Esri (USA) has officially released CityEngine 2025.1, featuring significant updates to its procedural 3D modeling environment for urban planning and film production. The new version introduces “geometry modifications” within the CGA language, allowing for more flexible and less rigid architectural forms. This update is vital for the entertainment supply chain, particularly for environment artists at major studio houses who build large-scale digital cities for film and games.

Key features include a new Visual CGA editor with facade components that allow for complex modeling without manual coding, as well as a beta Python 3 API for deeper customization. The software also improves street design workflows, offering better visual distinction between roads and sidewalks for realistic urban simulations. These enhancements are aimed at streamlining the production of digital twins and cinematic backdrops, reducing the time required for asset creation.

The update is now available to existing subscribers and enterprise users worldwide as of December 2025. CityEngine remains the industry standard for large-scale procedural environments, with its 2025 iteration focusing on interoperability with USD and glTF formats. As virtual production continues to grow, Esri’s latest release ensures that urban digital assets are more accessible and easier to integrate into modern real-time rendering pipelines. (USA)