Create 3D products with ArcGIS Drone2Map

Known for its unique architecture and strategic location, Trakai Island Castle was a center of political power in the medieval Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 1400s. It stands as a historic fortress surrounded by serene lakes and, today, it's a cultural icon and popular tourist destination.

To preserve this castle for future generations, your manager has tasked you with creating a 3D model of the project site for project planning purposes from drone imagery. Additionally, this model will be used to promote tourism at the fortress through virtual exploration.

In this tutorial, you'll process drone imagery to create this 3D model using ArcGIS Drone2Map, share it to the web for visualization, and perform measurements on it. You will also explore and compare various 3D output options.

This tutorial was last tested on August 7, 2026, using ArcGIS Drone2Map 2026.1. If you're using a different version of this application, you may encounter different functionality and results.

View final result

Requirements

• ArcGIS Drone2Map Advanced (see options for software access)
• ArcGIS Coordinate Systems Data (learn more)
• ArcGIS organizational account with a Publisher or Administrator role

Create a project

The first step toward creating a 3D model of the castle is to create and configure an ArcGIS Drone2Map project.

Download the imagery

The images that the drone captured are stored online in a .zip file. You'll download the file, unzip its contents, and look at one of the images before you add them to a Drone2Map project.

1. Download the Create_3D_products_with_ArcGIS_Drone2Map .zip file.

   Note:

   The file is more than 4.6 GB and may take a few minutes to download.

2. Locate the downloaded file, and extract it to a location on your computer you can easily find, such as your Documents folder.
3. In the folder you chose, open the Drone Imagery folder.

   

   There are 360 images in the folder.

4. Open the image named DJI_20210412144652_0005.JPG.

   Tip:

   The last several characters of the file names are sequence numbers. If the folder is sorted by file name, it's the fifth image in the folder.

   

   A preview appears. The image appears sideways, but Drone2Map will be able to process the imagery.

5. Close the preview.
6. Close the Drone Imagery folder.

Create a project using a template

Next, you'll create a project in Drone2Map. Your project will be based on a template suited to your needs and include the imagery you downloaded.

1. Start ArcGIS Drone2Map.

   Note:

   If you don't have Drone2Map, see options for software access. Learn more about downloading and installing Drone2Map.

2. If prompted, sign in to your ArcGIS account.

   Note:

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

   First, you'll choose a processing template. These templates provide you with default settings to create 2D and 3D products. For this project, you'll choose the 3D Products template. This template allows you to create 3D point clouds and 3D models, known as meshes. These are the products you'll use to take measurements of the castle for your manager.

   Note:

   Learn more about 3D points clouds, 3D meshes, and other 3D output products.

   To learn more about processing templates, see Create a project.

3. Under Processing Template, choose 3D Products.

   

   Next, you'll name your project.

4. Under Project Name, type Trakai_Island_Castle.

   

5. Optionally, choose a location where you'll save your project, for example a folder on your C: drive.

   When a project is created, a folder structure will be created for your Drone2Map project file, imagery products, and other datasets.

   Next, you'll add your drone imagery to the project. You can either select specific images or add folders that contain images. Because your images are in the Drone Imagery folder, you'll add this folder to the project.

6. Click Add Folder.

   

   The Browse for Image Folder window appears.

7. Browse to and select the Drone Imagery folder, and click OK.

   The 360 images you saw earlier are loaded into the project.

   

   Each image contains metadata that has a Lat [Y] (degrees latitude), Lon [X] (degrees longitude), and Alt [Z] (altitude or elevation) attribute. These geographic attributes were stored by the drone when it captured each image and allow the camera location of each image to be placed on a map.

   Note:

   You can add control points to your project to improve the final outputs' positional accuracy. To learn how to add control points to a Drone2Map project, see Evaluate the accuracy of ground control points and Create 2D products with ArcGIS Drone2Map.

8. Click Create.

   The image locations are added to a map and the project is automatically saved. Additionally, a line feature, Flight Lines, that estimates the drone's flight path is created from the time stamps of each drone image.

   

In this module, you created a Drone2Map project and added 360 drone images to it.

Process imagery and review results

Now that the images have been brought into Drone2Map, you will ensure that the desired outputs and processing options are selected. Then you will process the imagery to produce the 3D model of the castle.

Confirm targeted products

When you chose the 3D Output processing template, a subset of targeted product outputs were automatically selected . You will review them in the Manage pane.

1. On the ribbon, click the Home tab, and in the Processing group, click Manage.

   

   The Manage pane appears. This pane provides an overview of the products that will be created when you process the imagery.

2. In the Manage pane, expand the 3D Products section if necessary.

   

   Under 3D Products, 3D Mesh and 3D Point Cloud are checked for processing.

   While you are primarily interested in generating a 3D mesh to produce your 3D model of the castle, Drone2Map must generate a 3D point cloud before generating the mesh. The point cloud output is added by default, since it is produced in the background anyway.

   Note:

   Other output options are DSM Mesh and Gaussian Splats. Gaussian splat layers provide highly realistic visualizations of complex geometry that cannot be achieved with traditional approaches. However, they are compute intensive and can take a substantial amount of time to generate. The Gaussian splat output requires the use of AI to be produced and is only available if you downloaded and installed the optional Deep Learning Libraries and if your machine meets specific hardware and driver configuration requirements. Get more information about installing the Deep Learning Libraries.

   Learn more about 3D output products

3. In the Manage pane, expand the 2D Products section.

   

   Under 2D Products, only Image Collection is checked because this is always required when processing imagery with Drone2Map. The True Ortho, Digital Surface Model, Digital Terrain Model, and DSM Point Cloud options are not checked because you chose the 3D Products template.

   Note:

   To learn how to generate 2D products see the Create 2D products with ArcGIS Drone2Map tutorial.

4. In the Manage pane, expand the Report section.

   

   Under Report, Processing Report is checked and a report will be created. The report provides valuable information about the quality and accuracy of the imagery inputs and outputs.

Configure processing options

You will now review the processing options, which allow you to determine how Drone2Map will generate the selected products and with what level of quality. The default options were set when you chose the 3D Products template.

1. On the ribbon, on the Home tab, in the Processing group, click Options.

   

   The Options window appears with the General tab selected.

   

   The General tab is where you can adjust the quality and resolution of output products.

2. Under Dense Matching, for Point Cloud Density, confirm that High is selected.

   In this tutorial, you will process the imagery at the default High level. If you wanted to process the imagery faster, you could change this parameter to Rapid, although it would also reduce the quality of the outputs. If you wanted a very high level of detail, you could choose the Ultra option, although the processing time would be longer.

   The Hardware section, on the General tab, also offers options to define how much of your computer's processing power is used when generating those products.

   Note:

   For a more in-depth explanation of the options available, see Processing options.

3. Click the Adjust Images tab.

   

   The Adjust Images tab allows you to define settings used during the block adjustment process, tie point matching, and point cloud generation. These are the various subprocesses that occur when Drone2Map creates your imagery products.

4. Click the 3D Products tab.

   

   The 3D Products tab allows you to adjust the processing options and output format for the 3D products. Since you chose the 3D Products template, the Create 3D Point Clouds and Create 3D Textured Meshes products are selected by default. These can be created in different formats depending on your use case, SLPK being a good default choice.

   The other tabs in the Options window allow you to choose the 2D product options, review your project's coordinate system, and view other details regarding your project.

5. Accept all the defaults, and click OK to close the window.

   Next, you'll process the imagery.

   Note:

   The processing time for this project may be one to several hours, depending on your computer's processing and memory capacity. If you'd rather skip the processing step, you can download the results. Save and close the current project. Find the Trakai_Island_Castle.zip file in your downloads folder and extract it to the C:\Trakai_Island_Castle path. Using this folder name and path will preserve the paths to the image data in the project. In the C:\Trakai_Island_Castle folder, find and double-click the Trakai_Island_Castle_Result.d2mx file to open the project with the processed results. If you see a warning message about a broken path to data, it indicates that you extracted the folder to a different location. However, since the data has been processed, you can ignore that warning. Click OK, and proceed with step 10, below.

   To learn more about the recommended computer processing and memory capacity, see ArcGIS Drone2Map system requirements.

6. If you chose to run the process yourself, on the ribbon, click the Home tab, and in the Processing group, click Start.

   

   Note:

   If the Processing Warning window appears, click No. This warning indicates that a transformation cannot be found between the coordinate system of the drone imagery and your project's coordinate system. To obtain the correct transformation, you need to install ArcGIS Coordinate Systems Data. Save your project, close Drone2Map, install ArcGIS Coordinate Systems Data, reopen the Drone2Map project, and begin processing.

   Processing may take one to several hours based on your computer's processing and memory capacity.

   The processing progress appears in the Manage pane.

   

7. When the processing finishes, click the 3D Map view to see several layers that were added to the Contents pane and the scene.

   

Review the imagery products

Now, you'll explore the imagery products on the map to better understand the project area. As you explore the 3D mesh, note the castle's distinctive design—Trakai Island Castle was constructed in the 14th century as a stronghold for Lithuanian dukes, strategically located on an island to defend against invaders. Today, its preserved architecture reflects the medieval grandeur of Eastern Europe.

1. In the Contents pane, collapse and turn off the Project Data group.

   

   Now, the 3D imagery products are more visible.

   

   Next, you will explore the 3D data in your project area. You'll start by looking at the 3D Mesh layer.

2. On the ribbon, on the Home tab, in the Navigate group, click Explore.

   

3. Explore the details of the castle in the scene by clicking and pressing the left mouse button, which allows you to drag and pan the map.

   Pressing the right mouse button allows you to zoom in and out. Pressing the mouse wheel button allows you to tilt or rotate around the point you clicked.

   Note:

   You can also expand the navigator wheel at the bottom corner of the scene and use it to navigate, or use the B and V keys on your keyboard instead of the mouse buttons.

   To learn more about 3D navigation in Drone2Map, see Navigation.

   

   Next, you'll explore the point cloud layer.

4. In the Contents pane, turn off 3D Mesh and DEM, and turn on 3D Point Cloud.

   

5. Explore the details of the castle's point cloud.

   

   Each point in the Point Cloud layer contains information. You'll explore a point next.

6. Click any point.

   The Pop-up window appears with information about the point, such as the coordinates and elevation.

   

7. Close the Pop-up window.

   Now, you'll save your project.

8. On the Quick Access Toolbar, click Save Project.

   

Clip the project area

While exploring the scene, you found that the vegetation and water surrounding the island introduce artifacts and noise into the products you created. Before sharing these imagery products, you'll clip the 3D mesh to remove the water and vegetation. This will focus your audience's attention to the castle.

1. On the ribbon, click the Post-Processing tab, and in the Tools section, click Clip Area.

   

   The Clip Area tools allow you to define a shape to clip your products along a specified boundary. You can either define an area or import an existing area. A shapefile containing an area was provided in the original project. You'll use this area.

2. Choose Import Clip Features.

   

   The Browse to Feature Class window appears.

3. In the Browse to Feature Class window, browse to the extracted Create_3D_products_with_ArcGIS_Drone2Map folder, open the Project Area folder, and select Project_Area.shp.

   

4. Click OK.

   The area is added to the scene in the Project Data group, but it cannot be seen. You'll change the visibility of several layers to make the clip area visible.

5. In the Contents pane, turn on 3D Mesh, and turn off 3D Point Cloud.

   

6. Expand the Project Data group, turn on Project Data, and turn off Image Centers and Flight Lines.

   

   Note that the Clip Area layer is listed, symbolized in purple.

7. Collapse the Project Data group again.
8. Pan the scene to see the Clip Area boundary.

   

   Next, you'll remove everything outside of this boundary, keeping only the castle. The clip process creates a new 3D mesh. The original imagery products are not deleted.

9. On the ribbon, on the Post-Processing tab, in the Tools group, click Clip.

   

10. In the Clip Products window, click Yes.

    The clipped mesh is added to the Contents pane under the Clipped 3D Products group. A clipped point cloud was also processed and added to the same group.

    

    The clipped mesh is also visible in the scene. You will explore it after you turn off the other layers.

11. In the Contents pane, turn off Project Data, and under 3D Products, turn off 3D Mesh.
12. Explore the clipped 3D mesh of the castle.

    

In this section, you configured the processing options for Drone2Map and created a 3D mesh and a point cloud. Then, you explored the results and clipped the 3D mesh to the project area to remove the surrounding water and vegetation.

Share and measure results

Now you'll share these products with coworkers, stakeholders, clients, or the public using a web scene. Sharing this 3D model online makes Trakai Island Castle accessible to a wider audience, showcasing its beauty and preserving its legacy in a digital format. When sharing content to the web, you can either use an ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise account.

Share the 3D mesh

In this section, you'll share the 3D mesh you created to the web.

1. On the ribbon, click the Share tab, and in the Share As group, click Scene Layer.

   

   The Share Scene Layers pane appears. This pane allows you to choose the layers that you want to publish. You'll only share the clipped mesh.

2. In the Share Scene Layers pane, under Layers, check the 3D Mesh Clip check box.

   

   Next, you'll provide some details about the layer. This information makes your dataset more searchable within your organization or across the web.

3. Enter the following information:

   • For Title, type Trakai Island Castle and add your initials to make the name unique.
   • For Description, type Mesh of Trakai Island Castle to view and explore.
   • For Tags, type Trakai Island Castle, and press Enter.

   

   Next, you'll specify who can access your 3D mesh. For initial internal review with your manager and colleagues, you'll share it with your organization.

4. Under Groups, check the Organization check box.

   

   You're ready to share your mesh to the web.

5. Click Share.

   

   The Manage pane appears. Your data is being packaged and published to the web as a series of items. This process may take several minutes.

   

   Once the sharing is complete, you'll review the shared item on the web.

6. In the Manage pane, next to Shared Item, click Trakai Island Castle 3D Mesh Clip.

   

   A web browser opens. You'll sign in using the same account that licensed ArcGIS Drone2Map.

7. Sign in using your licensed ArcGIS account.

   The details page of the scene layer appears.

8. Click Open in Scene Viewer.

   

   A scene opens and your clipped mesh from Drone2Map is added as a layer.

   

9. On the toolbar in the corner of the scene, click the Activate rotation mode button.

   

10. Drag in different directions on the scene to view the castle from different angles, and use the mouse wheel to zoom in and out.

    

    Note:

    Learn more about the scene navigation options in Scene Viewer

Take a measurement

Next, you'll explore the mesh and use a measurement tool. Then, you'll save the scene.

1. In the scene, navigate to the front of the castle's tallest tower.

   

2. On the toolbar, click Scene Tools.

   

   These tools are used to perform various measurements on the mesh or other layers that you add to your scene. You'll draw an elevation profile across the tower to measure its height and width.

3. In the Scene Tools window, click the Elevation Profile tab.

   

   An elevation profile is a line graph consisting of at least two points. The elevation of the surface beneath the line is plotted on the graph. Your profile will have two points, one on each side of the tower.

4. Click the left side of the tower by the supporting wall, and click a second time on the opposite side of the tower by the supporting wall.

   

   As you add points, the elevation profile draws dynamically.

5. In the Scene Tools window, click Done.

   The elevation profile is complete.

   Note:

   If you make an error or want to try again, click New Profile.

   Next, you'll observe the measurement to learn the height of the tower above ground level.

6. Point to the highest part of the tower in the elevation profile.

   

   Its elevation is about 189.5 meters, and the elevation of the ground at that same location is about 150.2 meters. Therefore, the tower is 39.3 meters tall (189.5 - 150.2 = 39.3).

   Note:

   To change the unit of measurement, click Show settings, and change the Units value.

7. Close the Scene Tools window.

   Finally, you'll save your scene.

8. On the Designer toolbar, click Save.

   

   The Save scene window appears.

9. In the Save scene window, enter the following:

   • For Title, type Trakai Island Castle.
   • For Summary, type Scene containing a mesh of Trakai Island Castle.
   • For Tags, type Trakai Island Castle, and press Enter.

   

10. Click Save.

Compare outputs in a web scene

The outputs that you can generate with Drone2Map will vary based on the settings and output types you choose. A web scene has been created to allow you to compare some of the possible outputs.

1. Open the 3D Products Web Scene.

   This scene has multiple layers representing different types of output and quality levels.

   

   The scene has bookmarks. Bookmarks in scenes let you control the camera position and visible layers.

2. Move the pointer to the bottom part of the scene, and click the High Mesh bookmark.

   

   The scene zooms to a gate at the base of a tower. The High 3D products 3D Mesh layer is visible. This layer is an intermediate quality 3D mesh layer. It is based on the high density point cloud and shows more detail of the castle than the most basic rapid processing level, but less than the ultra processing level. The high level is usually a good compromise between processing time and output quality.

3. Move the pointer to the bottom part of the scene, and click the Ultra Mesh bookmark.

   The bookmark shows the same location, but the Ultra 3D products 3D Mesh layer is visible.

4. Move the pointer to the bottom part of the scene, and click the Gaussian Splat 1 bookmark.

   

   The scene zooms to the roof, and the Ultra 3D products Gaussian Splats layer is visible. You can see details of the rooftop lightning rod.

   

5. Click the Gaussian Splat 2 bookmark.

   The scene zooms to another area. You can see details of gates, railings, and a modern elevator.

   

6. Click the Gaussian Splat 3 bookmark.

   You can see details of a timber bridge.

7. Click the High Point Cloud bookmark.

   You can see the high resolution point cloud that the high resolution 3D mesh layer is built on.

8. Click the Ultra Point Cloud bookmark.

   You can see the ultra resolution point cloud that the ultra resolution 3D mesh layer is built on.

9. Optionally, continue exploring the scene, and turn some of the layers on and off to better understand how they differ from each other.

In this tutorial, you took raw drone imagery and processed it into 3D products using ArcGIS Drone2Map. You examined the products in a 3D scene and shared them to the web so others can explore them. You explored another scene with different output layer types and processing quality levels.

You can find more tutorials in the tutorial gallery.

Acknowledgements

• The drone images of Trakai Island Castle were provided by HNIT-BALTIC, Lithuania.
• World Imagery layer sources: Esri, Vantor, Earthstar Geographics, and the GIS User Community
• World Topographic Map sources: Esri, TomTom, Garmin, FAO, NOAA, USGS, OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community
• Terrain 3D; Sources: Maxar, Airbus DS, USGS, NGA, NASA, CGIAR, GEBCO, N Robinson, NCEAS, NLS, OS, NMA, Geodatastyrelsen and the GIS User Community