Navigating in the ArcCatalog 3D preview window

Available with 3D Analyst license.

The Preview tab in ArcCatalog has several viewing options, but the 3D View and Globe View options allow you to navigate your data without having to create a map or a 3D view. To preview in 3D can help you better understand the geographic data you are working with.

The 3D view will look like how you are used to working with the ArcScene 3D view. Both 3D previews also have their own toolbar to interact with the data and launch either ArcGlobe (Globe View Tools toolbar) or ArcScene (3D View Tools toolbar).

To navigate using the ArcCatalog 3D preview window, do the following:

1. Enable the ArcGIS 3D Analyst extension and add the 3D View Tools toolbar by clicking Customize > Toolbars > 3D View Tools.
Optionally add the Globe View Tools toolbar for navigating in the ArcGlobe globe view preview.
2. Select the data source in the navigation tree.
3. Click the Preview tab.
4. Click the Preview drop-down arrow and click 3D View.

   Here is an example of viewing a 3D multipatch feature using 3D View.

   

5. Click the Navigate button on the 3D View Tools toolbar. This allows you to rotate the data in 3D, zoom in and out, and pan the data.
6. Click the data and drag it to the right. The data rotates counterclockwise around the z-axis.
7. Right-click the 3D data and drag down. The view zooms in to the data.
8. Click both mouse buttons (or the center button on a three-button mouse) and drag the data to the right. The view pans the data.
9. Click the data and drag up. Your viewing position is lowered relative to the data.
10. Click the Full Extent button .

    The data returns to the original extent and view position.

Tip:

Anytime you want to return to seeing the dataset's entire contents after zooming and panning around it, click the Full Extent button on the 3D View Tools toolbar.