the extent of the facade.

6. If necessary, adjust the image size or alignment using the adjustment buttons in the image preview window if necessary. Click the Zoom button and move the pointer to zoom in or out. To center the side facade image, use the Pan button to move the image left or right.

   

   Note:

   If you zoom far enough out, the facade texture repeats. This behavior, known as tiling, is useful for skyscrapers or other buildings for which you can't capture an image of the full building face, and you have only an image with a small portion of the facade.

7. Once the side is complete, click each of the other three facades to apply the same texture. Make sure the windows of all four sides are aligned with each other.

   

8. When you're happy with the sides, in the Modify Features pane, click Apply.

   Now that the sides have texture, you'll add the roof texture.

9. Clear the selection and then click the roof.
10. In the Modify Features pane, click the Load Texture button and choose Oswald_Roof_MechRoom.jpg. Click the roof to add the texture to it.

    

11. In the Modify Features pane, use the Pan, Rotate, and Zoom controls to make the roof texture fit the rooftop area.

    Tip:

    You can turn on the lidar points for reference. Facing north, the HVAC system should be in the lower left of the image.

    

12. When the image is positioned to your satisfaction, at the bottom of the Modify Features pane, click Apply.
13. Clear the selection and save your edits.
14. If necessary, in the Contents pane, turn off the 2017 PSU LiDAR layer.

    You have added the relevant textures for each side of the building.

    Unlike the sides of the building, the roof isn't a flat surface. Next, to add even more detail, you'll extrude the mechanical room and air conditioning unit (HVAC) on the rooftop.

Add rooftop details

The roofs of tall office buildings often have mechanical equipment, solar panels, or other structures that may rise a floor or more above the surface. Using the Edit Vertices tool, you'll cut out and extrude the rooftop structures—a mechanical room and an HVAC unit—on Oswald Tower. You'll then apply generic textures to them that involve repeating tiles.

In the interest of time, you'll simplify the shape of the roof elements to be extruded. However, if desired, you could spend time measuring the elements (with the Measure tool found on the Map tab) and extruding them very precisely.

1. Zoom to the rooftop area of Oswald Tower. Use the Navigator to reposition the scene so that you are completely above the building, and the roof lines of the building are parallel and perpendicular to the sides of the map.

   

2. At the bottom of the Map pane, point to the constraints button. Click the Constraints toggle button to turn on constraints.

   

   Turning on dynamic constraints shows you the length of the features you're working with.

3. On the ribbon, on the Edit tab, in the Tools group, click Edit Vertices and select the Oswald rooftop

   The entire rooftop is selected, and the green editing handle appears.

   

   First, you'll trace the mechanical room. Since the perspective on the photo creates a certain distortion, you'll follow the shape at the bottom of the mechanical room's walls as much as possible, instead of tracing its roof

4. Starting at the upper left of the structure, click the visible corner intersection of the rooftop structure and the roof surface to add a vertex. Draw a line across the top of the structure and add another vertex in the upper right corner.

   

   Tip:

   Use the orange line guides, which signal parallel and perpendicular lines, to create a polygon with right angles.

5. Add a second segment perpendicular to the first one, stopping at the southern end of the mechanical room.

   

6. Create the remaining sides of the polygon, using the same method. Since you can’t see the bottom of the walls for the remaining sides, create segments that are approximately 11.75 feet and 15.6 feet. Use the orange line guides to add a final vertex on the corner where you started.

   

   The outline of the mechanical room appears and has a green editing handle in the center. Just as you did with the building itself, you will adjust the height of the mechanical room using the editing handle and the 2017 PSU LiDAR layer.

7. Tilt the scene so you can view the mechanical room looking down at an angle.

   

8. In the Contents pane, turn on the 2017 PSU LiDAR layer.

   

   The size of the points it getting in the way of you being able to see the editing handle. You'll alter the symbol size for the lidar points so you can easily see what you're editing.

9. In the Contents pane, click the 2017 PSU LiDAR layer's color ramp to display the Symbology pane.

   

10. In the Symbology pane, for Symbol size, type 40 and press Enter.

    

    The points of the lidar cloud become smaller, making it easier to visually verify the height of the roof elements.

    

11. Close the Symbology pane.
12. In the Modify Features pane, verify that Edit Vertices is selected and point to the roof of the mechanical room so the green editing handle is visible.

    

13. Drag the green editing handle of the mechanical room polygon and align the top of the room to the lidar points.

    

14. At the bottom of the scene, on the editing toolbar, click Finish to commit the edit. Clear the selection and turn off the LiDAR layer.

    

    Note:

    You should click Finish and even click Save often, so that when you choose to cancel, it only will only undo the most recent edits.

    The mechanical room is complete. Similarly, you’ll create a polygon that corresponds approximately to the HVAC unit. In reality, it is composed of one HVAC unit and one angled wall, but for simplicity’s sake, you’ll create a single rectangle.

15. Orient the scene so you're viewing the top of the building and with the Select tool, select the rooftop.
16. With the Edit Vertices tool, draw a rectangle to represent the HVAC unit.

    

17. As you did with the mechanical room, tilt the scene, turn on the 2017 PSU LiDAR layer, drag the green editing handle up to match the height of the points, and click the Finish button.
18. Save your edits and clear the selection.
19. In the Contents pane, turn off the 2017 PSU LiDAR layer.

    

    When surfaces are pushed or pulled on a multipatch model, any newly created faces will be textured by mirroring textures on adjacent surfaces. For the roof of the Oswald Tower, this creates some unusual surfaces, such as the air conditioning fan that is now mirrored on the side of a wall. In addition, the images on top of each rooftop structure need to be moved slightly so they match the edge.

20. In the Modify Features pane, click the Back button.

    

21. In the Reshape group, click Multipatch Texture and select the mechanical room. Click Load Texture and load the Oswald_RoofSide.jpg texture and apply it to all the vertical sides of the rooftop structures. Click Apply and clear the selection.

    

22. Click Load Texture, load the Roof_floor.png texture. In the Modify Features pane, use the Zoom tool so that the texture is visible.

    

23. Apply the texture to the main roof surface to eliminate all the traces of roof elements. Click Apply.

    

24. Clear any active selections, save all edits, and save your project.

    

You've created a realistic 3D office building using multipatch editing tools, textures, and lidar point cloud data. Next, you'll learn how to construct various roof shapes and use precise measurements to construct a more accurate 3D building.

Create a residential building

Previously, you created an office building using multipatch editing and realistic textures. Next, you'll create a residential-style building on the Penn State campus, the Old Botany building. This structure, built in the late 1800s, has a hip form roof, for which you'll need to use different techniques than in the previous section. You'll extrude the building based on measurements (in feet), construct the roof form, check against the lidar point cloud, and apply textures.

Extrude the Old Botany building

You'll begin construction of the Old Botany building by extruding the building into a simple LoD1 model.

1. If necessary, open your Penn State Buildings project.

   You'll locate the Old Botany building just south of Oswald Tower.

2. In the scene, zoom and pan to the Old Botany building footprint.

   

3. In the Contents pane, turn on the 2017 PSU LiDAR layer.
4. Using the Navigator, explore the point cloud for the Old Botany building.

   

   You could use the lidar cloud as a guide, but because there is so much vegetation around the building, you may get more precise results by typing measurements. So you'll use this second method.

   Note:

   The information available to you can differ from project to project. So, depending on the situation, it can be useful to use lidar point cloud data, measurements, or a combination of both to determine the height and shape of your building.

5. Turn off the 2017 PSU LiDAR layer.
6. On the ribbon, on the Edit tab, in the Selection group, click the Select button. On the scene, click the Old Botany building footprint to select it.

   

7. On the ribbon, on the Edit tab, in the Tools group, click Edit Vertices.
8. Hover over the green editing handle in the middle of the building until it turns red.

   

9. Right-click the red editing handle and choose Height.

   

   The Length window appears.

10. In the Length window, type 27.25.

    Note:

    The default unit is ft.

    

11. Press Enter.

    The Old Botany building is now extruded.

    

    Note:

    If ever extrusion doesn't happen, you may need to reset your display cache. On the Project tab, click Options, then click Display. Under Local Cache, check the Clear cache check box and restart your instance of ArcGIS Pro.

12. On the editing toolbar, click Finish and save your edits.

    Next, you'll work on the building's roof.

Align the editing grid

Before you can create the Old Botany hip-shaped roof, you need to align the editing grid to the exact orientation of the building. This will ensure that the roof measurements are applied in the correct directions.

1. At the bottom of the scene, click the Grid button.

   

   This enables the grid.

   

2. Point to the Grid button to make the Grid options menu appear. Make sure Spacing is set to 1 ft, and click the Set the grid's origin and rotation interactively button.

   

   The mouse pointer changes to a red plus sign.

3. Point to a vertex end of one of the long edges of the roof until the pointer snaps to the vertex. Click to set the grid origin.

   

   When you move the pointer, the grid shifts. To set the rotation, you'll add another point at the other end of the roof.

4. Click the vertex at the other side of the long edge of the roof.

   

5. At the bottom of the scene, click the Grid button to turn off the grid's visibility.

   Even though you can't see the grid anymore, its settings remain valid for any future edits you make in the project.

6. Save your project.

Create a hip roof form

First, you'll split the top building face and create a hip-form, or gable-shaped roof.

1. In the Modify Features pane, verify that the Old Botany building is selected. Click Edit Vertices.

   

2. If necessary, use the Navigator wheel to adjust the scene, ensuring that you have good access to one of the roof's short edges.
3. On the scene, point to the middle of the short edge of the roof until crosshairs and an orange X appears.

   

   The X indicates the center of that edge.

4. Click the X to add a vertex, hover over the middle of the opposite edge, and click again on the orange X to complete the split line through the center of the flat roof.

   

5. Point to the split line so the green sphere appears. Point to the green editing sphere on the newly created roof split line until it becomes red, right-click it, and click Height.

   Note:

   Be sure to right-click the red editing sphere associated with the split line, not the ones for each of the separate polygons.

   

6. In the Length window, for Height, type 17 and press Enter.

   The roof is now gabled, with a hip form.

   

7. On the editing toolbar, click Finish and save your edits.

   Tip:

   A reminder that, if you make a mistake, click Cancel on the editing toolbar to go back to the last feature edit you saved.

   You should click Finish and click Save to save your edits often, so that when you choose to cancel, it will only undo the most recent edits.

   You'll now edit the roof to a hip form.

8. In the Modify Features pane, click Edit Vertices, create a horizontal split line on the shorter side facade by clicking each edge of the eave, using the orange circle guides that appear. Repeat this on the other side of the building.

   

9. On one of the sides, hover over the top vertex of the roof until an orange circle appears and double-click the vertex.

   

   The x,y,z vertex editing handles appear.

   

   Next, you will adjust the Height or Distance values for the blue handles to create the hip form on the roof. Depending on which side of the building you chose to start with, the blue handle may be directed toward the center of the roof (as depicted in the example image) or the blue handle may be directed away from the center of the roof.

   If the blue handle is directed toward the center of the roof, when you right-click it, the contextual menu will list the Height option, and you will enter a positive value. If the blue handle is directed away from the center of the roof, the contextual menu will list the Distance option, and you would enter a negative value.

10. Right-click the blue handle and choose Height. In the Length window that appears, type 16.75 and press Enter.

    Note:

    Depending on the position of the building, upon right-clicking the blue handle, you may need to select the Distance option instead of Height and set the Length value to either -16.75 or 16.75. You can experiment with them and until the roof becomes a hip roof, you can click the Undo button on the Quick Access toolbar or right-click the building and choose Cancel.

    

11. The hip roof shape appears on that side.

    

12. Repeat the same process on the opposite roof edge vertex, again using a value of either 16.75 ft or -16.75 ft.

    Note:

    If you entered -16.75 for the first side, you must enter 16.75 on the second side, and vice versa.

    

13. Click Finish and click Save to save your edits.

    Now that the basic hip form roof is in place, you'll extend two of the four roof planes away from the center of the building, creating overhangs, or eaves, on two sides.

14. In the Modify Features pane, click Edit Vertices. Hover over one of the two shorter side roof surfaces so the green editing handle appears.
15. Drag the handle away from the building to start the overhang. While dragging, press Tab to edit the exact length of the overhang. Type 1.5 and press Enter.

    

    You have added an overhang 1.5 feet in length.

    

16. Click Finish and click Save to save your edits.
17. For the opposite side of the roof, repeat a similar process to create a 1.5-foot overhang.

    You now have overhangs on two sides.

    

18. Click Finish and click Save to save your edits.

    Next, you'll check the roof dimensions against the lidar point cloud.

19. Turn on the PSU LiDAR 2017 layer and examine the Old Botany building from various angles.

    

    The shape appears to be a good match.

    Note:

    Optionally, you can add more overhangs for the two long sides of the roof.

20. Turn the PSU LiDAR 2017 layer off and save the project.

    Whether using lidar data, numeric measurements, or a combination of both, you can create precise roof shapes for your 3D buildings.

Add facade textures

Now that the basic form for the Old Botany building is in place, you can start texturing it. As you did in the first section of the tutorial, you'll use a combination of single textures and repeating tiled textures to give the model a realistic appearance.

1. On the ribbon, on the Edit tab, in the Features group, click Modify.
2. In the Modify Features pane, expand the Reshape group and click Multipatch Texture.
3. If necessary, click the Old Botany building to select it.
4. Click Load Texture, browse to the Penn State Buildings project folder. Open the FacadeTextures folder and open the OldBotany folder. Select OldBotany_Front.jpg and click Open.

   The texture loads in the Modify Features pane.

5. Click the front facade of Old Botany (the long side that has a pathway leading up to it) to apply the texture.

   

6. Use the Pan, Rotate, and Zoom controls to fit the front image as closely as possible to the front facade extent.

   Now the texture aligns and fits better with the front of the building.

   

7. Once the front facade image is placed accurately, click Load Texture and add OldBotany_Back.jpg.
8. Rotate the Old Botany building around to the other side and click the rear facade surface.

   

9. Use the Pan, Rotate, and Zoom controls to fit the rear facade image as closely as possible to the back of the building.

   

   Next, you'll add textures to the sides of the building. The left side (with the split pathway) has a door, while the other side doesn't.

10. Add the OldBotany_RightSide texture to the right side of the building. Line up the brick/stone textures as closely as possible.

    

11. Add the OldBotany_LeftSide texture to the left side of the building.

    

    With the facade sides complete, you'll repeat the texturing process on the sloped roof surfaces of Old Botany.

12. Click Load Texture and open OldBotany_Roof.jpg.
13. Click the front roof surface to select it, and use the Pan, Rotate, and Zoom buttons in the image preview window to fit the roof image as accurately as possible.

    

14. When the front roof surface is finished, click the rear roof surface to duplicate this texture, retaining the same scaling and placement.

    The front and back sides of the roof have distinctive dormer window features that need to be positioned in specific locations, making a single texture image preferable to a repeating texture.

    However, two sides of the roof have a uniform pattern of shingles that can be applied through a single, repeating tiled texture image. This tiled image was clipped out from a small section of front roof texture.

15. Click Load Texture and open OldBotany_RoofShingles.jpg.
16. Click one of the side roof surfaces, and use the Pan, Rotate, and Zoom buttons in the image preview window to fit the shingles as accurately as possible, matching the size and spacing of the shingles on the edge of the other textured roof surfaces.
17. When one of the roof sides is textured accurately, click the opposing side to duplicate this texture, retaining the same scaling and rotation.

    

18. Click Apply and click Save to save your edits.
19. Clear any active selections and save the project.

    Image textures add a specific look and feel to the generic residential-looking 3D form, transforming it into a recognizable replica of the Old Botany building.

    Note:

    There are other architectural details that you could add, such as giving the dormer windows and the stairs a 3D volume, and making the door and windows recessed into the wall. If you want to stretch the exercise further, you can experiment with these additional elements.

In this tutorial, you learned how to create realistic 3D buildings, including complex roof forms and textured surfaces. This process can be used for many building types and shapes, with little more than a building footprint, height information or lidar data, and images for texturing.

Note:

This approach, one building at a time, works well when your goal is to represent only a few buildings, and you want to represent architectural details with accuracy. However, there are more advanced methods to generate 3D buildings through a bulk approach for an entire university campus, neighborhood, or city. The tutorial Extract 3D buildings from lidar data is an example of such a bulk-approach workflow.

You can find more tutorials such as this on the Introduction to Imagery & Remote Sensing page.

Acknowledgements

• LiDAR data is sourced from Pennsylvania State Data Access and provided by Penn State University
• Terrain 3D layer sources: Airbus DS, USGS, NGA, NASA, CGIAR, GEBCO, N Robinson, NCEAS, NLS, OS, NMA, Geodatastyrelsen and the GIS User Community
• World Topographic Map sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community
• World Hillshade layer sources: Esri, Airbus DS, USGS, NGA, NASA, CGIAR, N Robinson, NCEAS, NLS, OS, NMA, Geodatastyrelsen, Rijkswaterstaat, GSA, Geoland, FEMA, Intermap, and the GIS user community