Explore building scene layers

The Building explorer tool allows you to explore building scene layers that contain the fine details of buildings, such as walls, lighting fixtures, and mechanical systems. When your scene contains building scene layers, the Building explorer tool is added at the bottom of the Scene Viewer tools.

Building scene layers can contain complex digital models of buildings and interiors and allow you to interact with all the components of the building through multiple layers. Often, they contain an overview layer that serves as an exterior shell and helps you view the building model as a single feature. Building scene layers are organized under the Disciplines & Categories heading. Discipline layers are group layers that organize the building scene layer content into architectural, structural, mechanical, or electrical groups when available. These group layers contain a number of Category layers, such as walls, windows, furniture, and lighting fixtures.

Display a building scene layer

To explore building scene layers, do the following:

1. Click the Building explorer tool .
2. Select the building scene layer that you want to explore from the drop-down menu.

   The building scene layer expands and allows you to see all the layers under the Disciplines & Categories heading.

3. Click a building scene layer element, such as a door or wall, to display a pop-up about the feature.
4. Check the layer and sublayer check boxes to show and hide features in the scene.
5. To explore another building scene layer, select a new layer from the drop-down menu or click a different building scene layer in your scene.
   • The state of the layer visibility settings for each building scene layer is preserved in the Building explorer tool.
   • When you select a different building scene layer, the scene zooms to the building scene layer and expands the layers in the tool.
6. Click None to collapse the layers in the tool and display only the overview layer in the scene.
   • The state of the layer visibility settings is preserved in the Building explorer tool.
   • When a building scene layer doesn't include an overview layer, the layers collapse in the tool and the building scene layer remains the same in the scene.

   You can explore only one building scene layer at a time using the Building explorer tool.

Alternatively, click different building scene layers in your scene to explore with the Building explorer tool.

• When the building scene layer includes an overview layer, the Building explorer tool opens.
• When no overview layer is present, a pop-up appears containing information about the highlighted element without opening the Building explorer tool.

Isolate a level

You can isolate a level of a building scene layer using the Level picker in the Building explorer tool. When you choose a level, the levels below it become semitransparent for added visual context.

Choose a construction phase

When construction phases are available in the building scene layer, under the Construction phases option, you can choose a numbered phase to display. The building scene layer includes information indicating the phase during which the components were created, and optionally, when they were removed.

Click a construction phase to display all the components created during or before the phase. Components that are removed do not display.

Apply a filter

When predefined filters are present, the Building explorer tool displays the Filter button . This button indicates that predefined filters were previously configured in the scene, such as from ArcGIS Pro 2.4 or later.

To filter a building scene layer, do the following:

1. Click the Filter button .
2. Select a predefined filter.
   • The scene displays the components configured in the predefined filter.
   • The layer settings under the Disciplines & Categories heading no longer appear.
3. Click the Filter button again and select No predefined filter to remove the filter and display the Disciplines & Categories layer settings.

Caution:

The Building explorer tool layer settings under Disciplines & Categories override the predefined filters. To ensure that the predefined filters display, verify that the corresponding layers are checked under Disciplines & Categories.

Search for features

You can search for individual building scene layer features and view a pop-up about that feature.