"}],"short_description":"A hands-on guide to turn open Overture building data into printable 3D city models using the ArcGIS System. ","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"kaltura","video_id":"1_xi50tnzl","time":false,"start":0,"stop":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"When I bought my first 3D printer for $100 in 2022\u2014right after joining Esri\u2014I immediately wondered how I could 3D print GIS data. Open-source tools existed, but I wanted to work inside the ArcGIS System. At the time, there wasn\u2019t a built-in way to export a printable STL file.<\/p>\n
Now there are two workflows. One uses the ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript and the other uses ArcGIS Pro, which I will cover in a future blog. As 3D printing grows, it offers a hands-on way to explore GIS data by turning a digital 3D visualization into a physical model.<\/p>\n
The ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript team within Esri earlier this year released the City Download Portal<\/strong><\/a> as an open-source project. It\u2019s a browser tool that exports 3D-printable city models from a web scene. The tool first queries the ground mesh and 3D buildings, then<\/strong> exports the result as a GLB<\/em> file. GLB<\/em> is the binary form of glTF<\/em>, the JSON<\/em>-based 3D asset format.<\/p>\n Since slicers typically expect a triangle-mesh format, such as STL<\/em>, I extended the application<\/a> so it converts GLB<\/em> to STL<\/em> directly in the browser. I also added an optional base extrusion to create a flat print surface. As a result, the forked version<\/a> of City Download Portal can export 3D-printable STL<\/em> models directly through the ArcGIS Maps SDK for JavaScript.<\/p>\n The City Download Portal works by performing two key queries:<\/p>\n Surface elevation<\/strong>, to retrieve the ground mesh.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n 3D Object Feature Layer<\/strong>, to retrieve the buildings associated with the scene service.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n Because the app loads a web scene hosted in ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise, you may see an authentication prompt depending on how the content is shared.<\/p>\n In this tutorial, I will walk through how to create your own 3D-print-ready 3D Object Feature Layer using ArcGIS Pro with building data from the Overture<\/a> Maps Foundation.<\/p>\n First we open the Overture<\/a> Maps Explorer and follow these steps<\/p>\n <\/p>\n We have our data sourced so we can open ArcGIS Pro, create a new local scene, and lets place our two GeoJSON<\/em> files within the project folder. First tool we will run is JSON To Features<\/a> for both buildings and parts. Select the GeoJSON<\/em>, provide an output name, and choose Polygon<\/strong> as the geometry type.<\/p>\n At this point, you should have a feature layer for Buildings<\/strong> and Building Parts<\/strong>. If the layers are not visible, adjust their elevation settings in layer properties. Set for both absolute height. <\/p>\n After extrusion, you should see 3D buildings in the scene, but Buildings<\/strong> and Building Parts<\/strong> are overlapping. To start click on the map tab at the top, click select by location<\/strong>, use buildings as input features, relationship as intersect, selecting features as parts, and selection type as new selection. Run<\/strong> this and now you should have all of the intersecting buildings selected, then in the edit tab we delete these features. This will handle most overlap but if any are missed feel free to also delete any overlapping buildings.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2950950,"id":2950950,"title":"downtownChicago3DtwoParts","filename":"downtownChicago3DtwoParts.png","filesize":193346,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/downtownChicago3DtwoParts.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/js-api-arcgis\/3d-gis\/3d-print-a-city-creation-and-export-of-a-3d-object-feature-layer-using-arcgis-city-download-portal\/downtownchicago3dtwoparts","alt":"Screenshot of ArcGIS Pro with extruded building and building part footprints","author":"399105","description":"","caption":"We should see no overlapping buildings.","name":"downtownchicago3dtwoparts","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2950948,"date":"2025-12-08 23:16:57","modified":"2025-12-09 15:37:10","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":624,"height":198,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/downtownChicago3DtwoParts-213x198.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":198,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/downtownChicago3DtwoParts.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":147,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/downtownChicago3DtwoParts.png","medium_large-width":624,"medium_large-height":198,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/downtownChicago3DtwoParts.png","large-width":624,"large-height":198,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/downtownChicago3DtwoParts.png","1536x1536-width":624,"1536x1536-height":198,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/downtownChicago3DtwoParts.png","2048x2048-width":624,"2048x2048-height":198,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/downtownChicago3DtwoParts.png","card_image-width":624,"card_image-height":198,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/downtownChicago3DtwoParts.png","wide_image-width":624,"wide_image-height":198}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":" After fixing overlaps, run Merge (Data Management Tools)<\/a> to combine Buildings<\/strong> and Parts<\/strong> into a single feature class. Use both datasets as inputs and enable Add source information to output<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Currently you have a polygon feature layer that is extruded to create a 2.5D representation, the data is 2D but we extrude it out to symbolize it as 3D hence 2.5D. Now we need to run Layer 3D to Feature Class<\/a> which takes the extruded polygons and creates multipatch features so they are true closed 3D Models. Run the tool with our all_buildings<\/strong> layer and output an all_buildings_3D<\/strong> feature class.<\/p>\n We have one final step before publishing and that is converting our multipatch feature layer to be a 3D Object Feature Layer by running the add 3D Formats to Multipatch<\/a> tool. Select all_buildings_3D<\/strong> as the input features and we are going to add the 3D Formats<\/strong> .glb<\/em> and .gltf.<\/em> After the tool completes, you\u2019ll have a 3D Object Feature Layer with true 3D Objects as the feature class. Then use add 3D Formats to Multipatch<\/a> instead of Export 3D Objects<\/a> as we are wanting to convert our Feature Class to become a 3D Object Layer Feature class which is what the tool expects as input with Export 3D Objects.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Next, follow these steps to publish the 3D Object Feature Layer as well as the 3D Scene.<\/p>\n Note:<\/em> Publishing 3D content can create a related scene layer<\/strong> and build cache in your organization, which may take additional time.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"How the Workflow Operates<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Tutorial: Create 3D City and host as 3D Object Feature Layer<\/h2>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2950949,"id":2950949,"title":"overtureDowntownChicago","filename":"overtureDowntownChicago.png","filesize":402845,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/overtureDowntownChicago.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/js-api-arcgis\/3d-gis\/3d-print-a-city-creation-and-export-of-a-3d-object-feature-layer-using-arcgis-city-download-portal\/overturedowntownchicago","alt":"A screenshot of the Overture Maps explorer tool located over downtown Chicago.","author":"399105","description":"","caption":"Overture Maps Explorer over downtown Chicago. ","name":"overturedowntownchicago","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2950948,"date":"2025-12-08 23:12:44","modified":"2025-12-08 23:32:40","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":624,"height":616,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/overtureDowntownChicago-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/overtureDowntownChicago.png","medium-width":264,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/overtureDowntownChicago.png","medium_large-width":624,"medium_large-height":616,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/overtureDowntownChicago.png","large-width":624,"large-height":616,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/overtureDowntownChicago.png","1536x1536-width":624,"1536x1536-height":616,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/overtureDowntownChicago.png","2048x2048-width":624,"2048x2048-height":616,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/overtureDowntownChicago-471x465.png","card_image-width":471,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/overtureDowntownChicago.png","wide_image-width":624,"wide_image-height":616}},"image_position":"left","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"
Sourcing Data: Have to start somewhere<\/h2>\n
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Data Preparation: Getting data ready for printing<\/h2>\n
\nNext, select each layer. On the feature layer<\/strong> sub ribbon at the top, you can now select extrusion type, select base height, then for field select height and leave unit to meters.<\/p>\nEliminating Overlaps: Removing extraneous buildings<\/h3>\n
Convert 2D Data to 3D: Making extrusions solid<\/h3>\n
Publishing our 3D data: Making it ready to share<\/h3>\n
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Load the Data into City Download Portal: Our Final Step<\/h3>\n