Impressive 3D visuals.

What are the best aspects of this product?

If you think you’ve already seen and explored all that there is about ESRI programs, here comes CityEngine. It takes model creation and design planning to a whole new level. In fact, the best edge that this tool has is that it presents its output in 3D format. I mean, sure other tools offer this too but believe me when I say that CityEngine is the best out of all of those. For one, it allows you to set up rules. Said rules, when used in the context of applying layers, can be replicated between different projects. This way, you can have your favorite settings with just a simple click of a few buttons. Designing and creating layers is so much easier this way. This is MAC compatible too, which I find important. And finally, all the designs you can dream of can easily be translated in 3D, thanks to ArcMap.

What aspects are problematic or could work better?

I wouldn’t consider this as a major drawback, but I was a little taken aback when I discovered that I would have to familiarize myself with coding. This was for the purpose of fully utilizing the CGA script. Now, I don’t have much beef with this at all. However, I do wish that CityEngine would set up more easy-commands on the toolbar for this function. Another thing I don’t like is how heavy this program is on the RAM. You either have the option to upgrade your computers or run the risk of having all other open programs crash.

What specific problems in your company were solved by this product?

We needed a program that could allow GIS data to be imported to it. Furthermore, we use SketchUp for designs too. And so, it made sense for us to use CityEngine in the 3D visualization aspect of this. It was really easy to use and this has definitely increased the level of professionalism on our outputs. The layers for the terrain are very accurate too. We’ve been able to use this program to imagine or re-imagine roads and other spaces.

Are you a current user of this product?

Yes