Esri CityEngine

2012: CityEngine 2012.1

In October, 2012 Esri CIS announced release of CityEngine 2012.1 – the new version of the innovation software for 3D - modeling of the urban environment and town-planning planning.

Now CityEngine considers many key processes of creation of GIS, including, in the field of the systems of city planning and show business. So, CityEngine includes support of the seamless publication 3D - a scene of the city in a cloud on ArcGIS Online (this solution, the first in the market, such), intuitive tools for editing 3D - buildings are created, new unique methods for improvement of processes of town-planning planning are provided. Besides, by CityEngine software it is closely integrated with ArcGIS now that allows to work with 3D models of the city of very big size.

Basic new features of CityEngine 2012.1:

The most important of them – exchange 3D - scenes of the city via the browser. Now the publication 3D - scenes of the city in the Internet and exchange of 3D models, but also – the analysis of results and project development is available to users to their providing to the persons making decisions.

Other difference of the version of CityEngine 2012.1 – intuitive editing 3D models of MultiPatch using simple tools in use for fast creation of sketches and texturing of 3D models of buildings. Final 3D - the geometry can be saved in file base of geodata.

Now in CityEngine there was an opportunity to visualize rules of city planning and zoning in 3D. Rules of zoning are text descriptions (regulations) regulating volumes of construction, category of lands, building density, etc. They are defining when forming an image of the city, ways of its development and the investment attraction. However in most cases it is difficult for public, investors and public servants to understand these documents. CityEngine 2012.1 allows to create, visualize, analyze and save rules of zoning in 3D.

Close integration with ArcGIS with new software of CityEngine 2012.1 completely supports file bases of geodata Esri (including, textured "multipatches") and "шейп" - files that allows to import and export any vector space data (the land plots, circuits of houses with any attributes, linear given for creation of a street road network, etc.).

Let's note also appeared possibility of instant creation of the user reports. Such reports on the basis of the configured rules can be received in real time. They are especially relevant for the analysis of town-planning plans and automatic calculation of different quantitative indices.

One more new feature which is built in CityEngine 2012.1 – a scrap of the image with correction of perspective (Perspective Facade Image Cropping). This module is the intuitive and effective tool for preparation of texture of a facade from its land images, and correction of perspective and the choice of section of the image is made only in a single step.

In the new version instruments of creation of sketches of streets and the network analysis are improved. Tools for preparation of sketches of streets were considerably improved at the expense of new instruments of editing. In particular, after creation of a street road network it can be analyzed by calculation of the general coherence, local coherence and nodal points. For each street these three values are calculated and remain as its attributes.

2014: Updating of fall of 2014

On September 25, 2014 Esri CIS provided updating of the application for three-dimensional modeling and planning of the urban environment of Esri CityEngine. The release of Esri CityEngine integrates possibilities of GIS analytics and realistic representation of 3D models of the cities and territories: ArcGIS provides exact space calculation of town-planning solutions, and CityEngine - creates and visualizes digital 3D models. Now, with the advent of upgraded version of CityEngine, designers and architects can not just create 3D models, but also export them to Esri ArcGIS for the further space analysis. It will allow town-planners, engineers and citizens to understand more deeply and more precisely to predict impact which will be had by this or that town-planning solution on the urban environment. For example, ArcGIS allows to see where the shadow from future building at different times day within a year will lay down. It is possible to provide also visually as this or that building against the background of already existing building will look, and, having precisely measured what section of the sky will remain open, to analyze the level of solar illumination both the building, and nearby territory.

Besides, designers and architects will be able to share online the models with colleagues now or, for example, with authorized specialists from specific administrative authorities, creating in CityEngine interactive 3D - versions of web cards (so-called "web scenes"). At the same time they can be browsed using the normal web browser. Thus, no additional software will be required: the designer just loads "web scene" into ArcGIS Online or on own GIS server, and then sends a web-link to all to whom it is required.

"Web scenes" will be extremely useful to CityEngine also at the organization of public discussion of town-planning projects. So, any person having the computer with Internet access can at once begin to work with "web scene": for example, "fly" on streets 3D - the cities (around buildings and on top) to look at the offered project from each point and to make about it the most complete idea. It is also possible to switch on and off different layers, in particular, to see the offered building or quarter with green plantings or without them. And using a special tool it is possible to look how shadows from the building at different times will look day, to understand what their length, etc.

2015: Esri released release of CityEngine 2015

On May 6, 2015 the Esri CIS company announced release of the new version of software by Esri company for city planning and modeling of Esri CityEngine 2015.

The product ensures fast, intuitive functioning in 3D and helps to turn the cities, 2D-these in intellectual three-dimensional model.

Screenshot of the program window, 2015

CityEngine 2015 is intended for professionals of GIS, architects, designers, designers and city planning specialists. With its help creation of 3D models of the cities and their sharing through ArcGIS Online is possible.

Three-dimensional models of the urban environment showed the efficiency in daily work, including, during the planning of the urban environment and acceptance of crucial town-planning decisions, the organization of more rapid and exact response in emergencies, when holding public and entertaining actions; by preparation, representation and the analysis of complex projects for development of the city. Also CityEngine allows to browse and analyze offers on development of urban development.

Changes:

• modern management system for layers and the advanced algorithm of display of shadows in real time based on time of day and location;
• fast export of data;
• advanced process of the publication, etc.

CityEngine 2015 is available to free 30-day testing on the website esri.com/cityengine for Windows platforms, Mac and Linux.