{"id":2954176,"date":"2026-02-02T06:45:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-02T14:45:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=2954176"},"modified":"2026-02-02T11:21:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-02T19:21:11","slug":"storytelling-with-3d-models","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/constituent-engagement\/storytelling-with-3d-models","title":{"rendered":"Storytelling with 3D models"},"author":129801,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":""},"categories":[23771,37131],"tags":[25781,398132,27881],"industry":[],"product":[36611,380802],"class_list":["post-2954176","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-3d-gis","category-constituent-engagement","tag-3d","tag-arcgis-storymaps","tag-storytelling","product-story-maps","product-arcgis-storymaps"],"acf":{"authors":[{"ID":129801,"user_firstname":"Warren","user_lastname":"Davison","nickname":"Warren Davison","user_nicename":"wdavison","display_name":"Warren Davison","user_email":"wdavison@esri.com","user_url":"https:\/\/warrenrdavison.wixsite.com\/maps","user_registered":"2020-11-18 21:21:08","user_description":"I specialize in creating engaging maps and graphics that tell immersive, place-based stories. Based in Kitchener, Canada, I work with Esri\u2019s StoryMaps team, where I enjoy sharing the creative process behind each project. When I'm not exploring vectors and pixels, you\u2019ll likely find me cycling around town with my kids along for the ride.","user_avatar":""}],"short_description":"3D models can enrich your storytelling and bring your narratives to life, adding depth, clarity, and unique perspectives.","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

\u201cGive your story a hero.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether it\u2019s a human, an animal, a building, or something else entirely, incorporating a hero in your story is an incredibly effective storytelling technique that can help create an emotional and visual connection with readers.<\/p>\n

This is especially important when considering that the maps we use to tell those stories rely on abstraction \u2014 a building becomes a point, a park a polygon, and a bridge a line. While this is necessary to convey complex spatial information, it can distance readers from the subject.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Why use 3D models<\/h1>\n

That\u2019s where 3D models come in. Much like giving your story a hero, incorporating models of your subject can help move beyond abstraction to create a more engaging, immersive experience that pulls readers in.<\/p>\n

With high\u2011quality 3D models becoming increasingly accessible through open collections like Smithsonian Open Access<\/a>, it\u2019s easier than ever to bring depth and dimension into your work by showing the real thing \u2014 or at least a real 3D model of it \u2014 in context.<\/p>\n

So why does this matter for storytelling?<\/p>\n

Boost engagement and curiosity<\/h2>\n

Readers are naturally drawn to content that feels dynamic and interactive. A scene with a 3D model invites exploration, enabling your audience to zoom, tap, and spin a scene to examine a structure or object from multiple angles.<\/p>\n

This interactivity can be further enhanced by the freedom that comes from incorporating 3D models. Since these models exist in a digital space, for instance, you\u2019re free to make comparisons that would be impossible in reality.<\/p>\n

Want to span the Grand Canyon with the Golden Gate Bridge?<\/p>\n

Go for it!<\/p>\n

Want to stage the Wright Flyer<\/a>, Bell X-1<\/a>, and Space Shuttle<\/a> along a runway in a parade of aeronautical milestones?<\/p>\n

You\u2019re clear for takeoff!<\/p>\n

These creative juxtapositions not only grab attention \u00a0\u2014 \u00a0they spark curiosity and keep readers engaged, making your story not just something they read, but something they interact with.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2954258,"id":2954258,"title":"3D_blog_water_block","filename":"3D_blog_water_block.png","filesize":1751798,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3D_blog_water_block.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/constituent-engagement\/storytelling-with-3d-models\/3d_blog_water_block","alt":"A large, semi-transparent cube divided into purple, yellow, and teal sections floats above an aerial imagery landscape of fields and urban areas. To the right, five vertically buildings provide a visual scale comparison.","author":"129801","description":"","caption":"Using familiar landmarks as benchmarks can help readers compare and evaluate the vast amount of annual water consumption. The scale of this statistic might otherwise be difficult to visualize.","name":"3d_blog_water_block","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2954176,"date":"2026-01-19 14:58:14","modified":"2026-01-19 16:14:11","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":1813,"height":936,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3D_blog_water_block-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3D_blog_water_block.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":240,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3D_blog_water_block.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":396,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3D_blog_water_block.png","large-width":1813,"large-height":936,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3D_blog_water_block-1536x793.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":793,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3D_blog_water_block.png","2048x2048-width":1813,"2048x2048-height":936,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3D_blog_water_block-826x426.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":426,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3D_blog_water_block.png","wide_image-width":1813,"wide_image-height":936}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":"https:\/\/links.esri.com\/worldgeog11"},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Provide context and scale<\/h2>\n

While creative comparisons of scale can be engaging, one of the strengths of using 3D models in a scene is their ability to convey size and relationships across all dimensions, as we experience the world.<\/p>\n

For instance, a map may depict the footprint of a proposed building as a simple polygon, but it doesn\u2019t convey the structure’s form or how its design interacts with the surrounding landscape. Communicating these nuances is essential in the architecture and engineering industries. With 3D, readers can see these features in context \u2014 zooming in to appreciate architectural features or pulling back to understand how a structure fits within a neighborhood.<\/p>\n

This added perspective transforms abstract data into something tangible, helping readers grasp not just where something is, but what it really looks like and how it relates to everything around it.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2954263,"id":2954263,"title":"3D_blog_context_scale","filename":"3D_blog_context_scale-1.png","filesize":1006967,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3D_blog_context_scale-1.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-storymaps\/constituent-engagement\/storytelling-with-3d-models\/3d_blog_context_scale-2","alt":"Collage of three 3D renderings: a WWII Avro Lancaster bomber; a detailed urban planning model showing streets, buildings, trees, and streetcars; and an underwater scene with a submersible navigating deep-sea terrain, displaying time and depth overlays.","author":"129801","description":"","caption":"Whether urban redevelopment or a journey to the depths of the ocean, 3D models can provide a detailed depiction of the subject and valuable context and scale as for how it relates to the surrounding environment.","name":"3d_blog_context_scale-2","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2954176,"date":"2026-01-19 15:34:26","modified":"2026-01-19 16:15:56","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":1814,"height":937,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3D_blog_context_scale-1-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3D_blog_context_scale-1.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":240,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3D_blog_context_scale-1.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":397,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3D_blog_context_scale-1.png","large-width":1814,"large-height":937,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3D_blog_context_scale-1-1536x793.png","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":793,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3D_blog_context_scale-1.png","2048x2048-width":1814,"2048x2048-height":937,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3D_blog_context_scale-1-826x427.png","card_image-width":826,"card_image-height":427,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2026\/01\/3D_blog_context_scale-1.png","wide_image-width":1814,"wide_image-height":937}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Stories:<\/strong><\/p>\n