Group layers in ArcGlobe

Available with 3D Analyst license.

A group layer contains other layers and can be used to organize layers within an ArcGlobe document. Group layers can also be used to help optimize the ArcGlobe document through the use of a group layer cache.

Learn more about managing group layers

Group layers in ArcGlobe exhibit slightly different behavior in the table of contents than in ArcMap or ArcScene. There is an additional view option in the ArcGlobe table of contents—List Including Group Layers —which is used to help manage group layers. This is because the default List By Type view for the table of contents is designed to keep layers of the same type in separate and distinct sections, so if a group layer has child layers of different types—for example, a draped layer and an elevation layer—it is not possible to display the group layer as a single unit in this list. To avoid this potential conflict, a group layer created in ArcGlobe will only appear when clicking the List Including Group Layers button on the top tab of the table of contents.

Group layers added to the table of contents by List Including Group Layers, exhibit much of the same behavior as group layers in ArcMap and ArcScene which use the List By Drawing Order view. That is, you can access child layers and toggle visibility of either individual child layers or the group as a whole. One behavior that is different in ArcMap and ArcScene is the layer draw order. ArcGlobe will continue to use the draw order of the layers in the Draped category when listed by type in the table of contents, not the order in the group layer when listed to include group layers. After creating a new group layer, you should confirm the drawing order of the child layers by clicking List By Type.

Group layers can also appear in the table of contents List by Type view if they have their own cache. When a group layer has its own cache, the child layers can be handled in two ways:

Group cache settings	Description
Rasterizing all child layers into a unified image layer	Click List By Type. Notice the group layer added to the list. All child layers are removed and is displayed as a single unit draped on the globe surface.
Merging the caches of all child layers into a single drawing layer	Click List By Type. Notice the group layer added to the list. All child layers are kept available by expanding the group layer's tree structure.

Learn more about when to use a group layer cache in ArcGlobe