Add layers
In this topic
- What layers does the
scene viewer support? - Add layers shared with you
- Add layers with a URL
- Add
Esri featured content - Explore layer options
- Arrange layers
- Create group layer
- Ground
After opening a new global or local scene, start adding your 2D and 3D layers from your local area or find layers available to add to your scene from the Esri community located in Esri Featured Content, My Content, Content, or add by entering a URL.
Note:
See Adding layers: global vs. local for layer requirements.
What layers does the scene viewer support?
The scene viewer supports the following layers:
- Comma-separated values (CSV) file (.csv)
- Elevation layer
- Feature layer
- Imagery layer*
- Map image layer
- Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) Web Map Tile Service (WMTS) (URL)
- Scene layer (point, point cloud, 3D object, integrated mesh)
- Tile layer **
- Vector tile layer
*Scene viewer supports only cached imagery layers.
**This layer needs to be published from ArcGIS Server 10.3 and later or ArcGIS Server 10.2.2 with the applied fix.
Add layers shared with you
Add layers from My Content, your organization, or the public.
- Verify you are signed in to your account.
- Open the scene viewer.
- Click the Modify button
to open Contents. - Click + Add Layers.
- Add layers from the following:
- Esri featured content
- My Content
- Content
To narrow the results in Add Layers, type the name of the layer you want to add to your scene in the Search window. Results for your search appear under Esri featured content
, My Content, and Content. - Esri featured content
- Click the Add button
next to the layer you want to add to your scene. The new layer appears in Layers. - Alternatively, click the Remove button
to delete the layer from your scene. - Add additional layers to your scene or click Done to go back to Contents.
Add layers with a URL
You can also add a layer to your scene by entering the URL of the layer.
- Verify you are signed in to your account.
- Open the scene viewer.
- Click the Modify button to open Contents.
- Click the Enter Layer URL or the Open button
to open the Enter Layer URL pane. - Enter the URL of the layer you want to add and give it a name.
- Click Add to add the layer to your scene and return to Contents.
Add Esri featured content
You can add Esri featured content to your scene, which are web scenes curated by Esri from across the ArcGIS community that are part of Living Atlas of the World. With Esri featured content, you can import multiple scenes into your scene, make changes in the scene viewer, save in My Content, and share with others.
- Sign in to your account and open a new scene.
- Click the Modify button to open Contents.
- Click the Import button
to add the Esri featured content of the location you want. - Click the Remove button to delete the layer from your scene.
- You can add additional Esri featured content, your unique layers, or click Done to go back to Contents.
Explore layer options
In the scene viewer, review your layer options by hovering over the layer in Contents and clicking the drop-down arrow 
.
- Configure Layer opens the Configure Layer panel where you can change layer settings, such as symbology, transparency, and elevation mode.
- Zoom to shows the layer to its full extent in the Viewport.
- Move up moves the layer up one level in the Viewport and in Layers.
- Move down moves the layer down one level in the Viewport and in Layers.
- Show/Hide in Layers shows or hides the layer only in Layers.
Note:
When you choose Hide in Layers, the layer is hidden in Layers and is unavailable in Contents.
- Rename highlights the layer so you can type a new name.
- Remove deletes the layer.
Arrange layers
To change the order of the layers in the Viewport, Contents, and Layers, click the drop-down arrow and click Move up or Move down. You can also click and drag the layer to reorder the layers.
Create group layer
Use group layers in your scene to organize layers that are similar in content or location. Once your layers are grouped, you can change the way they appear in Layers and behave in Viewport.
- Click Create Group at the bottom of the layers in Contents. A new group box appears.
- Name the new group.
- Drag layers into the new group box. The added layers appear as sublayers of the group in Layers.
- Arrange the layers in the new group.
- Choose from the following Group Types to set how the new group layer behaves:
-
Checkbox allows individual layers to be turned on and off. -
Radio converts group layers into radio buttons and allows only one to be turned on at a time in case there are overlapping layers. -
Merge combines all group layers into one. -
Hide hides the group and its layers only in Layers. They are visible in the Viewport. To unhide, click one of the other options.
-
- Click the Drop-down arrow to review the group layer options:
- Change Group Type gives you the option to change your Group Type.
- Zoom to Layer zooms to the combined extent of all the layers in the group.
- Move up moves the group layer up one level in the viewer and in Layers.
- Move down moves the group layer down one level in the viewer and in Layers.
- Show/Hide in Layers shows or hides the group layer in Layers.
- Rename highlights the group layer so you can type a new name.
- Remove deletes the group layer.
Ground
The elevation contributing to the scene is contained in the Ground section of Contents. When you open a new scene, the default elevation configured by your organization displays in your scene. If you add additional elevation layers to your scene, they will automatically be added to Ground. Ground elevation layers behave similarly to any other layer with layer options, such as add and remove layer or Show/Hide in Layers. The elevation must have the same spatial reference as the basemap.
Note:
If your scene doesn't have elevation in Ground, click + Add default elevation or add an elevation layer.