This guide includes the following sections:
Watch the video: MapBrowser - 3D Viewer & 3D Export
For 3D export to be available, it is required that your organisation have a 3D Export licence and that export credits are still available for your license. You also need to have 3D export permissions, which your account administrator can provide you.
Connection Requirements
3D Content for Export
Using MapBrowser you can export (download) all Nearmap 3D Products, and then use the content in third-party applications (see INTEGRATIONS).
The following table lists the formats that can be exported from MapBrowser, and the typical download size for each format.
Check the 3D PRODUCTS page for more discussion about these formats:
Format | Typical download size per km2 / mi2 |
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3D Textured Mesh | |
OBJ | 1.4 GB / 3.58 GB |
SLPK | 0.8 GB / 2.05 GB |
Cesium 3D Tiles | 0.6 GB / 0.23 GB |
3MX | 0.5 GB / 1.28 GB |
FBX | 0.375 GB / 1 GB |
3D Point Cloud | |
LAS | 1.1 GB / 2.8 GB |
DSM | |
TIF (GeoTIFF 32-bit floating point) | 150 MB / 358 MB |
True Ortho | |
TIF (GeoTIFF) | 900 MB / 2.3 GB |
DEM * | |
TIF (GeoTIFF) |
* DEM is known as DTM in Australia.
3D Export Allowance
Exporting 3D Imagery
1. Access 3D Export
Click the Export tool and select 3D from the drop-down menu:
2. Select a Capture
3. Choose a projection
A range of projections is available relative to the geographical area currently visible in MapBrowser.
Default projections
A default projection will be pre-chosen that is relevant for the area being viewed and which reflects country standards.
Country defaults are as follows:
- US – NAD83/UTM + NAVD88
- AU – GDA2020/MGA + AHD
- CA – NAD83(CSRS)/UTM + CGVD2013
If you are not sure which projection to use, stick to the default.
4. Select the Content Type and Format
If you've selected more than one content type, "Multi" is indicated in the dropdown.
Projections with Limited content types and format
There are some projections which are specific and limited to one content type and format. These are:
Projection | Content Type | Format |
---|---|---|
ECEF | Textured Mesh | Cesium 3D Tiles |
WGS84/Geodetic + EGM96 | Textured Mesh | SLPK |
Similarly, when you select a projection other than ECEF or WGS84/Geodetic + EGM96, and you select Cesium or SLPK as one of the formats, they will be exported in ECEF and WGS84/Geodetic + EGM96 projections. This is reflected in the Export panel, as shown in the screenshot below:
5. Define the Export Area
There are two ways to define your export area:
a. Draw the area you wish to export.
The area can be any shape of polygon, it
You can also simply drag and drop your GeoJSON file anywhere on the map.Import a GeoJSON file
Errors when defining the export area
If your GeoJSON file is has more than 1000 vertices, you will see a warning dialog like the one shown below. You won't be able to upload that GeoJSON file. Close the dialog and either draw around your area for export, or use a simpler GeoJSON file.
Refer to Valid GeoJSON and Polygon Formats for Content Export for a detailed explanation of other possible GeoJSON errors and what you can do about them.
Also to note:
6. Perform the Export
7. Download
The Downloads screen will open, showing your downloads list and the status of each download, including the current one.
When the download is ready, you can expand the row to see what files are included in the export. The 3D File Contents guide provides a detailed explanation of each file included in each content type.
Click on the each content block to download the files.
Once downloaded, you can use the files in one of the third-party applications. See INTEGRATIONS.
Downloads button
NOTE: You can access your downloads at any time by clicking the Downloads button on MapBrowser.
3D file contents
Download Status
The download status can be any one of the following:
- Pending - the export is about to start being processed by our system. This lasts only for a few seconds after clicking the EXPORT button.
- Running - the export is currently being processed by our system. This may take any time from seconds to a few hours depending on the size of the export area, the terrain of the export area, and the requested file types. At this point you have not yet been charged.
- Ready for Download - The export has been correctly processed and you can download the imagery.
- Failed - the export failed to export properly. In the rare case where this may happen, please contact Nearmap Support by submitting a support request.
REQUEST SUPPORT
You will not be charged for the download.
Tips for Exporting 3D
If you want to export a single building, select an area slightly bigger than the building you want to export, to avoid getting an incomplete 3D image.
Troubleshooting
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Why am I not able to export 3D? —
For export to be available,
- Your organisation have a 3D Export licence and export credits are still available for your license.
- You need to have 3D export permissions, which your account administrator can provide you.
Check with your Nearmap account administrator that they have granted you the correct licence and permissions for 3D Export. It is possible that if you do have a 3D Export licence, it is on a separate licence. If your administrator needs to change the licence, they can use these instructions: Manage a User's Licence.
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Nothing Happens When I Press Export —
When you click the EXPORT button the export process is supposed to start, as you will be able to see in the Downloads screen. If you clicked the EXPORT button and nothing happened, your firewall or proxy server may be blocking these addresses:
FAQs
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How do I get the other file types for my 3D export? —
You sure can! When you export 3D content from MapBrowser,
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Will the exported 3D look the same as the 3D displayed in MapBrowser? —
The 3D displayed in MapBrowser 3D viewer is Cesium format.
Exported 3D should have a very similar appearance to the 3D viewed in the Map Browser. If you are viewing the same capture, it will be the same content. However different formats and applications may display the extracted 3D in slightly different ways, which may make the content appear to be different.
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What is the maximum allowed 3D export size? —
Any single export is limited to 50km2/20mi2. This could be any where between 25GB and 75GB in size depending on the format you have chosen.
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Can I preview my actual format (e.g. DSM) before I export it and get charged for it? —
There is no way to preview DSM before it is exported, but the elevation values present in the DSM will reflect those seen in the 3D imagery in MapBrowser.
For more information on exporting DSM, or any 3D content, read Export 3D.
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How do I download additional 3D formats for an existing export without getting charged again? —
You can access your downloads at any time by clicking the Downloads button on MapBrowser.
Make sure you're on the correct tab - 3D EXPORTS or AI EXPORTS.
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Can I get a small free export so I can test if the 3D export works in my application? —
This is not possible, but you can get demo samples for testing application support of formats. These are available from your Nearmap account manager.
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Does my normal imagery allowance get charged when I download 3D? —
No, you have a separate allowance for 3D export.
Find out more here: View Account Data Usage.
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How do I import a screenshot at the right scale? —
You can use the Snapshot tool to export an image of:
- Vertical
- Panorama
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I want to retrieve imagery for an area larger than 100 metres. Can I do this with the DSM API? —
To do this, you will need to make multiple coverage calls (i.e. with a Transaction Token for each), make the image calls and stitch together the images.
Find out more here: DSM and TrueOrtho API