Abstract
Many specialized agencies start to do basic research of 3D GIS, and a lot of prototypes of 3D GIS were developed today. But, due to most of the traditional modeling software have many defects. So the method of ArcGIS combined with SketchUp is brought forward as a new idea in GIS 3D visualization because ArcGIS has powerful spatial analysis functions, while SketchUp is easy to learn and models quickly. This paper summarized the research status both home and abroad, discussed the application of the technology in various fields, analyzed its advantages and disadvantages, and then explored the development prospect of it.