3D Models on the Map: 3D Tiles, GLB and 3D Gaussian Splatting

Photogrammetry software produces a textured 3D model, but showing it to a client is still hard: the file is gigabytes, it needs its own program to open, and the model sits disconnected from the map. In CartaX, 3D models live on the map itself — the textured model sits on your orthophoto at its true coordinates, rotates in the browser, can be measured and is shared with a single link. This guide covers three kinds of 3D content: 3D Tiles, GLB and 3D Gaussian Splatting (3DGS).

Three formats, three uses

Format	When	How it sits on the map	Plan
3D Tiles	Textured terrain and building models from drone photogrammetry (tileset.json + tile folders)	At its own coordinates, on top of the orthophoto	Free and Professional
GLB	A single-file design/BIM model with no location information	You place it by clicking on the map	Free and Professional
3DGS	Photorealistic scenes: outdoor (a 3D Tiles folder with SPZ tiles) and interior (.sog)	Outdoor on the map, interior in its own viewer	Professional

None of the three spends tokens; they only count against your storage quota. 3D Tiles and 3DGS folders have no separate file cap; a GLB is a single file of at most 2 GB. For current limits see Supported formats & upload limits.

3D Tiles: the textured model at its true position

In the Upload file dialog pick the 3D Tiles card and select the whole package with the folder picker — tileset.json together with the tile folders. If you select a single file instead, the app says "tileset.json was not found in the 3D Tiles folder. Select the whole package with the folder picker." Once the upload finishes the model is listed under the 3D Tiles category in the layer panel and sits at its own coordinates on the map.

The buttons on the layer row:

• Ayar (the settings chip) — the Height adjustment (m) slider moves the model up or down relative to the ground (±1000 m); Save makes it permanent, Reset returns to zero. The same panel holds the 3D model sharpness slider (Detail ↔ Speed): towards Detail the model gets crisper but the device works harder. It is a session setting — it applies to every 3D Tiles model in the project and is not saved. The Measurement elevation row chooses whether measurements read elevation from the model surface or from an attached DSM/DTM; the visual height adjustment does not change measured elevations.
• Inspect — simplifies the map to show only that model and the layers tied to it; basemap and surface mode are disabled meanwhile. The Inspect mode: bar above the map has an Exit button to return.
• Analiz (the analysis chip) — adds the model to the epoch-comparison workspace.

A 3D Tiles model is a measurement target: distance, area and elevation measurements are taken on the model surface, saved against the model and flow into shares automatically.

GLB: placing a coordinate-less model on the map

The GLB model card takes a single .glb file; folders and multi-selection are not accepted, so export models in other formats as .glb. You can also drop the file onto the upload dialog without picking a card. Because a GLB carries no geographic position, the model waits under the GLB model category with the note "This model has not been placed on the map yet.":

1. Press the row's Ayar chip, then Place on map.
2. Click a spot on the map — the model lands there.
3. Fine-tune in the Model settings panel with the Height (Z), Offset (X), Offset (Y), Rotation (°) and Scale (0.1×–10×) sliders. Save makes it permanent, Reset clears the adjustments, Remove from map deletes the placement.

The View button opens the model in a standalone 3D preview, independent of the map. GLB models cannot be measurement targets; use 3D Tiles for measuring.

3D Gaussian Splatting: outdoor on the map, interior in its own workspace

The Gaussian Splat card (Professional) accepts two kinds of input:

• A 3D Tiles folder with SPZ tiles (tileset.json + .spz tiles) — an outdoor scene. The app recognises it automatically and lists it under the Gaussian Splat (3DGS) category in the layer panel (the same folder uploaded through the 3D Tiles card is recognised too). A georeferenced scene sits at its own position. For a scene without coordinates press Edit and click a spot on the map; then, in the Position & heading panel, press and drag on the map to move the model, turn it with the Heading (°) slider and Save. Remove from map deletes the manual placement: a georeferenced model returns to its own position, a non-georeferenced one disappears from the map. Inspect and Ayar → Height adjustment work on these scenes as well; they cannot be measurement targets.
• A .sog scene (with an optional settings.json) — an interior scene. It does not appear on the map; the 3DGS button in the environment strip below the map opens the full-screen 3DGS Viewer, which takes the place of the map just like the point cloud viewer. Pick the scene from the Select interior scene list on the left; a scene that opens upside down has a Flip if it looks upside down button.

The Local preview section of the same workspace works without uploading anything: drag a .ply, .sog or .spz file from your computer into the window (or use Open local file) and the scene opens immediately. It is the fastest way to check a production output before sending it to storage, and the button works even when the project has no scenes yet.

Sharing

3D Tiles and GLB models, plus outdoor 3DGS scenes on the map, are part of map shares; the recipient rotates the model in the browser and can take ephemeral measurements on 3D Tiles. Details: PIN-protected sharing.

Frequently asked

Question	Answer
Does uploading a 3D model spend tokens?	No; storage quota only
Is there a file cap?	None for 3D Tiles and 3DGS folders; GLB at most 2 GB
Which ones are on the free plan?	3D Tiles and GLB; 3DGS needs the Professional plan
The model sits at the wrong height	Ayar → Height adjustment (m), then Save
The model looks blurry or slow	3D model sharpness: towards Detail for crisper, towards Speed for smoother; session-only
Can I measure on a GLB?	No; measuring happens on the 3D Tiles surface
A 3DGS scene opens upside down	Flip if it looks upside down in the 3DGS Viewer
How do I leave Inspect mode?	Exit in the bar above the map