Navigate maps and scenes

The Explore tool is the default mouse navigation and feature identification tool for both maps and scenes. It incorporates most 2D and 3D navigation functionality and can be coupled with keyboard shortcuts. An on-screen navigator can also be used to pan, zoom, rotate, and tilt the view.

Overview

• Video length: 2:10
• This video was created with ArcGIS Pro 2.3.

In this tutorial, you'll navigate a map and a scene using the Explore tool and the navigator. You'll also learn how to link views so your map and scene pan, zoom, and rotate together.

• Estimated time: 15 minutes
• Software requirements: ArcGIS Pro

Note:

The tutorial steps in the online help reflect the look and capabilities of the current software release. If you have an earlier software version, use the offline help system to open the tutorial. To switch from the online to the offline help system, see Set the help source in the About ArcGIS Pro help topic. If you don't have ArcGIS Pro, you can sign up for an ArcGIS Pro free trial.

Open the project

You'll navigate 2D and 3D views of Aoraki/Mount Cook on the South Island of New Zealand. Approximately 3,700 meters high, Aoraki/Mount Cook is New Zealand's tallest mountain.

Aoraki/Mount Cook with kea (alpine parrots) in the foreground. Image by awiemuc. Downloaded from Wikimedia Commons and used under the Creative Commons 2.0 license.

1. Start ArcGIS Pro and sign in if necessary.
2. On the start page, under your recent projects, click Open another project.

   Note:

   If you already have a project open, click the Project tab on the ribbon. In the list of menu items on the left, click Open. On the Open page, click Portal and click Open another project at the bottom of the page.

3. On the Open Project dialog box, under Portal , click ArcGIS Online .

   Note:

   If you see ArcGIS Enterprise listed instead, you must add a portal connection or set your active portal to ArcGIS Online. Alternatively, you can download the tutorial data from a browser.

4. At the top of the dialog box, in the Search box, type Navigate maps and scenes and press Enter.
5. In the list of search results, click Navigate maps and scenes to select the project package.

   Note:

   If there is more than one project package with this name, look at the Owner column. Select the item with the owner name ArcGISProTutorials. If you don't get any results, see No search results are returned.

6. Click OK.

   The project opens with a topographic basemap zoomed to Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park on the South Island of New Zealand. The project also contains a 3D scene named Mount Cook 3D.

   

   Note:

   By default, project packages are unpacked to your <User Documents>\ArcGIS\Packages folder. You can change the default location in the Share and download options.

7. In the Contents pane, turn on the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park layer to see the park boundary.

Navigate a 2D map

You'll navigate around the national park using the Explore tool . You'll also locate Aoraki/Mount Cook by its coordinates and create a bookmark.

1. On the ribbon, click the View tab. In the Windows group, click Reset Panes and click Reset Panes for Mapping (Default).

   This ensures that the Contents and Catalog panes are open and that other panes are closed.

2. On the ribbon, on the Map tab, in the Navigate group, hover over the Explore tool .

   

   A pop-up image shows the mouse button navigation functions and some common keyboard shortcuts.

3. Hover over the map and move the mouse pointer.

   The latitude-longitude coordinates of the mouse pointer's location are displayed at the bottom of the map view.

4. Use the mouse wheel to zoom in and out.
5. Drag the map to pan around the area of Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park.
6. In the Contents pane, right-click the Aoraki/Mount Cook National Park layer and click Zoom To Layer .
7. On the ribbon, on the Map tab, in the Navigate group, click Go To XY .

   An overlay appears on the map with input boxes for longitude and latitude. The default measurement units are dd (decimal degrees).

8. In the toolbar, in the Long box, type 170.14E. In the Lat box, type 43.60S.

   

9. On the toolbar, click the Flash button .

   The coordinate location flashes on the screen, close to Aoraki/Mount Cook. The peak is marked on the basemap with the label 3724 m.

10. On the toolbar, click the Pan To button .

    The coordinate location is centered in the map.

    Tip:

    You can also press Ctrl and click a location on the map to center the location in the view.

11. In the lower left corner of the map view, click the scale drop-down menu and click 1:100,000.

    

12. In the Contents pane, turn on the Aoraki/Mount Cook layer.
13. On the Map tab, in the Navigate group, click Go To XY to deselect the tool and close the overlay.

    Tip:

    You can also find map locations by clicking Locate in the Inquiry group on the Map tab and entering coordinates in the search box in the Locate pane.

14. On the ribbon, on the Map tab, in the Navigate group, click Bookmarks and click New Bookmark .
15. On the Create Bookmark dialog box, in the Name box, type Aoraki/Mount Cook. Click OK.

Navigate a 3D scene

Now you'll look at the mountain in a 3D scene. You'll navigate with the Explore tool and the on-screen navigator.

1. Click the Mount Cook 3D view tab to make the scene active.

   

   The view shows the area around the mountain in 3D. Your current height above ground level is displayed in the lower left corner of the view, in the same place as the map scale in a 2D map.

2. On the Map tab, in the Navigate group, click Bookmarks . Under Mount Cook Bookmarks, click Aoraki/Mount Cook.

   The scene zooms in to the mountain. The view faces north and the perspective is perpendicular (straight down).

3. In the Contents pane, under 3D Layers, turn on the Aoraki/Mount Cook layer.

   The peak is symbolized by a purple triangle.

4. On the Map tab, confirm that the Explore tool is selected.
5. Drag the map to pan the scene.
6. Use the mouse wheel to zoom in and out.
7. Tilt the scene by clicking the scroll wheel on the mouse while moving the mouse forward and backward. Don't turn the scroll wheel or you'll zoom instead of tilting.

   Tip:

   To return to a familiar viewpoint, click a bookmark or click the Previous Extent button .

8. Rotate the scene by clicking the scroll wheel on the mouse while moving the mouse from side to side.

   As you rotate, the north indicator on the navigator shows you which direction you're facing.

9. Press N on the keyboard to rotate the view to face north.
10. Press P on the keyboard to tilt the view to perpendicular.

    Tip:

    See Keyboard shortcuts for navigation for more shortcuts.

11. Go to the Aoraki/Mount Cook bookmark.

    The same navigation movements (and more) that you make with the Explore tool can be made with the navigator.

12. On the navigator, click the Show Full Control button.

    

    The navigator expands to show its full functionality.

    
13. Pan the scene by clicking the outer ring of the navigator and dragging in any direction.

    As you drag, a faint arrow extends from the navigator to indicate the direction.

14. Tilt the view by clicking the inner ring of the navigator and dragging forward and backward.

    Tip:

    By default, you are not able to tilt the view to the underside of the surface. To enable underground navigation, see Navigation in 3D.

15. Look around from a fixed position by clicking the inner sphere of the navigator and dragging in any direction.

    The camera remains stationary, as if you are looking around from the top of the mountain.

16. Hover over one of the points on the outer ring—they represent cardinal directions—and click the arrow.

    The view rotates to face in the corresponding direction. Note that the big arrow on the outer ring, the North arrow, always points to the north.

17. Experiment with the other navigator controls.

    Tip:

    The navigator can be turned on or off in any scene or map view. To turn the navigator on or off, click the View tab. In the Navigation group, click Navigator . Alternatively, right-click somewhere in the map or scene and click Navigator.

    To change the default navigator display, click the Project tab and click Options in the list on the left. Under Application, click Navigation. Expand On Screen Navigator and choose the settings you want.

Link views

You can display your map and scene side by side. You can also link them to synchronize navigation.

1. Drag the active Mount Cook 3D view tab and drop it on the right-hand docking target that appears.

   

   When the view is docked, the map and scene display side by side.

   

2. On the ribbon, click the View tab. In the Link group, click the Link Views drop-down menu, and click Center and Scale .

   The map zooms to an extent and a scale that match the 3D scene. The view tabs for the map and scene are marked with icons to show that they are linked.

3. Navigate the scene using the Explore tool or the on-screen navigator.

   The map and scene pan, zoom, and even rotate together.

   Tip:

   You can also navigate in the map view. The map and scene continue to navigate together.

4. On the View tab, in the Link group, click the selected Link Views button to unlink the views.
5. Pan or zoom in either view to confirm that the views are unlinked.
6. On the Quick Access Toolbar, click the Save button to save the project.

Now that you know how to navigate maps and scenes, try the Create a project tutorial.