ArcGIS CityEngine is a powerful standalone procedural modelling application for creating 3D urban environments. Originating from a PhD project, it uses a proprietary coding language (CGA) to generate large fictional cities quickly. With applications in various industries, including architecture, planning, gaming, and more, CityEngine supports detailed 3D modelling and offers a versatile toolkit for professionals. It requires terrain data and road network information for realistic city modelling and supports various file types for publication. While it has a steep learning curve, its procedural modelling nature allows for efficient code reuse. CityEngine is recommended for those seeking advanced 3D geo-design capabilities and is taught through official tutorials, webinars, and online courses.

This initial course gives an overview of ArcGIS CityEngine and sets the scene for general 3D urban modelling.