This datasheet includes the following sections:


The 3D products are delivered either online using MapBrowser 3D Export, or offline or via Secure Cloud Transfer. 

For offline 3D content please contact your Nearmap account manager.

3D Products Aerial Capture Specifications

The following table applies to all four 3D products:

SpecificationValue

Ground Sampling Distance (GSD)

3D Mesh Geometric Resolution*: ~ 6" or 15cm
3D Mesh Texture/Imagery Resolution: ~ 5.6cm 
Ground Sampling Distance for DSM export: 6" or 15cm
Ground Sampling Distance for TrueOrtho export: 2" or 5cm

Absolute Horizontal Accuracy11" or 28cm RMSEr
Absolute Vertical Accuracy

16" or 40cm RMSEz

Datum / Projection
  • WGS84/Spherical Mercator
  • WGS84/UTM
  • GDA94/MGA - AU
  • GDA2020/MGA- AU
  • NAD83/UTM - US/CA
  • NAD83/SPCS- US/CA

WGS84 + EGM96 - Only for Textured Mesh SLPK

ECEF - Only for Cesium

AU: AHD (AusGeoid09)
US: NAVD88
Canada: CGVD2013 

Global: EGM96, EGM2008, Ellipsoidal

Image BandsRGB Natural Color
Delivery Methods
  • Export from MapBrowser (if under 50 km2)
  • Secure Cloud Transfer (if under 24GB)
  • Hard drive (if over 24GB)

* average spacing of mesh vertices in high detail areas

Supported Formats

Textured Mesh

image looks wrong in view mode Geo-referenced 3D surface representation designed for photo-realistic visualisation and real-world modelling.

FormatApplicationsMapBrowser ExportTypical download size per km2 / mi2
3MXBentley Systems

(tick)

0.5 GB / 1.28 GB
SLPKESRI ArcGIS Earth, ArcGIS Pro, ArcGIS Online

(tick)

0.8 GB / 2.05 GB
Cesium 3D TilesCesium Apps

(tick)

0.6 GB / 1.54 GB
OSGBVarious
1.5 GB / 3.84 GB
OBJVarious

(tick)

1.4 GB / 3.58 GB
FBXVarious

(tick)

0.375 GB / 1 GB
LODTreeBentley OpenCities Planner

File contents

Refer to: Textured Mesh File Contents

Viewing 3D Textured Mesh in Third-Party Applications

You can view Nearmap 3D Textured Mesh content in several third-party applications. Refer to:

Textured mesh content in third party applications

Product Constraints

3D reconstruction is determined by the ability to reliably resolve objects from at least two different viewing angles.

Objects hidden or occluded would not be reconstructed reliably, as well as: 

  • Ambiguous features, such as reflective surfaces, featureless surfaces, thin features, and complex features such as trees
  • Objects that are less than 40cm in size 
  • Objects that are beneath another object, or semi-obstructed

Point Cloud

A set of points describing a 3D space, derived from the 3D reality mesh. 
FormatApplicationsMapBrowser ExportTypical download size per km2 / mi2
.LASVarious

(tick)

1.1 GB / 2.8 GB
.LAZVarious



File contents

Refer to: Point Cloud File Contents

Viewing 3D Point Cloud in Third-Party Applications

You can view Nearmap 3D Point Cloud content in several third-party applications. Refer to:

Point Cloud in third party applications

Product Constraints

3D reconstruction is determined by the ability to reliably resolve objects from at least two different viewing angles.

  • Objects hidden or occluded would not be reconstructed reliably.
  • Typical sensible point spacing would be around 15 cm (i.e. consistent with our 3D resolution), however larger or smaller spacing can be supported.
  • The point cloud will not contain any extra information than the textured mesh; if we cannot resolve in the mesh, the point cloud will also be the same.
  • Point cloud will likely be significantly larger in file size than the 3D mesh. Specialized software can optimize the storage of point cloud to make it perform better
  • The  point  cloud is unclassified in the sense that points are not labelled as ground, tree, building, etc. as is often done for Lidar point clouds. 

DSM

A Digital Surface Model (DSM) is an elevation model that provides information on reflected surfaces, including but not limited to buildings, vegetation and ground surfaces. A DSM captures both natural and built surfaces in contrast to a Digital Terrain Model (DTM) which provides information on bare earth surfaces. Nearmap’s DSM is created through the techniques of photogrammetry.

FormatApplicationsMapBrowser ExportTypical download size per km2 / mi2
.TIF (GeoTIFF 32 bit floating point)Various

(tick)

150 MB / 358 MB
.ASCII Various
150 MB / 358 MB

GeoTIFF is the preferred format. Other raster formats are typically much larger in size.

Large DSM export has a tile size limit of 18000 x 18000 pixel at 15cm resolution (approx 3km x 3km).

File contents

Refer to: DSM File Contents

Viewing DSM in Third-Party Applications

You can view Nearmap 3D DSM content in several third-party applications. Refer to:

DSM in third party applications

Product Constraints

3D reconstruction is determined by the ability to reliably resolve objects from at least two different viewing angles.

Objects hidden or occluded would not be reconstructed reliably, as well as: 

  • Ambiguous features, such as reflective surfaces, featureless surfaces, thin features, and complex features such as trees
  • Objects that are less than 40cm in size 
  • Objects that are beneath another object, or semi-obtruded

True Ortho

A data set that is used to show Nearmap imagery geometrically corrected ("orthorectified").
FormatApplicationsMapBrowser ExportTypical download size per km2 / mi2
.TIF (GeoTIFF 32 bit floating point)Various

(tick)

900 MB / 2.3 GB
.JPEG Various


150 MB / 358 MB

GeoTIFF is the preferred format.

File contents

Refer to: TrueOrtho File Contents

Viewing True Ortho in Third-Party Applications

You can view Nearmap 3D DSM content in several third-party applications. Refer to:

TrueOrtho in third party applications

Product Constraints

The Nearmap True Ortho product is derived from the Nearmap 3D reconstruction and could be considered a flattened textured mesh. Objects poorly reconstructed in 3D will also lack high resolution in the True Ortho product.

Although Nearmap's True Ortho is an image similar in appearance to the regular vertical (ortho) product, it has a 5cm pixel size and is lower in resolution that the standard product.


Note: the typical download size per square km and square mile varies a lot, depending on the complexity of the scene.


3D Coverage

Please refer to our Nearmap Coverage page to see the up-to-date 3D coverage in the US and in Australia.


Using 3D in MapBrowser

Viewing 3D

Measuring in 3D

Exporting 3D - only New MapBrowser